Page 54 of Tripped By Love
The words caused the tears Cassidy had barely been holding back to burst out. A sob escaped her as they fell down her cheeks. I knelt down, pulling her hand back into mine. “He doesn’t have a chance. There’s no way he can take Chevelle from you. Not with the proof you have.”
Brady’s eyes widened at my tender speech, and I swallowed hard. He turned back to Cassidy. “What’s this proof?”
Cassidy explained about a check Hardy had written for the abortion, which made my stomach clench, and some texts and emails she had from him saying he never wanted anything to do with her again. Hardy had begged her to take the “smart” path and get rid of the child.
I wanted to toss the guy into the Erie and let the fish eat him.
Brady’s jaw clenched as hard as my fist. “I agree with Marco. He doesn’t have a shot, Cass.” Then, he turned and headed for the stairs.
“Wait, what did you come by for?” Cassidy asked.
Brady looked confused for a second, and then his face cleared with a small smile. “Right. I came to tell Marco I was taking Jonas back to the house with me.”
“You are?” I asked, surprised.
“The band is done for the day, and they’re heading to their rental house. Tristan needs to put her feet up, so we’re taking off as well, but Jonas had some great ideas for The Painted Daisies songs that I want to poke around some more. They’re fresh and unsophisticated, but interesting. I’ll have one of the detail bring him back to my parents’ when we’re done, if that’s okay with you?”
Brady looked at me, and it hit me in the chest that I was responsible for Jonas in a way I’d never been before. I’d always looked out for him, but I’d never been the parent. I’d never been the one who could deny a request.
“I think Jonas would slit my throat in the middle of the night if I objected,” I told him honestly.
Brady chuckled and headed up the steps. About halfway up, he turned and looked back down at us with lips tilting upward. “And pretend or not, that was one hell of a kiss.”
I couldn’t help the snort that left me, and I was glad it brought a strangled half-laugh from the depths of Cassidy. Brady disappeared through the door, and I took his spot on the stool next to her, spinning it so that our legs were tangled together. Our knees and thighs blended into a united mess. A current of heat and energy traveled through my veins that made my blood pound out a tune full of yearning.
“I think we need to talk,” I said, my voice deep, the desire to pick up where we’d left off showing in each syllable.
“I’m not a project…or a client. I don’t want you hovering around, trying to surround me in cotton so I don’t get hurt,” she said, chin lifting.
I stared into her golden eyes, amazed at the powerI saw in them every day, even in the face of her fear and sadness from what Hardy had just put her through. It wasn’t anything that I hadn’t already witnessed from her before, though.She fought every day to be thestrongestperson in the room.
“I don’t think of you that way,” I told her because it was the truth. I didn’t. I might want to protect her. Shield her. And I’d never walk away if there was a chance that something was coming for her, but I also didn’t see her as someone who couldn’t stand on her own.
She looked down to where my hands were on her knees. I wanted to skim them up the sides of her black pants and find where the skin began. If she’d been in one of her typical skirts, my hands would have had easier access to touch her.
She let out a tumultuous breath, the sweet and spice of it taunting me to kiss her again. “I need to finish up. Go home. Put my arms around Chevelle.”
I nodded, but neither of us moved.
“I have to tell my parents,” she said, sighing.
“If they’re going to have Chevelle all summer, it’s the smart thing to do. You don’t want Hardy to catch them unaware.”
She grimaced. “I’ve never told them he was the father.”
That hung in the air between us for a moment, and I could almost hear how much she hated the idea of telling them now.
“I’ll go with you,” I said quietly.
Her eyes narrowed.
I chuckled softly. “It isn’t to protect you. It’s because I know Arlene loves me, and she might not completely lose it in front of me.”
Cassidy’s lips quirked. “Protection via charm.”
I stared into her eyes. “Maybe.”
She reached up and ran a finger over my jaw. It flexed in response, my body tightening at the simple touch. “You’re right. We do need to talk about this,” she said softly.
