Page 39 of Match My Fall
Icounted to seven, reminding myself that even ifIcouldn’t standThorne,Paigeloved him.Shewanted a relationship with him.
Unfortunately, that also meant more interactions with me.
“Makesure you have her back by seven onSunday.It’sa school night,”Ireminded him.
Heshot me a scathing look. “I’maware of the days of the week.”
Sigh.Iforced myself to remain civil forPaige’ssake.Afterthey left, a sudden wave of nausea hit me.Irushed to the bathroom, gagging, and dry heaved over the toilet.Jeez, that was a harsh reaction to dealing with my ex.Couldit have been somethingIate?Icouldn’t pinpoint anything that would do it so brushed it out of my mind.AtleastIhadn’t had orange juice.I’donce thrown it up whenIwas a kid.Thatwas the worst coming back up.Ishuddered at the memory.
Ibrushed my teeth thoroughly and gargled with mouthwash.Tonight,I’dbe going out withValen, andIdidn’t want anything to spoil it—especiallyThorne.
Duringthe last couple of days,Valenhad stopped by theNetworkduring my lunch break.We’dgotten a bite to eat and wandered downtown.I’dpointed out some landmarks and noted some of the incidents that happened during theSalemWitchTrials.Tonight, our time wouldn’t be so rushed asIwouldn’t have to get back to work or pick upPaigeand make her dinner afterwards.
I’dbeen looking forward to my date withValen, and he’d waited patiently untilIwas comfortable in doing so.AlthoughIcould have gotten a sitter forPaige,Ididn’t want to so soon after she’d been with my parents and withLucasandZoe.Themom guilt would hit hard.Tonightwould be guilt-free asPaigewas with her dad—which meantI’dbe free to do whatever—and with whomeverIwanted.
Thedoorbell rang.WhileI’ddreaded opening the door whenThornearrived,Irushed over whenIexpectedValen.Fluttersof excitement grew inside me.WhenIopened the door,Valenstared at me with a twinkle in his bright eyes, which crinkled at the edges as his mouth spread into a smile.
“Youlook beautiful,Cassandra.”Hisgaze roamed down and back up to my face.
Iwas gladIpicked this soft green cashmere sweater that fit me well. “You’relooking pretty good yourself,”Inoted.Thatwas an understatement.Hewore black pants and a blue button-down shirt that accentuated the blue of his eyes.Hisbeard was freshly trimmed, showing more of the salt-and-pepper in it, giving him a sexy appeal.Iremembered how the soft bristles tickled my face when we’d kissed, andIhad an urge to stroke his beard.
Keepingmy hands to myself,Isaid, “I’mready.”
“Great.”Hecocked his head. “Iheard good things about a seafood restaurant on the harbor.Wouldyou like seafood?”
“Whowouldn’t?”
Hechuckled. “Plentyof people.”
“Whatdo they know?”Idismissed with a playful wave.
Hedrove us to the harbor, and we found parking without a problem.Visitorsdidn’t rush toSalemin the offseason.
“Toobad it’s winter,”Inoted. “It’sa great place to sit outside and eat with the sea breeze rolling in.”
“IguessI’llhave to return in the summer,”Valensuggested with a one-sided smile.
Thatwas several months from now.Wouldwe really see each other again then?Withhim in the mountains and me here,Ithought we’d never stand a chance, but maybe we could find a way to make it work.
Weentered the restaurant, and the aroma of fresh baked bread and sizzling seafood stirred my appetite.Severalminutes later, we each had a glass of white wine and placed our order.Ichose salmon with asparagus, andValenchose a seafood platter with scallops, shrimp, and more.
Whenour meals arrived, the stench of the asparagus turned my stomach.Irushed to the restroom and gagged.Whatthe hell?Thatwas the second time that day.
AsIreturned to the table,Valenstared at me with concern. “Areyou feeling okay,Cassandra?”
“Yes.”Inodded, althoughIstill felt queasy.Istared at the offending asparagus. “Itdoesn’t smell right.”Whenthe server walked nearby,Iasked him to take it away.
Withit gone,Inibbled at a bread roll instead and my stomach settled.ValenandIate our dinner without further interruption of off-putting vegetables.
Afterdinner, we put on our coats and gloves to walk along the waterfront.Itwas already dark out, the gloom of winter casting its spell with the lack of sunlight.Abreeze rolled in from the ocean, andIbristled, my teeth chattering.Valendidn’t react.
“Shifterheat,”Iremarked with envy.
Valenturned to me with a brilliant smile. “Ialways run hot.Happyto share.”
Heopened his arms and pulled me against him.Ipressed against his broad chest, eagerly accepting his warmth.Theway he held me felt so protective, as if he’d never let anything happen to me.
“Youfeel so good,” he said.
