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Chapter 40: Cassidy
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STay Chapter 41: Cassidy
##Chapter 41: CassidyBook One: StayWill it now seem like I'm trying to hide our nonexistent relationship from Cole?My teeth sink into my lower lip as I lean closer to the table. "Want to hear something weird?"One of her perfectly manicured brows slinks upward. "If it has anything to do with Luke, I don't think so. The situation is already bad enough." When I remain silent, she gestures with her hand to continue. "All right, lay it on me.""Luke caught up with me when I was walking to Econ earlier this afternoon." I'm still unsure what to think about the encounter. It had been so uncomfortable and stilted.Her brows nearly hit the ceiling as she shoves a forkful of salad into her mouth. Her expression turns contemplative. "You want my honest opinion?" Before I can say anything, she blurts, "I think he has a thing for you."Not that I want to feed into her speculations, but I need to tell her everything. "He asked me to grab coffee with him so we could talk."She holds her fork midai
STay Chapter 42: Cassidy
##Chapter 42: CassidyBook One: StayIt feels amazing to fly down the ice with the puck before snapping it into the net with a flick of my wrist. When I'm out here, I can shut off everything in my head, and lose myself in the physical exertion."You suck, Cassidy!" Our goalie shakes her head, irritated that I was able to slip another puck past her. I grin around my neon-pink mouth guard before skating to center ice. Sammy glides over before slapping me on the shoulder. I wince from the impact of it. The girl doesn't know her own strength."Nice goal. The team really seems to be shaping up. I think we're going to have an awesome season this year. I'm glad you decided to join us."That makes two of us. Playing with this group of girls has quickly become everything to me. I never thought I'd enjoy hockey again. I wasn't even sure if I'd skate. And I owe it to Cole. He figured it out and found a way to give it to me.I huff out a tired breath as both of us glide to center ice for another
STay Chapter 43: Cassidy
##Chapter: 43Book One; Stay"All right, what do you want to talk about?" His attention falls to my mouth as his tongue darts out to lick at his bottom lip.I glance around the semi-crowded parking lot. "Is there somewhere more private we can go?"His gaze snaps to mine before he searches my eyes with more care as if only now realizing that what I need to tell him is important."Sure." He reaches over and slides the seatbelt across my chest. "This sounds kind of serious."I draw a deep breath as the familiar feelings of anxiety prickle along my skin, and a thick ball of tension settles in my belly. "I promised to tell you what happened last year and that's what I'm going to do."The heat filling his eyes moments ago dissipates as he pulls my hand onto his lap and holds it there. A heavy silence falls over us as we drive. By the time he pulls into a gravel parking lot that faces a small lake, I'm so tightly strung with nerves that my stomach is queasy. He cuts the engine before releasin
STay Chapter 44: Cassidy
##Chapter 44: CassidyBook One: Stay"Nate was my first." Unable to hold his stare, I drop my gaze to my hands. "Honestly, I don't remember much about the experience except that it was fast." I grimace at how awkward and painful it'd felt. "Big surprise, I never heard from him again. There were a few other guys after that. Just random hookups. None of them meant anything, but they dulled the pain and took my mind off everything else that was going on." Embarrassment heats my cheeks as I stare out the windshield. "I'd get so trashed that I usually couldn't remember what happened the next morning."His shuttered expression scares me more than anything, because I have absolutely no idea what he's thinking. Cole has such an expressive face and he's always so open with his feelings. That's no longer the case.Even though my throat feels as if it is closing up, I continue, needing to get it over with. "I was still going to classes because I thought by some miracle, I'd be able to pull off pa
STay Chapter 45: Cassidy
##Chapter 45: CassidyBook One: StayCole drops a kiss against the crown of my head. "You're going to be great out there."His arms band around me as people walk past on the way to the stands. Excitement charges the frigid air around us."I'll be in the bleachers the entire time," he murmurs when I remain silent.He's doing everything he can to help settle my nerves. I haven't played in a real game since high school. Last year, I rode the bench during the season. Even though this is just an intramural game, I'm choking on my nerves. Cole will be watching, and I don't want to embarrass myself or disappoint him. More than anything, I want to make him proud.He presses another kiss against the top of my head before whispering, "Just have fun out there. That's what it's all about. That's what it's always been about."I know he's giving me solid advice, but the nerves won't stop churning in my belly. They probably won't stop until I get out on the ice for warm-ups.No pep talk is going to c
STay Chapter 46: Cassidy
##Chapter 46: CassidyBook Two: Don't Leave"Wake up, babe." Cole kisses his way across my naked shoulder. "We've got class in an hour."Still sleepy, I stretch against the firm length of his body. "Not yet," I mumble, "we don't have to get up just yet."Twenty-five minutes. That's all we need to roll out of bed and still have roughly thirty seconds to slide into our seats for Psych 201. Unable to pry my eyelids open, I turn in his arms as my palms find the solid planes of his chest before stroking over them. It isn't long before my wandering fingers descend down his body.Have I mentioned just how amazingly hard and cut he is?Hours spent on the ice and lifting in the gym have made him into the chiseled god that he is. A few heartbeats later and my hand is delving into his boxer briefs before gliding over the rigid length of his morning wood.Well, hello there."Looks like we won't be making it out of bed on time after all," he growls, warm breath feathering across the outer sh
STay Chapter 47: Cassidy
##Chapter 47: CassidyBook Two: Don't LeaveAs I leave Mackenzie Hall, where my Economics class is held every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon, my feet grind to a halt and a shiver of dread slithers down my spine. Luke Wellington is sprawled out on one of the stone benches along the walking path.His gaze sweeps over the exiting crowd. A pit the size of Texas grows in my belly as he studies the mass of students leaving the building. Unsure of who he's searching for, I duck my head and hope that my long curtain of black hair will shield me from his view so I can escape.Most of the girls on campus would be ecstatic to catch Luke's eye. He's tall, probably around six feet or so, with broad shoulders. He's muscular from skating hard at practice and lifting weights in the gym several times a week. He's handsome with blond hair and blue-gray hazel eyes.But that's not what I see when I look at him.I see someone who has the power to resurrect my past and bring the fledgling success I've
STay Chapter 48: Cassidy
##Chapter 48: CassidyBook Two: Don't LeaveIt's a relief when his gaze drops to the steaming cup of coffee before flicking back up again. "When we were dancing at that party, I didn't realize it was you." He corrects himself. "Not right away."I hadn't recognized him, either.We were just dancing, having fun at some off campus fraternity party. A few days after that, Cole and I ran into him at a restaurant, and he told my boyfriend that he knew me from a different school. When he'd mentioned Dartmouth, everything had clicked into place.The realization had rocked me to the core. Ever since that happened, I've been terrified he would spill all my secrets.I'm knocked from those thoughts when he says, "At first, I thought I was imagining the likeness." He lifts his eyes to mine before sifting carefully through my shuttered expression. "I tried to find you after that night. I wanted to make sure you were okay, but you disappeared from campus. Not knowing what happened to you on
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