I reply with a smile, feeling a surge of excitement because he answered.
Cassius:
Very rarely, my darling.
You love nicknames, don’t you?
I can’t stop staring at the endearment.I’ve never been calleddarlingbefore him.It’s precious, so different from the usualbabeorbaby.Somehow it means more.
Cassius:
Only with you.
How was your day?
I change the subject to safer territory.
Cassius:
It was boring as hell, on par with every day that I have to wear a dumbass suit.
Not a fan of ties?
Cassius:
I hate all of them, except the one you told me to loosen.How was your day?
I’d like to loosen it in person.My day was weird.
Cassius:
I’m not taking it off until you make good on that.Why weird?Do I need to kill someone?
Would you?I type and then delete it.I’m not so sure I want the answer to that question.
No.
I type out instead.
I had that lunch, which wasn’t enjoyable.Then some creep hit on me at the grocery store.
It takes him a long time to reply.So long that I close out of our messages and return to my book.As I read, I wonder what could possibly be going through his mind.Two chapters later, I finally get a message.
Cassius:
Call me if something like that ever happens again.
Why?
Cassius:
Because I’ll keep you safe.
Those words bring burning tears to my eyes.I can’t make myself ask.I don’t know if I can handle him confirming that he was that close and walked away.Reading his message makes me feel like I missed a chance today, not just to know him, but to know a part of myself I've yet to discover.
You don’t even know me.
It’s harsh.He’s being sweet, but I can’t take sweet.He always texts like I mean something to him, but how can I when he has no clue who I am.It doesn’t help that he means something to me.I can feel it, the tug of longing that is bound to grow like an uncontrollable vine and take over my circulatory system.It will weave through me until it takes over, using my blood to feed its growth.How can I feel something so powerful, something I know will easily become all-consuming, for a man I can’t even bring myself to confirm I’ve seen?
