“And even then, probably never going anywhere by yourself ever again,” Dallas added.
“There is nothing to get to the bottom of. It’s my problem, I will deal with it,” she said, and then glared into Steele’s face. “Now move out of my way.”
“We believe differently,” Steele said. “Go sit down and let us help you.”
She threw her arms into the air and snapped, “Oh for the love of!”
She stormed to the foot of the bed and plopped down onto the mattress. She crossed her legs and her arms over her chest and started chewing on her bottom lip.
I dragged a chair from the table in the corner of the room toward Steele. “Nice job.”
“Thanks.” He nodded and took the chair, sitting in it backward and resting his folded arms on the back rest, directly in the middle of the path to the door.
“Let’s get this over with,” Cassidy demanded. “And the sooner, the better, because I would hate for him to find the four of us in the room together.”
“He isn’t going to get close to you again,” Steele said.
“And he’s got me and Dallas for backup too,” I added.
Dallas turned around and leaned against the patio door. He shoved his hands into his pockets. And stared out over the darkness. “Let the fun begin.”
Cassidy snorted.
I took a seat in the other chair at the table, propping my feet up on the surface of the table, and waited and stewed in my thoughts. I relived the argument between me, Steele, and Dallas. I processed how each of us wanted to be with her. Each of us would do anything to protect her and keep her safe.
There had to be a way for all of us to get what we wanted.
Slowly but surely, the tension within the room eased. The air cooled and leveled out. And I realized one terrible thing which caused me to have a sliver of doubt in everything. The one hitch in allowing us to be with Cassidy.
And that was Charlotte.
“I still think you should be with me,” Dallas said.
Cassidy shook her head.
I rolled my eyes. “None of this effort matters at the end of the day.”
“What do you mean by that?” Steele asked.
“Fighting, bickering, arguing over who she should choose to be with… it doesn’t matter at the end of the day,” I said.
“Giving up so soon?” Dallas asked. “That was easy. One down, one to go.”
“Again, why?” Steele asked.
Cassidy settled her gaze on mine briefly before focusing on a spot on the floor again. “Not that I agree fighting over me was a great thing to do, but I’m curious to know why as well.”
“Charlotte isn’t going to let us go,” I muttered. “Not all of us. And I’m willing to wager neither of us even then. She would sooner cut off her nose than let us go… and we all know how likely it is she would do that.”
Dallas chuckled. “Though I would pay to see that happen.”
“Charlotte?” Cassidy asked, barely above a whisper. She settled her attention on me. “What does she look like?”
“Yes, Charlotte,” I said and dropped my feet to the floor, preferring to sit straighter in the chair. Besides, the damn thing was impossibly uncomfortable. One would figure the company would have splurged on more comfortable furniture considering the amount of money it took to stay here. “And she is the same one you think I’m referring to, also.”
“What do you mean she isn’t going to let you go?” she asked. “Who is she to you?”
“I suppose we should tell her what she’s up against,” Dallas said. “Even the odds.”