see if you would let him kiss you."
"Gage..."
"Come sit next to me a minute. We need to talk."
"I don't think that's a good idea."
"Just for a minute, Cass, then you can go inside."
Cassie sighed. She was tired and didn't have the energy to fight. She slowly walked over and sat beside him on the swing.
"Put your feet on my lap," he said, patting his thighs.
"What? No, just say what you have to say so I can go inside."
Gage sighed, leaned over, grabbed her ankles, and placed her feet on his lap.
The momentum of this action caused her to go sideways on the swing, her back now resting against the armrest.
She started to struggle, but he held her ankles firmly. "Relax." She heard him say as he unbuckled her shoes.
"How can I relax with my feet in your lap? And what are you doing?"
"Taking off your shoes so I can rub your feet."
Cassie struggled harder. "I don't want you to rub my feet." She didn't want his hands anywhere near her. His hands were dangerous. His hands made her feel things she didn't want to feel.
He squeezed her ankles until she stopped struggling. "Good girl. Now relax and listen to what I have to say."
There was no way in hell she could relax while he was massaging her feet. Her whole body was stiff. She knew he felt it because he sighed.
"I still have a long way to go with you, don't I?"
"Gage, please listen to me. You don't have anywhere to go. I'm not doing this with you." Cassie sighed, leaned her head back, and closed her eyes. "When I was young, I had this fantasy." She smiled slightly at the remembrance. "Every night, before I went to sleep, I would close my eyes and make up stories about my dream man. I would make up different places and scenarios of how we would meet. I imagined what he would look like. I would envision the places we'd go and the things that we'd do. And I dreamed about our first kiss. It would be a toe curling, body tingling, heart racing, perfect kiss. And I would be so in love."
She opened her eyes and looked at Gage. He was still, barely breathing, staring at her. "And then I met you." She closed her eyes again unable to look at him while she shared. "And I didn't need to make anything up anymore because you created it. My dream man come to life. I thought you were perfect. I'd go to sleep thinking only of you and how you made me feel. You made my toes curl, body tingle, and heart race. And I loved you so much." Cassie stopped speaking and was silent for a long moment, waiting for Gage to say something, but he stayed silent.
She removed her feet from his lap and sat up on the swing. "I loved you so much. You were my whole world. I believed in us, believed in the fairytale. And then you broke me. I'm scared of you now, and however much you might want a you and me, it's never going to happen. Please try to understand. I'm not willing to take a chance again. I'm too scared to let it happen."
At his continued silence, she slowly stood from the swing. She looked down at him, at all his male beauty and felt the pull. Her love for him was still there, buried deep, but she could still feel it. And she knew that if she wasn't strong, didn't resist, he could easily bring that love back up to the surface. She couldn't let that happen.
She went to the front door and quietly opened it. She turned back to Gage. He watched her intently, but still remained silent. "Do you know what I fantasize about now before I fall asleep?" At his continued silence, she filled the void with a single word. "Nothing."
Cassie lay in bed, listening for the sound of an engine turning over and tires driving away on the gravel road, signaling Gage's departure. She waited a very long time until she finally heard it and only then was she able to fall asleep.
Cassie looked around at the decorations she had just finished hanging. In a few hours, all the kids from
"Gage..."
"Come sit next to me a minute. We need to talk."
"I don't think that's a good idea."
"Just for a minute, Cass, then you can go inside."
Cassie sighed. She was tired and didn't have the energy to fight. She slowly walked over and sat beside him on the swing.
"Put your feet on my lap," he said, patting his thighs.
"What? No, just say what you have to say so I can go inside."
Gage sighed, leaned over, grabbed her ankles, and placed her feet on his lap.
The momentum of this action caused her to go sideways on the swing, her back now resting against the armrest.
She started to struggle, but he held her ankles firmly. "Relax." She heard him say as he unbuckled her shoes.
"How can I relax with my feet in your lap? And what are you doing?"
"Taking off your shoes so I can rub your feet."
Cassie struggled harder. "I don't want you to rub my feet." She didn't want his hands anywhere near her. His hands were dangerous. His hands made her feel things she didn't want to feel.
He squeezed her ankles until she stopped struggling. "Good girl. Now relax and listen to what I have to say."
There was no way in hell she could relax while he was massaging her feet. Her whole body was stiff. She knew he felt it because he sighed.
"I still have a long way to go with you, don't I?"
"Gage, please listen to me. You don't have anywhere to go. I'm not doing this with you." Cassie sighed, leaned her head back, and closed her eyes. "When I was young, I had this fantasy." She smiled slightly at the remembrance. "Every night, before I went to sleep, I would close my eyes and make up stories about my dream man. I would make up different places and scenarios of how we would meet. I imagined what he would look like. I would envision the places we'd go and the things that we'd do. And I dreamed about our first kiss. It would be a toe curling, body tingling, heart racing, perfect kiss. And I would be so in love."
She opened her eyes and looked at Gage. He was still, barely breathing, staring at her. "And then I met you." She closed her eyes again unable to look at him while she shared. "And I didn't need to make anything up anymore because you created it. My dream man come to life. I thought you were perfect. I'd go to sleep thinking only of you and how you made me feel. You made my toes curl, body tingle, and heart race. And I loved you so much." Cassie stopped speaking and was silent for a long moment, waiting for Gage to say something, but he stayed silent.
She removed her feet from his lap and sat up on the swing. "I loved you so much. You were my whole world. I believed in us, believed in the fairytale. And then you broke me. I'm scared of you now, and however much you might want a you and me, it's never going to happen. Please try to understand. I'm not willing to take a chance again. I'm too scared to let it happen."
At his continued silence, she slowly stood from the swing. She looked down at him, at all his male beauty and felt the pull. Her love for him was still there, buried deep, but she could still feel it. And she knew that if she wasn't strong, didn't resist, he could easily bring that love back up to the surface. She couldn't let that happen.
She went to the front door and quietly opened it. She turned back to Gage. He watched her intently, but still remained silent. "Do you know what I fantasize about now before I fall asleep?" At his continued silence, she filled the void with a single word. "Nothing."
Cassie lay in bed, listening for the sound of an engine turning over and tires driving away on the gravel road, signaling Gage's departure. She waited a very long time until she finally heard it and only then was she able to fall asleep.
Cassie looked around at the decorations she had just finished hanging. In a few hours, all the kids from
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