9. Sorry

Cas’ pov

“Sorry. Sorry. I mean, you kissed me, and that was wrong. But it’s really bad hitting you. Shit. Sorry. Really!” Ripley said, surprising me.

She stared at her hand and then my face, as if she had done it without thinking. Her fingers reached out, and I wondered if she wanted to see if I was okay, but Ripley quickly pulled back.

“It’s been a while since someone got a slap or punch in,” I countered, rubbing my cheek. Making sure to make it look like it hurt. But her little slap was nothing compared to some of the violence I endured.

I had made myself strong and made sure nobody was able to hurt me. Every day, I trained, not just to look good but to make sure I would be able to defend myself against anything.

The feeling of helplessness I had felt as a kid was something I never wanted to feel again.

“I’m sure I am not the first woman to slap you.” Ripley said, raising an eyebrow.

“This makes your apology a lot less believable.”

She shook her head, “no, I don’t mean it lik