Page 84 of The Purest Fake

“How would you have reacted if I had?”

“I’d have made sure your boyfriend and I had a serious talk about treating you with respect.”

“Exactly. Which is why I didn’t tell you.”

“How serious was it?”

“I thought I was in love with him.”

“We went to the same college and saw each other all the time. How did I miss this?”

“I didn’t want you to know.”

“Shit, Cassie. You’re acting like I’m some asshole who would’ve made your life hell.”

“I wanted to keep that one to myself. You know the strict upbringing we had and the impact it had on us. Jesus, even when we were at college, everytime I called home, Dad made sure to remind me to remain faithful to God in all ways. People talk about the peer pressure you’ll face as a young adult but no one warns you about the parental pressure. I experienced that way more than I ever felt pressured by classmates.”

“You’re right. I did too.”

“Now that my dirty little secret is out, let’s get back to you.” Her scrutinizing gaze remains on me until I’m fighting an urge to squirm.

“I think you gave me enough to think over without adding more,” I say.

“Ultimately, the decision is yours.”

“You think?” I retort.

“If you had let me finish, I was going to say there’s something to be said for living without regrets.”

“I’ve always done that,” I defend.

“Yeah, you have when it comes to football. But Scarlett isn’t a pigskin, and catching her might not be so easy for you. If she’s what you want, you better start working on that before someone else does. A beautiful, intelligent woman like her won’t be single forever.”

After delivering her final shot, Cassie rises. “Do you want anything from the kitchen?”

“I’m all set, thanks.”

She walks from the room, leaving me to ponder everything she said. The living without regrets comment struck a nerve with me. Regret lingers and pecks away at you, keeping you a prisoner in its grip. It’s nearly impossible to break free from because self-forgiveness is the hardest form of forgiveness to earn. If I lose an opportunity for something lasting with Scarlett because I’m unwilling to risk our friendship, I’ll be drowning in regret. And that’s no way to live.

However, I also don’t see anything wrong with waiting and letting things progress naturally between us. If I confess how I feel about her and she’s not there yet, I could ruin my chances. Seems like even after speaking with my sister, I’m just as conflicted as ever.

I arriveat the studio with plenty of time to spare and find Scarlett right away.

“Cooper,” she calls out, smiling. “How are you feeling?”

Aside from a couple of brief texts the night before, we haven’t been in contact for a couple of days.

“I’m doing well.”

“How did your appointment go with Dr. Smith?”

“I can’t believe you remembered his name,” I say, laughing.

She shrugs. “My brain latches on to details. It’s probably from doing this podcast. So what did the doctor say?”

“He said it’s healing nicely and I’ll start physical therapy on Friday.”

Her lips spread in a wide smile. “That’s amazing. You must be happy with that news.”

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