I took them all over Austin that afternoon, and while she was polite and would respond whenever I asked her a question, she wouldn’t hold a conversation with me and made sure she was always by Tyler’s side, farthest away from me. Maybe I was wrong about her feeling whatever this connection was, because she definitely didn’t seem like she was having a hard time not touching me. It was all I could do to not grab her hand and keep her by my side.
When we were on the way back, she asked if we could stop by the grocery store, and we let her take over the shopping after her third eye-roll at our food choices.
“Don’t worry,” Tyler whispered as she compared packages of ground beef, “she’s been cooking for herself since she was six; she’s better than my mom.”
I hadn’t been worried, and now that added just one more thing I wished I could have protected her from. Because my dad and I worked from sunup to sundown most days, I was only ever in the kitchen to help with dishes. I thanked Mom and my sisters daily for making the food, but I couldn’t imagine having to do it on my own when I was just a little kid. I’d have to thank them again.
Other than letting us carry the groceries in for her, she wouldn’t let us help put them away and immediately started on cooking dinner for the three of us. I lay down on the couch just watching her move around the kitchen while Tyler played his game again. At one point it looked like she started dancing for a few seconds before she stopped herself, and God, if that wasn’t the cutest thing I’d ever seen. When Ty was fully engrossed in the game, I got up and wandered into the kitchen, stepping right up behind her.
“Do you need help with anything?”
Her body tensed for a moment, and once it relaxed she turned her head up to look at me. “No, I’m fine. Thanks though.”
“Could I help anyway?”
She continued to watch me with that same hurt and confused look from that morning. “Yeah, sure. You can make the salad.” She grabbed a few things out of the fridge and brought them over to me before grabbing a couple more items that she’d bought at the store out of a bowl on the counter. “Dice these, and—wait, do you even like avocados?”
“I’ll eat anything, darlin’.”
Her mouth tilted up at the corners and her cheeks got red; I smiled to myself and made a mental note to call her that more often. “Well, if you don’t like them, I can just put them in my bowl.”
I grabbed the avocado from her and looked at it, a little confused. “Like I said, I’ll eat anything. But how do you cut this thing?”
She laughed lightly and took it from my hand, sliding the cucumber and tomato in front of me. “Dice these first, then I’ll show you how to cut the avocado.” She handed me a knife and turned back to the stove.
I was flat-out awful at dicing those vegetables, but being in the kitchen with her had me smiling the entire time, and whatever she was cooking smelled damn good. “I think I did it right.”
“There’s really no way to mess up dicing veggies for a salad.” She turned and looked. “You did it just fine. Haven’t you ever diced something before?” I shook my head and she grinned at me. “Really? Well you did great. Let me show you how to do these.”
She grabbed both avocados and handed me one of them before picking up her own knife. I’m not gonna lie, I purposefully kept messing up getting the seed out so that she finally had to reach over and grab my hands to show me what to do. I heard her intake of breath as soon as our hands touched, and I had to look away so she wouldn’t see how wide I was smiling.
Hell. Yeah.
She finished showing me how to cut up the avocado and had me grab bowls and plates while she finished up whatever was on the stove. Every time I looked at it, she’d turn me away and say I wasn’t allowed to see her secrets. I didn’t know what was going on all day, but she was now acting just like she had that morning. Every smile and every touch had me falling for her that much more.
I touched her arm so she’d look up at me and I almost forgot what I was gonna ask as soon as her eyes met mine. “Uh, did I upset you this morning? I swear I didn’t mean to. I had no idea about your dad.”
She looked down, then back to the stove. “I didn’t expect you to know about him. And what were you thinking upset me?”
“When I told you I’d teach you how to ride.”
Cassidy huffed and shook her head once. “No, Gage, that didn’t upset me. I would really like to learn how to ride, if you ever want to show me.”
Did she think I would offer if I didn’t want to? And would it be bad if I asked what those two things had to do with each other? “Of course I will. I mean, I heard what Tyler said, but I do think you’d like the ranch. I can’t wait to take you there.” Ah, too much. Too much.
“Sounds great.” She picked up a spoon, then set it right back down and put both her hands on the counter before looking back at me. Her mouth opened and her eyebrows pulled together, then she looked into the living room at Tyler and back at me. “Dinner is about ready,” she said softly, “would you mind putting the salad on the table?”
When I turned around with the bowls, I saw Tyler staring at us and held back a sigh. I was gonna get crap for this later.
Cassidy had made crispy chicken fettuccine Alfredo, and all I could say was damn. I had to agree with Tyler that it was better than Aunt Steph’s, and it rivaled Mama’s cooking.
I stood up to help when she started clearing the dishes, but Tyler stepped in front of me before I got far. “I’m serious, man, she’s mine.”
“I heard you the first time.”
“You sure about that?”
I glanced back at Cassidy. “Yeah, I’m sure. But you’re the one who brought her here; you can’t expect me to never talk to her, or offer my help when she’s making us food. If we’re all gonna live together, you need to get over the fact that I’m gonna be friends with her.”
He remained quiet and smiled, waiting for Cassidy to return to the kitchen. “I couldn’t care less if you’re friends with her. Just don’t forget that I’m the one who’s been there for her every day for the last eleven years. Not you. I still see how you’re looking at her, I’m not f**king blind, Gage.”
CASSIDY
“I’M KIND OF tired, I’m going to bed. Thanks for showing us around today, Gage.”
Tyler stood and walked over to me. “Want me to come with you?”
I shot a quick glance behind Ty to Gage, who was openly glaring at his cousin. “No, you guys need to catch up, I’ll see you later.”
“Sleep well, Cassidy,” Gage said.
I smiled and waved like an idiot. “Night.”
Tyler hugged me and Gage winked when I looked over Ty’s shoulder at him. Seriously, this guy was so confusing! I walked to the bathroom I shared with Tyler to wash my face and brush my teeth before slipping into some pajamas and crawling into bed. I could hear the boys talking and Gage started laughing, warming my entire body. I sighed and flipped onto my side. I didn’t understand him at all. First, he had a girlfriend, then he’d almost kissed me last night, and this morning I could have sworn he was flirting with me. Then he got upset when we wanted to go out this morning and Tyler told me that when he went to talk to him about it, Gage said he didn’t want me living here, but tonight in the kitchen he kept finding a reason to touch me and wouldn’t stop smiling at me. What the heck? I didn’t know how to even act around him.
I must have fallen asleep, because I felt a little groggy when Tyler slipped into the bed later that night.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you,” he said softly.
“It’s fine, I meant to wait up for you. I guess I was more tired than I realized.”
He pulled me close to his body and wrapped his arms around me. “You’ve had a long last three days, you needed to sleep.”
“True. Did you guys have fun talking?”
“Yeah, it’s good to see him again. It’s been a long time since we hung out.”
“I’m sorry I’m ruining that; you really shouldn’t have brought me, Ty.”
He leaned back a little so he could see my face. “Cassi, I’ll take you with me everywhere I go. And don’t worry about Gage, he’ll get over it eventually. I’m sure it’s not you that he doesn’t like, he just said it’s going to mess up his relationship with Brynn having a girl live with him.”
“I don’t want to do that.” Yes, yes, I do. I’d never experienced jealousy until I met Gage last night, and it was one ugly feeling. “When I turn eighteen, I’ll get my own place, Ty.”
“No, you won’t. He’ll get over it, and I want you with me, okay?”
I curled into his chest and nodded. “Love you.”
Tyler leaned back again and tilted my face up to his. “I love you too, Cassi.” His lips fell onto mine and I scrambled back, pushing against his chest as hard as I could.
“What the hell, Tyler?!” We slept in bed with each other, but we’d never actually kissed before.
“I’m sorry! I thought you wanted me to.”
“What? Why would I want you to?” Oh my God, seriously, what the hell just happened?!
He sighed and relaxed his hold on me. “I don’t—I don’t know what got into me. I’m sorry, that was really stupid.”
“Is that why you brought me to Texas with you?”
“No, it’s not, I swear. You’re my best friend, I would have never left you there. I’m sorry, like I said, that was really stupid.”
I crawled off the bed and grabbed my pillow. “Maybe I should sleep on the couch tonight.”
“No! Cassi, come on, don’t do that. I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine, it hasn’t just been a long three days for me. It’s been even longer for you. I think we’re both too tired and we aren’t thinking clearly.”
“Cass.” He sighed and got out of the bed as well. “I’m sorry, I don’t know what I was thinking doing that.” He hugged me loosely and stepped back. “Please get back in bed.”
“It’s all right, I promise. I’m just going to sleep out there tonight—I think it would be best for us. I’ll be back in here tomorrow, okay?”
“I’ll go out there, you can stay in the bed.”
I put my hand on his chest and pushed him onto the bed. “I’m way shorter than you; that couch was practically made for me. Good night, Ty, see you in the morning.”
Chapter Three
GAGE
I COULDN’T SLEEP. I already hated thinking about what probably happened between Tyler and Cassidy, but having Tyler tell me he was about to go screw her made it that much worse. I’m sorry, not screw her, bang her. Like it was no big deal, just announced, “I’m gonna go bang my girl,” and left without another word. A girl like Cassidy needs to be loved and worshipped, not banged. I knew he was just trying to get a rise out of me—I doubted he’d treat her with such little respect to her face—but I fell right into his trap, ’cause now there I was wearing a freakin’ hole in my floor pacing back and forth. And what happened during dinner? I thought I’d been making progress in the kitchen, she’d started flirting with me again, bantering back and forth and smiling like I was the most interesting person she’d ever talked to. Then dinner started and she went right back to being polite and uninterested. I swear I was getting whiplash with this girl.