Deep End

by Michelle Iannarelli

  “Why, why me? I finally find someone who loves me and now he’s going to ruin everything.”

  Jess walked Cassidy over to the bed and sat them down. “Nothing is ruined. Grady loves you and he’s going to stand by you.”

  “I know that’s his intention and that’s why I need to leave.”

  “NO!”

  “Jess, he can’t be thinking about me right now. It’s not fair. He needs to leave in a few days, and I am not going to be the reason he doesn’t.”

  “I understand how you feel but it’s his choice to make.”

  “Not anymore.”

  Grady let out the police and Jess and then went to check on Cassidy. He pushed the door open to find Cassidy packing her suitcase. “You’re leaving?”

  “Grady, I have to.”

  “No, you don’t.”

  “I can’t stay here knowing that Rick is out there watching and waiting to hurt you.”

  “So, you’re just going to leave and hope that he comes after you while you’re all alone?”

  “Grady, I can’t stand the thought of him hurting you or this waiting game. If I’m not with you then at least I know that you’ll be safe.”

  “We’ve been through this. I’m a big boy and I can take care of myself…and you. I’m not afraid. Please, Cassidy, let me protect you.”

  “What about the Olympics you have to leave in a few days.”

  “Let’s see what the next few days hold.”

  “See, that’s exactly why I need to leave.” Cassidy grabbed her jeans and put them into her suitcase.

  Grady couldn’t stand it anymore he shoved her suitcase onto the floor. “GRRR! I LOVE YOU DAMMIT! DON’T YOU UNDERSTAND THAT? YOU COME FIRST!”

  Cassidy stepped back and looked between Grady and her suitcase. How could she leave a man who loved her so deeply that he’d give up his dream for her? She closed the distance between Grady and herself. “I’m sorry. I love you so much and I know how important…”

  “You are the only thing that is important to me at this very moment, Cassidy.”

  “I’ll stay but you have to promise not to let Rick keep you from leaving?”

  “I promise.” Grady wasn’t sure if he’d be able to keep his promise but for now keeping Cassidy safe was all that mattered.

  Cassidy woke up, rolled over, and found rose petals where Grady had been sleeping. She got up and followed what seemed to be a trail that led her to his Rehab Room which contained a sauna, massage tables and a jacuzzi. Cassidy pushed the door open.

  Grady smiled up at her. “Good morning, Beautiful.”

  Cassidy looked at the flowers, then a huge tray of breakfast goodies and last, Grady who was leaning against the wall dripping wet with sweat from the sauna. “Do you get sexier in your sleep?” Cassidy giggled.

  Grady dropped his towel and then pulled Cassidy against him. “I don’t know, do I?”

  “Mmm hmm.” Cassidy mumbled as she kissed his chest until he leaned down so that she could reach his lips.

  “I don’t want to leave you.”

  “You promised you’d go.”

  Grady picked up a strawberry, dipped it into the cream and then dangled it over Cassidy’s lips until she managed to grab it with her teeth. Cassidy in turn fed Grady a strawberry.

  “Let’s spend our last day together having sex and not thinking about anything else.” Grady winked.

  “Like this?” Cassidy dragged her tongue down Grady’s body as she dropped to her knees sucking his cock down her throat on the way.

  “Mmm, that’s what I meant. Oh, God, yeah.”

  “Don’t you have to get to work?”

  “Nope.” Jess smiled. “I took the day off so that I could spend it with you.”

  Weston smiled and ran his hand through Jess’ hair. “What did you have planned?”

  “Sex, food, shower sex, food, more sex…”

  “I’m sensing a theme here?” Weston let out a laugh.

  “That I like sex?”

  “No, that you like to eat.”

  Jess smacked Weston’s arm. “If you’d rather eat.” She started to roll away from him.

  “Oh, I want to eat but not food.” Weston spread Jess’ legs, crawled between them and began devouring her.

  Grady held Cassidy in his arms as the bubbles floated around them. “I wish I could hold you like this forever.”

  “Me too but we’d eventually shrivel up like raisins.” Cassidy giggled.

  “True but I’d be willing to hold you on dry land too.”

  Cassidy turned in Grady’s arms and straddled him. “Once more before we dry off can’t hurt.” Cassidy smiled.

  “I’d risk shriveling up to see that smile any day.”

  “I love you.” Cassidy rested her head on Grady’s chest.

  “I love you too, Baby.” Grady lifted Cassidy up, kissed her and then impaled her.

  “I need you to be here by six a.m.”

  Cassidy reached for the doorknob but when she heard Grady talking, she stopped and listened.

  “I want you in place before I leave. If you need anything you call the number I gave you. Do you understand? Good.” Grady hung up, put down the phone and the door opened.

  “Who was that?”

  “The car service.”

  “I told you I’d take you to the airport.”

  “It’s ok they’re grabbing Weston and then they will swing by and get me.”

  “What time?”

  “Six-thirty.”

  “Why are you lying to me?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Grady, I heard you tell whoever you were talking to on the phone that you need them here by six.”

  “Yeah, right, they’re going to pick me up first.”

  “LIAR!” Cassidy turned and walked out of the room.

  “Ok, I’m all packed up and ready to go.”

  “Good, then we can go to dinner, come back and have sex until we fall asleep.”

  “Damn!”

  “It will be weeks before we can have another sexfest.” Jess laughed.

  “Sexfest, hmm, I like that word.” Weston kissed Jess.

  “Did you decide if you want me to take you to the airport?”

  “Grady and I usually take the team’s car service.”

  “Ok.”

  “In fact, I will make arrangements for them to pick you and Cassidy up next week.”

  “Thank you.”

  “I know you’re not happy that we have to stay in different hotels, but I’ll make time to see you.”

  “It’s ok. I know you have to follow the rules.”

  “We do have a whole lot of rules we need to abide by.”

  Jess kissed Weston. “Promise me you won’t break any with your female teammates.”

  “Never. You’re the only one I want.” Weston kissed Jess.

  “Cass, you’re right I lied and I’m sorry.”

  Cassidy sat with her back to Grady. Grady waited but when Cassidy didn’t speak, he decided he had better just lay it all out there.

  “I didn’t want you to know because I thought it would upset you…”

  “Oh, I’m upset, Grady, because you lied to me!” Cassidy turned around. “How can I trust you now?”

  “Because I only lied to protect you…literally. Cassidy, I went behind your back and I hired you a security guard…”

  “WHAT! You know how I feel about that.”

  “Exactly, but I can’t be here to protect you. You made me promise that I would leave which left me with no other choice than to hire a replacement.”

  “Your idea of a replacement is a security guard?”

  “Please, Baby, I need to know that you’re safe while I’m gone.” Grady took Cassidy’s hand. “Please.”

  Cassidy may have been too stubborn to admit it, but she was scared to death and Grady leaving was making it worse. “Fine, but once you’re back he’s gone.”

  “Done.”

  “HELP ME! SOMEBODY HELP ME
!”

  Cassidy was woken by Grady’s screams. “Grady, Honey, wake up!”

  Grady’s eyes popped open and he glanced at Cassidy. “I’m sorry, I woke you.”

  Cassidy could see the fear on Grady’s face. She knew all too well how he felt, and it hurt her. She raised her hand and ran it through his hair. “It’s ok. You’re ok, now.”

  “No, I’m not. Sometimes, I don’t ever think I’ll be ok again.”

  Cassidy cuddled up against Grady and held him tight. “Tell me about your dream.”

  “Same dream, different night.”

  “The more you talk about it the less scary it will be.”

  “I’m hanging upside down from my seat and I’m drowning.”

  “But you didn’t.”

  “I know but everyone else did.” Grady pulled away and sat up. “I don’t know why I didn’t die because I should have, and as long as I live, I will ask myself that question.”

  Cassidy knelt up and wrapped her arms around Grady. “I’m so grateful that you survived.”

  Grady woke up and carefully got out of the bed to avoid waking Cassidy. He managed to get as far as his closet. “What time is it?”

  “Five-thirty. Sorry, I woke you.”

  Cassidy rubbed her eyes and sat up. “Don’t be sorry it gives me a few extra minutes to spend with you before you leave.”

  “Why don’t I go make us some breakfast?”

  “How about I go whip up some eggs while you finish packing?”

  “Eggs, huh?”

  “Grady!”

  “I’m joking. I’ve grown quite fond of your eggs.” Grady winked.

  Cassidy rolled her eyes. “White or wheat toast?”

  “Surprise me.” Grady kissed Cassidy before she headed to the kitchen.

  Grady carried his suitcases to the door and handed them off to the driver. “I’ll be right out.” He closed the door and headed back up the stairs to say goodbye to Cassidy. “Cass, where are you?”

  Cassidy walked out of the bedroom and extended her hand. “I want you to have this.”

  “I can’t take that.”

  “You’re not taking it…I’m giving it to you.” Cassidy placed her Saint Dymphna medallion into Grady’s hand and folded his fingers over it. “She’ll help you while you fly.”

  Grady hugged Cassidy. “Are you sure?”

  Cassidy nodded. “You need her more than I do right now.”

  “I hate this.”

  “You’ll be ok.”

  “I can’t go.”

  Cassidy pulled away. “You have to go. Just take the medication your doctor prescribed, and you’ll be fine.”

  “No, I can’t leave you.”

  “Grady O’Malley, you promised.”

  “I know but I thought that the police would have taken Rick in by now.”

  “You need to go, Grady.”

  “I don’t feel right about leaving you.”

  “You’re just nervous about your flight and if you don’t get going you will miss it.”

  Grady looked at Cassidy. He knew he was nervous but the feeling in the pit of his stomach seemed like a whole lot more than flying panic. “Come with me.”

  “Now?”

  “Now. I’ll take a later flight.”

  “You need to be on that flight and we already discussed the fact that you couldn’t even spare a minute this week, so, no.”

  “Please, Cassidy, I don’t want to leave you.”

  The driver honked the horn and then Grady’s phone started buzzing. “They’re waiting for you.”

  “Don’t make me go without you.”

  Cassidy knew Grady was worried about her, but she also knew he was terrified to fly and wrote it off as such. She stopped herself from grabbing Grady and selfishly keeping him there with her, but she knew that he needed to leave. She pulled on her big girl panties, grabbed Grady, hugged him, and then kissed him. “I’ll see you in a week.”

  Grady leaned down and gave Cassidy one last kiss on her forehead. “Take care of yourself. I love you.”

  “I love you.”

  Grady walked down the stairs, opened the door, and then looked up at Cassidy. “Goodbye.”

  Cassidy waited until she heard Grady close the car door to burst into tears. The way that Grady looked at her when he said goodbye spiraled her body into shivers. It was as if he somehow knew that he was never going to see her again.

  “Cassidy didn’t want to let you go?”

  Grady looked over at Weston and shook his head. “She practically threw me out. I’m the one who didn’t want to leave.”

  “Six days until you see her again.”

  “Yeah, I hope so.”

  Weston looked at his friend who looked quite upset. “Hey, did you two have a fight?”

  “No.”

  “Ok, Grady, what’s going on that has you so rattled?”

  “When I left it was like I somehow knew that I’d never see her again.”

  “Does this have to do with your fear of flying?”

  “I don’t think so. It’s Rick getting anywhere near Cassidy that I’m truly fearful of.”

  “Grady, you have a security guard and the police watching her. Besides Jess will beat the crap out of him if he goes anywhere near Cassidy and I know that Jess plans to stay with her.”

  “I guess you’re right.”

  “Me, I’m always right.” Weston laughed.

  “Where’s the corkscrew?”

  “Same place it’s been the last three nights when you’ve asked!”

  “Oh, I never put mine away in the same place. You’re so organized.” Jess giggled as she reached for the corkscrew.

  “Have you heard from Weston today?”

  “He texted a bit earlier. Why?”

  “Grady has been so quiet and stressed out. I’ve been so worried about him. I texted earlier, but he still hasn’t replied.”

  “Do you want me to talk to Weston about him?”

  “No. I just don’t want to be the reason his Olympic dreams crumble.”

  “Maybe he just misses you and once he sees you on Friday, he’ll snap out of it.”

  “I hope that’s all it is.”

  Five hours, a bottle of wine and two bowls of popcorn later Cassidy tried texting Grady again. She hit send and her phone beeped back at her. “That’s weird.”

  Jess looked up from her phone. “What’s weird?”

  “My phone doesn’t have service.”

  “That is weird because mine has five bars.”

  “Maybe that’s why I haven’t heard from Grady.”

  “Power it off and then back on. Sometimes it just needs a jumpstart.”

  “It’s off. I’ll give it a few minutes while I clean up.” Cassidy picked up the glasses and popcorn bowl.

  “I’ll be right back I left my charger in the car again.”

  “Jess, if your head wasn’t attached, I’d be worried you’d forget that too.” Cassidy laughed.

  “I should be offended but you’re right.” Jess laughed.

  Jess grabbed her charger and headed back into the house. She turned to close the door and a hand reached out and covered her mouth. Rick pushed his way inside and then closed the door. “Be quiet and I won’t hurt you.”

  Jess bit down on his hand and he pulled it away. “CASSIDY, RUN! RICK’S…”

  Rick smacked Jess across the face and then he grabbed her hair. “You bitch!”

  Jess spit at him and then she kneed him. Rick fell to the floor and Jess started to run up the stairs. “CASSIDY, RUN! RICK’S IN THE HOUSE!”

  Cassidy was in the kitchen washing the dishes when she heard Jess scream. She grabbed a knife and ran toward the living room to get Jess’ phone so she could call for help.

  Jess made it up the stairs and was about to enter the living room when Rick shoved her. Jess fell and banged her face against the floor. Rick laughed and then kicked her back down the stairs.

  Cassidy stood there shaking as she held the knif
e out in front of her waiting for Rick. She was done running, it was do or die.

  Rick walked into the living room. “Hello, Cassi. I’ve missed you.”

  “I haven’t missed you.”

  “Maybe not but I bet a day doesn’t go by that you don’t think about me.” Rick smiled as he walked closer.

  “You’re sick!”

  “Put the knife down, Cassi, and come give me a hug.”

  “Stay back! I’m warning you!”

  “Oh please, I know you could never hurt the man you love.”

  Cassidy stepped back. Rick was only a few feet away from her and sheer panic was setting in. She tightened her grip on the knife. “Rick, I mean it stay away or I’ll…”

  “You’ll what? Try to slice me up like I did to you all those years ago.” Rick shook his head and let out a smug laugh. “No, I don’t think so because you’re too weak.” Rick lunged at Cassidy and she swung the knife but only managed to graze his arm. He squeezed her wrist so tightly that she dropped the knife. Rick leaned over to grab the knife and Cassidy kicked him in the head then took off running.

  Rick walked through the house looking for Cassidy. He stopped in front of a door that was closed. “Come out, Cassi!” He reached for the knob.

  Cassidy saw the knob turn and decided that her best chance of getting away from him was to shove the door open in hopes of hitting him. She took a deep breath and pushed the door open as hard as she could.

  The door swung open and pushed Rick to the side allowing Cassidy to run. She was, however, only able to get as far as Grady’s Rehab Room where she was trapped.

  Rick came in swinging the knife back and forth. “You can run for as long as you want, Cassi, but I’m not leaving until I have you one last time.”

  Cassidy stopped dodging Rick and stood still. “Fine.”

  Rick stopped walking and stared at Cassidy. “That’s it you’re just going to give in?”

  “No reason to postpone the inevitable.”