SWNOVELS Chapter 780
Cassie had always kept Winston in the dark about her owning this apartment. He assumed she was living at the sprawling Gilbert family estate. The real reason she kept it from him was to dodge those awkward evenings alone together.
Chloe felt like her love life was all cloak and dagger, and when Winston laid eyes on her, his face fell. He seemed to have pieced something together but still managed to keep it cool. "Where's Cassie?" he asked.
From inside, Cassie's voice rang out, "Who's there?" Without a second thought, Winston brushed past Chloe and walked in. There was Cassie, rocking her usual white shirt and floral shorts, one foot kicked up on a chair, happily munching on barbecue wings. Her eyes nearly popped out of her head when she saw Winston. With her cheeks stuffed like a hamster's, she mumbled, "Why are you here?"
Winston strode over and grabbed Cassie's arm, "Cassie, have you been playing me?" He was fuming, but seeing her wince, he eased his grip a bit.
Cassie gulped down her mouthful, "Playing you? What for?"
"Why didn't you tell me you and Chloe were living together?" Winston demanded.
"Why should I? It's my business," Cassie shot back, feeling a bit guilty but unsure how to explain herself, so she just stood her ground.
"Cassie, have you been lying to me all this time? You never intended to be with me, did you? You were just stringing me along, getting a kick out of it," Winston accused, frustration boiling over. "Winston, what are you even saying?" Cassie responded, confused.
Winston was livid. "Does my misery make you happy, Cassie? You've been so hot and cold. You can't stand my touch, flinching like it's electric. You clearly don't want me. You won't even let me brush your finger, yet you can live with Chloe. Why pretend to come out? You're just looking for a convenient excuse to be close to her, aren't you?"
Normally so composed, Winston now stood with veins throbbing on his forehead, his eyes showing how hurt he was. He had just gotten off the phone with Connor, who told him Cassie had "run off" with Chloe and they were shacking up together t was hard for him to believe, but there were undeniable issues between him and Cassie fately. She'd been avoiding him, her feelings a confusing rollercoaster. She was distant, especially when it came to physical touch. As a psychologist, he knew the term "sexual aversion," but he didn't want to accept it.
The moment he saw Chloe at the door, Winston realized he couldn't keep lying to himself. Chloe saw the tension and quickly tried to intervene, "Dr. Winston, it's not what you think."
But before she could take more than a couple of steps, someone caught her wrist. Turning, she saw Connor who gently but firmly led her away. "Let them handle their own mess," he said, guiding her out and shutting the door behind them.