Chapter 10: "A Perfect Match, Part 2" (S2, Ep 10)
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Cassie and Sam had planned a dinner at Grey House with Grace and Nick to reveal to them that they were going to pursue a relationship. That dinner did not go as expected, ending in a fight between Nick and Grace before Cassie and Sam even had a chance to reveal their news.
Afterwards, Cassie and Sam washed the dishes together in the kitchen. Cassie had just confirmed to Sam that she would be turning down the trip to the Maldives with John, something he couldn't help but feel relieved about.
When Sam realized that Cassie had been unusually quiet for a few minutes, he asked, "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," Cassie replied, glancing over at him. "Thanks for your help with these dishes." She resumed working on the dish she was washing in the sink.
Sam had a sense that something was on her mind. "Cassie," he said softly, and he stepped closer to her and put his hand on her back. "What's going on?"
Cassie felt a tingle rush down her spine at the feeling of his fingers against her bare back. She looked over at him, instantly noticing his eyes were filled with concern.
"I'm fine," she assured him, flashing him a smile. "I'm just a little distracted, that's all."
Sam moved his hand up and down her back. "Okay, well, talk to me. Are you thinking about the kids?"
"Yes." Cassie reached for a dishtowel and dried her hands, and then turned to face him. "Ever since our kiss at the lake house, I've been thinking about how Grace would take the news about us becoming an us," she calmly explained. "And I was hoping that tonight I would've found out so I could stop worrying about it."
"You can still tell her tonight if you want," Sam suggested. "We don't have to tell them together."
"I don't want to unload it on her when she's upset about whatever's going on with Nick," Cassie said, shaking her head. "She has to cool down from that first."
Sam nodded understandingly. "Okay. Well, do you think she'll be upset about us becoming an us?"
Cassie shook her head with uncertainty. "I really don't know. That's what makes it so distracting."
Sam's forehead wrinkled as he thought about it, and he folded his arms across his chest. "I knew you were anxious about telling her like I was with Nick, but I didn't know you were expecting such a strong reaction that it's been on your mind so much."
Cassie could see that Sam looked affected by that, that he was now equally concerned about Grace's reaction.
"Sam, just so you know, it's nothing to do with you," she told him. "She adores you… you know that."
"But you don't think she'll like us together?"
"I think it'll be an adjustment for her to see me with anyone," Cassie explained. "Jake is the only person she's ever seen me with. That's all she knows, and she's sensitive, so it may be hard for her, that's all."
Sam nodded. "I get that. It makes sense." His gaze drifted toward the dining room.
Cassie eyed him for a few seconds and noticed he looked lost in thought, and she placed her hand on his arm. "Sam?"
He slowly turned his head to look at her, and he exhaled a deep breath. "Listen, Cassie, I don't want to feel like I'm pressuring you into something."
"You're not, Sam," Cassie calmly assured him. "We're both on the same page, and I think we've been on that page for a while."
Sam's brows furrowed with doubt. "You're sure? Because a few minutes ago in the dining room, it seemed like you wanted to maybe pump the brakes."
"No, I don't want to pump the brakes," Cassie said, shaking her head. "I'm sorry it seemed that way. Yes, I do worry about the kids and how other things may be affected, but I still want us to see where this goes. At the same time, I also want us to keep sight of the potential complications, that's all."
Sam nodded. "I know, I get it. I get that you're worried about us losing what we have now, about losing this friendship that we have, but I promise that you don't have to worry about that."
"So, you're banking on everything working out perfectly for us?" Cassie asked, her voice soft and calm as it always was.
"I am," Sam replied confidently. He reached up and ran his fingers through her hair, and she exhaled a soft content sigh at the goosebumps his touch gave her. "I know you, I know myself, I know that we're going to be great together." He glanced down at her dress. "And I know that you look absolutely amazing tonight."
Cassie smiled at him. "So do you."
"No, I mean, really amazing," he added with wide eyes and an impressed nod. "Like another level of amazing."
Cassie's smile widened. "Thank you."
Their gazes were locked for a moment, and then Sam glanced toward Cassie's phone on the counter. "So, did you want me to call John back for you and let him know that you're not going to be joining him on the dig?" he offered with a smirk.
Cassie smiled amusedly. "No, thank you, I can handle that discussion myself. Though I can see from the look in your eyes that you really would've enjoyed breaking that news to him."
Sam squeezed his thumb and forefinger together as he admitted, "Maybe a tiny bit."
Cassie smiled. "You're glad I'm staying."
"Yes, I am. But I wouldn't have tried to talk you out of it if you decided to go. I really would have supported you either way."
"I know you would have," Cassie assured him.
"But I'm not gonna lie… I would've missed you," he said sincerely.
"I would've missed you, too," she said.
"So, I was right," Sam said with a nod. "You probably wouldn't have lasted the entire trip."
Cassie smiled. "I guess we'll never know."
They shared a smile as Sam stepped closer to her and rested his hands on her waist. Cassie exhaled a breath, trying to calm the racing of her heart as she felt his gentle grip on her body. She rested her hands on Sam's forearms, rubbing her thumbs softly against his skin.
Sam looked down at her hands, surprised by how his body was reacting to them. Just the act of her thumbs moving back and forth against his arms was sending jolts of electricity through his body. He lifted his head to look at her, and just stared into her eyes while focused on her moving thumbs.
"What are you thinking about?" she quietly asked.
"Your hands."
Cassie smiled. "Ironic, because I'm thinking about your hands."
Sam smiled and lightly squeezed her waist with both hands. "I also keep thinking about how relieved I was at the lake house when you kissed me back," he said. "You didn't pull away, or try to stop it… you were right there with me, even if it caught you off guard."
Cassie smiled, thinking back to that moment. "Well, I think we both knew it was going to happen eventually. I just wasn't sure when we'd get there."
"I was trying to be as patient as I could, but then something just came over me in that moment," Sam said. "It wasn't planned, it was a complete impulse."
"I know."
"I'd been wanting to do that for a long time," he admitted. "Very long."
Cassie smiled. "I know that, too."
Sam smiled. "What else do you know?"
Cassie tilted her head to the side, still smiling up at him. "I know that you want to do it again right now," she said softly. "And I know that I want you to."
Sam smiled, and then leaned forward until his lips gently pressed against hers. She kissed him tenderly, and every other thought in her mind temporarily disappeared. She wasn't thinking about the kids or complications or anything else except him and how good she felt when she was with him.
As they separated, Cassie's eyes slowly opened and she smiled at him. "You know, I definitely would've missed that in the Maldives."
Sam smiled. "Well, I did promise to make your time in Middleton worthwhile."
"Yes, you did," Cassie replied with a smile and a nod. "And I have no doubt that you will."
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Author's Note: Thanks so much to everyone for reading! As a heads up, I have one more chapter planned for this story. :)