25. Cassidy

It tooka few days of me hiding from the Supreme Jackass, as I"ve now taken to calling him, but finally this morning he was forced to meet up with the team to travel to Atlanta for the first of a three-game road trip. It"s not long, but I"ll take it.

As soon as he"s gone, I make sure Sawyer"s not here either before I grab my phone and order a ride. It"s probably not smart to go home because Hayden will just track me down as soon as he"s home, but I don"t have anywhere else to go. Lila and her girlfriend, Addison, just had a baby and I"m not about to bring Hayden"s crazy into their lives.

Before I leave, I grab the package that came for me yesterday, the one that has a #19 Gabriel Maddox jersey in it. I slip into the jersey and nothing else and then I climb into Hayden's bed and take some selfies, making sure to flash my panties. When I tease this on my OnlyFans later, Hayden's going to go berserk.

He deserves so much worse, but even knowing that, there's an intense thrill that sneaks through me when I think about how he's going to react. Maybe there's a reason I only attract the crazies.

While I pack up my suitcase and haul it outside, I'm already crafting the perfect caption, something that'll get under Hayden's skin like nothing else. It only takes a few minutes for my ride to pull up. The driver helps me load it into the trunk and we"re on our way to my apartment building.

I"m still fuming as we drive away from Hayden"s house, but at least now I have time to figure out what the hell I"m going to do next. My emotions are all over the place. It"s not like it was a secret that Hayden"s certifiable, but I guess I never thought he"d take it this far. I sigh, rubbing at my forehead as a headache takes root.

My phone buzzes in my pocket and when I pull it out, there"s a text from Hayden because of course there is.

Hayden: Where are you?

I chew on my lip, thinking over my response. I"ve been gone all of ten minutes max, including waiting outside for my ride, so for him to have noticed I"m missing already is... unsettling. And also weirdly... flattering?

Cassidy: None of your business.

Hayden: You"re going to be in so much trouble when I get home.

Cassidy: You have to find me first.

Yeah, I"m all bravado and considering the only place I have to go is my apartment, it"ll take him all of two seconds to find me and drag me back when he gets home, but I"ve got to have some boundaries, damn it. I"m not going to let him bulldoze me or my life, no matter how hot he is and how much I sort of love that he cares about me enough to want me around all the time. I"ve never had that before, and after years of being on my own, it"s nice having someone want me this much.

I post that picture, and then shove my phone back into my pocket and ignore the next few texts he sends me as we pull up to my apartment building. The driver helps me unload my suitcase and I thank him before dragging it inside. It"s a struggle to get it up the stairs, but I manage and finally get inside my apartment.

There"s a lump in my throat as I glance over to the window, and a chill slithers down my back at the memory of my space being violated, but I push it down and drag my suitcase into my bedroom. I don"t know how Hayden left my room, but my picture frames have been rearranged in the wrong order, my nightstand drawer is open, and my underwear are all missing.

"What the hell?" I ask aloud as I dig through my suitcase looking for them, but there are only the few pairs Hayden must"ve thrown in here when he packed it.

Once everything in my bedroom"s put away, I decide to head to the kitchen for some water, but there"s something written in black marker across my fridge. "I see you," in huge letters spanning both doors. Not only that, but there"s a knife stuck into the counter beside it.

"Fuck this," I breathe, pulling my phone out of my pocket with shaky fingers. I don"t think Hayden would do this. I mean, why would he? He took me to his place and if it was up to him, I"d never step foot back here again. Plus, I still don't know who broke into my apartment in the middle of the night. Could the same person have done this?

I"d planned to make a video or two for my OnlyFans before I had to be at the bar, but I don"t want to be here anymore. The thing about Hayden is that yeah, he"s kind of a stalker and he"s almost scary possessive, but he also gives me a sense of security. With him thousands of miles away, I feel... vulnerable in a way I haven"t in a long, long time.

Could I go back to his place and admit defeat? Sure. But I"m stubborn as fuck and I"m not going to let him think he"s won that easily. Especially after my new ink. Shit, I"m still pissed about that, so now I"m angry and scared. Fantastic.

Cassidy: Think you can get away for an hour?

Lila: For you? Always.

Cassidy: Upper Crust?

Lila: See you in 20.

I grab my purse and keys before locking up and heading down the stairs to meet Lila at our favorite gourmet sandwich shop. It"s about six blocks down, but for once it"s not raining, so I decide to walk. It"ll give me time to calm down and figure out how to handle Hayden when he gets back from his trip. He"s going to be so pissed off when he finds out I moved back to my apartment. I grin when I think about his reaction, knowing I"m poking the bear and loving every second of it. He"s got to learn that if he fucks with me, I"m going to fuck right back.

Or fuck around and find out, if you will.

God, there's something wrong with me.

The Upper Crust is crowded as always, but Lila"s already snagged us a table in the corner. She"s got her baby, Tavi, in her arms, and she"s cooing at her while she sips on a coffee. When she sees me, she smiles and waves me over.

"Hey!" she says as I slide into the navy-colored velvet chair across from her. "Not that I don"t love a spur-of-the-moment girls" lunch, but we've probably only got a half an hour before this one needs a nap, so spill."

I sigh and rub at my forehead, trying to get rid of the ache behind my eyes. "I don"t know where to start."

She grabs a menu and shoves it at me while flipping hers open with one hand like the complete expert at this whole parenting thing that she is. "Start with figuring out what you want. Then you can tell me why you"ve been absent from the bar more and more and what"s going on with you and a certain sexy hockey player."

For the first time in days, my shoulders relax as I scan the menu of fancy sandwiches, my mouth already watering. I can"t remember the last time I ate. Stress is hell on my stomach and I"ve definitely lost a couple of pounds since the break in and the pressure Roman's putting on me to pay him back.

I set the menu down as our waitress approaches with a wide smile. "What can I get for you ladies today?" she asks, her pen poised over her pad.

"I"ll have the turkey and brie on sourdough with avocado, please. And a raspberry lemonade."

She nods and scribbles it down before looking at Lila. "And for you?"

Lila eyes her menu one last time before flipping it closed. "I"ll have the same, but with ham instead. And could we also get an order of fries to share?"

The waitress nods and takes our menus before walking away to put in our orders.

"So," Lila says, her eyes narrowed at me. "Lemme have it."

I sigh and lean back in my chair. "Hayden"s insane."

She grins at me. "We knew that already, though."

"No, I mean like... he kidnapped me and tattooed his name on me while I was asleep. That kind of insane."

Her jaw drops and her eyes widen. "What?" she gasps, glancing around to make sure no one can hear us. "I must"ve heard you wrong. He did what?"

I nod, picking at a chip in the dark wood tabletop with my fingernail. "Yeah. I went to sleep at home. Woke up the next morning in his bed with his name tattooed on my body and he wasn"t even a little sorry." I take a sip of the lemonade the waitress just dropped off before I huff out a little laugh. "In fact, I think he was sort of proud."

Lila"s still gaping at me. "Holy shit. That"s so," her hands come up to cover Tavi"s ears, but the kid"s only a couple of months old and I bite back a laugh at her ridiculousness, "fucking crazy. And hot. Like super hot." She shakes her head, her blonde hair falling over her shoulders. "Sorry, no. That's pathological. Right. That." She takes a deep breath. "Are you okay?"

I nod again, feeling like a bobblehead doll. "Yeah. I mean, I"m pissed and I"m not going to let him get away with it, but..."

She reaches across the table and takes my hand in hers while Tavi wraps her fist in my friend"s hair and yanks. Lila flinches but stays focused on our conversation. See? She"s a total pro at this whole mom thing. "But what?"

I sigh and look down at the table. "It"s complicated."

She nods and lets go of my hand as the waitress drops off our sandwiches. "It always is. You still want him." She grabs a fry from the basket and pops it into her mouth.

I groan, letting my head fall back against the chair and staring up at the industrial piping in the ceiling. "More than anything." I rub my temples. "Am I stupid? Is this just Roman two point oh? Who wants a guy who does the kind of shit Hayden"s done to me? I should be running far, far away. Filing a restraining order. Something."

Lila takes a bite of her sandwich, staring at me thoughtfully while she chews. "You"re not stupid, you"re just in love."

My eyes widen, and I sit up straight, shaking my head. "I"m not in love with Hayden Vaughn."

She shrugs like she doesn't believe me and takes another bite. "Okay. But he"s not Roman. In fact, he"s the opposite of Roman." She sets down her sandwich and her eyes harden a little. "I"m going to put on my serious best friend voice now because I"m going to say something and I need you to listen. Like, really listen."

I swallow the bite I was chewing, feeling it sink into my stomach like lead. "Okay."

"You were guarded when your family died." She lifts her hand to cut me off when I open my mouth to speak. "Understandably so. When you dump a guy who then burns your house to the ground with your family inside, I think you earn the right to be wary."

My eyes burn at the reminder of why my family"s dead. Because of me and my choices, my parents, my twin brother... gone. Just like that.

"What is it about me that only seems to attract psychos?" I ask, my voice a whisper. "Hayden even threatened to burn down my apartment if I moved back home. I mean, why would I ever even consider staying with someone like that, considering what Eric did to my family?"

"Because I"ve seen the way Hayden looks at you. He"s not deranged like Eric. He"s not a narcissist like Roman. He"s just... obsessed. But he"s also protective. He looks at you like you"re the only person in the room and he doesn"t give a shit who knows it." Lila sighs like she"s just watched the happily ever after of a classic Disney movie where the prince decides there"s no one better for him than the poor girl or the mermaid who gave up her voice to be with him. "It"s romantic, in a way."

I roll my eyes. "You"re not helping convince me to stay away."

She laughs. "Is that what I"m supposed to be doing?" Tavi"s little fist waves in the air and tries to grab at her sandwich. I hold out my arms for my niece, making my own grabby hands.

"Hand over the squish," I say, grinning when she slides her daughter into my arms and I cuddle her close, breathing in her new baby smell. A grin spreads across my face as she gazes up at me with her big blue eyes. "Hey, baby cakes," I murmur to her as she grabs onto my finger and tries to put it in her mouth.

Lila watches me for a moment before she says, "Hayden may have gone about it in the most extreme way possible, but he"s trying to show you he cares in his own twisted way." She takes another bite of her sandwich and shrugs. "I don"t know if that"s enough for you or not, but it"s worth considering. Especially since you"re clearly still into him."

I sigh and cuddle Tavi closer, filling my lungs again and again with her baby smell like I'm taking a hit of a potent drug. "I guess." I look down at my niece and grin at her. "What do you think? Should I give Hayden a second chance?"

She just gurgles and smiles back at me, making me laugh. "That"s a yes from the baby."

Lila laughs and then levels me with a murderous look. "Now tell me about Roman."