Yes, My Alpha

Chapter 7: Next to You

Oliver, or Ollie, panted as he struggled to keep up with Cassidy. "Cassie!" He whined; his tiny legs had a hard time chasing after her as she ran away from him. "Cassie wait!" He whined before tripping and falling, landing on his face he laid there for a moment before slowly sitting up. Sniffling because the fall hurt, he then noticed the jacket he had been wearing. Cassidy's jacket had gotten dirty from the mud. His bottom lip quivered, and he let out a wail.

Sniffling and sobbing he didn't notice until he felt a hand wipe away his tears that Cassidy had walked back to him. "Geeze," Cassidy grumbled looking upset and embarrassed. "Ollie you're too little," Cassidy remarked, Oliver sniffled. "But I wanna play with Cassie." He whined clutching her shirt in his hands. Cassidy gritted her teeth looking over at Olivia, Ollie's older sister who was standing with the group of older kids in the neighborhood. "Just leave him, he's a baby Cassie!" Olivia exclaimed. Cassidy looked back at Oliver whose big blue eyes were filled with tears. Cassidy's eyes shook then she let out a sigh, "I'm going to play with Ollie!" She announced Ollie gasped with delight, Olivia groaned saying something about Cassidy being no fun before the other kids took off.

Oliver smiled and hugged Cassidy tightly. Happy that once again he managed to get Cassidy to play with him. While Olivia never wanted to play with him because he was too little. Cassidy always had time for him no matter how he acted. "I like Cassie." He softly said unable to hold back the big feelings bubbling inside his tiny chest. Cassidy's face lit up like wildfire at this. "You're too little to like me!" She exclaimed; Ollie was confused by this statement; Cassie wasn't much older than he was. Besides, he felt what he felt, and he liked Cassidy. He liked her a lot. Instead of arguing with her, he hugged her tighter simply happy to be next to her. Cassidy eyed him and then narrowed her eyes. "Ollie did you steal another one of my jackets again?!" She exclaimed, Ollie, smiled at her and nodded. "Uh-huh." He said shamelessly. Cassidy sighed and scooped him into her arms. "Don't you have your own?" She asked, "Uh-huh!" Ollie replied as he wrapped his arms around her neck. "Let's playhouse again!" He insisted as Cassidy carried him back to his house.

An alarm blared and Cassidy's eyes fluttered open. Sitting up slowly she groaned, she had been having more dreams about when she was little lately. She looked around to the now mostly empty dorm room. It was strange to think that now, she was going back. At the age of twenty-three, Cassidy had been studying abroad. Her major had been archeology so there was a need to go abroad to really study the areas she was specializing in. It was hard to believe she was graduating, though she hadn't received any job offers yet. There was a museum back home that had an opening. So, she figured she'd probably check in on that.  Checking the time, she decided to get ready for her flight.

She went through the motions of grooming before finding herself going through the motions of the airport. It seemed that no matter how hard she tried. She couldn't seem to focus. Her brain kept going back to the little boy that lived next door to her. Oliver. Or rather, Ollie. He wasn't that much younger. Only two years, but, growing up that seemed bigger than what it was now. She remembered the day she left to go study and how Oliver didn't even show up to say goodbye. She wondered if he was still upset with her. He had been sixteen at the time and while he and Cassidy had been close growing up.

They just seemed to drift apart, which was why it had been so startling that he got mad for her choosing to study abroad in the first place.

Cassidy asked him why he was so mad, and all Oliver said to her is that 'she knew why'. She really didn't. She didn't know how he expected her to read his mind. Too bad he didn't stay as that cute little boy who followed her around everywhere. As annoying as it was then, it was cute looking back now.

Before Cassidy realized it, she stepped off the plane and was met by her family. Her parents, Taylor and Cameron, and her little brothers Tyler and Tyson. "Welcome home Cassie!" Tyler exclaimed grinning at her, Cassidy returned the grin. Cassidy exchanged hugs with her parents and brothers before looking around. "Where's everyone else?" She asked, "Oh they're getting the party ready back at the house." Taylor said easily only to be elbowed by Cameron. "Taylor it was supposed to be a surprise!" Cameron sighed, Taylor, grinned, "Sorry angel." She said before looking back at Cassidy. "Come on let's head home kiddo." Cassidy sighed rolling her eyes, she hadn't realized she missed her parents' bickering.