Elvie
My hands were clutched tightly against my dress as I glanced nervously over at Cassian. He had one hand gripping the steering wheel while his other arm rested on the car window, his thumb slowly running back and forth across his locked jaw.
I didn’t need to ask a single question to know he was furious. The way he had dragged me out of that house made it crystal clear. I hadn’t even gotten the chance to say a single word to Gemma.
My phone kept buzzing continuously. I knew without a doubt it was Gemma, but I couldn’t bring myself to reach down and fish it out. All my focus was completely pinned on the man sitting next to me.
Why was he even there? The question kept hammering in my brain. He hadn’t said a word about attending Asher’s parents’ anniversary party. Heck, he was supposed to be completely out of the city for an art commission! How did he come back so fast?
Suddenly, I jerked forward hard against my seatbelt as Cassian slammed his foot onto the brake, a harsh curse tearing from his throat as a small animal darted right across the dark road.
I opened my mouth to speak, but the rigid line of his jaw made me close it instantly. I swallowed the words down.
A nervous silence filled the car for the rest of the drive home.
When we finally pulled into the driveway, Cassian killed the engine, stepped out immediately, and headed inside without waiting for me. I stayed in the passenger seat for a long moment, closing my eyes and taking in a slow, deep breath.
I unbuckled my seatbelt and stepped out. The champagne-soaked dress felt cold and sticky against my skin, making me shudder. More than anything, I just needed to tear this suffocating outfit off and wash away every single foul memory from tonight.
The front door clicked softly as I pushed it open and stepped into the foyer.
Cassian was standing right in the middle of the living room, his tall frame rigid and bathed in the dim light. The moment his dark, stormy gaze landed on me, my knees went weak.
"So," he started, his voice dropping into a deadly, ice-cold growl that cut right through the quiet house. "Is that what you went there to do?"
I dropped my purse on the couch as I walk straight up to him. "I can explain,"
"Why did you go there, Elvie?" With his jaw locked tight, Cassian stared down at me, his voice dangerously calm.
I took a deep breath, knowing I couldn’t dodge the question anymore. "Asher had pictures...ones of me outside your office. He threatened to release them if I didn’t show up."
Cassian let out a scoff. "And you didn’t think of telling me?"
I ran a frustrated hand through my hair, clutching at the strands. "I didn’t think it was going to turn into something this serious! Besides, I got his phone. I deleted the pictures myself."
He chuckled—a dry, bitter sound. "It’s funny how you think this is that easy."
"You shouldn’t have gone there and made yourself look like that," he said, taking a step closer. "Did you see the way those people were looking at you? Like you were nothing!"
"What did you expect me to do?!" I broke, my voice cracking with raw emotion.
"I expected you to be honest with me!" he barked, taking another furious step forward, his eyes burning with a scary, dangerous anger. "Elvie! I asked you what was wrong the other night, and you lied right to my face!"
"I didn’t lie!" I yelled right back, my chest heaving up and down. "And what about you, huh? What were you even doing there?! You told me you were out of the city! You didn’t tell me the truth either!"
"That’s completely different!" Cassian snapped, his jaw ticking wildly as he towered over me. "I gave you the chance to tell me who got to you, and you hid it! You went running straight into his trap!"
"Because it’s my mess!" I screamed, tears stinging the corners of my eyes as my frustration boiled over. "It’s not everything I’m supposed to just dump on you! I wanted sort out my own problems for once!"
The words hung heavy in the air, echoing through the large, silent living room.
My chest throbbed with a deep, painful ache. I was so exhausted, so emotionally drained, and I never expected him to throw all this anger at me when I was already at my lowest point. Hot tears spilled over my eyelashes, burning down my cheeks and blurring my vision.
"I’m tired," I whispered, my voice trembling as I shook my head. "I can’t do this right now."
I turned on my heel and sauntered toward the stairs. "Elvie!" his voice boomed from below the stairs.
I ignored him, pushing into my room and slamming the heavy wooden door shut, turning the lock with a click. I rested my back against the door as my hand pressed hard over my chest. My heart was thumping loudly, sending painful pulses through my ribs.
A heavy knock rattled the wooden frame right behind my head, making me jump. "Open the door, Elvie," Cassian’s voice called out from the hallway. It wasn’t loud, but it was thick with command.
I shook my head frantically, clutching my dress as fresh tears spilled over. "Go away, Cassian!" I sobbed out. "Just leave me alone!"
The metallic clatter of the doorknob echoed as he tried to turn it, finding it locked. "Don’t test my patience, Elvie. Open this door right now, or I won’t hesitate to break it down."
I squeezed my eyes shut, my hand trembling against the cool wood of the door. I knew he wasn’t bluffing. Cassian was a man who meant every single word he said, and if I didn’t unlock this door, he really would kick it off its hinges but I can’t let my guard down this easily.
"I said open it," he growled again, his hand rattling the handle hard against the latch.
"Leave me alone Cassian!" I yelled out.
A beat of heavy silence stretched. At some point I thought he had given up and left until I felt the doorknob shook again.
"Let’s just talk, okay?" His soft voice came through the door, one that sent a shiver straight through me. "Open the door, please, Elvie."
It was the way he said it—so quiet, so almost gentle that melted my guarded heart in an instant. Despite how much I hated the thought of him seeing me in such a weak, vulnerable state, a part of me desperately needed a shoulder to cry on tonight.
I took a deep breath before I turned around, my shaking fingers reaching for the lock and turned it. I pulled the door open and took two quick steps backward, holding my stained dress against my fist.
"Are you happy now?" I choked out, wiping hot tears from my cheeks with the back of my hand, my voice trembling wildly. "What more do you want from me, Cassian?!"
Cassian stepped into the room, closed the distance between us in two long strides, and wrapped his broad arms tightly around my waist, pulling me flush against his hard chest.
The unexpected warmth hit me all at once. My hands hovered in the air for a fraction of a second before I completely caved, burying my face into the crook of his neck and letting out a ragged, broken sob.
"I’m sorry," he whispered softly into my hair, his fingers threading through the strands as he held me close, stroking my back. "I’m sorry for shouting at you, little birdie. I’m sorry."
He tightened his grip, resting his chin against the top of my head while I wept against his shirt, letting all the fear, exhaustion, and bottled-up pain from the night spill out into his arms.
"I was just so damn furious seeing you in that house," he murmured gently against my temple, his breath warm on my skin. "Seeing what they did to you... it drove me out of my mind."
"I tried," I gasped out against his skin, my fist clutching tight into the fabric at his back. "I just wanted... I wanted to deal with it on my own. I wanted to get rid of it so he wouldn’t use it against me."
"Shh," Cassian breathed softly, his hand sliding up to cradle the back of my head. "I know, Elvie. I know."
He slowly leaned back just enough to look down at me, though he kept his arms locked around my waist. His eyes softened and his thumb reached up, gently wiping away the wet tracks on my cheeks with a tenderness that completely undid me.
"Look at you," he murmured, his thumb brushing over my jawline. "You’re freezing."
"The champagne..." I choked out. "It’s cold."
"Come here," he said softly, his tone completely shifting from the anger of earlier into something grounded and commanding, yet endlessly patient.
Without breaking contact, he reached behind me, his fingers finding the zipper of my floral dress. The slow glide of the track opening sounded loud in the quiet bedroom. He gently peeled the sticky, ruined fabric down off my shoulders, letting it pool around my feet on the floor.
I stood there in just my lace undergarments, shivering slightly in the cool air of the room.
Cassian didn’t make a move or say anything. Instead, he reached over to the foot of my bed, grabbed the thick, plush blanket, and wrapped it securely around my bare shoulders.
He pulled me back into his chest, swallowing me whole in his warmth and the soft quilt.
"You don’t ever have to protect yourself from me, Elvie," he whispered close to my ear, his lips brushing against my temple as he squeezed me tight. "And you never have to go back into that house again. Do you hear me?"
I leaned my weight completely into him, closing my eyes as my breathing finally began to slow down. "I’m sorry for not telling you about it."
"Shh! I’m sorry for also not telling you, too." He whispered, his voice dropping into a low, terrifyingly calm murmur that sent a strange shudder of relief straight down my spine. "I promise you, no one will ever touch a single hair on your head again."