My Southern Lover

Chapter 7 - Cassian

The agreement was six pages. Seven, if you include the part that had the non-disclosure agreement.

The whole thing was laid out on the table and each and every detail— the terms of the marriage, the publicity appearances made, the money deal, the duration, and most importantly, the clause making it well and clearly understood this was a business partnership and not a reconciliation—was there.

There would be no s*x, no shared accounts, and no interference in any of our private lives. This whole thing would last only a year and after that, we’ll end it like nothing ever happened in the first place.

My lawyer, Cyprus, read the contract terms as if he were reciting a play about courtrooms. I nodded occasionally, corrected some phrases here and there, tightened up the privacy terms, and requested a sentence stating that any emotional involvement would affect the legal terms of the contract.

He broke off after that. "You want to legally have emotional boundaries?"

"I want it all on record," I said calmly. Anything to make sure that snake of a woman didn’t manage to slither back into my life.

He pushed his glasses up his nose. "Okay, then," he said. “If you insist.”

We finished examining the draft and I told him to get it to Belle by morning.

Although the whole ordeal should be satisfying, it wasn’t.

---

I left the office and found myself walking downtown. I needed a different scenery than the four walls of my office I’d been seeing since.

Savannah hadn't changed much since I left it though. The place still had the same red-brick walkways, same wrought-iron balconies, same smell of roasted coffee and something sugary in the air.

I stepped into a corner café I couldn’t recall being there when I was younger. It was eccentric, with mismatched chairs and scrawled menu boards. It was the type of place Belle would have brought me to when I was younger.

Stop thinking about her, I told myself as I walked to the display cases.

“Good morning sir,” the over cheerful cashier greeted from behind the counter. “What would you like today?”

My eyes scanned the menu and finally, I settled on what I wanted.

“I’ll have a black coffee and two lemon almond scones.”

I must have not been as mean as I intended to be because the girl didn’t stop smiling at me. In fact, I didn’t think she even got my order.

“Ehem,” I said, clearing my throat to get her attention. That did the trick.

“Oh, sorry sir,” she said, shaking her head vigorously as if coming out of a trance. “Um… one creamed coffee and lemon tart coming up.”

“f*****g hell,” I muttered under my breath already fed up with how easily distracted she was.

“Black coffee and a lemon almond scone,” I said. “Please,” I added to not seem mean.

“Yes sir,” she said as she hurried to get my order. Five minutes later, I had my mini breakfast in my hand and as I turned to leave the place, I saw Selena.

She sat at a small corner table with a little boy beside her, playing with a chocolate chip muffin and babbling away at a mile a minute.

She had her phone on the table in front of her and her sunglasses perched on top of her blue head but she didn’t seem quite herself.

She looked... tense. As if she was waiting for something to happen.

I headed toward them before I could think better of it.

"Selena."

Her head jerked up.

She blinked once. Then twice as if finally registering my presence. "Well, if it isn't Gotham's finest."

I smiled. "Didn't figure I’d find you in a place like this," I replied.

She sipped from her mug. "We don't all live on steel and scotch, Mr. Brooding, dark, and mysterious. Some of us like to have caffeine with a bit of flair."

The little boy beside her turned then.

He had big green eyes and a rumpled flop of golden curls atop his head. A smudge of chocolate was next to his lips.

"Hi," he said, waving his sticky hand at me.

I stiffened.

It was like at that moment, my lungs didn’t know how to take in air.

Something shifted under my skin—hot and cold at once. A pulse in my chest that was too quick, too alive.

"Hello," I said, bending down to his level. "What's your name, little one?"

The boy's mouth opened but before he could say anything, Selena's hand flashed out and covered it.

"He's shy," she spoke quickly. Too quickly.

I gazed at her questioningly and arched an eyebrow. "He didn't look like he was shy, Selena."

"He's learning boundaries," she replied again.

I stood up again, looking at her. "He yours?" I looked at him again then, just to be sure, but he didn’t look anything like her.

Hmm, maybe he took his father’s looks, I thought.

She gave me a strained smile. "No, no. He’s my nephew."

I raised an eyebrow. "Didn't know you had a sibling.”

"I have a lot of things you don't know about, Mr. Thornwell," she said, glaring at me.

I looked down at the boy again. He was looking at me with big, curious eyes. But there was something there I couldn't shake. His chubby cheeks, the way he leaned back in the chair, legs swinging but head held high.

He reminded me of Belle when she was younger. Her hand in mine, laughing under the magnolia trees.

The resemblance was too uncanny.

"You sure he's your nephew?" I asked, the suspicion I didn’t bother hiding again evident in my voice.

Selena's jaw was tight. "Positive," she replied. “Why would I lie to you about something as important as that, Cassian?”

“Hmm,” I muttered. “Why would you indeed.”

The boy finally let go of her hand and grinned up at me. "I like your shoes, mister," he said grinning from ear to ear.

I smiled despite myself. "Thanks, kid. They're Italian."

He nodded his head vigorously at my answer. "Do you know what velociraptors eat?"

I blinked. What an odd question "Uh. Small mammals?"

"And lawyers," he added seriously. "My auntie says so."

I bit back a laugh. "Smart kid."

He glowed at that praise. "My name's Leo."

Selena stiffened and slapped a hand against her forehead, muttering something indiscernible, softly underneath her breath.

"Leo," I muttered softly.

Selena stood then, her movements swift. "Well, we're going. Big day tomorrow. First impressions and all that."

I nodded once, though my mind was still spinning with thoughts of the boy. "Don't be late," I told her.

"Won't dream of it," she replied.

She took Leo in her arms and moved toward the door.

"Selena," I said.

She turned halfway, and looked at me.

"Do you know if Belle knows you're babysitting him?"

Her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. "Belle knows everything." The boy waved at me again and I waved back. And then she was gone, the doorbell above the door clinking behind them.

I stood there for a moment, the coffee I’d ordered long forgotten in my hand.

Leo.

Leo.

My legs felt like lead as I walked away from that café.

And when I stepped out into sunlight, I discovered I was rubbing a hand across my chest as if I'd been punched by someone.