Reflections on Ice Ch. 02

Crossing her arms around her middle, Cassia leaned back in her seat and sighed. She couldn't believe Alex Donnelly was sitting here and that her twin brothers were talking to him as if nothing had happened. She reminded herself that they didn't know the truth, only that she'd broken things off. In a huff, as they'd put it. Why else would a woman break up with a professional athlete?

In high school, he'd played football with the twins, but he'd always excelled at baseball. He'd played for Texas, of course, and gone on to play for the Atlanta Braves. Seeing as how it was winter, he must be in town, visiting his family, like he did every summer. It was the previous summer when they'd given a relationship a try, even though she'd known him for years, because of his friendship with her brothers.

When she'd discovered his infidelity, almost exactly a year ago, they'd been dating for about four months. Not long enough to be really serious, but long enough for her to have developed some real feelings. Feelings that had been crushed when she'd found him balancing a busty brunette in his lap one day when she'd arrived at his house. Alex and the woman had both been naked. The busty brunette had also been extremely descriptive about a certain part of Alex's anatomy and what it had been doing to her at the time.

As the memory washed over her, Cassia felt the same queasiness in her stomach as she had in that moment, seeing the woman writhing on Alex and the smug smirk on Alex's face as he'd met Cassia's eyes over the brunette's shoulder. Then he'd finished - he'd finished - giving the brunette what she'd been hollering for, before attempting any type of explanation to Cassia, who'd remained in the doorway, dumbfounded.

"Cassia, it's not what it looks like," he'd said, the woman still joined with him.

Cassia had come back to herself a moment later, as the woman turned around and laughed at the sight of Cassia. Cassia had returned the woman's look, before pulling herself up straight and meeting Alex's gaze again.

"Fuck you." Then she'd walked out the door, and never spoken to him again.

"How's life treating you, Cass?"

Until now.

Cassia glanced over at Alex, who'd walked over to stand by her chair. "Good. Great, in fact."

The look he gave her made her want to grab his testicles and squeeze. She wove her fingers together in her lap and looked out over the yard again.

"Kurt says you're still living in that apartment over the donut shop."

Cassia now wanted to include her brother in the testicle twisting. "Yeah. I am. So?"

Alex shrugged and leaned an elbow on the deck railing behind him. "I'm a little surprised. You used to talk about moving into a house when we were together."

She hated hearing those words. She hated to think she'd spent any time at all with someone like Alex, even if he had been a nice guy at first, taking her to nice restaurants and making her laugh when she'd had a bad day.

"I did, but there's no rush." Cassia glanced up at his face. "My apartment is close to work."

He nodded. "Sure. It's close to the garage."

Cassia narrowed her eyes at his tone. She didn't like it.

"I've got a new place in Atlanta. It cost me about a million and a half, but it was worth it." He grinned and spread a hand out before him. "It's also a little bit of a drive from SunTrust Park, but I don't mind. Gives me an excuse to drive my Ferrari more often."

Cassia rolled her eyes. Oh, please. He'd barely been able to drive a manual when they'd gone out and didn't even know what a radiator was. She also knew there was no way he could have spent that kind of money on a house or car. He wasn't exactly a star player. It had taken her a little while to realize it, but he was a pompous blowhard, who loved name-dropping, bragging, and posturing almost as much as he loved being a pro ball player.

She was saved from any kind of response by her mother calling from inside the house.

"Dinner's ready!"

They all stood and filed into the house, taking up places around the big dining room table. Katherine came in with the platter of sliced roast and set it down in front of Keith. Cassia's mother was old-fashioned and the man of the house always got first pick.

"Have a seat, everyone." Katherine removed her apron, resting it over the back of her chair, and waved a hand at her family, and Alex. "Kurt, if you please."

Kurt straightened in his chair and cleared his throat to say grace. Then the dishes started getting passed around. Cassia's mouth watered and her stomach rumbled. She hadn't eaten much that day in anticipation of a huge meal. She was glad the sight of Alex hadn't ruined her appetite completely.

"So, Kyle, have you given any thought to returning to Austin?"

Cassia glanced at her brother as her father spoke. Kyle clenched his jaw and shook his head, refusing to meet his father's eye.

"I'm sure if you explain that you only wanted to defer for a year, they'd accept you back next term." Keith spooned some potatoes onto his plate. "You could even make up some time over the summer."

"I don't think so, Dad."

"Well, you're going to have to do something." Keith pointed a finger at his youngest son. "You're not going to get very far when you tell people you're a college dropout."

"Cassia didn't go to college. She's fine."

Cassia let out a short laugh. "Don't bring me into this."

Kyle shot her a dirty look that she returned.

No, she hadn't gone to the University of Texas like the rest of the family, and she'd suffered through a number of arguments with her parents before they'd finally given in, realizing that she'd made up her mind. Sometimes, she regretted not going, but she'd done the mechanic's courses at the community college at night, while working the whole time, and now lived without the looming student loan debts that so many had. Like Kyle did, seeing as how he hadn't been able to secure a full ride like the twins. She wondered, not for the first time, if that was part of the reason why he'd left school.

"At least Cassia didn't start college, only to drop out," Kurt spoke up around a mouthful of carrots.

"And what have you two done with your college educations?" Kyle turned to look between Kurt and Kent. "If I wanted, I could be doing the same thing."

"Not at my shop." Keith's voice was hard. "I won't reward you for giving up."

"I'm not asking you to." Kyle slapped a spoonful of mashed potatoes onto his plate, frustration evident in the tense line of his jaw.

"Good."

Kyle met his father's hard gaze before looking away. "Can we change the subject, please?"

Alex cleared his throat and turned to Katherine, who was looking at Kyle with a worried expression. "Mrs. Morgan, this roast is delicious."

"Oh, well, I'm glad you like it, Alex." Katherine fussed with her napkin for a moment as tension continued to swirl around the room.

"Indeed." Alex took another bite and smiled at her. "My mom's never turns out half as good."

There was a smattering of laughter around the room. Alex's mother had never been a stellar cook and the twins had come home from visits to the Donnelly house more than once, with tales of cornbread the texture of sawdust or beef so overdone it was practically charcoal.

After that, the tension eased and conversation, though stilted, picked up. After dinner was over, Cassia helped her mother clear the dishes and started cleaning the kitchen.

"Mom, why don't you go sit down with everyone out there." Cassia touched her mother's shoulder as the woman scrubbed a pan in the sink. "I can finish up here."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course. You did all the cooking, the least I can do is clean up." Cassia might be upset about her mother asking Alex to dinner, but she was still a good daughter.

Katherine smiled and nodded. "All right. Thank you, sweetie." She hung her apron on the back of the pantry door and walked out to the living room, where the guys were watching an action movie of some kind.

Cassia stuck her hands in the sink, soapy water sloshing up her arms. She was grateful for the quiet in the kitchen. Between Alex's presence, and the bickering between Kyle and the rest of the family, this hadn't been the best family dinner. It also hadn't been the worst, she thought, recalling the first night after Kyle had been discovered living at her place. She lifted the pan out of the sink and set it on the rack on the counter, before turning to put more dishes in the sink.

"Finally, a moment alone."

Cassia whirled around, suds splattering on the floor. Alex sauntered into the kitchen and walked over to lean a hip against the counter beside her. His eyebrows lifted at the sight of her soapy hands and that self-satisfied smile appeared on his face.

"What do you want?"

His smile widened. "I wanted to talk to you. I've missed you."

She doubted that and turned away, putting her hands back into the sink.

Beside her, Alex shifted closer. "I have. You never gave me a chance to explain about that day and what you saw."

She shot him a narrow look. "I know what I saw. It hardly requires further explanation."

"Oh, come on, Cass. She was nobody."

Cassia wondered how she could get rid of him. "She was somebody, Alex. Even if you'd only met her that day."

"She meant nothing to me."

Cassia sighed and looked up at him. He was smiling at her, his chin tilted down, the look in his eyes one he meant to be cajoling. Cassia wasn't a fool. She wasn't the type of woman to cave in at a soft look.

"I don't even know how she ended up at my place."

"You brought her there, Alex. And then you both got naked, and fucked on the couch, with you knowing I was going to be there any minute." Cassia pulled the last of the dishes out of the sink, setting them on the rack. Then she faced Alex while drying her hands. "I think you wanted me to see you. Maybe even join you, who knows."

Alex chuckled and moved closer, reaching for her. Cassia dodged his grasp and crossed the kitchen to stand out of range.

"I'm just glad it happened so soon." Cassia set the towel on the kitchen table. "At least I didn't waste a year or more on you."

Alex's expression hardened for a moment before it softened again and he strode towards her. "Listen, I'd like to make it up to you."

"Why?"

"I feel bad about how things ended. Whatever you say, I think we could have been something special."

Cassia wanted to laugh. What a ridiculous conversation. "I don't think so, Alex."

"You're so stubborn." He stroked a hand down her arm before she jerked away from him. "Your mom told me about the wedding."

"What?"

"I'm invited, too."

Cassia frowned. "You are?"

"Sure. I've known Troy for ages. We all went to high school together."

That was true, even though she'd forgotten how connected Alex was with everyone. Everyone she knew had known everyone else for ages. Her older brothers, Alex, and Troy, Vivian's fiancé, had all been friends, and teammates in high school. It made her realize that the twins would probably be at the wedding as well. What a fun night it was going to be.

"Your mom told me that you've got no one to take you."

Cassia was going to throttle her mother. She'd had it up to here with her meddling.

"And since I'm going anyway, why don't we go together?"

She did laugh then, a short burst that surprised her as much as it did Alex. "You've got to be kidding."

He shook his head. "It's the least I can do."

Cassia's mirth dissipated in a rush. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Well, I know how hard it can be to go to a wedding alone. Especially since all your friends are married, or close to being married." Alex's smile was smug once more. "You don't want to go alone, do you?"

That's it. Cassia clenched her hands into fists and walked right up to him. His eyebrows rose but his smug smile stayed in place. "I would rather go to a dozen weddings alone than go with you to one."

"You don't mean that." He reached out and brushed a strand of hair from her cheek. "I'm Alex Donnelly. Who wouldn't want to go to a wedding with me?"

"Me." Cassia whirled away before he could touch her again. Her skin crawled as it was.

She stalked out to the living room, grabbed her coat off the back of the sofa and faced her family. "I'm leaving. Thank you for dinner."

Her family turned to her, all with identical expressions of surprise at her tone. All except for Kyle, the only one who had sided with her when she'd told them about her break-up.

"See you later." Cassia turned and stormed out of the house without another glance.

Shoving her hands in her pockets, she walked away from the house, wanting nothing more than to put as much distance between herself and Alex as she could. She strode right past the turn to her street and kept on going. She was too angry to go home. She needed to calm down first. Or drink a lot.

Once the thought was in her head, she knew where to go.

Heading down one block, then over two streets, and on for another block, she reached the strip with her diner, Janis' gallery, and Tapley's. She wondered if it there was another night of First Impressions going on, which made her smile, breaking through some of the anger she felt. Speed dating was out of the question but she wanted a drink. Bad. So she crossed at the lights, and hurried to the main door of the bar.

Inside, it was busy and very warm. Any other time, Cassia would have called one of her friends to meet up but she didn't feel like waiting for someone to join her. So she made her way through the crowd and was happy to find a free stool at the bar. Less than a minute later, the bartender crossed to her side and leaned over.

"What can I get you?"

Cassia ordered something fruity and full of hard liquor. The bartender nodded and mixed it up for her. Handing over the money, Cassia started drinking before the woman even brought her change. A minute later, she ordered another, making the bartender laugh.

She drank the second one a little slower and looked out over the crowded bar as she did. She'd always liked Tapley's. It was a good place to drink, without the pressure of being a nightclub. They had decent food, excellent service and clean restrooms. Most of the time, coffee and pie was enough for Cassia, but tonight had been a trial, to say the least.

She eyed the crowd, wondering if anyone else there had ever dealt with a meddling mother, older brothers who think they know everything, or a pro-athlete ex-boyfriend who thought he was God's gift to women.

A draft rushed over Cassia's skin as she sipped her drink, and her eyes went to the doorway. Where she saw Dylan Samuels walk in with another player from the Dallas Stars. It took her a moment to recognize him, but it was the captain, Jake Brown.

"You have got to be fucking kidding me."

Cassia didn't realize she'd spoken out loud until the guy on the stool next to her swiveled around to give her a look. Flushing, she turned and faced the bar, wondering if she could finish her drink and sneak out with Dylan seeing her.

What was he even doing there? Did he actually live that close? Had his experience with First Impressions not turned him off of ever coming back to Tapley's?

Looking over her shoulder, Cassia couldn't see him or Jake any more. Breathing a sigh of relief, she lifted her drink to her lips and finished it with a long swallow. The bartender returned, a smile on her face.

"Another?"

Cassia glanced over her shoulder once more before nodding. "Please."

The woman mixed up the drink and slid it across the bar before turning to the next person.

The crowd was heavy around the bar, a fact for which Cassia was grateful. After another few minutes, she leaned an elbow on the bar, feeling the booze settle through her. The arguments of the evening started to dim and she began to feel more relaxed. She watched the bartenders moving around before her, and felt people pressing in on one side or the other, as the crowd moved around her.

She lifted her drink to her lips, looking around behind her again. She didn't see Dylan or Jake, and wondered if maybe she'd imagined them walking in. All of a sudden, the next three stools emptied as the men who'd been occupying them paid and moved away. She looked at the empty seats for a long moment, feeling as if everything was in slow motion. She had maybe downed her first two drinks a little too fast.

Someone moved forward to take a stool, two someones, and Cassia lifted her eyes to their faces. The first guy, an arm full of tattoos, turned and smiled at Cassia. She smiled back. He had messy, short, brown hair and dark eyes, and his smile was wide. He was a player, she could tell.

"Hi. I'm Jake." He slid on to the stool beside her.

That was when she saw Dylan beside him, standing on his left side, gaping at her.

She wanted to laugh. Of course it was Jake Brown and Dylan Samuels sitting next to her. Of course she was already half-drunk and feeling fuzzy. "I know who you are."

Jake's eyes widened. "Really? I don't often get recognized."

She nodded. "Well, you're not a football player. But then, I've always been a bigger fan of hockey."

"Lucky for me." He leaned his elbows on the bar. "Can I buy you a drink?"

She shook her head, brandishing her still half-full glass at him. Then her eyes went over Jake's shoulder to Dylan, who'd slid into the next stool.

Following her glance, Jake leaned back and clapped a hand on Dylan's shoulder. "This is Dylan Samuels. Or did you already recognize him, too?"

Cassia shook her head. "I know Dylan."

Dylan met her eyes and smiled. "Hi, Cassia."

Jake looked back and forth between them. "You two know each other? How?"

"Long story." Dylan flagged the bartender and she stopped across from them. The guys ordered drinks and Cassia sipped hers.

Well, she thought. This is a pleasant surprise. Who'd have thought she'd ever sit beside Jake Brown and Dylan Samuels, drinking in a bar she'd been frequenting since she'd turned twenty-one.

"Come on, you guys have to tell me how you know each other." Jake took a long draw on his bottle of beer and his expression changed. "Wait, was it that speed dating thing?"

Dylan nodded, and Jake laughed. Dylan looked down at the bottle in his hands as his ears turned pink at the top. Cassia had to smile at that. He really was adorable when he was embarrassed.

"You told your teammates about that?" She leaned around Jake to talk to Dylan.

He shook his head. "I told Tristen, and he opened his big mouth."

Jake chuckled. "I think it's great. Dylan doesn't seem to have much luck with the ladies." He turned his gaze on Cassia, the look in his eyes changing. "Although, I guess that's changed."

Cassia smiled back at him. "Maybe it has. I certainly have no complaints."

Dylan's eyes widened and Jake laughed.

"Well, I'll give you two some space." Without another word, he slid off his stool, leaving Cassia leaning towards an empty spot, Dylan across from her.

"Hi, Dylan."

Dylan smiled, looking uncertain, but he moved onto Jake's vacated stool and Cassia straightened. "Have you been here a while?"

She shook her head. "No." The room spun for a moment. God, she was such a lightweight when it came to drinking. She pushed the half-finished glass away from herself. "I was at dinner with my family and needed a drink."

Dylan's eyebrows rose. "Really? That doesn't sound good."

She met his eyes, noticing, not for the first time, how blue they were. She also felt like she was leaning too close to him. Making herself sit up straight, she braced herself on the bar. "It wasn't a good dinner."

"Bad food?"

Cassia smiled and shook her head. "No. My mom is a great cook."

"What happened?"

Cassia sighed and propped her chin in one upturned hand. "Do you really want to know?"