54. Heart to Heart
Cassidy decided to change into her one-piece swimsuit and join her brothers in the pool, she thought might as well have the talk while Rowan was busy with his work.
“Cassie!” Edmond yelled out and told her to jump into the pool and so she did, cannonballing just like she’d done when they would play in their pool. They laughed, even Dillon splash her and playfully drown her just like he would when they were younger. It had been too long she thought. Her mind was remembering the days when everything was easy when their parents were still around when the burden wasn’t hers alone to bear.
They played and splashed around, laughing till their eyes were teary and they all got too tired. Cassidy decided to rest by the poolside, her brothers joining her and they finally had the talk.
“So, you and dad’s friend? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you date a guy before.” Edmond asked when Dillon hurriedly grabbed three cans of soda and then took his seat next to his twin.
“Yeah, what’s going on there? there are more than seven billion people in the world and you decided to date him?” Dillon continued with more probing questions.
“Rowan and I… we’re just starting. I don’t know, but he’s nice and I still need to study and he doesn’t really take up my time.”
“Huh? what kind of excuse is that?” Dillon peered after taking a big gulp of his drink.
“Hmm, I don’t know what’s your excuse with Jett?” Cassidy challenged him.
“I told you we’re just hooking up.” He mumbled, his eyes wandering anywhere else aside from his sister’s.
“Right, my teenage brother is hooking up. God, Dillon are you even being safe?”
The moment she asked, that was when she remembered she was not. They didn’t use a condom during their last sexual intercourse. She gets that she was new to sex, but she didn’t expect that she’d be that stupid.
“Hold that thought, I need to pee.” Cassidy lied then quickly got up and wrapped herself with her fluffy towel.
Dillon looked relieved, while Edmond watches her with a raised eyebrow as if he knew that she was lying. Fuck it she thought, but she was walking away from the pool and went into the house looking for Rowan.
She ran and was out of breath when she found him in his home office.
“Cassie, is something wrong?” he got up from his chair and crossed the room when he saw her, thinking something had happened outside.
“Yeah, we… we didn’t use a condom on our last… you know. And… uh, damn it,” she cursed when panic started to get to her. In her mind she was counting her days, she just had her period last week so she shouldn’t be ovulating just yet. She should be safe. There was a chance that she was not going to get pregnant, but… “fucking hell Rowan, you’re the older one here, I thought… I can’t get pregnant, not now,” she shuddered, her mind was busy thinking that she was going to become one of those single moms she befriended with at the club. Cassidy remembered all the troubles of becoming one, they always complained about money, about their kids, about not having a spouse when they were too busy working and how a kid easily shifted their life path and their goals.
“Cass… Cassie… Cassidy!” Rowan shook her shoulder and forced her to look at him. “Look at me, if you are… I will take care of it.”
“What?? Fuck no! I’m not going to kill a baby.” Her hands were to her belly, instinctively.
“Hey, no… no… that was not what I’m implying. I’m telling you I’d be responsible,” suddenly the thought of having a baby didn’t repulse him as much as when Heather suggested it. Yes, they talk about having one or two or three, they even picked a house with more guest rooms than they needed. Rowan wasn’t ready to commit to the baby idea, he went back and forth with his decision for the longest time until he found out about Heather’s affairs.
Rowan grabbed Cassidy and pulled her in for a tight hug when she started biting her nails and pacing in front of him. “I won’t kill a baby, no that’s not what I’m saying…” He kissed the top of her head and whispered that he’d take care of both of them.
After her first time, he just assumed that she was on the pill since she didn’t stop him from going bare and he was too horny to pull out and put a condom on. But she was right, he was more experienced. He realized he was an idiot for assuming stuff, he was never that stupid. Never. But when it comes to Cassidy something always made him do things that he couldn’t explain. Well, maybe he was just too fucking horny for her. But that shouldn’t be an excuse for him since he made sure he always put on a condom every time he was with Heather. Every time.
“I’m saying, whatever happens, I’ll be by your side, supporting any decision you’d make.”
“Right, okay then… so three weeks more or less we’ll know by then. Um, I should get back to my brothers. I just told them that I’m going in for a pee break.” Cassidy tried to straighten herself but he was still not letting her go, instead he cupped her face and kissed her, telling her that everything was going to be okay.
It took Cassidy another few minutes before she managed to calm herself down and left his home office.
Rowan took a deep breath, it was his turn to calm down moments after Cassidy left. The scare was still there, he did not expect the day to be such a mess but when he thought more about it, he wouldn’t change it any other way.
Not when he looked at the big smile plastered on her face. Rowan tugged his lips when he gazed out the windows and saw Cassidy playing in the pool with her brothers, looking carefree and happier than he’d ever seen before. Considering the pregnancy scare before, she was hiding her feelings beautifully.Text content © NôvelDrama.Org.
Rowan finished answering emails twenty minutes later and he decided to go get change and join Cassidy and her brothers by the pool.
She was the first one who saw him and when he noticed the way her eyes roamed his naked chest it made him smirk and take a perfect dive into the pool.
“Well, okay sis, I think I’m definitely gay. I like boys and men now.” Dillon said dreamily at his sister, his eyes glued to Rowan’s perfect body. Cassidy even thought she saw him drool which made her roll her eyes and Rowan laugh freely.
“Thank you, I do take my time to work out.” He grinned, put his arm around Cassidy, and kissed her temple like he had been doing it for years. Dillon sighed audibly and Edmond splashed him, telling him that Rowan was definitely too old for him.
“I’m telling Jett,” Edmond teased.
“Go ahead, hey Mr. Madden do you think I can get a picture with you?”
“Damn, dude, are you not moving fast enough?” His brother shook his head but quickly get out of the pool and took their picture anyway. Rowan went ahead with their little mischief and possed closer with Dillon, but keeping Cassidy by his other side, still with his arm around her.
“Alright, I’m tagging this to your Instagram. I know your boyfriend will start asking questions.”
And sure enough, less than five minutes later Dillon’s phone started chiming with notifications. “Okay people, I’m done here. See you later.” He was out of the pool in seconds then grinned widely making Edmond laugh.
“I think I’m done too, hey do you mind if I browse your book collection?”
“Yeah sure, I have Netflix too if you want to watch something and help yourself to snack and drinks in the kitchen. Make yourself at home, and Edmond, do call me Rowan and tell Dillon too.”
Edmond got out of the pool. He watched his sister and Rowan then nodded. He was still not sure about how he felt about his older sister dating an older man, but he decided to leave the situation for now. Though Edmond was delighted to see his sister with a smile on her face, a genuine one. It had been too long, he thought.