“JESS TMI!”
“I’m sorry.”
“So, will you be seeing him again?”
“Uh, I doubt it.”
“Jess, what happened?”
“He freaked out when he found out about Dan.”
“I thought that you and Dan weren’t a thing?”
“We aren’t…well not exactly.”
“Oh boy.”
“Yeah.”
“You really like Weston, don’t you?”
“I do but it doesn’t matter now. He flat out asked me if I was sleeping with Dan and when I said yes, he said goodbye.”
“Maybe if you end things with Dan then you can ask Weston for a second chance?”
“Speaking of second chances I think that you should go on over to Grady’s house and remind him what he is missing.”
“I’m still here, and no I don’t want to talk about it now.”
“Ok, but we will discuss it.”
“Fine. I’ll call you later.”
Grady stood there waiting for Cassidy to hang up. He was upset at what he’d overheard. Once Cassidy put the phone down, he started in on her. “We’re friends, you don’t want to have sex with me, and it’s complicated? What the hell is this? Are you playing a game here?”
Cassidy spun around visibly shocked to see Grady standing there. “No games.”
“Then explain. I thought that we were…” Grady shook his head and walked out.
“Grady, wait!” Cassidy followed him.
“Why, so that you can hurt me some more?”
“No, so that I can explain.”
Grady stopped and turned around. “Doc, do you have feelings for me beyond friendship?”
“Yes.”
Grady closed the distance between them and held Cassidy’s hands. “Talk to me then. What’s going on?”
“I’m afraid.”
Grady reached up, held her cheek and ran his thumb across her scar. “Because of this?”
Cassidy nodded. “It’s a constant reminder.”
“The only thing it should remind you is that you fought a battle and you won. You’re a survivor, Doc.”
Grady was right she did win, and she was a survivor. “I never thought of it that way.”
“Ah, the patient teaches the doctor.” Grady smiled at Cassidy.
“It’s so hard to let it go and move on.”
“I know. I still have nightmares and…”
“Grady, I’m sorry. You’ve been through hell and here I am whining about something that happened a decade ago because I’m weak.”
Grady hugged Cassidy. “I want to help you, Doc. Let me help you.”
Cassidy pulled away, took Grady’s hand, and walked them over to the couch. “I want to tell you, I do, but I don’t think I can…not yet.”
“I understand but you’re the one who told me that if I didn’t talk about it that I wouldn’t get better.”
“I did say that didn’t I.” Cassidy shook her head. “Me and my big mouth.”
Grady pulled her close and ran his index finger across her lower lip. “I want to kiss this big mouth.”
Cassidy leaned up and Grady kissed her.
Weston picked up his phone to call Grady and the first thing that popped up was a video of Grady and Cassidy coming out of the bathroom the night before. “Shit!” Weston dialed Grady.
“Hey West!”
“Have you been on social media lately?”
“No. Why?”
“There is an interesting video of you and Doc Scott emerging from the bathroom and the comments are out of control.”
“Oh God!”
Cassidy looked over at Grady. “Is everything ok?”
Grady covered the phone. “I’ll explain when I hang up.”
“Sounds like someone got lucky last night.”
Grady looked at Cassidy and smiled. “I am lucky.”
Cassidy smiled.
“I’m happy for you, Buddy.”
“You ok?”
“I didn’t sleep much last night.”
“Did you hook up with Jess?”
“Oh yeah only to find out that she has a boyfriend.”
Grady ran his hand through his hair. “I’m guessing you had too much fun and found out about the boyfriend after?”
Cassidy walked out of the room.
“I did but it was my fault because I didn’t ask any questions all I could think about was getting into her pants.”
“She shouldn’t have gone home with you if she had a boyfriend.”
“Whatever. You go and deal with the video and hope that Coach doesn’t see it.”
“Wish me luck.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Grady walked into the living room and leaned against the door frame. “I’m guessing you knew about Jess’ boyfriend?”
“Dan isn’t her boyfriend.”
“He’s just someone she has sex with?”
“She had sex with Weston too.”
“True. Weston called for a different reason. Come sit down.”
“What’s going on?”
Grady looked down at his phone and opened social media. “He called to tell me about this.” Grady turned the phone toward Cassidy.
“Oh my God!”
“I know it looks like we were screwing in the…”
Cassidy stood up. “Over a million people have seen us.”
Grady could see how visibly upset Cassidy was becoming. He reached for her and she pulled away.
“I have to go.” Cassidy was practically shaking.
“I don’t know why you’re so upset when I’m the one who could get into real trouble over this with my sponsors.”
Cassidy turned around. She had tears streaming down her cheeks. “He’s going to find me.”
Grady’s eyes opened wide. “Who is?”
Cassidy had a blank stare. “I’m sorry, Grady.” Cassidy picked up her purse and ran down the stairs.
Grady caught up to Cassidy in the driveway and wrapped his arms around her. “Let me help you.”
“You can’t.”
“Please, Doc.”
“He’ll hurt you too.”
“Nobody is going to hurt either one of us because of a stupid video.”
“I need Jess she’s the only one who understands.”
“I’ll call her but let’s get you inside first.”
Cassidy didn’t answer she just nodded. Grady wrapped his arm around her and walked her back inside.
Jess came over as soon as Grady called. She knew that Cassidy would be in a panic. Grady barely had the door open and Jess was already running inside. “Where is she?”
“She’s in my bedroom. Jess, she’s a mess.”
Jess stopped and turned to Grady. “You care about her, right?”
“I do.”
“Then don’t let her push you away.”
“I won’t.”
“Good because I’m pretty sure that she’s in love with you.” Jess continued up the stairs.
Grady smiled a huge smile.
Cassidy was sitting on Grady’s bed holding a pillow and crying when Jess poked her head inside. “Hey, you!”
Cassidy bolted up and hugged Jess. “He’s going to find me.”
“Cass, I know you’re scared but the chances of him seeing the video and even recognizing you are so slim. Besides, do you honestly believe that he would still come after you?”
“I saw how he looked at me that last day in court.”
“I’m going to call Detective Donovan and see if he can do anything.”
“Jess, I need you to take me home.”
“Cass, Grady is out there worried sick about you. Let him be here for you.”
“I’m afraid that he will hurt Grady.”
“Grady can take care of himself and you, if you’d let him.”
“I don’t know what I’d do if anything happens to him.”
Jess gave Cassidy a big long squeeze. “Tell Grady
how you feel and be honest.”
“What if…”
“He isn’t going anywhere.”
“I’ll think about it.”
“Why don’t you rest while I call Detective Donovan.”
Cassidy laid down, grabbed the pillow, and tried to think about Grady and not the man who ruined her life.
Cassidy woke up, rolled over, and realized she was in Grady’s bed. She sat up and looked around, but Grady wasn’t there. She got up to search for him. “Grady, are you here?” On her way through the house she spotted his phone in the game room but not him, she decided maybe he was downstairs at the pool.
She hadn’t even reached the pool deck when she heard the music playing. After walking inside, she stood watching Grady swim laps. He had a perfect body, tall, sculpted and an incredibly gorgeous face. Was she really deserving of such a man? Cassidy was pulled from her thoughts when Grady splashed water up and it pooled at her feet.
Grady pushed up his goggles. “Hey, Doc, how are you feeling?”
“To be honest, I’m not sure.”
“I sat watching you sleep for a few hours but then I decided to come relieve some stress. I hope you don’t mind that I left you alone?”
“It’s fine. I feel safe here with you.”
“Then stay here with me.”
“What, no, I can’t.”
“Why not? You stayed here when I needed you and now, Doc, you need me.”
Grady was right she needed him but unless she told him the truth and he accepted her; how could she stay. A split-second decision to tell him now before she changed her mind forced her to the edge of the pool where she sat and dropped her legs into the shallow end where Grady was standing. “I need to tell you…”
Grady came closer, stood between her legs, and held her. “You can tell me anything. I promise it won’t change the way I feel about you.” Grady leaned his forehead against hers.
Cassidy closed her eyes. “I was in college when I met him…Rick. He was sweet. We started dating and everything was fine until one day he saw me hug my friend, Joe, who was just a friend. He got so jealous that he came over, pushed me away from Joe and punched him in the face without even an explanation. I tried to tell him that it was Joe’s birthday and it was just a hug, but he managed to punch and kick Joe until security came and took him away.”
Grady rubbed Cassidy’s back. “It’s ok. This Rick guy isn’t going to come and hurt me if that’s what you’re worried about.”
“There’s more.”
Grady figured there was a lot more to Cassidy’s story, but he didn’t want to push her. “Are you ready to talk about it because if you…”
Cassidy nodded and began. “I broke up with Rick after that. He scared me. Sadly, it didn’t end there. He called, texted, and banged on the door for days until I finally filed harassment paperwork with the college. They assured me that he was threatened with expulsion if he acted out again. Campus security was advised that he was to stay away from me and to keep an eye on him. A few months passed and things seemed to get better. I was able to sleep and walk around campus without looking over my shoulder. I went out with Jess to a few parties and I met someone new. I kept my guard up a bit after Rick, but Ken was genuinely nice. We dated for a month or so before I started getting calls with heavy breathing and then strange notes started to appear under my apartment door and on my car windshield. Jess insisted I call the police so I did but they couldn’t do anything because he hadn’t threatened or hurt me…yet.” Cassidy wiped a few tears from her cheeks.
“You’re so strong, Doc.” Grady rubbed his nose against hers and then gave her a kiss on the cheek.
“One night Ken and I went out for dinner and when we came back to my dorm Rick was inside waiting in the stairwell. Ken didn’t know who Rick was but stepped in front of me when Rick lunged at me with a knife. Ken was stabbed and dropped to his knees. I tried to run up the stairs, but Rick grabbed me by the ankle knocking me down and then he took hold of my hair. He kept telling me that I was his and if he couldn’t have me that nobody else could. He stabbed me a few times in my back before my body registered the stinging pain. I tried to get away, but I was getting weaker by the minute. He flipped me over and before I knew it, he was kissing me while I was lying in a puddle of blood.” Cassidy stopped again to wipe her eyes and exhale a few times. She felt as if she could barely breathe. The last time she told her story was to the police and she was heavily medicated and still in shock at the time.
“Oh, Baby.” Grady held her in his arms and kissed her forehead. “Doc, I…”
Cassidy needed to finish her story before Grady said those words. “Rick ripped my clothes away from my body. I somehow managed to smack him in the face and that’s when he…” Cassidy lifted her hand to her cheek. “He dragged the knife across my face. I thought that he was going to slit my throat but when he reached my jawline he stopped. I stared up at him almost silently willing him to just kill me and end it, but he shook his head and laughed at me. I felt the knife tearing across my stomach. I closed my eyes and prayed. God must have heard me begging for help because within seconds I heard a scream. My eyes popped open, Rick took off and the next thing I remember were the flashing lights of the ambulance.”
Grady ran his hand down Cassidy’s hair and held her tight while she cried in his arms.
Five minutes or more must have gone by before Cassidy could calm herself enough to speak again. “I’m sorry. I haven’t told that story to anyone except for Jess, my therapist, and the police the night it happened.”
“Look at me.”
Cassidy looked at Grady. “You are a survivor. I’ve never met a woman so strong.”
“I’m so afraid that Rick will find me and come after us.”
“Why isn’t he in jail?”
“The DA offered him a deal since nobody died and he claimed to have been drinking. He only had to serve three to five years.”
“Had he been drinking?”
“I didn’t smell alcohol on his breath that night, but nobody checked when he was caught so there wasn’t any evidence to support otherwise. They took his word over mine.”
“What happened with Ken?”
“He never returned to school. His family packed him up and moved him back home.”
“I didn’t know that he’d gone back home for a long time. I thought that he blamed me or that he didn’t want to be with someone who looked like a monster.”
Grady heard monster and his heart broke into a million pieces. “Doc, you are not a monster. You’re so pretty.”
“I’m scarred, Grady. I don’t have mirrors in my house because I can’t stand to see myself.”
“I don’t care about scars all I care about is you.”
“I care about you too but…”
Grady lifted his finger to Cassidy’s lips. “No buts remember.”
Cassidy couldn’t believe that she had bared her soul and Grady was still there. She gently kissed his lips. “Thank you for being you.”
Grady gave Cassidy a long loving kiss. When he pulled his lips from hers, he dragged them down her neck and began to unbutton her blouse. Cassidy moved back but Grady continued with his lips down her belly as he removed her blouse and bra. He stepped back and looked at her scars and then he kissed each one as he worked his way back up to Cassidy’s mouth. “Thank you for trusting me enough to tell me.”
Cassidy felt as if she was in a dream. Grady didn’t even blink when he saw her scars, it was as if he had seen them before. Could love really be blind? “How can you not be repulsed at what I look like?”
“It’s the scars that are burned in your memory that are the ugly ones. These are just marks on your flesh. Doc, you need to look at yourself in the mirror and see past these scars and the four on your back.”
Cassidy pulled away. “Were you spying on me in the shower?”
“NO! I swear!” Grady reached for Cassidy’s hand.
“Then how do you know how many scars I h
ave?”
“I felt them with my hands and my lips when I made love to you.”
Cassidy was at a loss for words. Grady knew all along that she was a scarred monster and he pursued her anyway. “You really don’t care, do you?”
Grady smiled and shook his head. “No, I don’t, as long as I have you in my life.”
Cassidy wrapped her arms around Grady’s neck, and he hugged her. “I feel like this is a dream.”
“I love you, Cassidy Scott.”
“You called me Cassidy.”
Grady pulled away. “I figured it sounded more meaningful than Doc.”
“It does.” Cassidy smiled. “Grady, I love you too.”
Grady wasn’t sure that Cassidy could say those words but damn she did, and he was over the moon excited. So much so, that he leapt up into the air taking Cassidy with him and then back down dunking her into the water. Cassidy swung her arms and came up choking. Grady patted her on the back a few times. “I’m sorry. I forgot that you can’t swim.”
When Cassidy finally caught her breath, she shook her head. “You tell me you love me and then you try to drown me!” She giggled.
“This is exactly why I need to teach you to swim so that I don’t drown you in a fit of excitement.”
“I don’t even own a swimsuit.”
“For real? I thought that was just an excuse.”
“I had no need. I’d go to the beach for fun but after…I stopped going anywhere that the attire required me to expose my scars.”
“Makes sense. However, I’d still like to teach you how to swim even if I need to buy you a wetsuit so you can be comfortable.”
“I’ll think about it.”
“Will you also think about moving in with me?”
Cassidy shook her head. “No.”
Grady looked upset. “Why not?”
“Because there is nothing to think about, I’ve already decided to.” Cassidy smiled.
“I promise to take care of you and keep you safe.”
“I know you will.” Cassidy hugged Grady. She knew he meant well but thoughts of Rick still scared her to death.
Grady headed to the shower after he finished swimming and was excited to find Cassidy was already in it. “Can I join you or would you rather I wait?”
Deep End Page 12