"What grandma said was true. At first, I thought I was okay after the divorce. But after you left, it felt like something was missing," Zeke said, watching Cassidy’s face.
Cassidy was caught off guard by his words, but she stayed silent and let him speak.
Seeing that she wasn’t reacting negatively, Zeke went on, "Honestly, after you left, I started having trouble sleeping. My mood was a mess. I didn’t know what was wrong with me. Andrew even suggested I see a psychiatrist. We did a few sessions, it helped a little."
Cassidy’s eyes widened slightly. She hadn’t expected Zeke to go that far.
"My psychiatrist told me to ask myself how I really feel about you. And at the time, I still thought of you as just my contract partner. Maybe I’d just gotten used to having you around... so when you left, everything felt off. I wasn’t used to it."
Cassidy frowned slightly but didn’t say anything.
"Do you remember what I said afer the shareholder meeting to you? That the reason I looked for you for two years was to give you alimony or just to check on you?" Zeke asked, then let out a bitter laugh. "I lied. That’s not why I was looking for you. I was looking for you because I realized... somehow, you had already made your way into my heart."
His voice dropped, sounding helpless. His eyes softened with sadness, as if he was lost in those memories.
Cassidy’s heart skipped a beat at his confession. She was shocked, but strangely, there was no discomfort in her chest.
"Whenever I asked Georgia where you went, your sister always said you were healing, taking time off, needing a change of scenery... and she begged me not to look for you. But I couldn’t help it. I kept thinking about you—so much that I felt like I was going insane. I didn’t even know if what I felt for you was just obsession or something else. I spent two years searching for you, but found nothing. It was like chasing a ghost."
Zeke looked at Cassidy then, his voice heavy and filled with pain. He stared at her for a long moment, searching for panic or fear in her expression, but he saw none of that.
He continued, "My mind was a mess. I became withdrawn, easily irritated... and alcohol became my way of numbing the pain and emptiness I felt back then. And because of that damn alcohol, I almost died. If my mother hadn’t found me in time... I probably wouldn’t be standing here now," he said with a bitter laugh at the end.
When Zeke said he almost died, Cassidy’s tears fell before she even realized it. Something about hearing those words made her chest ache. The thought of him suffering alone, of nearly losing his life, hit her harder than she ever imagined it would.
Her heart broke for him.
Zeke froze when he saw her crying. He looked completely stunned, panic rushing into his eyes. He quickly got up from his chair and sat beside her.
"Hey, don’t cry, Cass. Please don’t cry..." he said softly, trying to comfort her.
But Cassidy only cried harder. Her shoulders trembled as quiet sobs escaped her lips. Zeke instinctively pulled her into his arms, wrapping her in a gentle hug.
"Shhh, don’t cry, please..."
"I’m so sorry," she choked out between sobs. "I didn’t know you went through all of that. I didn’t know. God, I’m so sorry. I was horrible..."
Zeke held her tighter, his hand gently rubbing her back. "Shhh... no, please, don’t say that. Don’t blame yourself. It’s okay. I’m okay now," he murmured.
Zeke’s throat tightened. He shut his eyes and held her closer.
"I was the one who let you go," he said. "I was the fool, not you. But I swear, I’m okay now, Cass. I survived."
He pulled back just enough to look at her, brushing the tears from her cheeks with his thumbs. "And I’ll never stop being grateful that I got the chance to see you again."
Cassidy was finally calming down. Her breathing was steadier now, and the tears had stopped, leaving only the damp warmth on her cheeks. But when she looked up and saw Zeke’s face, still worried, still tense, something changed inside her.
Her chest felt warm. Heavy, but not in a painful way.
He looked so panicked just because she cried. So desperate to make sure she was okay. And in that moment, Cassidy realized something she hadn’t wanted to admit until now.
Zeke... had slowly started to fill a space in her heart.
She had grown used to having him around, his quiet presence, the way he was always there when she needed him. When he stayed by Claire’s side every night she was in the hospital, never once leaving her alone. When he made her chicken soup and scrambled eggs without being asked, just because he noticed she hadn’t eaten. When he took Claire to the dentist. When he rented out an entire amusement park just so Claire could enjoy it without the crowds.
Cassidy hadn’t realized it before, but little by little, she had started to rely on him.
And when he said he almost died, the thought hit her harder than she expected. She couldn’t even imagine it. The idea of losing him like that—it scared her. Deep down, it hurt more than it should’ve.
And now, after hearing how Zeke truly felt, Cassidy didn’t feel the need to push him away. In fact, she felt... happy. Warm, even. Without thinking too much, she leaned in and pressed a quick kiss to his lips, gentle and sudden before pulling back.
Zeke clearly surprised by what just happened.
"Sorry if I startled you," Cassidy said with a small smile. "I just... wanted to do that. Consider it a reward for getting through all of this."
For a second, Zeke just stared at her, breath caught in his chest. Then, without a word, he placed his hand behind her head and kissed her back.
This time, it wasn’t quick.
His lips met hers with more intent, more emotion. At first, the kiss was soft, hesitant. But the feelings he’d been holding in, longing, pain, relief, happiness, all spilled over. He deepened the kiss, parting her lips and slipping his tongue into her mouth, searching, savoring.