Page 75 of Just Between Us

And I’m starting to think Mom is right. I’ve left Mutt with my parents plenty, but this time was my longest by far. Little man probably thought I’d abandoned him.

The crunch of tires on gravel and the thud of a car door perks up both mine and Mutt’s ears.

Last night was Josie’s kid’s Christmas band concert, and I promised her I’d be there to see Abby’s solo. For some reason, it didn’t cross my mind that Cassie would be, too. All this Josie and Tyler stuff has been the last thing on my mind.

Sitting next to her, making polite conversation, was its own kind of torture. It pissed me the fuck off. That’s not us. Cassie and I don’t make awkward small talk. It ate at me until I finally asked her to come over today. She may be with Sam, but she’s still my friend, dammit. And I miss her. I miss talking to her, I miss laughing with her. Hell, I even miss her giving me shit about smoking. All of this still confuses the hell out of me and screws with my head, but I can’t deny how badly I need her in my life.

I want to tell her everything, and some days I feel like I’m close. Then there’s the days where I can hardly lift my head, when it takes all I’ve got to roll out of bed.

Mutt jumps up, tail thumping against my leg in time with the beating of my heart.

“Oh, now you’re in a good mood,” I mutter, but the little traitor ignores me.

As soon as I open the front door, Mutt springs into action, running like he has all four limbs until he reaches her. And what a sight she is.

For a second I just stand there, staring like an idiot. Having her back at my house knocks something loose in my chest I didn’t even realize was wound that tight. I have half a mind to run full speed to her just like my dog, but I hold back because I’m a grown-ass man.

A cold snap is setting in, and Cassie is all bundled up in a purple puffer jacket, dark hair tucked under a matching beanie with a cute little pom-pom on top. When she kneels to be assaulted by doggy kisses, that pom-pom bounces, and a smile crawls across my face. It feels like the first real thing I’ve felt in weeks. And if Mutt could smile, his little snout would be grinning ear to ear.

“Okay, Mutt. That’s enough.” Little shit. Won’t hardly look at me but with Cassie, he’s trying to slip her the tongue.

Cassie stands, adjusts her beanie, and heads my way, but her eyes stay trained on the ground.

“It’s freezing out here and I’m barefoot. Pick up the pace, angel.”

That seems to relax her. She lifts her head and cracks a smile and the sight is like a shock to my system. God, I’ve missed that smile. Holding the door open, I usher her in and out of the cold, my fingers itching to haul her to my chest.

She shrugs out of her coat, but when she tugs off the beanie, her hair stands on end from static. Extending her pointer finger, she touches my arm and a quick jolt of electricity cracks in the air. We both jump, laughing, and the tension between us breaks.

Seizing the moment, I catch her wrist and pull her into me. For a second, she stiffens in surprise, and I almost let go, but then her arms come around me, squeezing tight. My eyes fall shut, and out of nowhere my nose begins to sting. I have to take a steadying breath to keep my emotions at bay. Cassie must know because I feel as she smooths a hand up and down my back, the touch grounding me to this moment even more.

We break apart, and Cassie takes a lungful of air, a string of words coming out all in one big rush. “Liam, I really need to tell you something. Sam and I broke up. I ended it.” She peers up at me through those gorgeous eyes. “He wasn’t right for me.”

My eyes slam shut. “Thank fuck.” Hands shaking, I pull her into me again, forehead dropping to rest on her shoulder. “I have no right to feel this way when I’ve put you through hell lately, but thank fuck.”

“Liam, I’ve been worried,” she says, words muffled against my chest. “Everyone has.”

Mutt lets out a bark and we break apart. He’s sitting at our feet, head cocked like he wants in on the hug.

Cassie scoops him into her arms, and he nuzzles against her. “Are you feeling left out, little mister?”

Mutt, satisfied with this attention, wriggles free and trots to his bed.

With my hand at the small of her back, I lead Cassie to thecouch, where she settles onto her usual spot. I drop down beside her, searching my mind for where to begin.

“I don’t deserve it, but I have to ask. Cassie, angel, I need you to forgive me.” The words come out as raw as I’ve felt the last several weeks.

Cassie puts a hand on my arm. “Forgive you for what, exactly?”

Everything.Being a broken man. Fucking around in Nashville while she was here worrying about me. Wanting her while keeping her at arm’s length. Again, I have to fight to keep my emotions in check. It’s a fine line before my brain will sayfuck thisand shut down again. It’s always like this.

“For being me,” I land on, around a lump in my throat.

Forcibly, I meet her hazel gaze.

“There’s nothing wrong with who you are. But you do need to talk to someone about whatever’s going on.”

“I’m trying.” I rake a hand through my hair. “It’s just so fucking hard.” I grab my phone from the coffee table and scroll to the contact from Austin. “Do you know anything about this guy?”