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Now I’m back, I know I need to face my dad. I lied before I left and sent a letter saying I was close to sorting it, and he should hear from a lawyer soon to buy me some time. I needed to make sure he wouldn’t bother Gabriella in my absence. But now I’mback, and feeling stronger, I’m ready to deal with things and then find out where Gabriella’s head is at.

Harry texted to say Gabriella was going to stop by and pick up the files and I’ve anticipated her visit all morning. I clear my last email and my office door creeps open. Expecting it to be Gabriella, I rise and head for the door, but I’m shocked to find Cassidy there, dressed in a figure hugging blue dress. Her brown hair is shorter than when I last saw her; she looks well.

“Hi,” I say, furrowing my brow, surprised she’s here.

“Hey. I heard through Ali that you were back home, and I wanted to see you.”

“Come in.”

I sit on the edge of my desk and she fiddles with the strap of her purse.

“I wanted to thank you for saving my life.” She looks me straight in the eye as she says it.

“You’re welcome. Anyone would have done the same in that situation.”

She shakes her head. “No, you’re wrong. It was heroic and part of my program is to thank the people who saved me, make amends.”

“You’re in a program?”

“Yep, sixty-three days sober, go me.”

I give her a smile because that is something to be proud of. “Congratulations, Cassidy that’s really great.”

She takes a step forward, her eyes roaming up and down my body as she does. “I’d like to make it up to you, you know, for putting you through that.” She closes the space between us, running her index finger down my chest. I stiffen at her touch.

“And how exactly are you going to do that, Cassidy?” My tone is clipped.

“Are you going to Ali’s magazine party tonight?”

“Yes.”

“Maybe we could go together and have our own after party,” she says in a flirtatious tone, dragging her index finger down my chest. Her fingers attempting to unhook the buttons.

I need to shoot this down right fucking now.

She leans in so close our lips almost touch. I pull away to find Gabriella standing there, eyes wide, looking between me and Cassidy.

“I, um, can come back.” She turns to leave, but I brush Cassidy aside and head for the door.

“No, Cassidy was just leaving.” I glare at Cassidy, and I don’t like the expression on her face. Grinning, she walks past me and Gabriella, her hips swaying, running her index along my chest as she does.

“See you tonight.” Her voice is as smooth as velvet. I don’t say anything. I get up and close the door behind her, and an awkward silence falls between us. This isn’t how I wanted our reunion to be.

“I’m sorry if I interrupted. I just stopped by to pick up the files.” She looks around my office and spots a pile of brown files on the cabinet behind my desk. “Is that them?”

“Yes, but, Gabriella, that wasn’t what it looked like,” I say.

“Brad, you don’t have to explain yourself to me. You don’t owe me anything.” There’s an edge to her voice, and I don’t like it. In fact, it pisses me off. I shove my hands in my pocket to keep them busy because the need to pull her to me is becoming too hard to bear.

“I assume you will be there tonight,” I say.

“I will.”

“And Patrick will be there?”

“He might be,” she says like a petulant child. Oh, she’s pissed.

“I better get to work on these,” she says, holding up the files as she brushes past me, but I catch her arm and stop her. My nosenuzzles her hair, her cherry scent I’ve missed so much invades my nose and it feels familiar, safe, and comforting.