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Slade looked at his dad. “You think there’s a chance she loves me?”
“Yeah, I really do.”
He never expected to feel relief over that, but now he had to work on getting her to admit to it. He loved her, more than anything.
There was no time to ask for more, as his mother and Cassie came back.
She gave him a smile, and it was like a switch went off in his brain. He stared at her, and he saw his future. Was this what the other couples felt that had come before him? He didn’t know, nor did he care. All he wanted was Cassie, and a future with her.
He’d not wanted anyone else, and he knew he never would. She was his one true love, and he’d been too blind to see it.
With the revelation, and knowing he couldn’t hold it in for much longer, he got through the meal without any other hitches.
Cassie spoke with his father, who apologized for his earlier comments. As Slade watched his father and mother, he saw a bond there that had never been there before, and it give him hope that maybe his mother would get her happy ending that she’d always wanted.
After the dinner, they hugged, and he promised to visit more often, and then he was in the car, driving back home.
“Your parents seemed nice. After … that little glitch.”
“Yeah, they’re working on it. I may have judged him too harshly,” he said.
“I don’t know. I guess people can change.”
He glanced over at her. “You think that?”
“What?”
“People can change.”
She chuckled. “I saw it firsthand, Slade. I know people can change. My dad went from being a great guy, to a drunk and loser. I spent so much time in Daniel’s office that it feels like home when I’m working.”
He pulled up outside her home, and followed her. She was unlocking her door, when he reached out and stopped her. Right at that moment, rain began to fall down. It started as a few drops at first before it became heavier.
“Is everything okay?” Cassie asked. “It’s raining. Let’s get inside.”
“There’s something I need to ask you, and I can’t do this inside. I don’t want to do this inside. I need to do it out here, for you to hear.”
“I can hear inside, Slade,” she said.
“I’ve done something awful,” he said.
This had her turning back to look at him. “What?”
He reached out, cupping her cheek. “I did something I promised I wouldn’t do.”
She was frowning now.
“I’ve … fallen in love with you.” He felt like a fucking idiot as he had tears in his eyes. His hands were shaking, and he’d never felt so fucking scared in all of his life. “I love you, Cassie. I don’t want us to keep on messing around, and having fun. Actually, I want us to keep on doing that, but I want you to know that one day, I want to marry you, and I want you to have my kids.”
Her mother was open in shock, and he saw her eyes glisten as well, but that could have been the rain which was soaking the both of them.
“I’ve known for a little while, but I’ve not wanted to say anything. I fought it to be honest. I don’t want to fight it anymore. Being with you is like the best feeling in the world. You make everything better just by being near you.” He stroked her hair, and stared into her eyes. “That’s what I did, Cassie. I fell in love with you, and now I don’t know what to do next.”
She didn’t speak for what felt like a lifetime, and then she threw herself into his arms. He held her close, kissing her neck, holding her tightly, and knowing deep in his heart he was never going to let her go.
“I love you, too. I was so scared. I thought you wanted to end it. I didn’t even realize that you loved me as well.”
“We’ve both been struggling then.”
She pulled away, and he cupped her cheeks, kissing her hard on the lips.
“Let’s get out of this rain.”
He picked her up, and carried her through her door, up the stairs, where he spent the rest of the night making love to her.
