“I miss you, Cass,” he said quietly. I closed my eyes, holding onto the books in my hand. “I miss us.”
I didn't say anything, I couldn't. Of course, I missed him and the time we had spent together, but my heart belonged to another. It had all along, it had just taken me a while to figure it out.
“I want to apologize for the way I behaved the other night. You were just being honest with me, but it crushed me that you would do that to me, but I realize things happen. I shouldn't have acted the way I did.”
“Well, it's done.” I had nothing else to say to that and continued organizing the shelves.
“Cass, I want to be with you. I want us.”
As I continued to carry on with what I was doing, I finally felt his warm hands on my arm. His touch had provided comfort for me for three years, but now it did nothing.
“Please, baby, I forgive you. I want us.”
I shook my head no but stayed silent.
“Please, Cass. I love you.”
* * *
Brody
I walked quietlythrough theback door of the bookstore. I was here early and was surprised to find Cass still at work, so I decided to surprise her. I knew she had wanted to get a lot done tonight. I quietly closed the door behind me and walked up to the front of the building. As soon as I saw what was going on out in the front room, I stopped dead in the doorway. Ray stood, his hands on her shoulders.
“Cass, I love you.” His voice sounded restrained and sad.
I watched, not saying a word, my heart in my throat, the silence between the two of them so loud.
“Please, Cass, I need you to come back to me,” he whispered, running his hands over her shoulders.
My first instinct was to charge in there and drop him, but I stood completely frozen to my spot. Why wasn't she saying anything?
I had to turn away, I couldn't watch this anymore. I couldn't bear to see what was going to happen between the two of them. I was just about to give up and leave when I heard her tiny voice answer.
“Ray, we’re over. Everything that has happened over the last two months with Brody coming back has shown me I'm in love with him, Ray. I'm in love with Brody, and I always have been. My heart belongs to him.”
“Well, I guess that's all I need to hear. Goodbye, Cass.”
Tears stung my eyes. She hadn't really told me that. Sure, we had exchanged I love yous, but she hadn't said it like that.
I watched Ray, without another word, his head hung low, leave through the front door, leaving Cass to stand there alone. He stopped outside the store window for a moment and placed his hand on the glass, looking at her, almost like he was taking a mental picture of the way she looked before he walked away for good. After he was gone, I watched her walk over and lock the door.
“Goodbye,” she mumbled.
I didn't want her to know I had heard what was going on, so I quietly slipped back to the back of the building and opened and closed the back door, shutting it hard enough so she would hear it.
“Hello?” She called.
“It's just me, Cass,” I called as I walked out to the front. She was in the same spot, loading books up onto the shelf as if nothing had happened.
“I thought you wouldn't be back until later tonight?”
“That was the plan, but we decided to come back earlier. I saw you were still here, so I thought I would stop.”
“Great! Maybe an early night then,” she winked and smiled, looking over her shoulder in my direction.
I came up behind her and took the books from her hand, putting them down on the cart and pulled her into my arms.
“Distracting me already.”