From the time I woke up, I had a feeling that the night would end like this, but still I had hope that maybe my parents had somehow changed since I saw them last. It's silly, I know, but my mother was so nice on the phone and that false sense of security that lingered in my mind was only a trap. This time was much worse than last year. Sitting in the bathtub, I could feel the tear streaming down my face. No matter how I tried to forget my mother's harsh words, they were forever burned into my memory. So, that's how they viewed me, as an embarrassment to my family. I gulped the rest of the red wine in my glass and giggled uncomfortably. Fuck, would I end up like her, a lush? That thought alone was enough to make me scold myself. Yep, that would be my last glass for tonight.
My family was so fucked up and I sighed, wiping the second tear, trailing down my face. I could only imagine what Jared thought of my parents. I needed him there to see first hand why I have no relationship with them, but at the same time, he would have to hear my embarrassing secret. Also, the whole thing with Brian had been weighing on me lately. Jared needed to know the truth, but did it change how he felt about me? Did he think I was a bad person for never wanting children? I just figured that since we always had a very rocky relationship with my grandparents, and my mother's views on having children were ridiculous, mental illness must run in our family. Why would I ever subject a child to that?
"You okay?" His voice startled me and I jumped. "You looked like you were in deep thought." As he leaned against the doorframe, I could see the concern in his eyes. He stepped all the way inside and leaned his back to the wall. "We don't have to talk about it anymore if you don't want. I still have a gift for you." I knew that he was just trying to get my mind off of everything that happened.
"Can you hand me a towel, please?" I asked, draining the tub as I stood. Jared held out the towel and wrapped it around my body as I stepped out of the hot water. I dried off and followed him into the bedroom and walked over to my bag that was laying on the floor to pull out some pajamas.
He kicked his shoes off and started changing into some more comfortable clothes while I dressed in my pajamas. The eerie silence between us was a little strange. It kind of reminded me of the nights I spent as his submissive, not talking unless he asked me to. It seemed like a lifetime ago and I grinned at the memories that flashed through my brain. Out the corner of my eye, I saw him sit on the bed. "So, I should tell you some more about what happened with Brian."
"You don't have to do this tonight, Cassie."
"Yes, I do." I took a deep breath. "Let me see how to make this short and as painless as possible. Brian and I grew up together, we both dated other people over the years, but hooked up at a New Year's Eve party thrown by his parents when I was twenty one. Nothing came of it right away and we ended up dating four years later and eventually became engaged. For the first time in my life, my parents were ecstatic with my life choices. I never really wanted kids, but he did. Unfortunately, a few days before my wedding, we had a heart to heart and I told him how I really feel about it. The fight was awful. There was just no talking to him, he refused to compromise. He also expected me to become pregnant right away. Brian's dream is to have his own practice and have a house full of kids. Anyway, afterward we didn't talk much and I spiraled into a severe depression, finally moving here to escape. Of course, my parents think that I followed Kara here, and in a way, maybe I did, but I had to get away from them and the aftermath of my failed engagement. Kara has been trying to get me together with Eric for a few years, and my parents certainly do love Eric. Maybe that would have redeemed me a bit, but I wouldn't have been happy with Eric either."
He nodded his head. "And then you met me and I offered you something that no one else had." It was true, I saw something in Jared that I only caught a glimpse of in others, acceptance. He understood perfectly and wasn't judging me. "It all makes sense now. Why you only wanted our original agreement. You had nothing to lose if it failed. I get it, but you know you can't live that way forever."
I knew he was right, but I was terrified of being hurt again. I would always have that fear of having my heart broken again. "So don't hurt me."
"I'd never do that." A few minutes later, he clapped his hands together. "I have something for you." Standing, he laced our fingers and pulled me off the bed and out of the bedroom. Guiding me down the stairs and into the kitchen, he couldn't stop smiling. There was a box that clearly contained a birthday cake, sitting on the counter top. He moved behind me and slid his arms around me as I opened it. Inside was a delicious looking cake, nontraditional, of course, which is exactly what I wanted.
"Happy birthday." He whispered.
"I hate to cut it, it's so beautiful Jared!"
"You better cut it, I want some." He moved away, gathering two plates and a knife. After cutting both of us a slice, he took a bite and walked out of the room, returning with a white envelope. "This is your birthday gift."
I opened the envelope and unfolded a piece of paper containing a flight confirmation and an email for reservations in Maui. I was sure my eyes were bulging out of my head and I could hardly suppress my excitement. "Are you serious, we leave in the morning?" I asked, my voice cracking loudly as I watched the huge grin appear on his face.
"We do baby, so we need to get some sleep. We are leaving very early. Go on up, I'll put this away."
Moving closer, I slipped my arms around his narrow waist and pressed my lips to his. "Nobody has ever done anything this nice for me. Thank you so much."
"You're welcome." He smiled into another kiss and as I turned to walk away, I realized that for the first time, he actually said that he loved me. It was said to my parents, but I heard it. I knew I was falling for him, but was this love? Was I in love with Jared?
