CHAPTER NINETY-SIX

CHAPTER NINETY-SIX

NINE MONTHS LATER…

Jericho POV

Nine months had gone by and still there was no word from Cassandra.

In the beginning all I could think about was trying to find her.

I had hired private investigators.

Tried tracking her down through her social media.

Asked her friends and family.

But to no avail.

Alexis was a big help.

Even though the note she had left told us not to look for her she never gave up.

She had all of her contacts searching for Cassie.

But it was as if she had vanished into thin air.

Even her boss at her new job hadn’t the faintest clue as to where she had disappeared too.

The day she left she had left him a voicemail declining the writing position she was so excited to start.

Which worried me even more.

It truly meant she had no intentions of coming back to us.

To me.

I was a mess.

I left my company to my right-hand man and ended up spending my days day drinking and wallowing in self-pity.

My own mother couldn’t even get through to me.

Alex had handled telling my parents about the child I fathered with Sarah.

They were more than happy to welcome her into the fold so to speak.

As for me.

I wasn’t able to function as a man let alone a father.

I was distraught.

But as time ploughed on.

I got used to the fact that Cassandra had clearly found happiness somewhere else other than here with me.

So, I finally broke from my slump and decided to get my shit back on track.

I stopped with the drinking.

Took my company back and it was business as usual.

And finally…

I made a start at having a relationship with my daughter.

Things were starting to look up.

I would be lying if I said I had forgotten about Cassandra.

To tell you the truth I don’t think I could have ever forgotten about her.

But the pain of losing her was less now.

As I sit here behind my desk trying to organise Sabrina’s 21st surprise party.

(Which I still can’t believe by the way.)

I wonder what Cassandra would be doing right now.

And if she was thinking about me the way moments like this when I was alone tended to think about her.

But I didn’t have time to take a deep dive into my thoughts because my office door suddenly burst open.

I whip my head in its direction.

“What the…”

I start until I realise who it is.

“Of course.”

Alexis stands there with a wide grin across her face.

“Alexis.”

I see my assistant behind her.

Gasping for breath.

“I’m sorry Mr Dean.”

She tries to explain panting for breath.

“She just ran right past me.”

The sight was almost comical.

Alexis looked behind her to watch Agnes desperately catch her breath.

“Amateur.”

She grinned.

“That’s quite alright Agnes.”

“You can go.”

Agnes regains her composure and closes the door.

Alexis saunters towards my desk.

Then takes a seat opposite me.

Smug bitch.

In the time since Cassandra has been gone me and Alexis have become close.

She helped me through the whole ordeal with my daughter and Cassie’s leaving.

It gave me a new appreciation for her.

Also…

It allowed me to see a side of her I never thought I would get to see.

Compassion.

As I sit here and watch her start playing with things on my desk.

I knew she was up to something.

“So…”

“Not that I don’t enjoy you trying to kill my employees what do I owe the pleasure of this visit Alexis.”

She eyes me mischievously.

“I just thought I would come check up on you.”

“See how the arrangements for Saby’s surprise party are coming along.”

I knew she had an ulterior motive.

“Things are coming along fine Lex.”

She eyed me wearily.

“Why do I have a feeling that that’s not the real reason you have made this appearance.”

She grabs for a pencil on my desk.

Her way of trying to find something to figgit with had me uneasy.

It meant that something was happening.

“What is it.”

She was reluctant to tell me which worried me even more.

“Alexis.”

She puts the pencil back.

Then puts her hands into her lap.

“Come on I haven’t got all day spit it out.”

She jolts up out of the chair and starts to pace.

“I’ve found her.”

The words hit me like a fist in the face.

I knew what she meant instantly.

I had been waiting for those words to be said for what felt like a thousand years.

She’s now just staring at me.

Waiting for me to say something.

Anything.

“Say something.”

She urged.

What could I say.

“And by her you mean…”

She now stands with her hands on her hips.

“Don’t be cute Jericho you know exactly who I mean.”

It was my turn now to stand.

“I just wanted to make sure we were both on the same page.”

“Where is she.”

I ask her.

She starts to pace again.

“Turns out she was with her mother.”

Funny I never thought she would end up there.

She never really spoke about her parents.

“Alexis…”

“Where?”

I needed the location so I could go and get my girl.

“Arizona.”

Huh.

Seems we were just looking in the wrong place.

I start to collect my things.

“What are you doing?”

Alexis asks.

“What does it look like I’m fucking doing.”

“I’m going to get my girl.”

She stands in my way as I head for the door.

“Jericho there’s something you should know before you head after her.”

I didn’t understand why we were still talking about this.

It was Cassandra.

“Alexis what is wrong with you.”

“Why aren’t you flying out of the door with me right now?”

She’s still holding me at bay.

“It’s because…”

“Well, it seems…”

“For Christ’s sake Alexis what is it?”

“Why won’t you let me go get her.?”

“Move out of the way Alexis…”

“Now.”

“I can’t do that Jericho.”

“And why the hell not.”

I ask.

The rage forming rapidly.

“It’s because Cass has had a child.”

And in that moment, I had never felt so much pain in all of my life.

My Cassie had had a child with somebody else.

Someone who wasn’t me.

My heart shattered into a million pieces.

Surely this wasn’t how our story ended.

It wasn’t supposed to be this way.

But it just goes to show.

No matter how much you can love someone.

The universe always has other plans for you.

I guess this was the price I had to pay.

To lose the woman I loved to somebody else.

Knowing that it was all washed away the moment I blinked.

To be so close but yet so far from having my happily ever after.

Only for it to be wiped away as if it never existed in the first place.

I loved and lost it all at once.

The only thing left to do was to accept that she was clearly happy without me and hope she has a good life.

A life of joy and fulfilment.

And whoever the child’s father was.

That he knew he was the luckiest man on the planet.

This was the last gift I could give to her.

Happiness.

Peace.

And I was ok with that.

This was our story.

Mine and Cassie's.

But if you thought i was going to give up on us.

You are sorely mistaken.

I don't give up that easily.

You never know.

There might be a sequel.

Who knows.