Unscripted After

Chapter 14

The penthouse was quiet when they returned, too quiet.

Talia kicked off her heels and walked past him without a word, the soft rustle of her dress trailing behind her like a whisper of the storm still clinging to her. Her shoulders were stiff, her jaw tight.

Cassian watched her disappear into the open kitchen and followed.

“You looked… stunning tonight,” he said finally.

She didn’t turn around. “Thanks.”

There was a pause. The fridge hummed softly.

“Julian’s a d**k,” he added. “I should’ve stopped it.”

Talia shut the fridge a little too hard. “But you didn’t.”

He exhaled. “I wanted to. You have no idea how badly.”

“Why didn’t you?”

“I don’t know,” he said honestly, stepping closer. “I guess I didn’t trust myself not to start something I wouldn’t be able to stop.”

Talia finally turned to him. Her expression was unreadable, but her eyes burned.

“And Cassandra?” she asked. “You just stood there while she tried to lay claim on you, in front of me.”

“That wasn’t—”

“Don’t insult me,” she said sharply. “She knew exactly what she was doing.”

Cassian didn’t argue. “Yeah. She did.”

Silence stretched between them, thick with all the words they weren’t saying.

“You looked beautiful tonight,” he repeated, softer now. “So beautiful it made me uncomfortable.”

Talia blinked. “Why?”

He hesitated. “Because every time someone else looked at you, it made me want to throw something.”

A breath caught in her throat.

Neither moved for a beat.

Then she turned away again, running her fingers over the kitchen counter, trying to steady herself. “You don’t have to say things like that.”

“I’m not,” he said. “Trust me, I’m not in the habit of telling women I want to punch other men for looking at them.”

Her eyes met his again, unsure.

“I’m just tired,” she said quietly, suddenly feeling all the weight of the evening crash over her. “It was a lot.”

Cassian nodded. “Do you want me to leave you alone?”

“No,” she said, too quickly, then added, “I just... need to change. Get out of this dress.”

She started to walk away, but paused when he spoke again, low, steady, closer than she thought he was.

“Talia.”

She turned.

He lifted a hand, brushed a loose curl from her face, letting his fingers linger for a moment too long.

Neither said anything.

Then, like gravity pulled her, she took a slow step closer. The space between them shrank. Her breathing shifted, uneven, unsure.

“I’m not good at this,” he murmured.

“Me neither.”

Their eyes locked... something raw and unfinished flickering there.

And then she yawned.

Cassian huffed a soft laugh, and just like that, the spell broke.

“Go change,” he said, voice gruff. “I’ll queue up something dumb on Netflix.”

---

Later, they sat on opposite ends of the couch, a movie playing between them but barely watched.

Talia fought sleep, head bobbing slightly before she shifted upright again. He noticed. Watched. Said nothing.

By the time the credits rolled, her head had drifted onto his shoulder.

Cassian didn’t move. Didn’t breathe.

She was warm. Soft. Peaceful in a way he hadn’t seen her all evening.

He looked down at her, really looked, and something tightened in his chest.

Without a word, he lifted her gently in his arms, careful not to wake her. She murmured something he couldn’t quite make out, but settled into him without protest.

He carried her to her room, laid her down gently on the bed, and pulled the blanket over her.

For a moment, he just stood there.

Then he turned off the light, stepped back, and closed the door softly behind him, heart thudding, hands still tingling.