'Where Roses Grow' - 𝙍𝙃𝙊𝘿𝙀𝙎
Never mix business with pleasure, they say.
Never date a rich man, they say.
Never date a man with a fiancé, they say.
Never give your virginity to a CEO, they say.
It all began when she landed the coveted position...
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"She just look sexy behind a desk."
.
I settled onto the weathered wooden bench, its surface worn smooth by years of weather and use. The rose garden spread out before us, a riot of colors and scents that should have been soothing but only seemed to amplify the tension between Cassidy and me.
Her voice, when she finally spoke, was hesitant yet familiar. "You look great."
I glanced at her, noticing the slight distance she maintained between us. "Not too bad yourself. Some things never change. You still helping Neta... but a lot has changed."
Cassidy's fingers twirled nervously around each other in her lap. "Yeah, some things did change after all. How have you been for the past few years?"
"Just get to the point already," I replied curtly, unable to mask the years of hurt beneath my words.
She managed a strained smile, a flicker of her old charm. "I guess some things didn't change. You're never patient," she sighed. "I know that our relationship in the past ended terribly, but I had my reasons."
I scoffed, unable to hold back the bitterness that surged within me. "Reasons?"
Cassidy turned to face me directly, her eyes searching mine. "Look... I know I was wrong, but I didn't have a choice."
"Of course you did," I shot back, my tone sharper than I intended. "You always have a choice. I'm not angry anymore, not after all these years, but you knew how to destroy a soul. Better than anyone."
Her shoulders slumped slightly at my words, a shadow passing over her face. "I... I thought I was doing what was best for both of us."
"For both of us?" I shook my head in disbelief, the pain of abandonment still raw after all this time. "You left without a word, Cassidy. You disappeared. Do you know what that did to me?"
Her voice wavered slightly as she replied, "I'm sorry. I know I hurt you."
I looked away, the memories of loneliness and confusion flooding back. "You knew how much I loved you. How could you just leave like that?"
Cassidy hesitated, her gaze drifting to her hands in her lap. Slowly, tentatively, she reached out, her fingers trembling as they hovered in the air between us before she withdrew them, a gesture both longing and regretful. "I didn't think you'd understand. I didn't want to hurt you any more than I already had."
"It doesn't change what you did," I said softly, feeling the weight of unresolved emotions heavy upon me. "But I guess... I'm willing to listen."
She nodded, tears glistening in her eyes as she met my gaze. "I know I can't undo the past. But maybe we can... talk about it? Find some closure?"
