Page 48 of Since Always

"That is categorically untrue in politics."

Cass pulls out her phone to check it and her brother stands over her, glancing down at the screen.

"Drew's texting you?" Chris says. "Is he still here?"

"Wow. You will never stop being nosy, will you?" She glances up at me, and I have to keep my face from betraying my thoughts.

Why is she texting him?

"Yes, apparently. I think he leaves the same day we do."

"Are you going to see him again?" Stephanie asks. "Are you and the other guy not exclusive? Maybe there's still time with Drew."

"For the love of God," Chris says. "Stop it."

"No," Cass says, shutting them down. And then, for my benefit as much as theirs, she adds, "I'm not really into him, I don't think. I am actually going to text him now and tell him that I don't think I'm going to have time to see him before we leave."

"What?" Chris asks. "Why not? He seems like a good guy."

"I don’t know what your thing with him is," she says. "You don't know him. Just because he's rich doesn't mean he's good. Also, even if he is a good guy, that doesn't change how I feel."

"If she's not into him, she's not into him," I say, and everyone falls quiet as they glance at me.

"Mom texted me too," Cass says a moment later, changing the subject as she looks back down to her phone. "She's throwing a dinner party tonight at the house, since it's the last night all of us will be here. She said we should invite a few friends over if we want to. She just wants to know how many people are coming. I'll invite Lexi; I don't care about anyone else. I'm assuming you'll come over, Steph?"

Chris and Stephanie exchange a quick, nervous glance.

"What?" Cassidy asks, not missing the exchange.

"It's just...My friends left town this morning, so..."

"She's going to stay with us and come back home with me on the plane," Chris says.

"And your mom doesn't know that yet?" I ask, my eyebrows raised.

"I am a 36-year-old man. I am the CEO of one of the largest corporations in the world. I am—”

"Scared to death to tell her," Stephanie interrupts.

CHAPTER 15

Cassidy

I find my mother in her bedroom when we get home, and do my brother a solid. I try to convince her that Chris is happy, and that Stephanie really seems like she has changed quite a bit.

"I know you're worried about him," I say. "I am too. But I honestly don't know the last time I have seen him like this. I think we need to give her a chance."

"Look at you," she says with a smirk. "You're being very mature."

I laugh. "I resent your shock at that."

She wraps her arm around my waist and kisses me on the forehead. "Not shock, my love. Pride. Okay, I'll be nice to her, I promise."

Lexi shows up a few minutes later and we go to my room, where she asks me to fill her in on everything going on. She grabs a pillow to scream into and bounces on my bed as I give her the broad strokes of the past couple of days.

"You are inspiring, Cassidy Sloane. You make me want to take a leap of faith."

"You should take a leap of faith. What's the girl's name in New York?"

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