Cassandra’s POVI slept better my first night at Dillon’s than I’d slept in a long time. Dillon and I spent the afternoon lounging by his pool. It wasn’t warm enough for bathing suits, which was fine because I didn’t have one there anyway. But it felt nice to relax with the sun on my face.After that, Dillon ordered what felt like a pharmacy’s worth of medicine for me as well as Chinese food.“I didn’t know what flavor you like,” he said, setting down bottle after bottle of cold medicine onto the counter. I was touched. I’d been sick a few times during my marriage to Jordyn, and he hadn’t exactly been the best caregiver. In fact, come to think of it, he’d often seemed annoyed when I was sick, like my being sick was an inconvenience to him.Dillon was the opposite. He bent over backwards to make me feel comfortable. We binge watched some Netflix while we ate Chinese food. It was nice. Dillon didn’t let me lift a finger, literally. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt that at ease,
Cassandra’s POVShit.‘Bad kittie,” I hissed at the cat the moment I realized my camera had been turned on. Not knowing what else to do, I dove down, my head between my legs, trying to get my face away from the camera. Stoffs, not knowing that she’d done anything wrong, just curled up on the laptop.Everyone started cooing when they saw her.“Oh my, what a pretty little kitty,” I heard someone say.“Look at her. All snuggled up on the keyboard. Oh! She just yawned! I saw her cute little pink tongue. Are we boring you, little kitty?” someone else gushed.But through all the gushing and cooing over the cat, I heard Jordyn’s voice, loud and clear.“Cassandra?” he asked.Damnit. Had he seen me? There had been roughly five seconds before I realized the camera had been turned on, five seconds where my face had flashed right into one of those little Zoom boxes on the screen.I carefully crawled off the chair and onto the ground. When I was sure I was out of the camera’s view, I stood up.“Cas
Cassandra’s POVI decided to Facetime my parents. I was feeling pretty stressed about the meeting and I hadn’t talked to them for a while. They always made me feel better and Dillon was out grocery shopping for dinner ingredients, so I figured it was a good time to call.I dialed and moments later, my mom’s face popped up on the screen.“Cassandra, love! How are you?” my mother asked. She was donning her wide-brimmed gardening hat, which only meant one thing. She was trying to cut roses. We had a professional gardener and groundskeeper, of course. But every so often, my mother got it in her head that she should go and cut some fresh roses herself. It never ended well. She either cut them too short so that they couldn’t really sit in a vase, or she pricked her fingers on the thorns and cursed, or she got bored and gave up.We all tried to convince her to just give up on the whole gardening thing. She clearly didn’t have a green thumb. But she never listened.“Whatcha up to?” I asked, su
Cassandra’s POV “Crap, Cass. I’m sorry,” Dillon said behind me, scampering away from the screen. I hadn’t even realized he’d come home. I’d wandered upstairs while on the phone to sit outside. I hadn’t heard Dillon come in through the front door.I turned to face him. “It’s okay,” I smiled at him. He was acting like we’d just been caught doing something wrong, which was far from the truth. I had no issues with my parents knowing I was at his house. I just hadn’t told them that yet.“Was it Dillon?” my mother asked. I turned back to my phone. My parents’ faces were smushed up close to the screen, inches away, their eyes squinting.“Yes,” I laughed. “Now back up please. You look ridiculous. Dillon, come say hi.”Dillon saddled up beside me. I could smell his shampoo.“Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Stoneworth,” Dillon waved at the phone.“Dillon! So nice to see you. What are you doing at Cassandra’s?”“Actually, I’m at Dillon’s,” I said. “See?” I pointed the camera through the French doors into Di
Cassandra’s POVDillon and I had a lovely night together. I sat outside, on the veranda, and watched as Dillon expertly flipped the steaks on the barbeque. The scent of grilled meat wafted through the air, mingling with freshly blossomed lilacs.“I didn’t know you could cook,” I mused. He looked adorable, in an apron that said ‘GRILL MASTER” across the front and a massive spatula in one hand.“There’s a lot of things you don’t know about me,” he smiled. Then he winked. “I actually really like cooking,” he told me. “If you can call barbequing cooking.”“I call it cooking,” I said.“Well, just you wait,” he shook the spatula at me. “I have a few more meals up my sleeve.”“You really don’t have to go through all this trouble,” I told him. “It’s not like I’m an invalid. I can look after myself.”“No, you can’t,” he said, his voice serious. “That’s why you ended up in the hospital.”Touche. He had me on that one.“All right, I just mean, you don’t have to dote on me like this,” I told him.
Cassandra’s POVI rested for three days before I even thought about work again, and it did wonders for my productivity. I honestly hadn’t realized how exhausted I was, so when I finally started working again, I was like an entirely new person. Still had the remnants of the chest cold, but Doctor Sam came back and checked me out again. He was really pleased with my progress and I said I was well on my way to being completely healthy again.This was all thanks to Dillon, of course. At first, I felt guilty about just lounging around his house while he cooked and cleaned for me, but somewhere in the middle of the second day, I just gave in. It was nice and quiet at Dillon’s and went spent the afternoons playing board games and sipping on fruit smoothies that he insisted on making. In the evening, we curled up on the couch and watched Netflix and I was in bed by 9:00 all three nights.On my fourth morning at Dillon’s, I woke feeling more refreshed than I had in years. I told Dillon I wanted
Cassandra’s POVThe next day, I went to the hospital first thing in the morning. Dillon put up a bit of a fight about me going, but I explained that I was feeling a lot better and that I needed to go and see about Dillon’s grandfather, Stanley. Dillon asked if it could wait, even a few more days but I was adamant. The FaceTime call with my parents had reminded me that I’d been neglecting Stanley when he needed me most.Plus, there was still this lingering suspicion inside of me that something was off with his illness. I’d seen him with my own two eyes that night at his birthday party. He seemed as vibrant and healthy as ever. It seemed strange to me that he had suddenly collapsed and was rushed to the hospital.I pulled into the parking lot and entered through the ambulatory care doors. Stanley’s face broke out into a huge smile when he saw me, which solidified that my decision to see him had been the right one.“Cassandra,” Stanley said, sitting himself up straighter in his bed. “To w
Cassandra’s POVWhen I arrived back at Dillon’s, I was surprised to see Stella’s car parked out front. I rushed into the house and found both Stella and Dillon in the kitchen.“What are you doing here?” I asked Stella. My mind immediately went to work. Was something wrong? Had another company released our designs? Had someone broken into our office again?But Stella smiled sheepishly and held up a massive suitcase.“I need help,” she said. Dillon was standing at the counter, pounding a chicken breast with a giant mallet.“Help with what?” I asked, eyeing the suitcase.“I can’t decide what dresses to bring…” she paused for effect … “on OUR. CRUISE!” she squealed.“What?” I asked. “Do you mean…you’re coming? On the cruise with us?” I whipped my head towards Dillon. “Did you know about this?” I asked.Dillon laughed as he pounded the chicken. “Yup,” he said. “But I was sworn to secrecy.”“Stella, this is amazing,” I replied. “We’re gonna have the BEST time ever!“I know, right?” she said,
Cassandra’s POV “What’s the address?” Cam asked as I stared at my phone in utter disbelief. I still couldn’t believe this was happening. Who would kidnap Stella? And why?“You can’t come,” I said, looking up at him, my eyes wide with shock.“What do you mean I can’t come?” he asked.“The person on the phone said I have to go alone.”The instructions had been very clear.Ping.A text came through the assigned meeting place. I scanned it.“I can’t let you go alone,” Cameron told me. “It’s not safe. You have no idea who you’re dealing with.”I shook my head. “Then what will you have me do? Stella’s life is on the line, Cam. You saw the texts. I have to follow their directions perfectly or they’ll kill Stella.”Cameron sighed deeply and began to pace. It was coming on rush hour and the street was becoming jam-packed with cars as people left their jobs for the day. I had to go now, otherwise I risked being stuck in traffic.“I’m sorry,” Cameron finally said. “But I’m coming with you.”“No,
Cassandra’s POV Kidnapped? Stella was kidnapped? Who would do this? Who would kidnap Stella?The world around me lilted and I felt dizzy. I couldn’t breathe. This wasn’t happening. It couldn’t be.It felt surreal.“Holy shit,” Cameron said, his eyes scanning the text. Then sighed, taking a step back from the text on my phone. He wrung his hands through his hair before he looked up at me. “Let me see that again,” he said. I thrusted the phone at him so he could get a closer look. “I’m calling the police,” he told me after he’d read the text. He whipped out his phone.“No,” I pushed his arm, sending his phone flying through the air. It landed with a crash on the cement. It didn’t break though, thanks to his protective case.He went over and picked it up.“What the hell, Cass?” Cameron asked.“Sorry,” I said. “But look. It says, ‘instructions to follow.” Sure enough, my phone pinged with another text message.“If you want to save your friend,” the text said. “You must come alone. If yo
Cassandra’s POV Dillon followed me around like a hawk for the next few days. He drove me into work every day and even personally escorted me to the elevator. He texted me every hour on the hour and at the end of the day, he was always waiting out front, leaning on his car. I didn’t mind though. I was actually pretty rattled by everything. Knowing that Ellie wasn’t in jail any more didn’t sit well with me.I laid awake at night, convinced that I heard someone outside the spare bedroom window at Dillon’s house. Of course, it was always just the wind, but still…I was constantly glancing over my shoulder, convinced that, at any moment, Ellie would appear and attack me. I was becoming paranoid and I hated it.Every night Jordyn phoned us but he couldn’t find hide nor hair of Ellie. It was like she’d just vanished into thin air. Jordyn had gone to her house and let himself in with his key. She wasn’t there though. Her toiletries were gone and her dresser drawers had been wide open. One o
Cassandra’s POV“I’m surprised,” Dillon said. “I thought for sure Jordyn had bailed Ellie out. But I guess I was wrong. He seems really…” Dillon’s voice trailed off as he searched for the right word.“Worried?” I offered.“Yeah. I mean, he actually told me to look after you. That says a lot. I guess he’s finally realizing how awful Ellie is.”“Awful and dangerous,” I said.“So I guess we wait?” Dillon replied.“I guess we do,” I agreed. We turned our show back on but neither of us had the capacity to watch it. We were both tense and anxious. Hopefully, Jordyn could track down Ellie. In the meantime, there really wasn’t anything we could do.Roughly fifteen minutes later, my phone rang.“It’s Jordyn,” I said, answering it.“Her phone’s been disconnected,” Jordyn said as soon as I answered.“What?” I asked, stunned.“I tried everything. Her phone, her social media accounts, everything. But she’s blocked me on all her social media. I have no way to contact her.”“Why would she do that?”
Cassandra’s POV What?!Ellie wasn’t in jail anymore? My stomach dropped. Knowing that Ellie was safely behind bars had been one of the only things bringing me comfort over the past week. Ellie was unhinged and there was no way of knowing what she’d do next. Surely, she was furious with me and looking to retaliate. But since she’d been in jail, I hadn’t been overly concerned. She was free now though?“Are you sure?” I asked.“Yes,” Dillon nodded. “Martin made a call to the jail to get some more details on her arrest and to see if she had any prior arrests. But the jail informed him that Ellie was released earlier this afternoon on bail.”“I didn’t even know she had her bail hearing,” I said quietly. “Who bailed her out?”Dillon shrugged. “Martin doesn’t know. It’s confidential information. But he’s trying to find out. Cassandra, I really think you should stay here tonight.”I agreed. With Ellie on the loose, I didn’t feel safe going back to my house alone. She already tried to kill me
Cassandra’s POV I stopped by the liquor store and picked a bottle of Pinot Noir, Dillon’s favorite red wine. Then I drove straight to his house. I knocked, but I heard him call out through the house:“It’s open!”So I let myself in. The moment I stepped inside his house, I felt comfortable and warm. There was something about Dillon’s house that made me feel at ease. Or maybe it was Dillon himself. I wasn’t sure. But in any case, I was glad to be there, even if it was so I could ask him for help.I went to the kitchen, wine in hand, and was met with the tantalizing scent of lasagna.“That smells amazing,” I told him, setting the wine down on the counter.“I’m glad you called,” he said, uncorking the wine. “I have enough lasagna to feed a small army. So, what’s up?”He poured the wine and passed me a glass.“It’s about Jordyn’s grandfather,” I stared, but I watched as Dillon’s face fell. “No, it’s not like that,” I explained in a rush. “He’s a very good friend of mine. This honestly has
Cassandra’s POV I drove home and let myself in. It was very quiet and for a moment, I missed being at Dillon’s. After the cruise, I’d decided it was time to go back to my own house. I was all better now and there was no good reason for me to stay at Dillon’s. But I’d gotten used to our little routine, and I missed Dillon’s dinners and our after dinner board games and Netflix binges.I thought about calling Dillon and casually inviting myself to his place for dinner. But he’d been so busy lately as the newly appointed CEO of his family’s company. Besides, I couldn’t keep leaning on him so hard. He’d already done more than enough for me.I took out my phone and dialed up Dillon’s friend, Sam, the doctor who had checked in on me while I was at Dillon’s.“Hello?” he asked.“Yes, hi there. It’s Cassandra, Dillon’s friend? You visited me while I was at his house?”“Oh yes,” he said, his tone registering recognition. “Is everything okay?”“Yes, yes,” I assured him. “I’m perfectly fine. I’m a
Cassandra’s POV I pulled into Stanley’s estate and grabbed the bouquet of flowers and caramels. I hadn’t seen Jordyn’s grandfather, Stanley, in a while and I was excited to see him. It had been a few days since our celebration at Dillon’s bar and when I called Stanley to ask for a visit, he assured me that Jordyn wouldn’t be there.I knocked on the front door and the maid answered. She brought me to the living room where Stanley was sitting, looking quite dapper in a polo shirt and pressed pants. He’d been home for a bit now and I was happy to see the color back in his cheeks. He smiled as soon as he saw me and went to get up, but I motioned for him to stay seated. He was doing well but he was still recovering.“Don’t get up on my account,” I told him, rushing towards him. I leaned down and he kissed my cheek.“Are those for me?” he asked, reaching for the flowers. “Oh Cassandra, orchids, my favorite. How lovely and thoughtful of you.”“And these are for later,” I said, handing him th
Cassandra’s POV Stella and I walked into the party beaming from ear to ear. The fashion competition had been a huge success. I defended our designs and the show continued. The judges named the winners of the contests and we personally congratulated them after the show. They were all young and they reminded me of a younger version of myself and Stella when we were just starting out. They had that awkwardness and lacked confidence. But with our help, I knew they would all be very successful one day.I didn’t talk to Jordyn at all that night. Once the show was over, Jordyn left. I did, however, see the look of shock on his face when I finally revealed my true identity on the runway. I couldn’t keep a secret anymore. Our company was being attacked and hiding my identity from Jordyn wasn’t worth risking our company. So it was all out in the open now.I figured he was probably pissed at me for lying, but I didn’t care. I had much more important things to focus on.Stella and I planned a cel