𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐨𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫 | 𝘙𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘎𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴

Contaminated

- Cass's POV - three years ago

"Baby?"

"Eh. Not the biggest fan." I respond as I mix the cream cheese frosting of the carrot cake Phillip and I are making. I may suck at cooking, but baking is where I make up for it. This is a somewhat new relationship so I don't exactly need to show off my faults just yet. I do actually want him to stay and showing off my incompetence when it comes to cooking a basic meal is not the way to go. It's also why I've avoided sleeping over because my slight snoring, thanks to my deviated septum gifted lovingly by my father, isn't exactly my most attractive trait.

"Darlin'?" Phillip suggests from behind me as he watches me work. I shake my head, making my bangs untuck from my ears to my annoyance. I need to grow these damn things out already. I thought they were cute but they're just getting in the way.

"Darling feels a little too fancy for us, don't you think?" I ask, glancing over my shoulder at him. He smiles, nodding as he leans against the counter, his arms crossed across his chest. Darling is what those rich, tennis-playing, snobby people use to call their significant others. Not a normal couple from Atlanta, Georgia.

"This is a lot harder than it should be," Phillip says dryly, making me chuckle as I finish up the frosting with satisfaction seeing it has the desired consistency.

"I know, it's weird! It's like nothing fits right," I mutter under my breath with slight confusion. We've been dating for about two and a half months now and it's been perfect. I don't see why we're struggling with such a small thing like picking out a pet name.

He's told me that he's never loved someone the way he loves me. That his other exes, who are clearly crazy from his stories, don't even measure up to me. I just feel so wanted. As I cover the bowl of frosting with saran wrap, I realize it's been a year since I've dated anyone. And Phillip is so charming, he makes me feel incredibly loved and happy. For the first time in a while, I think my relationship could go somewhere.

"Hey, can you pass me those carrots and put this frosting in the fridge for me?" I ask, passing Phillip the bowl of frosting that needs to chill. Phillip nods and complies, switching out the cream cheese frosting for a plastic bag of full-grown carrot stalks from the fridge beside him in my galley kitchen.

"Thanks," I breathe with a smile, taking the vegetables gratefully as I turn back to the stainless steel sink that overlooks the Atlanta skyline to wash them.

"So, how was work?" I question as I finish rinsing the carrots, placing them on a paper towel on the granite countertops. Phillip groans.

"Horrible. My boss is such an ass. He treats me like garbage." He mutters darkly, making me frown.

"That's not fair, I'm sorry," I tell him, offering him a reassuring smile over my shoulder before looking back at the carrots. He nods.

"Yeah. I can't wait until that prick dies and I can take his job," He mutters, making me laugh at his joke, although he doesn't laugh, which is kind of weird.

Deciding to ignore it, I snap off the tip of one of the carrots with my teeth, taking a big bite. Chewing it, I turn, offering some to Phillip, the carrot outstretched towards him.

He shakes his head with a slight smile making me lower the carrot with a pout. Then something flashes across his face. A grin pulls across his face, his brown eyes bright.

"What?" I question thickly through my mouthful of half-chewed carrot, a blush fanning my cheeks.

"I figured it out." He grins, pushing off the counter as he nears me. Swallowing my mouthful of carrots quickly, I blink up at him in confusion, not knowing what he's talking about.