From Ashes

My heart clenched and my arms twitched, wanting to wrap them around Tyler’s waist, but a squeeze from Gage’s hand and one look at the redhead glaring at our group reminded me why that wasn’t an option. “Tyler.”

“Don’t be like that, baby.”

“Don’t. Call. Her. Baby,” Gage said through clenched teeth, and pulled me closer to his side.

Tyler’s eyes narrowed and swept over to look Gage up and down. “She’s never complained about it.” His brown eyes came back to me and turned pleading. “Cassi, can we please talk?”

“I don’t think that’s such a good idea, Ty,” I said softly, fully aware of Grant, Ethan, and Jackie standing near us.

“Why? Did Gage tell you that you can’t speak to me now?”

“No, he didn’t. I just don’t have anything to say to you.”

“Hi, Gage.” A soft but sultry voice joined the conversation and I looked past Tyler to see the redhead, realizing this was the first time I’d heard her speak.

“Cara.” His hand tightened around mine again and anyone near us could feel the tension rolling off his body.

Gage’s body was turned so my shoulder was against his stomach and he was staring down at me, but I was looking straight at Cara. Her eyes took on a strange heat when they looked at Gage and she dragged her bottom lip through her teeth. An uneasy feeling filled my stomach and got worse when her eyes locked on me and she slipped her hand into Tyler’s.

“Your name’s Carrie, right?” she asked with a sneer. I had no doubt she knew exactly what my name was, but before I could correct her she kept going. “I would say I’m sorry for taking Tyler from you. But, well, I’m not.” She shrugged and her lips formed into an awkward shape, making her look like a duck. “You’re not his type, but I’m sure if you ask real nice, Gage will give you either my Monday- or Wednesday-night slot.”

I felt Gage’s body lock up even further; I swear if someone had poked him he’d have shattered. But I had no idea what she meant by “Monday- or Wednesday-night slot.” I didn’t have to ask; Cara didn’t leave me wondering for long.

“I mean, it would probably be more of a charity case than anything, but Lord knows you need to learn how to keep a boyfriend and Gage needs to fill his booty-call slots.”

“Cara, shut up,” Gage whispered. I didn’t have to see his face to know what she was saying was true. The horrified tone in those three words said it all.

“Oh.” She sucked air in through her teeth. “Whoops, did you already fill those spots? God, Gage, I knew you had a healthy appetite, but I thought you’d at least mourn my loss for a while. Don’t worry, honey,” Cara said, focusing her attention back on me with an unconvincing grimace, “he doesn’t keep any of his girls around for very long. I’m sure a night will open for you soon.”

I looked up at Tyler to see his obvious concern for me as he disentangled himself from her, but Jackie was already pulling me away from him, Cara, and Gage.

“Cassidy!” Gage called as I was swept away.

I lived with Gage, I spent every night with him; I would have known if he was going to a booty call at night. But Gage’s reaction to Cara told me that what Cara was saying had truth to it.

“That bitch. Don’t listen to anything she said, Cass, she was just trying to rub her relationship with Tyler in your face.”

“Then why was she talking about Gage?!”

Jackie looked at me like she wished she had the answer, and then Jackie’s little frame started shaking and her face turned murderous. “You better hope like hell that what she was saying wasn’t true, Gage Carson.”

I whirled around to see a wide-eyed, pale-faced Gage shut Jackie’s door behind him.

“Babe—”

“Is it true?” I demanded.

“I can explain.”

“Oh my God, it’s true? You had days? Like . . . you had a fucking schedule for your fuck buddies, Gage?!”

His eyes got even wider and he took a deep, shaky breath in.

“When. Was. This?” What had Cara said? Something about his having a healthy appetite but thinking he’d mourn her loss first.

“Cassidy,” Gage said, “I need to explain first.”

“When, Gage? Because from what she was saying, it didn’t sound like it was a couple of years ago!”

“The last time was the night before I left for the ranch for winter break.”

That night was the night I’d given him the picture and he’d left quickly. What girl had he gone to screw that night? And then it hit me, and my voice lost all the force behind it and came out soft. “Oh my God, you lied to me.” Jackie tried to leave the room but I gripped her hand harder. “Tyler was right, you left the apartment because you didn’t want me there with you. I was making it hard for your relationships.” I had been in the way, just like Tyler said. If Tyler hadn’t been lying about that, what else hadn’t he been lying about?

“No, no, babe, that’s not it at all. I didn’t lie to you, I’ve never lied to you.”

“Bullshit!”

I could tell from his expression my language in the room had been surprising him. He stepped closer, trying to pull me into his arms, but I stepped back with Jackie. “Cassidy, that hadn’t begun until I started coming around again after I’d moved out. It only lasted for a month and a half. I was just trying to forget you. I thought you’d led me on; you know everything Tyler told me when we lived together and at the ranch! I was pissed, and I wanted to get back at you and forget you; that was my way.”

The room fell silent for a few moments while I tried to swallow the lump in my throat. “That is the most pathetic, disgusting thing I’ve ever heard.”

“Cassidy—”

“How many of those girls did you treat the way you’ve been treating me? Did you tell all of them you love them? That they’re perfect? I swear to God, Gage, I knew you were experienced but I had no idea you had a fucking schedule!”

“I have never told another girl that I loved them. Only you, Cassidy, it’s only ever been you.” His green eyes were pained and his shoulders looked like they were hunched in.

“Gage, do you really expect me to believe you? Was this all a game for you? I

He flinched like I’d slapped him, but before he could say anything I gasped loudly.

“Oh my God. How many of them did you screw without a condom? Did you ‘just not think about it’ with all of them too?!”

“This is getting awkward,” Jackie said when Ethan walked in and gave me a double take as I said those last few sentences.

“Babe!” Gage no longer looked just hurt; he was pissed too. “How could you even think that? Are you serious right now, Cassidy?! I have never—”

“How do I know that you haven’t given me some disease, Gage?!”

“Cass!”

“Get out.” I kept one hand gripping Jackie and let the other point toward her bedroom door. “Get out, Gage.”

“Darlin’,” he said softly, and took two steps toward me, one arm extended.

“Don’t fucking touch me!” I screeched at him. “Get. Out!”

“C’mon, Gage,” Ethan said as he slowly dragged him toward the bedroom door, “you need to give her time alone, let’s go back out here.”

“Cassidy, I swear, it’s not like you think. I love you.”

“Let’s go, man.” Ethan grabbed his upper arm and pulled harder.

Gage stared at me with the most devastating expression as he stumbled behind Ethan out of the room.

“How could he?” I asked Jackie as soon as the door was shut behind them.

“Come here, Cass.” Jackie pulled me toward the bed and sat me down. “I know you probably don’t want to hear this, so let me start by saying that I agree with you, it is gross that he had days for girls. I think he’s a pig for that, but, sweetie”—she brushed some of my hair away from my face—“the rest of it? You can’t really be mad at him for that. Because weren’t you doing something similar? You thought Gage didn’t want anything to do with you, so you started dating Tyler. And while you two weren’t having sex, you made out all the time and you were trying to get yourself ready to go there with Tyler.”