“I want to see you, though.” I rolled over and sat up. “More than I want you to keep doing that to my back.”
She crossed her arms and chewed on her bottom lip for a second. “Why?”
Fuck, she wasn’t going to make anything easy on me. “Does it matter?”
“It does.” She looked down at the tent my dick was creating. “You wouldn’t be the first guy who forgot who I was for long enough to want me to take care of them.”
Fury had me on my feet. “Who?”
She tried to turn away but I picked her up and put her down on the table so I could stand between her thighs and keep her where I wanted. When she kept her head turned stubbornly away from me I wrapped my hand around her throat and stroked her jaw with my thumb. She slowly turned to face me and the vulnerability I saw there almost made me want to run. Who the fuck was I to have her looking at me like that?
“It doesn’t matter who, Weston. I just meant to say that if that’s what you want, I’m not here for it. No matter what you and everyone else said, I’m not that girl.”
“It does matter who.” I held her with just enough pressure to keep her eyes on me. “Report them.”
“And fuck up the starting line for tomorrow’s game? No.” She tipped her chin higher. “I took care of it. I’m hardly a wilting flower who needs to be saved.”
“I didn’t say you were a flower, or whatever, Cassidy. Having been at the other end of your rage, I know full well that you can take care of yourself. I just prefer not to be on the field celebrating with assholes who would pull that shit.” I saw the doubt in her eyes and swore. I deserved it after the way I’dtreated her. “I’m a giant asshole, Cassidy. The worst. But I have a little sister and that kind of shit doesn’t fly with me.”
Tears filled her eyes but she quickly blinked them away and pulled away from me. “Yeah? Did you forget how you spoke to me? Do I not count as a woman to you so it made it easier to call me a whore and treat me like shit? The guys coming onto me in here are at least kind of nice about it.”
I let my frustration get the best of me when I responded. “You hurt our sister and tried to keep hurting her through us. Just because we’re all playing nice together now doesn’t mean that shit didn’t happen.”
“Right.” She slipped around me, off the table, and grabbed her tablet from the other side of the room. “I think you should have someone work on your back the morning after the game. You’ll probably be sore.”
“Great.” I yanked my clothes on and shook my head at her. “Thanks.”
I gripped the door and was just about to throw it open when I stopped and took a deep breath. I was being an asshole again. Turning around, I leaned against the door and saw she was clutching the tablet to her chest and staring at me. Her bottom lip quivered but she didn’t shed a tear. I had a feeling she’d rather lose her arm than let me see her actually cry.
“I’m sorry.” I ran my hand through my hair and longed for my cowboy hat that was hanging in my locker. “This shit isn’t easy.”
She nodded and looked down at the floor. “No. It’s not.”
“I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing or supposed to be doing half the time.”
“Me either.” She looked back at me and it was like her blue eyes were glowing from the intensity in her gaze. “I want to hate you. I know you have a reason to hate me. I know you had every right to explode at me when you found out who I really am. But the things you said… They went beyond anything that feltreasonable. I have those words banging around in my head and then we have a decent moment and I don’t know what to think. This whole stupid fake dating thing is messing with my head. As much as I didn’t like what you were saying it was almost easier when you were being cruel. At least then I knew what to expect and what you wanted.This? You getting angry on my behalf and apologizing? It’s confusing.”
“I’m not going to be cruel to you just so things aren’t complicated.”
“It’s the least you could do.” She let out a quiet laugh and rolled her eyes. “Look, I just don’t want to start expecting you to be nice or caring towards me.”
“Worried you’ll fall for me and my charm?” I meant it as a joke but I realized I’d touched a sensitive topic as I watched her shut down.
All that intensity was gone. She might as well have disappeared right then and there. “I told you that you guys don’t need to worry about me doing that. I’m not going to start clinging and begging for more. That’s not who I am. Anymore.”
“That’s not what I meant,-”
“I’m sorry to cut this short but I have someone coming in soon and I need to get the room ready.” She forced a smile and politely dismissed me.
“Cassidy,-”
“You can call me Cass, you know.” She pulled out a bottle of spray and doused the table. “I don’t know why I introduced myself as Cassidy. No one calls me that.”
I swore and gripped the door again. “Cassidy, this conversation is far from finished.”
She waved a hand at me. “Sure. See you later, Weston.”
I left but I stopped right outside of her door and waited to see who would show up next to be massaged by her. When I saw Andy walking my way I pushed off the wall and met him halfway.
