Chapter 34
CASSANDRA
Cassandra wakes up the next morning to the sound of Alex’s cries. She glances over to Emilio’s side of the bed, finding it empty. Her heart sinks. He didn’t come home last night.
She pulls on her robe and goes to comfort Alex. “Mommy’s here, sweetie,” she whispers, lifting him from his crib. “Are you hungry?”
As she warms up his bottle in the kitchen, she can’t help but wonder why Emilio didn’t come home. It’s not your business, Cass, she tells herself. ~He didn’t promise you anything, remember?~
She tries to convince herself of this all day. But when Emilio strolls into the penthouse late in the afternoon, she can’t help but confront him.
“Where were you all night?”
Emilio looks worn out, his eyes shadowed, and he’s in a different suit than the one he wore yesterday. He must have showered somewhere else.
Please, God, don’t let him have been with another woman. I couldn’t handle that.
“You could’ve at least called,” Cassandra says, her voice a mix of anger and worry.
Emilio gives her a slow smile. “I missed you too,” he says, heading to the bar to pour himself a drink.
The nerve of him. She spent the night worried sick, tossing and turning, imagining all sorts of scenarios about where he might be and what he might be doing. And now he just smiles at her like nothing happened.
“This isn’t a joke, Emiliano. I’m serious. They invented this”—she holds up her phone—“for a reason.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t call.” He sinks onto the couch. “Work kept me late, and by the time I looked at the clock, it was past midnight. I didn’t want to wake you.”
If only he knew she barely slept at all.
“A text would’ve been enough.”
Despite everything, Cassandra feels a wave of relief. Knowing he was tied up with work and not with some other woman eases her mind.
“You look tired,” she says.
“Didn’t sleep much—had a lot of work to sort out.”
He can’t keep doing this to himself. The human body has its limits.
“Emiliano—”
“Is Alex asleep?” he interrupts.
“Yes, but I really think—”
“We’re going out tonight,” he cuts her off again, clearly not wanting to have the conversation she’s trying to start.
Cassandra sighs. “Where to?”
“Charity ball. I’ll call the same babysitter as last time. In the meantime, come here.”
She gives in to him, and soon he’s inside her, driving her to heights only he can reach. After several intense, sweaty minutes, they lie spent in each other’s arms.
Cassandra wonders if she should tell him she missed her pill yesterday… No, no! she thinks. She missed it today too. What is she doing?
She was supposed to pick up her new pack from the pharmacy yesterday, but she completely forgot. Her worries about Emilio took precedence over everything else, and now they’ve made love again without any protection. She’s getting careless around him.
Her cell phone rings from downstairs, and she rushes to answer it. It’s the pharmacy.
“No, I didn’t forget—I got held up. Can you deliver it to me?”
“To the address on file?”
“Yes.”
“Sure thing, ma’am. Have a good day.”
“You too. Thanks for calling.”
“Who was that?” Emilio asks from behind her.
“The pharmacy,” she whispers.
“Pharmacy?” he echoes, a frown creasing his forehead. “What did they want?”
Why does he get to question her when she can’t question him? How is that fair?
“Cassandra…?” His voice makes her jump. “Why did they call you?”
“I forgot to pick up my birth control pills, so they called to confirm they can deliver them.”
A heavy silence fills the room. Cassandra wonders what’s going through Emilio’s mind. He just stares at her, and it’s making her nervous.
“I hope you’re still taking your pill.” His voice is devoid of emotion. “I can trust you, right? We haven’t been using protection. We don’t need another baby right now.”
Cassandra’s heart sinks. His words feel like a punch to the gut.
“You don’t have to worry, Emiliano. I know not to get pregnant; you’ve told me enough times. It’s hard to forget. I know you don’t want another baby.”
Emilio comes over to her and lightly touches her cheek, then her hair, then her neck. He traces her mouth with his thumb and gently pulls her closer.
“This sweet, delicious mouth of yours wouldn’t lie to me, would it?”
Cassandra’s response is swallowed by his kiss, and she knows arguing with him is pointless. She’ll only end up losing.
Emilio takes her right there on the plush carpet of the living room.
Later, as she’s putting on her makeup for the charity ball, her cell phone rings again. It’s a number she doesn’t recognize.
“Hello…?”
“Hey, Cass, it’s Emily. Remember me?”
Mr. Smith’s assistant at the bank—how could she forget? Cassandra is surprised to hear from her and wonders if Jake finally asked her out. “Yes, I remember. How are you?”
“I’m good, and you?”
“I’m fine, but I’m guessing you didn’t call just to chat, Emily.”
“Sounds good. How about lunch tomorrow? I need to chat with you.”
Cassandra’s curiosity is piqued. “Sure, where should we meet?”
“Bryant Park sound good? Say, around noon?”
“Sounds perfect. See you then.” Cassandra hesitates before asking, “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, everything’s fine. Have a good night.”
“You too,” Cassandra replies, ending the call.
Just then, Emilio walks in, asking, “Ready to go?” He’s looking sharp in his black suit, and his cologne smells so intoxicating that she has to resist the urge to rush over and wrap her arms around him.
“You’re stunning, Cassie,” he compliments.
Tonight, Cassandra is wearing a gunmetal-colored, off-the-shoulder dress that hugs her curves and accentuates her slim waist. Her hair is down, and she’s wearing the diamond necklace and earrings Emilio gifted her on their yacht trip. She’s paired the dress with gray high heels and a petite evening purse.
“Thank you,” she manages to say, her breath catching in her throat.
