13. Thirteen

Thirteen

Kendrick

I wake before dawn, my stomach churning with nervous energy. Today, Cass’s parents are arriving. Stretching, I pad quietly to the sliding glass doors and watch the waves crash against the shore, hoping the sight will calm me. It doesn’t. Instead, the magnitude of the day ahead settles heavily on my chest. Feeling restless, I decide to shower and get a head start on the day.

I grab clothes and my lavender shampoo from my room and tiptoe down the stairs to avoid waking anyone. Once in the downstairs bathroom, I close the door softly, relishing the silence. Steam fills the small space as I turn on the water, the soft hiss a comforting background to my swirling thoughts. Stepping into the shower, I let the hot water cascade over me, easing some of the tension in my shoulders.

Turning off the water, I reach out and grab the towel. Quickly drying off, I wrap the towel around my long hair like a turban and step naked onto the bath rug.

For a few precious moments, it’s just me and the stillness of the morning, but my peace is short-lived.

Suddenly the bathroom knob turns, and the door is pushed open. Startled, my eyes fly to the doorway, and I see an equally stunned Cass. He seems frozen in shock as his eyes sweep the length of my damp, nude body.

My breath catches, and I finally react, my hands automatically covering what they can from his gaze, which has since darkened. His eyes lift and lock onto mine.

“I didn’t know you were in here,” he says, his voice rough and low.

Pulling the towel from my hair, I clutch it to my chest, my embarrassment clashing with an inexplicable thrill at his presence. “I was trying not to wake anyone,” I manage, my voice shaky. Then, grasping for some semblance of dignity, I add, “It’s nothing you haven’t seen before.”

A flicker of something dark and intense crosses his face before he steps back, his voice tight. “Right. Sorry.” He shuts the door behind him, leaving me trembling, my skin burning from more than just the hot water.

It takes a while for my trembling to stop enough for me to leave the bathroom and head upstairs.

Much later, my body is still recovering as I stand at the kitchen counter, trying to distract myself with brewing coffee. It’s not working. My nerves are still frayed.

Cass walks in, casual but watchful, a glass of juice in hand. “Hey, are you alright?” he asks quietly.

“I’m fine,” I reply quickly, though the blush creeping up my neck betrays me.

He hesitates. “About earlier—“

“It’s fine,” I interrupt, waving it off with forced nonchalance. “I’m just anxious about meeting your parents.”

His gaze softens, and he takes a step closer, his presence steadying. “They’re going to love you and Cassidy. Trust me.”

A few hours later, the sound of a car pulling up the gravel drive has us all turning toward the door. Cassidy practically flies out the front door, her excitement contagious, and I’m trailing close behind. Emily stands on the porch, giving me a quick, encouraging smile before following us out.

As the car doors open, Cass’s mom, a petite woman with a warm face and sparkling blue eyes, steps out. She’s followed by Cass’s dad, a tall, solidly built man with an air of quiet strength. His stance reminds me of Cass. They both look around, eagerly looking for their grandchild. As their gaze lands on Cassidy, their faces light up with emotion.

Cass steps forward, a huge grin on his face. “Mom, Dad, this is Cassidy,” he says, pride coloring his voice as he gestures to our daughter, standing slightly behind him, looking up at them with wide eyes.

Cass’s mom’s face softens instantly, her eyes misting. She steps forward and bends, meeting Cassidy at eye level. “Cassidy,” she says, her voice gentle. “I’m your grandma. And oh, have I waited a long time to meet you.”

Cassidy’s eyes brighten, and she rushes into Linda’s arms. The sight tightens my throat, a wave of bittersweet emotion crashing over me.

Cass’s dad steps quietly forward next. “And I’m your grandpa,” he says, his voice a low rumble filled with affection. “I’ve got a feeling you and I are going to get along just fine, young lady.”

Cassidy beams, her happiness infectious. My nerves ease as Linda turns to me and takes my hands. “You must be Kendrick. Welcome to our family,” she says, her sincerity softening the walls around my heart.

Cass’s father gives me a kind smile, resting his hand lightly on my shoulder. “Kendrick. We’re just glad to finally meet you. You and our granddaughter.”

Hearing the sincerity in their words, I blink back unexpected tears. “Thank you,” I manage, my voice barely more than a whisper.

After the introductions, we make our way to the living room. Cass’s parents start asking Cassidy questions, eager to know all about her. She enthusiastically answers each one. I watch as Cass’s parents listen intently, nodding with genuine interest. At one point, Cassidy shows them a short melody she’s written, humming a few lines, and Cass’s dad nods in approval, clearly impressed.

“You’ve got your father’s gift, Cassidy,” he says proudly, and I see her light up at the sincere compliment.

Cass’s mom looks over at Cass with a warm smile. “You must be proud. She’s very talented.”

“I am,” Cass says, his voice soft but filled with emotion. “She amazes me every single day.”

Cass’s mom, who insists I call her Linda, glances at me. “You seem to have done a fine job raising her.”

Nodding, I murmur, “Thank you.”

Emily watches from her place in the corner with a small smile. I catch her eye, and she gives me an encouraging nod as if to say, ‘See? I told you there was nothing to worry about.’

After lunch, we head down to the beach, walking together along the shoreline. The sun is warm on our backs. Cassidy and her grandfather are knee-deep in the water, laughing as the waves push them around, while Linda stands on the shore, watching them with a soft smile. I smile, too, at seeing my daughter so happy and carefree. Emily is mostly quiet as she watches all of us from nearby, occasionally offering a witty remark.

As we make our way back to the house, Linda falls in step beside me. “You know, Kendrick,” she says, her tone thoughtful, “Cass has always had a lot of people around him, but he always seemed… alone.”

I look over at her, surprised by the openness in her voice. She smiles, her gaze loving as she looks at her son. “Seeing him with you and Cassidy... it feels like he may have found what he’s been searching for all these years. And it has nothing to do with his career or fame. “

Her words stay with me as we reach the house and settle in for the evening. I can see it, too—the way Cass seems more grounded, more at ease than before. And as much as I want to protect myself, to guard my heart, I can’t help but feel a flicker of hope.

The next evening, after dinner, Cass’s parents prepare to leave. Linda approaches me. “Kendrick,” Linda begins hesitantly, “George and I… we were hoping you might allow us to take Cassidy for a few days.”

My eyes widen in surprise at the unexpected request. “Um… I guess that would be okay. Have you already mentioned it to Cassidy?”

“No, dear,” George says with a kind smile. “We wanted to make sure it was alright with you first.”

“I see,” I state and clear my voice. “Of course, it’s okay if Cassidy wants to go. You’re her grandparents.” I look up to see Cass giving me a smile as he walks in.

Linda and George walk out onto the back deck. Cass and I both watch as they approach Emily and Cassidy. We see Cassidy nod a yes and hug her grandparents. She is obviously delighted at the idea of spending more time with them.

Later, Cass and I stand on the porch, watching their car drive away into the night. Cassidy had just given me a hug before she eagerly left with Cass’s parents, with hardly a backward glance.

“She’s going to have a wonderful time,” Cass says, his arm brushing mine.

“I know,” I reply softly, my gaze on the horizon. “She deserves this.”

As Cass walks me back to the house, his arm around my shoulders, I feel the weight of my past lifting. My daughter is now surrounded by loving family members, and a feeling of rightness settles over me after seeing her so happy and carefree. But Linda’s parting words linger in my mind.

As she hugged me goodbye, she said in a low voice, “It’s good to see Cass healing. He was devastated when you left all those years ago.” As she stepped back, I felt Cass’s eyes on me and wondered if he had heard his mother’s parting words.

The house feels quieter and emptier without Cassidy’s energy, and suddenly, I realize that Cass and I are alone—Alone, together. My heart does a funny little flip-flop at the thought as I remember his hot gaze from earlier this morning and how my body instinctively responded.

Cass walks onto the back deck and leans against the railing. I follow him, letting the sea breeze caress my face as I stand there silently beside him. Each of us is lost in thoughts of the past.

Cass breaks the silence first, his voice low. “You know,” he begins, his gaze fixed somewhere beyond the waves, “when you left… it wasn’t just you that I lost. I lost this whole version of myself that only existed when I was with you.”

His words hit something deep, and I realize I’m holding my breath—afraid to exhale, afraid to disturb the fragile truce between us. I knew I had hurt him, but hearing him say it makes the pain raw and vivid.

“I tried to move on,” he continues, his voice low and bitter. “Everyone said I’d be fine and I’d get over it. But you were—you were everywhere. In every song, in every quiet moment. And all I could think of was–why? Why did she leave without a word?”

I swallow, searching for the right thing to say, feeling the weight of his pain. “Cass, I—“ I start, my voice cracking slightly. I close my eyes, gathering myself before looking at him. “I left because I thought it was what you needed. I thought you deserved to have your dreams come true.”

Confusion and a hint of anger clouding his eyes, he turns to face me. “What I needed?” he echoes, his voice barely above a whisper. “Kendrick, you were everything to me. How could you think leaving me was something I needed?”

I take a deep breath, willing myself to stay steady. “Because… I was young, Cass. And scared. You were on the edge of something incredible, this whole world opening up to you. Fame, music, fans—everything you’d ever dreamed of. I didn’t want me and the baby to hold you back.”

He shakes his head, his mouth set in a hard line. “Hold me back? Do you realize that losing you felt like losing the one thing that kept me grounded?”

The honesty in his words leaves me breathless, and I feel tears prickling at the corners of my eyes. I’ve held this pain for so long, wrapped it up in guilt and regret, and hearing him say these things now—it’s like ripping open old wounds I thought had healed.

Wrapping my arms around me to hold in the pain, I wonder if we’ll ever be able to let go of the past, of the old hurts and what he feels was a betrayal.