Page 106 of Unsure in Love

“Are any of you interested in seeing him?” Ruby asked.

I glanced at Tessa, April, and Lucy, waiting for their responses.

Lucy blew out a long breath. “Honestly, I’m harboring too much resentment to say I’m at that forgiving stage.”

“No, I don’t want to see him,” Tessa said flatly, which surprised me.

“Um… I don't know.” April stared at her half-eaten pie. “I’ll have to think about that. Maybe if any of us get to that point, Cass can get us in touch with him.” She turned to me. “That is, if you’re still in contact with him.”

Tired of playing the tough, I-don’t-give-a-shit role, I told them, “One part of me wants to be forgiving and have a relationship with Henry. He hinted at being interested in that. Another part of me wants to forget I even found him. I don’t know which part to listen to.”

Lucy nodded. “Well, when you decide, don’t be afraid to let us know. We won’t blow up again. Promise.”

Tessa and April nodded their agreement.

Lucy cleared her throat. “Cass, I haven’t apologized for my words yet. I called you selfish, and I was so out of pocket for that. That is the furthest thing from the truth and I’m sorry.”

A wave of relief washed over me as Lucy's apology hung in the air. The weight of her words had been a burden, and it instantly dissipated. “I felt awful when I thought that was your opinion of me. I was never worried about other people’s impression of me, only yours.” I held her gaze, hoping she'd see my sincerity and gratitude. “Because you were the one who was there for me, Luce. Not Mom or Dad. It was always you.”

April exhaled. “Okay, now we’re really good.”

“And since we’re back to normal,” I said. “I’m going to New York.”

Tessa smiled. “Well, yeah. I imagine you want to spend time with Damian.”

“How long are you staying?” Ruby asked.

“Indefinitely.”

“What?” April screeched. “You are not leaving.”

I chuckled at her incensed demand. Tessa huffed and launched into reasons why I couldn’t leave them indefinitely. I heard something about her not being able to check up on me properly from that far away.

I’d known my announcement would cause a commotion. Sure, I’d learned to soften up a bit but that didn’t mean I wouldn’t stir things up every once in a while.

Lucy side-eyed me and shook her head. I saw the understanding in her eyes though. She got why I made the decision to uproot and head to New York, and once the others settled down and heard me out, they’d understand too.

I was in love and my home would be with Damian and our child from now on.

39

CASS

I stood outside Damian’s office, my heart pounding with a mix of nervousness and excitement. We hadn’t been together for long, but the connection between us was undeniable from the start, so living together for about eight months worked naturally for us. It was like we’d been together for ages.

What didn’t come naturally to me was navigating exactly how much space to give my boyfriend. I didn’t want to be too needy or intrusive; yet, I didn’t want to appear indifferent as I had in the past.

“Got any advice to give Mommy, little guy?” I grinned at the precious bundle cradled in his car seat. Little Luis—of course, we named him after Damian’s father—made a sound somewhere between a coo and a gurgle as he watched me with green eyes that were almost identical to mine.

“You’re right, couples do this sort of thing,” I said. “I’m making too much of a big deal out of this.” The thing is, I had avoided romantic relationships most of my life, so spontaneously showing up at my boyfriend’s office was a big deal. I wasn’t completely comfortable with doing things like that.

Taking a deep breath, I stepped inside. Bree, Damian’s assistant, looked up. Seeing it was me, she gasped — a dramatic one that reminded me of Ruby. Her face lit up. I’d gotten acquainted with Bree over the eight months I’d been in Brooklyn. She was a bubbly character with a contagious smile, and I learned she made her boss’s work life easier, which gave him more time to spend at home. I appreciated her.

“Hi, Cassandra,” she greeted. “So good to see you.”

“Hi, Bree.”

“Oh, my gosh.” She gazed at Luis with obvious excitement. “I finally get to meet the little man.”

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