Page 75 of Captivated

“Don’t do that, Cassie. Just let me help you so you can wash him off you, okay? Don’t shy away from me like you don’t want me to see you.”

“It’s not that,” she whispers, her voice hoarse. “I’m ashamed.”

I take her face in my hands and swipe her tears away. “Never be ashamed in front of me. I’ll take care of you.”

She gives me a small nod, and I continue to undress her. Under any other circumstances, I would find her outfit the sexiest thing I’d ever seen, but not right now. Now, all I see isthe raw Cassandra she keeps hidden under the layers of sass, stubbornness, and fear. All to protect herself from the world and whoever wants to get close to her, to ensure they never do.

Her veil is down right now. I see the young and vulnerable Cassandra she hasn’t let herself be for quite some time.

Once she’s fully undressed, I quickly shed my clothes and guide her into the shower. I wash her carefully, and my anger spikes when she winces as my hand glides over a part of her arm and thigh where I see marks forming.

That fucking bastard deserved more than he got for hurting her.

Turning her around, I methodically shampoo and condition her hair, and massage her scalp as I rinse her off. Cassie hums her approval, and her eyes remain closed while I turn her back to face me and the water cascades over her.

I wash myself next, then trade places with her to rinse off, and her eyes remain cast downward as I pat the both of us dry.

She won’t look me in the eyes.

I need to see hers, but I know she needs a little time to gather herself.

I wrap a towel around her and reach for another on the shelf when Cassie gasps. My heartrate spikes. “What? What’s wrong?” I ask frantically.

“Your hand,” she says, taking my right hand in hers. She holds it gently in her outstretched palm. “Go sit on my bed and wait for me. I’ll fix you up.”

I won’t turn down her undivided attention, so I do as she says, and find her room down the hall. I sit on the end of her bed and look around. Her room is made up of neutral colors. It’s quite different than how I see her. She’s vibrant and full of spice and life, so I can only assume this is her safe space. A calm place where she can retreat to and none of the outside noise she deals with crosses over that threshold.

Cassie hurries into her room with her arms full of first aid supplies and a worried look marring her beautiful face. She drops to her knees in front of me and dumps the supplies on the floor. She takes my hand in hers again and starts to dab a cotton ball soaked in hydrogen peroxide over my cuts.

I hadn’t realized how torn up my knuckles were before this moment, because frankly, I didn’t, and still don’t, care. But now I can see how I ripped my knuckles open on that prick’s face. I don’t even feel it yet, but Cassie thinks I do, because her brows are pinched together in deep concentration and she’s biting her perfect puffy lower lip as she dabs carefully so she doesn’t hurt me.

She blows cool air over my knuckles, and I feel the breeze blowing off the last cobwebs around my heart. She’s fucking got me. She’s taking up all the space in me she can, and I never want her to leave.

Cassie stays focused while she dabs on antibacterial cream with a cotton swab, and then gently covers the wounds with a large piece of gauze before wrapping my hand in bandage tape to keep it in place.

I would tell her it’s not necessary, but I like her fussing over me.

When she finally looks up at me, I’m punched in the gut with how crushed she looks. “Thank you for saving me. You got there at just the right moment.” She launches herself into my arms and I hold her tight. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry for everything,” she says in my ear. “I shouldn’t have left you, I shouldn’t have lied, and I shouldn’t have kept you in the dark about everything that’s going on with me. I don’t want to lie to you ever again, and I promise I won’t.”

“Piccante,” I croon. I stand and she locks her legs around as I carry her around the bed to lay us down. “Piccante.” I push herwet strands of hair over her shoulder and cup her cheek. “I’m sorry for what I said to you. You didn’t deserve that.”

“I did. I messed up. I messed everything up.” Her throat works around a swallow. “I thought I had to do everything on my own because he’s my brother, which meant he was my problem, and mine alone. But I guess it took what happened tonight to realize how stupid I was being. I was begging for you in my head, Nico. And then you appeared.” The corners of her lips lift just the slightest. “Why did you come for me when you knew I was there?”

“I wasn’t going to let you go so easily. I think we both assumed some things about the other and it stood in our way. I assumed getting you fired would be the end of it, and when it wasn’t, I was mad at myself, not you. I should’ve known. I should’ve made you accept my help.”

“Nico,” she says softly, in a calming voice that sits well in my soul. “It’s cute that you think you can make me do anything.”

The small chuckle that leaves me takes me by surprise and her small smile widens. “Yes, that’s true.”

“But I shouldn’t have been so stubborn. I’m going to work on that.”

“Does that mean you’ll finally let me help you? Because money means nothing to me. There’s always more money to be made, but there’s only one you. And I need you, Cassie.”

“You do?” The spark of hope in her voice is endearing.

“Yes, Cassandra. I do.”

“I need you, too,” she tells me, brushing her fingertips across my cheek. “I need you more than you know. More than I’ve said or shown you. I’ve thought about you every day since I left you after our weekend together. I actually dreamt of you coming to me. That you would just show up and kiss me and tell me you just had to have me,” she says wistfully, laughing to herself like it was a silly thing to say.

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