Healing hearts

Chapter twenty nine

Cassie's pov

Months had passed, and the hotel was finally ready. Mr. Bowen and Xander had organized a grand party to celebrate the opening. My baby was already walking, and it was the cutest sight. I couldn't believe how fast he was growing - it felt like just yesterday that I had given birth to him.

"I can't get over how beautiful you are," Xander said, standing at the door in a nice suit.

"Thanks, babe," I said, blushing.

"You're welcome," he said, coming closer to me and kissing my neck the way he liked it.

"Babe, come on," I said, pulling him away from my neck. "We're going to be late."

He groaned as he reluctantly stopped kissing me. "You're so addicting," he said, and I smiled. "You too, babe," I said, and he smiled back. "Come on, let's go," he said, taking my hand as we went to join his mom and my little cutie.

We got into the car, and to my surprise, we were joined by none other than Mia. She was hovering around my husband like a bee, and I wasn't sure I liked it. Xander had told me she was his closest friend, and that he cared for her like a sister, but I still wasn't sure about their relationship.

The good thing was that my brother had been trying his best to get her attention, but she kept rejecting him. I wondered why.

"Oh, wow, Xander," she said, which made me feel annoyed. "You look good."

"Thanks, Mia," he said. "You look great, too."

She went on, "So, have you thought of a name for this hotel?"

"I decided to let Mr. Bowen have that honor," he said. "It was his idea, and his construction."

"That's really nice of you," she said. She continued talking to Xander, which made me feel even more annoyed.

"Am I imagining it, or do you not like your husband's relationship with Mia?" Stella whispered.

"Is it wrong, Stella?" I asked. "Am I wrong to not be comfortable with their relationship? I mean, they're not doing anything wrong."

"Honey, it's normal," she said. "She's an attractive, single woman who's always around him. If I were you, I wouldn't like it, either. That's why you need to talk to Xander and set some boundaries."

"I don't want to take him away from his best friend," I said, watching them chat about the best hotel they'd ever stayed in.

"Of course," she said. "But that doesn't change anything. Remember, you were his first best friend and true love. I know he doesn't always see things the way you do, but I know that Xander would do anything in a heartbeat to make you happy and comfortable."

I took a deep breath and nodded. She was right. I needed to talk to him.

Soon, we arrived at the venue, and Xander and I got out of the car together with Stella and the baby. Paparazzi swarmed around us, asking a lot of questions, which he answered graciously. Then, we all went to the hall. My mother, father, Brian, and Noah were already there, and I went with Stella to meet them. Xander went to speak with Mr. Bowen.

I greeted my mom and dad and thanked them for being there. Soon, the event started, and the hotel was officially opened. I was so proud of Xander. I went on stage with him, my son, and his mom. We began to eat and mingle. I went to the bar to get a drink and bumped into Noah.

"Hey," he said, and I said, "Hi."

"I'm sure you must be proud of Xander," he said.

"Yeah, I am," I said. "And I'm also proud of our company. We did a great job with this place."

"Absolutely," he said, nodding.

"Cassie, I need to tell you something," he said.

"Sure," I said. "What is it?"

"I'm leaving back to Australia," he said. I was a bit surprised.

"Oh, really?" I asked.

"Yes," he said. "I got my old job back, and I've decided to move back there permanently."

I nodded. "That's great," I said. "But I thought you wanted to start over here."

"There's nothing for me here," he said. "I don't have you, Cassie. I came back for you, and now that you're happy, I have nothing to do here."

"Thank you for everything, Noah," I said. "And I hope you find happiness."

"Thank you," he said, and we hugged.

I couldn't believe that I might never see him again. He was someone who would always have a place in my heart.

He hugged me tight and kissed me lightly on the cheek. "Take care of yourself, okay?" he said.

I nodded. "I will," I said. "And you take care of yourself, too."

Then, he let me go and went to talk to my brother.

I felt the need to use the restroom, so I went. I ran into Mia there. "Hey," I said, and I adjusted my face to try to look more composed.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" she asked me, and I was a bit shocked by her tone.

"What are you talking about?" I asked, confused.

"What made you think it was okay to hug your ex-boyfriend like that, in the middle of the party?" she said. "Don't you think about your husband?"

"I'm so sorry, Cassie," she said "I just had to let this out"

"I'm sorry, Mia," I said. "What I do and whom I hug is none of your business."

"You're right," she said. "It's not. But do you know how this makes your husband look and feel?"

"Why do you care about him so much?" I asked.

"He's my friend," she said. "And I care about him, too."

"Don't act like you're the only best friend he's ever had," I said. "Because I was once his best friend, too. You may try to hide it, but I know this is something more. I'm sure you love him."

"That's not true," she said, but she couldn't quite meet my eyes. "I care about him deeply."

"Don't hide it," I said. "I know you two once had a relationship, and I know you still want him."

"You have no idea what you're talking about," she said, and she was about to leave when I grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

"Admit it," I said, pushing her.

"Girl, you don't want to do that," she said, and I was getting frustrated. I don't know what happened next, but suddenly, we were in a full-blown catfight. It got so out of hand that Xander and Noah had to pull us apart.

Xander took Mia away, and Noah asked if I was okay. I told him I was, and he took me to a bench and offered me some water. I was so glad that our fight hadn't disrupted the party. I didn't know what had gotten into me. This wasn't like me.

"Can I know what happened?" Noah asked. I shook my head. "I need to be alone," I said, and I ran to the bathroom to cry and retouch my makeup.