Chapter 5
A few days later
Cassidy
“Aunt Cass, look!”Annie hopped over to me in her little pink Chucks, her brown pigtails flying around as we walked through the quaint boutique. She was holding a white rubber duck that had a unicorn horn with a rainbow mane andtale.
I scooped my best friend’s daughter up into my arms. “Well, isn’t that the cutest ducky in the whole wide world,” Iexclaimed.
Emily shuffled up to us with summer dresses slung over her arm and a few shoe boxes cradled in the other. Her messy bun was falling out and hair wisped down into her eyes. “Help, Cass! I’m beingattacked!”
I rushed to her aid, throwing her hair back up on top of her head, securing it with the tie and pushing her sunglasses up more to help keep her brunette locks in check. “Better?”
“Thanks. I’m gonna try these on. Annie, be good for AuntCass.”
I gave the seven-year-old a squeeze. “What should we name this little lady?” I asked, pointing to the toy rubber duck still in herhands.
A woman with a baby cradled in her arms smiled at us. Her husband was standing next to her with a motorcycle club’s cut over his flannelshirt.
“Hey, Raine, isn’t that a Miss Gilda?” the biker asked before kissing the petite woman’scheek.
She nodded and then sweetly said to Annie and me, “I had one of those when I was a little girl. She was my favorite. Her name is Miss Gilda, and I still have mine after all theseyears.”
Annie bounced a little in my arms, holding the duck high in the air. “Miss Gilda isawesome!”
I giggled a little. “Thanks, you just made herday.”
“It’s a small world for sure. I haven’t seen one of those in years.” The woman shot me a tight smile as she grabbed her husband’s hand to walk out of thestore.
After Emily decided nothing in the store was going to work for her and I bought Annie her very own Miss Gilda, we decided to head to the pizza place at the other end of the mall forlunch.
I was halfway through my second slice of pepperoni heaven when my heart stopped. My jaw hit the floor, and I dropped the pizza onto my plate, blinking rapidly. There was no way I was seeing what I thought I was seeing. I was staring at the man standing with the young couple I had just spoken with in the store in completedisbelief.
“Cass?” Emily shook my shoulder a little bit. “Cassidy? Are you ok? What isit?”
I turned to look at her. My entire body prickled with heat, and it took me a few seconds to spit the words out. “I think Ryan Axston is standing over by thebar.”
She put her hand on mine. “Honey, I have no idea who the heck you are talkingabout.”
“H-He was…ma-my first,” Istammered.
Her eyes grew ten times bigger as she followed my gaze over to the man I didn’t know anymore, the man who’d changed my life, the man I’d never thought I would see again. “He’s handsome,” she declaredquickly.
“Of all the things to say, that’s what you go with?” I scoffed, shoving her shoulderplayfully.
I glanced back over to where he had been standing and jumped in my seat when I saw him walking over to me. His eyes were locked with mine, his deep onyx irises boring holes into my soul as he strode closer and closer tous.
“Annie, how about we go get some ice cream?” Emily grabbed her daughter’s hand after gathering up their shoppingbags.
“Yeah! Ice cream!” Annie’s elation radiated from her as she hopped off herseat.
“Good luck,” Emily whispered before rushing away from our table, towing her daughter by thehand.
“Wait, don’t…” I tried to stop her, but she was already opening the door toexit.
My best friend had abandoned me as my first love crashed back into my life.Fucking great.I rolled my eyes while running my fingers through my longhair.
Deepbreaths.
