It wasn’t just a knock.It washisknock.
“Cassidy!Open the door!”
Andrew’s voice cut through the wood, sharp and impatient.My stomach twisted.I’d been home all of five minutes, still unpacking my bag, when he’d shown up.
I backed up, putting more space between me and the door.My phone buzzed on the coffee table,Chase.
For a second, I almost didn’t answer.If I ignored him, I could pretend this wasn’t happening.But the pounding didn’t stop, and my pulse was too loud in my ears.
“Hey,” I said, trying to sound normal.
“You okay?”he asked.
“Yeah.I’m fine.”I lied.
Then Andrew’s voice came again, muffled but still audible.“Cassidy, we need to talk!”
There was a pause on Chase’s end.“Who’s that?”
I swallowed.“It’s… Andrew.”
His voice hardened instantly.“Why is he there?”
“He's not here with me, he's at my door...I don’t know.He just showed up.He’ll leave soon...”
Chase was quiet for a moment.I heard someone in the background shout for him, but he ignored them and asked, “How often does he do this?”
I didn’t answer.The silence was enough.
“I’m coming over.”
“Chase, no.He’ll be gone before you get here.”
“Too bad,” he said, and hung up.
I stood there, phone still in my hand, as Andrew kept talking through the door, half apologies, half accusations.I didn’t answer.Eventually, the pounding stopped, replaced by a long stretch of quiet that was somehow worse.
By the time headlights swept across my window, Andrew was long gone.
I watched as Chase got out of the passenger side of a truck.Brody was behind the wheel.
When they finally made it to my apartment, I pulled him to me and asked, “What ishedoing here?”
“I was at Adam’s,” Chase said.“Helping with the pub opening.I had a few drinks.Brody hadn’t, so he drove.”
Brody gave me a half-smile.“Good thing, too.Your brother was about to sprint here on foot.”
Chase’s eyes swept over me, assessing.“We’re staying tonight.”
“That’s not necessary...”
“It is,” he said flatly.“You got anything good to eat?Or drink?”
Without waiting for an answer, he headed into the kitchen and started pulling things from the fridge like he lived here.
I turned to Brody.“You don’t have to stay.I know this is an inconvenience.”
He shook his head.“Not an inconvenience, Cassidy.I wouldn’t be anywhere else.”
