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Rip off the Band-Aid. That’s how.
“That’s…not exactly the truth. I thought she was a puck bunny when I first met her.”
His lips slam shut, and he makes a face.
“I didn’t know it was Pip when I first met Cassidy. Mike…” I say, trailing off.
“Jesus…what does Mike have to do with this?”
“He thought she could help me unwind. That…Cassidy could. And she did.”
“He hired you a puck bunny?”
I shake my head. “No. There was no money exchanged. The girl was supposed to just like sex.”
He shakes his head. “Let me get this straight…she was the puck bunny that Mike sent to you? Was it an accident?”
I run my hand back through my hair on a groan. “I’m not explaining this right. She was never the bunny. She found out I was at the hotel and tried to sneak in to see me. Security thought she was the bunny and let her in.”
He chuckles. “And she just went along with it?”
I nod slowly. “It worked. She got me out of my head but also had this calming effect on me.”
“Because she knew you.” It’s not a question. He’s just working things out loud.
“At the time, I didn’t understand. I just knew I needed her with me.” I swallow, preparing to tell the truth. “I hired her.”
His eyes look like they’re about to bug out of his head. “For sex?”
My head falls back on my shoulders. “Not like that. That wasn’t part of the deal. I hired her under the guise of needing her to manage some of my quirks. But, to the outside, she had to play the part of my girlfriend. That way, it wouldn’t get out why I actually hired her.”
“I don’t get that. Why did you need her to be your girlfriend?”
“A lot of my…quirks happen after hours. I didn’t want people to think I was banging my assistant.” I groan. “At least that’s part of it. The truth is, I just wanted her around.”
“You were trying to keep it a secret from everyone.”
I bob my head. “I was embarrassed. It was taking over my life and getting me more into my head.”
“It’s nothing to be embarrassed about, Aiden.” He holds my stare. “We all have our things.”
“I know that now,” I say, offering a smile to my friend. “She helped me realize that. Her being around gave me the peace that Pippa had given me all those years ago. I didn’t put two and two together. She looks so different now than she looked back then. Plus, I didn’t have any pictures; Pip was only in my memories. So while she felt safe and familiar, I didn’t know it was her. All I knew was that whatever was happening between Cassidy and me, the way she made me feel…I didn’t want to let her go.”
“And then you just found out the truth…”
I sigh. “Yeah.”
He lifts his glass to mine, and we clink them together, each taking a drink, allowing the weight of what I’ve just shared to fall over us.
“What did she say?”
I’m quiet, and Dane shakes his head. “You didn’t let her explain, did you?”
Dane, always the great defender.
“No. I wasn’t in the headspace to think straight.”
He lifts his brow. “She said nothing. Or you just stormed out?”
