I was unbelievably stressed. Everything was going wrong today. My laundry machine was spitting water out everywhere and I just caught it on time to not flood into the hall. The cooker had broke down earlier and my phone had been knocked off the sink where I was washing pots completely breaking it. I also lost my bank card so I had no way to draw out money to pay a repair man to come and fix the laundry machine to get everything done. "It's everywhere babe!" Chloe complained down the phone to Roman. Just as she said that sparks started to blast out behind the laundry machine and then the electricity short circuited. "God damn it!" I yelled in anger. "Yeah she's pretty pissed, uh huh. Can you! Oh thank you so much. Ok see you in a mo" I raised an eyebrow at her. "Seth was trained as an electrician a few years ago. He said he will be right over to fix it" "What ever!" I snapped. It had been a few weeks now since the night at Deans. I left not long after our chat. I hadn't really spoken to Dean since. I was too busy with work. He knew that and didn't bother me about it. He told me to let him know if I want to see him again. Seth, was round constantly. I was getting sick to death of hearing them fucking all night. I know new partners do that but I was being made late for work, too tired to think and I was starting to feel a little jealous that she hardly spent time with me now. Once a week on our movie night would be enough but movie night was now me sat alone eating a tub of ice cream. Forever alone I guess. Well I did say I liked to be alone. Just not 24/7. A knock sounded on the door and Chloe rushed to answer it. "Hey babe!" she beamed. I scoffed mimicking her in a sarcastic voice to myself. Since when did I become so immature?! I hated myself. I began throwing towels onto the water to try and soak as much up as possible. Bending over I caught a glimpse of a pair of vans stood watching me. I stood up and turned round to see Dean leaning against the door frame. "Like what you see?" I laughed. shit! Was I flirting with him now? Not good Cassie...not good. "I would answer that but like you said, we're only friends right now. Don't want to make things awkward" I smiled thankful he respected that.
I moved out the kitchen to allow Seth to make a start on fixing things. The circuit breaker was in a cupboard in there so it meant he could stay in one room to fix it all. "Bad day?" Dean asked as I sat down on the sofa laying my head back and closing my eyes. I held my forehead feeling the stress headache starting. "You have no idea. My phone got drowned also. My bank card is missing so until I get a new one I can't do anything about it" "I was thinking. Would you want to come to see a film with me? Just as friends?" I shook my head no. "Sorry Dean I don't have the time. Since your cousin switched companies my new boss is working me to death. I'm just so tired all the time, I'm starting to hate my job!" I complained. He sat down next to me. "Why don't you quit?" I laughed at his suggestion. "And live on what?". "Chloe works doesn't she?" I nodded. "I can't just freeload off her though"as much as I wanted to quit right now, I couldn't accept anyone's help. I am an adult, I'll just have to fight it out till I find a new job. "Have you always wanted to do that? Sounds like a boring job" I shook my head pulling my head back up and opening my eyes. "It is boring but I don't get bored to the point of depression at work. I enjoy the peace and quiet I get in my own office. It was the only job at the time I got offered where I could be alone almost all day". "You really do like your own time don't you?" I laughed along with him. "I just don't like being around people that much. I never have since being a little girl" "I know Dean! Does my head in too!" Chloe joked. "I've known Cassie since kindergarten. She has always insisted on sitting alone during classes, not having a relationship, jeez! And she asked me why at 19 she was still a frickin virgin!" "Chloe you fucking bitch!" I snapped at her annoyed. "Well your not a virgin now!" She had a point. My complaint caught the attention of mine and Chloe's best friend Jack at the time. He offered to make my first time special and did the whole romantic setting and everything. It was our perfect goodbye as friends. He was moving away that week and it was the best goodbye gift anyone could have given me. "Besides I don't like talking about that. You know how private it is for me" I moaned at her.
"Your gonna need a few things replaced on the circuit board" Seth piped in. "Ok let me grab my purse and we shall go" Chloe and Seth headed out. Leaving me and Dean alone. Fucking great. I was avoiding him to stop my feelings growing for him. I knew he was going to be bad for me. I didn't care if he was trying to change. But when he looked at me I couldn't help but get lost in him. "Now their gone I have something for you" Dean smiled reaching into his inside jacket pocket. He pulled out a black rectangular jewelry box. "Dean you didn't have to" i tried but he handed it me anyway. I looked down at the box and slowly opened it. A tear slipped down my face as shock took over me. How did he know? How did he find it? "I hope those are happy tears?" I smiled and looked up at him. Without thinking I dove into his arms and crashed my lips onto his. My eyes went wide and I instantly jumped back touching my lips with my fingers. "Oh god I'm so sorry" I worried. "It's ok. Anyway so Chloe was talking to Seth about when your apartment was broken into. I eased dropped of course. She said you was so heart broken about your aunt's one of a kind bracelet getting taken that you wouldn't leave your room for weeks. Well I did some digging and tracked it down for you. I also gave those twats a peace of my mind" He smirked. "You did that just for me? Your insane! It could have bee anyone who broke in here. You could have got hurt" "For you it's worth it" I inhaled sharply at what he just said. I never expected that to come from him. Wow the whole town would be shocked to hear him say the things he says to me. "Thank you" I wiped the tears from my eyes and smiled up at him again. "Your welcome" He smiled back. "Anyway. I have work to do so I shall talk to you later when I bring you a new phone" "Dean! Please don't. You've done enough already" I tried. To be honest I was worried it would be stolen. I still had trust issues with Dean's lifestyle.
"Don't Cassie. You need a phone and banks can take forever to send new cards out. I need to know you have a way of contacting anyone if you need them" Contacting you, you mean I sniggered to myself. I knew not to argue with a man like Dean. I would accept for now and pay him back later when I got access to my bank again. He gave me a sweet gentle kiss on my forehead and left. I wrapped my arms around myself feeling a whole bunch of emotions after he kissed me. It made me feel happy. But I still had to be careful.
Three hours later
I sat waiting as Seth was saying bye to Chloe, he'd fixed everything. We just needed to clean up now. "You ok?" Chloe turned to me once she closed the front door. I nodded. She came to sit next to me. "What's that?" She puzzled pointing the the box that had slid slightly under my leg. I pulled it out and handed it her. Her eyes went wide the moment she saw it. "Did Dean buy you this?" "He tracked down the people who broke in, it's the same one". "Oh Cassie that is so sweet of him. He really likes you" She beamed putting the box back next to me. "So what's going on between you two?" I shrugged. "Do you like him?" I paused. I didn't want to be honest. I hated myself for allowing myself to form a crush on someone. I hoped that was all it was. "You do!" I dropped my head into my hands. "What do I do?" I whined. "You tell him and be honest about your feelings. I know he's not someone you can bring home to your mom and dad, your dad would murder you for dating someone like Dean. Point is though you can't help who you fall for. I was scared at first but you know what? Starting a relationship with Seth is the best thing I did" I looked up at her. "You guys seem really happy together" I smiled finally feeling the jealousy wash away. "About that. Can he move in?" I looked at her a bit dazed. "In here?" She nodded smiling sheepishly. "Chloe I am all for you guys getting serious but your fuck like hamsters!" I moaned throwing a pillow at her playfully. "Well we can get our own place. An apartment just became free down the street" I looked at Chloe as she waited for my approval. Who was I to stop her? It would be cruel of me to do so. "I think you should go for it" I smiled. She jumped onto me excitedly kissing me repeatedly on the cheek. I pushed her off playfully and we both laughed. "I shall get that apartment manager on the phone now before it goes. Seth will be so happy" She squealed excited jumping p and rushing to her bedroom to make the call.
I pulled my knee's up into my chest on the sofa. I knew it would happen eventually, us going our separate ways but she would only be down the street. I thought of what it would be like being fully alone. Would I be ok with it? I suppose I could always move into a smaller place. I decided to not think about it and switched the tv on. The news was the last channel watched. I listened emotionally numb as headline after headline was announced. Then a picture of a man came on with the headline of his murder. He was beaten badly and died yesterday in hospital. There was nothing they could do. A few other men involved we're severely injured but they was looking for a man. They was rolling out the description of the culprit and the more I listened the more it sounded like Dean. Then they showed an e-fit. My eyes went wide. "Chloe!!!" I called as fear shook through me. "What?" She called running back in to me when she saw the e-fit also. "Is that?" "I don't know but it looks like him". "The victims admitted to being involved in a string of robberies in the summer earlier this year and police believe this could be linked to their attack. "Oh my god!" I worried. "I can't have him near me again!" "Cassie you don't know it's him who did it!" She tried to calm me but it wasn't gonna work. "Look at him! Look at the screen!" I yelled at her standing to my feet and pointing at the tv. "The break in happened at that same time they we're doing their robberies and break ins! Dean said he taught them a lesson! You telling me he didn't do this?!" Chloe went silent unable to say anything else. I knew she saw my point. "I'm sure he didn't mean to" "yeah I bet!" I yelled storming into my room and slamming the door.
A month later
I tidied up my desk roboticly like I now did after every work day. Since I cut Dean off without so much as a goodbye I had felt a bit lost. I knew deep within my heart he had hurt those men resulting in one dying. He went too far and it scared me that he was capable of such terrible things. I changed my work schedule in hope to avoid Dean if he ever did decide to try and talk to me. I never answered my door and he didn't get my new number. I didn't even give it Chloe in case Seth went through her phone for it. I wanted nothing to with anyone of them accept Chloe. She understood completely. She did tell me that Dean kept asking about me but then just yesterday she told me he had moved on. It hurt a bit because I couldn't control the fact I was starting to like him. But I also in a way didn't care. Apparently it wasn't serious, he was just having a no strings thing. Just proved he hadn't changed and that could have been me, getting used. I decided it was time to head home and left my office. Once in my car I tried to think of what I would do when I got home. Chloe had moved out already and I was completely alone now. I hated it. Once home I switched on the tv for background noise. I took out some frozen lasagna and threw it in the oven. I was expecting Chloe round tonight but I didn't know what time. I poured myself a glass of wine and went to answer the door when a knock sounded rather than turning the oven on. I didn't think about checking the peak hole and just swung the door open but it wasn't Chloe. "Dean!" I gasped in shock. "We need to talk" He stated looking at me a bit annoyed. I shook my head no. "I don't want to see or talk to you!" I tried to close the door but he placed his foot in the way. I backed off as he pushed the door open and stepped inside closing the door. I stood frozen looking at him. I could smell alcohol on his breath filling the room at rapid speed. He was wrecked. "Please Dean! Just leave" I begged. I began to shake as he stepped closer to me. "No we need to talk" he stated again. Now my back was against the wall and he was stood inches away from me, close enough for his breath to blow around my face.
He blocked me in, hands either side of me on the wall. "Dean? Please? Your scaring me" I sobbed out. His face changed to a what the hell? Kind of expression. "Why are you avoiding me?" "Why does it matter? You are fucking somebody else now" I snapped back in the same tone as him. I don't think I should have done that. His body went tense and he pulled his right fist back and punched it into the wall next to me. I jumped in fear and tears began to fall rapidly. I was scared he was going to hurt me. "You have to fucking listen to me! Chloe told you that so that you would forget about me! It isn't true! I came over the second I found out!" His voice softened but his words we're still slurred. "This is killing me Cassie" "I don't get why, we hardly know each other" he looked annoyed again. He backed off and began to pace. I took this as my chance to run. I ran as fast as I could to the bathroom in my room locking myself in. I sat in the corner begging he would just go away. Bang! He knocked hard on the door. "Cassie stop this! Open the door!" He ordered. "Please leave me alone" I cried out begging. I was now a complete wreck. "If you don't open this door I will break it down!" I stayed silent and sobbed watching his shadow below the door. "One!" Oh god he was counting me to do it? "Two!" shit! He was really going to do this. "Three!" "Ok I'll open the door!" I yelled back in a shaky voice. I slowly stood to my feet. My whole body shaking. I wondered if this was it. Was he going to hurt me? Would I survive a beating form a man like him? I grabbed the lock and slid it open after a deep breath. I opened the door slowly looking down at the floor. I could see his feet as he just stood in front of me breathing heavily."I didn't do it" He calmly but sternly told me. "I didn't kill that man" he tried to pull my chin up to look at him but I pulled away. "Cassie please! I'm begging you to believe me" "How can I trust you?" "Chris did it. He came along when I went to get your aunts bracelet back and he stayed when I left. He took it too far. They obviously said it was only me out of fear of Chris" I didn't believe him. Chris wouldn't hurt a soul and not only that "Chris doesn't even have anything to do with you!" I snapped storming past him. He grabbed my wrist and pulled me back into his chest with force.
He gripped me tight forcing me to let him hold me. I swung my fists into his chest just wanting him to let go but the stress made me so weak I fell in to him and cried even harder. He dropped us both to the floor so I was knelt into him crying. He soothed me stroking my back and placing a kiss on top of my head. "Cassie I really care about you. I want you to trust me. I would never do anything to make you fear or distrust me" I shook my head and pushed him away. "You still frightened me just now" I snapped at him. I wasn't impressed with his approach just now. "You can talk Cassie! What did you expect me to do?! I shouldn't have to run after you like this playing stupid fucking games just cos..." I slapped him across the face hard. I immediately regretted it as he looked back at me, anger in his face. It was a different kind of anger though. It made me want to cower in gear. I got up and tried to run out the room but he grabbed my ankle making me fall onto my chest. I cried out as he dragged me back and pulled me under him and turning me onto my back. I tried to fight him off me but then he forced his lips onto mine. I froze unsure of what to do. He kissed me with such passion and urgency, his hands moved down my body setting off those sparks again. I hated this! I wanted out but my body was betraying me. His lips moved down onto my neck, I could feel the aggression but it wasn't enough to hurt me. He bit down and a moan involuntarily rolled from my lips. Just from that one moan he gripped my hips tighter in his hands holding me down. "Dean stop" I asked between moans, "Please Dean!" I demanded more urgent. He pulled back allowing me to sit up but I didn't move. I panted looking at him in disbelief. "I'm sorry" He looked back at me shocked at himself. I pulled the strap of my top up that had fallen down in our scuffle then sat up and slid slightly away from him. "I better go" he got up and walked out leaving me on the floor in a shocked mess. I sobbed for hours in that same spot confused and shaken.