Cassie
“I can’t believe school starts back next week.” I snuggled back into Dennis’ arms as we stood at the water’s edge, watching the waves roll in.
“Senior is going to be awesome.” His lips found the sensitive skin underneath my ear and he sucked gently, eliciting a shiver from me.
“Dennis, not here. Someone might see.”
“Let them watch. I don’t care.” He chuckled against my neck. It had fast become one of my favorite sounds.
Since Ana and Jackson had left Chastity Falls, and Marcus Donohue had disappeared, Dennis was different. He no longer kept me at arm’s length, refusing to tell me things. Of course, there were still some things we never talked about, like what really happened with Ana and Jackson to make them flee town, but that was okay.
He was trying.
We both were.
And I wanted the past to remain where it belonged.
Behind us.
“We should take this somewhere a little quieter.” Dennis’ husky voice danced over my skin as his hands skated down my stomach to the waistband of my shorts.
My eyes fluttered shut, but soon flew back open when a voice called from across the beach. “Cassie? We didn’t know you were back.”
Elena broke out of Tyson’s hold and came over to me, pulling me into a hug, completely unaffected by the way Dennis and I were standing.
“We just got back this morning,” I said.
After spending some time with my parents, Dennis had driven us to the coast where we had spent two blissful weeks soaking up the sun and getting to know one another intimately.
“You look so good.” Elena held me at arm’s length. “And you’re not looking so bad yourself, big guy.” She winked at Dennis, who dropped a kiss on the top of my head and went to greet Tyson. The guys chatted while Elena filled me in on her summer. She and Tyson had spent time with Ana and Jackson in Tijuana. Hearing her talk about them made my heart ache, but it also filled me with a strange sense of hope. Because if they’d escaped this life, then maybe, just maybe, one day Dennis could too.
“So…” Elena glanced over at the guys. “How are things?”
I raked my eyes over Dennis. He was leaner after a summer at the beach, but it suited him. His usually dark hair that he kept buzzed had grown out some too. But the changes in him were more than just physical.
“Things are… good.” I beamed at my friend. “Things are really good.”
Elena pulled me in for another hug. “Eek, I’m so happy for you. You deserve this, Cass.”
“Hmm, baby, what’s with all the hugging?” Tyson looped his arm around Elena and pulled her back into his chest. She craned her neck and met him in a passionate kiss that had me blushing and bowing my head. But then Dennis’ sneakers came into view and he tilted my head up, a smirk tugging at his mouth. He’d gotten good at reading my mind.
“I love you, Cass,” he said.
“I love you too, Dennis.”
Dennis
Life was good.
In fact, life was damn near perfect.
The only thing missing was my best friend. I missed Jackson something fierce, but I was happy he and Ana had found their happy ending. With the disappearance of Marcus Donohue, business had calmed down. Maconey had taken over things, and while me and the other guys helped run things on campus, he called the shots. And things went back to some kind of normal.
Dad was pissed. He’d wanted nothing more than to seal a deal with Marcus, but that ship had sailed and Maconey wasn’t looking to expand, especially not with the likes of Miller Hayes. So, while he regrouped, I took advantage. I played ball. Studied hard. And spent as much time with Cassie as I could. Because I was that guy now.
A guy in love with a girl.
And while I wasn’t naïve enough to think the road ahead would be simple, I intended on holding onto her for as long as I could.
Thank you for reading.
Dennis and Cassie’s story continues in Absolution, available now