Chapter 257

Cassidy’s question brought a long sigh out of me. “That conversation was ... real,” I said. “She isn’t fully decided yet, and I- Look, Cass, don’t chase her down about this, OK? She pressed for the answer and I admitted that deep down I wanted her to be mine, but I also told her the truth - for all that I want her, I don’t know if she wants what a relationship with me would be. After JC, she wants loyalty and to feel special and wanted, and while I can try my best to give her the second two things, I can’t promise her loyalty. We left it at admitting we want each other, but she’s going to think about things more and talk to some of the others.”

“Robbie,” Cassidy grunted. “She’s completely smitten with you. How could you put questions in her head like that?”

“How could I not, Cass?” I asked. “We’re uprooting lives here. Two relationships are already trashed because I got involved - even if they were already going in that direction - and maybe I don’t want a third to go that way when there are real questions about if it makes sense for her.”

Cassidy sucked in a breath to argue with me, but Cattie stopped her. “He’s not wrong, babe,” she said. When I glanced over I could see Cattie had a hand on Cassidy’s knee and was looking at her intently. “Terra needs to go into things with eyes wide open. And Robbie is trying to do the right thing.” Then she turned to me and kicked me in the butt from her perch on the counter. “But that doesn’t mean you leave her hanging either, dummy. And I say that as your loving girlfriend. God, she must be absolutely mindfucked right now, Robbie!”

“She’s going to talk with Becca and Wanda,” I said. “And I think maybe she was comparing notes with Ami too during breakfast.”

“You need to tell her you love her,” Cattie said.

“I did,” I said. “I do.”

“Tell her again,” Cattie sighed. “Tiger, she needs you to reassure her that both sides of things are true. That you support her no matter what she decides.”

“Cattie, baby,” I said. “I know. That’s exactly what I did, and I think we would have left in a slightly closer space than we did if we hadn’t gotten interrupted by breakfast.” I sighed and shook my head. “It’s complicated.”

“But you do want her,” Cassidy said, not really asking. “You know she’s good for you in a way the rest of us aren’t.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“None of us are slouches, Tiger, but she’s an athlete. Like you. You’ll get lots of different things from all of us, and we’ll get things from each other, but if there’s one part of your life that I never really could be more than a cheerleader for you was your swimming,” Cassidy said. “Not to mention that you adore each other, and she’s totally my girl so having her around all the time would be almost as awesome as having Cattie around all the time.”

“We’ll figure it out,” I said. “Don’t worry. Let her have her time to process.”

“We will,” Cattie promised. “And I’ll make sure Cass doesn’t pressure her.”