Chapter 8: Matters of the Heart pt. 2

"Sam..."

Cassie sighed and shook her head with tears in her eyes.

She could see his face fall. He bit his lip as he looked at the ground. He let out a light laugh while shaking his head in an attempt to hold back the sudden anger that came over him.

He looked back at Cassie in Ryan's arms and left, closing the door behind him without saying a word.

Cassie turned to Ryan, whose hands were still holding on to her. The fear she felt earlier had dissipated and had now turned to a feeling she hasn't felt in a long time. Anger.

She pushed him away with all her force, "How could you do that! To him...to me!"

"Cassie I-"

"No. There's no excuse Ryan. That was wrong and you knew that, I thought you were my friend. Someone I could trust. " She wiped her eyes and headed towards the door.

He blocked her path and grabbed her harm. He pulled on her arm forcing her in to his body. He face close to hers again.

"Get off me!" She yelled trying to tug her arm away.

"Don't tell anyone about this. I don't know what I was thinking Cassie. I'm sorry-"

"Stop. You're only making things worse. I'm going to tell whoever I choose to, this town should know what kind of man you are."

She tried pulling away again but his firm hold on her only got tighter. Tighter to the point where she was certain his hands left imprints on her.

"I don't think you know what I'm capable of Cassie..."

She looked him dead in the eyes, "No Ryan, I don't think you know what I'm capable of. So for the last time. Get. Off. Me."

He looked at her in shock for a second until letting go. She immediately exited the shop and ran in the direction she saw Sam go.

It was dark, cold, and lonely at this hour in Middleton. She forgot her coat at home and she left her phone in the shop so she didn't have anyone to call or even a flashlight to use.

As she made her way back to Grey House, knowing Sam would most likely be at his house, she couldn't help the tears that streamed down her face. I thought he was my friend, someone I could trust. Of course she knew he always had a thing for her but she'd turned him down before. How could he not have gotten the message?

Cassie wiped her tears and crossed her arms after getting a chill down her spine by the wind that had started blowing. She was now walking up her driveway and looked at the two houses in front of her. She hesitated before walking up to Sam's front door.

She knocked and waited patiently before Nick opened the door and greeted her. "Cassie, hi."

She smiled, "Hi Nick, umm, is your dad home?"

He nodded. "He just got home actually. He didn't say much so he must've had a bad day at the hospital, but I'll go get him, come on in."

She went to wait in the living room as Nick went upstairs. She was nervous about what he'd think of her in his home after the events that happened. Of what he thought of her in general...

Footsteps approached her and she looked up to see him in sweats and a t-shirt. His face was serious and he looked rather irritated. He leaned against the frame of the entrance to the living room and put his hands in his pockets.

His cold, light blue eyes pierced into hers. "Nick, can you give us a minute please." He told his son in a demand rather then a question.

They both watched him walk off and turned back to face each other.

"Before you say anything, I just want to say that I know what it looked like but-"

"But it isn't what I think? I know what I saw Cassie! He kiss you, you kissed him and that's that."

"He kissed me! And-," she sighed in frustration, "you don't even know the whole story."

Sam scoffed, rolling his tongue in his mouth, "I thought we were on the same page Cassie..."

"We are!"

He walked closer to her, "Obviously we're not!"

Without saying anything she took his hand and took him outside. "If we are going to yell, let's do it out here. Nick was listening unbeknownst to you."

He turned away from her and ran a hand through his hair.

"Im an idiot!"

"No you're not! If anything I am..."

"No Cassie, I am. I'm an idiot for thinking that someone like you could ever be with someone like me."

"What?"

"I'm a guy with a lot of baggage and a record of bad relationships. Ryan is a good friend of yours and you've had a thing before so obviously you think something's still there."

"I only want to be with you," she said in a whisper, holding herself again in attempt to warm herself up.

He rolled his eyes, not believing her. "Give me one good reason as to why you say you want to be with me over Ryan.

She hesitated.

"Oh right there is none!"

"Because I love you!"

They both could've sworn their hearts skipped a beat. He looked at her in shock and even she was caught off guard by her words.

"Wh...I...well...what?"

"I love you Sam. I hadn't realized before but I do, I have for a long time. I love you and that's why I want to be with you and only you."

Cassie stepped closer to him, "Please just listen to me and trust me. I'll tell you everything in total honesty, just please believe that it wasn't my fault." She looked into his eyes, searching for a response.

He brought a hand to rest on her cheek. "I believe you," he said softly.

"Thank you, I would never do anything to hurt you, you know that. You know me."

"I do know you, I also know that I...I love you too."

She uncrossed her arms and framed his face, standing on her tiptoes she brought his face close to hers. Their lips connected and his arms wrapped around her body. How could he be mad at her, how could he not believe the most trustworthy person?

They pulled apart, their foreheads rested against the other and she clasped her hands around his neck.

"Your arms are the only ones I want to be in." She whispered.

"Im so sorry, I should've known it was Ryan's fault."

"I don't blame you for thinking what you did, I would've done the same."

"It's just...I've wanted this for so long and it's been so difficult for us, I was kind of starting to believe..."

She looked at him confusingly, "Believe what?"

He was about to answer when his gaze drifted to her arms and noticed the slight bruising. Taking a good look at them he asked angrily, "Was this also Ryan's fault?"

"Yes..."

Just then a car pulled into the driveway of Grey House and they both saw Ryan hop out of the driver's seat. He looked up at them and made eye contact with Sam. Sam let go of Cassie and marched straight toward him.

No one hurts the people I care about. The people I love...

Cassie called after him and tried to stop him from what she knew he was about to do. She walked with him and stepped in front of him, putting a hand on his chest. "Sam, this is not going to fix things. It's not worth it."

He took his stare off of Ryan to look at her, "I don't want to fix things with him, frankly I don't want anything to do with him. He hurt you Cassie. Sometimes people need a taste of their own medicine."

Walking past her, he continued his path. Finally stood face to face, Ryan was about to speak but Sam didn't let him as his fist made contact with his jaw. The ring on his right hand cutting Ryan's cheek. Sam shook his hand, he could've sworn he sprained it from the impact. "You don't know how long I've been waiting to do that."

Ryan stepped back from the force of the hit and quickly grabbed his cheek. He groaned and tackled Sam full force on to the ground.

Cassie watched in the distance, her hands covering her mouth. She didn't know what to do, there was no way to stop it. Even if she could, she wouldn't. She knew this was bound to happen and it's what they need to do, to hash it out.

Sam pushed Ryan off and got to his feet quickly, "How could you do that to her? How could you hurt her?"

Ryan stood up with drips of blood spilling from his cut, he pushed Sam with both hands, "She was the one who hurt me! And it's all your fault!"

He swung at him, immediately regretting it as a sharp pain shot up his hand as he hit Sam's upper cheek, right under his left eye. Ryan's eyes filled with tears, "She was mine before you came! It was me she was supposed to end up with! Then you came in to the picture and messed everything up!"

He turned to look at Cassie, "And you, you're the one who hurt me first. I asked you if there was someone else and you said no. Remember? But then that night I find you and him all lovey dovey."

Sam didn't know if it was the adrenaline pumping through him but the hit didn't seem to faze him. He had enough, he grabbed the front of Ryan's jacket and got intimidatingly close, "The only person to blame is yourself! I'm done with you. I don't care that you're back in town, I don't care if you're across the country, don't ever touch her again. Don't ever hurt her again or a cut like that will be the least of your worries."

He pushed Ryan back and walked towards Cassie who'd been silently crying. He took her in his arms and she held tight to him, burring her head in his chest. He kissed the top of her head.

Ryan watched the couple until he had enough, his jealousy got the best of him and before he could act on it, he controlled himself and stormed in to Grey House.

"Sam?"

"Hmm?"

"I don't want to stay at Grey House until he leaves, what if he..."

"You can stay at my house," he suggested.

She looked up at him, he wiped her tears with the pads of his thumbs. "I know what you're thinking and it doesn't have to mean anything like that. You can stay in the guest room for tonight."

She nodded, "Okay, thank you."

"Grace is spending the night with a friend isn't she?"

"Yeah, I don't have to worry about her. She's safe."

He nodded. She observed his swollen face and realized he must be in pain, "Are you okay? Let's go get some ice on that."

As they walked back to his house, he snaked an arm around her shoulders and she reached for his hand, lacing her hand with his.

When they reached the front door, he open for her and they walked in to get situated. They sat on his couch and Cassie tried to put and ice pack on his bruising cheek but he would wince every time.

After he finally agreed to cooperate, they sat on his couch with her head leant on his shoulder. She told him what happened a few hours before and he told her about Ryan's threat to him.

They talked for about an hour until Cassie looked at his watch. They knew it was time to turn in after a long day of interesting events. He walked her to his guest room, she opened the door and turned to him.

He leant on the doorframe as she leant on the door, holding the doorknob, "So."

"So."

"I guess I should let you get some sleep," he smiled and turned to leave.

She grabbed his hand, "Wait, before you go..."

She cupped his face and leant in for a lingering kiss, "I love you." She whispered against his lips.

Sam couldn't help but blush, he kissed her again.

"I love you too."

TBC