"What did you just say?" Cassidy's eyes went wide, wondering if she heard him right.
"Cassidy, I like you," Easton repeated himself, making Cassidy take a step back in shock.
'Did I hear that right? How could I be the most important woman to Easton? How could he like me?' Cassidy thought, shaking her head. "Easton, this joke isn't funny at all."
'No, I know him too well,' Cassidy continued to think. 'He's a cold-blooded guy with no feelings. There's no way he has feelings for me! He only said that because I ignored him, making him feel neglected and confused. His interest in me is just possessive and controlling, not real affection!' Cassidy thought.
Her shocked expression made Easton feel a bit awkward. He hadn't planned on confessing his feelings, thinking Cassidy was always his girl; no explanation was needed.
From the night Cassidy snuck into his room, trying to seduce him, she was his. He had often teased her, but her recent coldness made him realize he might've gone too far. If he didn't apologize, Cassidy might keep ignoring him.
In the past, he and Cassidy kept a safe distance, so his mood wasn't affected by her. But now, Cassidy had a place in his heart and had become very important to him, so he couldn't stand her indifference anymore. He had to do something—maybe apologize, maybe confess. Either way, he had to fix things with Cassidy.
He didn't get why Cassidy misunderstood him. He'd helped her out so many times. If he didn't care about her, why would he bother?
Easton coughed twice, trying to hide his embarrassment. His expression was tense, and he couldn't look Cassidy in the eye. "Cassidy, you might not believe it, but I really like you. And about being a plaything, I never thought that. Chase only knows about us because he accidentally saw us together."
Easton felt a bit awkward talking about it. He didn't think it was a big deal, but he knew Cassidy might.
Cassidy didn't expect Chase to find out about her and Easton like that, but she still instinctively denied Easton's words. "Your desire for me is just physical. Maybe because we've spent so much time together and I've been your only partner, you think you have feelings for me."
Cassidy's denial darkened Easton's face as he fought the urge to grab her wrist, realizing he needed to make her believe in his feelings.
"Cassidy, I'm serious. Do you think I don't know my own feelings? I only wanted to bring you on vacation alone. But you were worried about exposing our relationship, so I agreed to bring the whole family." Easton looked into Cassidy's eyes, his expression serious and his tone solemn.
"I didn't want to dance with Zoe either. You insisted, so to annoy you, I did. I was really happy when you left the dance floor, thinking you were jealous. After you left, I went to your room to talk, but when you came back, you were so angry. I thought that was why." Easton reached out to hold Cassidy's hand.
Still reeling from the confession, Cassidy didn't resist as Easton held her hand.
"Cassidy, you don't need to doubt my feelings. Every word I said today, I meant it," Easton added.
Cassidy found it hard to believe him; she even wondered if she was dreaming.
After marrying into the Cooper family, Easton had always been cold to her. If it weren't for Ashton's accident, they might never have gotten close. She thought she was just someone who sold her body to survive in his eyes, and he would never fall for her.
Easton's confession left Cassidy's mind blank. She could only watch as Easton lifted her hand and gently kissed the back of it.
Easton knew she was still doubting his feelings, so he tried to prove himself again. "Cassidy, if I were lying, I'd tear off your swimsuit right now."
As soon as Easton finished speaking, Cassidy snapped back to reality. She took a small step back, her gaze drifting downward, and sure enough, she saw the bulge between Easton's legs.
Feeling awkward, she wanted to leave, but Easton tightened his grip on her hand, pulling her closer.
Cassidy hurriedly raised her hand to press against Easton's chest to avoid sticking to him, but she still touched his already hard penis.
She looked up at him in confusion, her eyes filled with panic, shock, and a hint of fear.
"Cassidy, doesn't this prove that my feelings for you aren't just physical?" Easton looked into her eyes.
Cassidy wanted to argue but found herself speechless. In her mind, Easton should only have possessiveness for her, not genuine affection. So even after hearing Easton's confession and explanation, she still didn't dare to believe it.
Seeing her expression, Easton knew he should give Cassidy more time. He didn't believe she felt nothing for him, so instead of forcing her to respond immediately, he thoughtfully sent her back to her room. "Cassidy, I hope you can think carefully about your feelings for me."
As Cassidy lay in bed that night, every word Easton said kept echoing in Cassidy's ears. Even in her dreams, she could hear him confessing to her, making her instinctively avoid his gaze and want to run away whenever she saw Easton. If she accidentally met his eyes, his words "I like you" would immediately ring in her ears.
The strange atmosphere between them caught everyone's attention, and Hailey even quietly asked Cassidy what had happened.
Of course, Cassidy couldn't reveal the true reason, so she just made up an excuse to brush Hailey off.
Easton had been waiting for Cassidy's response, but she kept avoiding him, even deliberately avoiding the times he went out. She could communicate calmly and friendly with other family members but kept avoiding his gaze.
The prolonged wait had made Easton somewhat anxious; he needed Cassidy to give him an answer promptly. So, on the day Owen was about to take Cassidy to the autumn music festival, Easton intercepted her just as she emerged from her room, freshly dressed. "Cassidy, you've been thinking for several days. Today you should give me an answer."
Cassidy instantly became nervous. Despite days of thinking, she still couldn't understand why Easton would like her. She could plan her escape calmly but didn't know how to respond to Easton's confession.