Ashley, what girl do you think is going to end up winning Patrick?
Winning implies that he’s some kind of prize… Who are the contestants again? I feel like Mercedes had something to do with him recently, right? She’s been giving it up to pretty much everyone, though, so probably not her. I’d call that a lucky escape on her part, though.
I can’t thank all of you enough for everything you have done for me. I’m sad that I won’t get to spend the holidays with you, but I hope you all have an amazing time.
Thank you for welcoming me into your family and never making me leave.
NOTES ➝ Patrick and Cassie finally give in to their feelings.
Patrick was standing in the kitchen, smiling softly to himself as he took in the scent of the cocoa warming up in the pot. There had been a lot of things happening lately, which had caused the guy not to be able to see Cassie and Evie as much as he had wanted to, so now he had taken the decision and initiative to hang out with them. He was currently in the process of making hot chocolate for him and Cassie and he was hoping that they could sit down and maybe watch a movie or sort out Evie's birth book, as well as all of the pictures that had been taken of her. Patrick didn't care too much about what they did, as long as they spent time together. Hearing footsteps in the kitchen, Patrick turned around with a smile to meet Cassie. "Hey, I'm just making some hot chocolate. Grab a seat, it'll be ready soon."
Cassie had been so confused lately, about everything. She was confused about Patrick and her feelings for him, and she was confused about her parents using her daughter as a way to get their names in the media again. More than anything, she was confused about how anyone could not want to see someone as perfect as Evie, but the text she’d received from Brandon, simply stating: Saw your parents interview. Saw you kept it. WTF, Cassidy. proved to her that he really didn’t care, and it all just seriously sucked. A few texts back and forth, and Cassie had gotten herself so worked up that she’d told Brandon to meet her. She thought, if she could just get him to meet Evie, maybe he’d fall as in love with her as Cassie had. Maybe Evie would have her father in her life. Maybe they could be a family. No, Brandon wasn’t the one she wanted, but the person who had her heart was just her friend, and as Evie’s father, Brandon was the next best choice. She was shrugging her jacket on as she walked into the kitchen, Evie securely tucked up in her stroller. “I can’t. I have to go somewhere,” she said, her voice a little frantic, “Have you seen Evie’s hat? The white one.”
Patrick frowned as he saw how busy Cassie seemed to be. Was this all about the article that had been published, about her parents? Patrick started to grow worried, knowing how much it all bothered the poor girl. Turning the heat down on the boiling beverage, he shook his head. "No, I haven't," He said, before continuing. "Where are you going? What's wrong?" Patrick assumed that Cassie knew she could tell him everything, so he wasn't sure why she hadn't already told him what the whole deal was. "Are you okay?" He asked her, walking closer to her, seeing how Evie was all covered up, only missing her hat.
Cassie would’ve felt bad, if she’d really been thinking about it. Patrick was trying to do something nice, making hot chocolate that he apparently planned to share with her. She had to admit, a day inside with Patrick and Evie sounded so much better than anything else, but she’d gotten in her head about this now. There was a small pile of baby clothes stacked on the table, so Cassie walked over and began looking through it for the hat. “I’m going to see Brandon,” she said, her tone a mixture of angered and panicked. “Yeah, I’m fine. I just need to go see Brandon. He saw that stupid interview, he knows I kept her. My parents paid my father not to be in my life, and I’ve always hated them for it. If there’s a chance that Brandon could be in Evie’s, I’m not going to pass up on it,” she shook her head, huffing a little when she couldn’t find the hat. She brought her hand up to run her fingers through her hair in frustration.
Patrick felt his heart sink to his stomach just then. She was off to see Brandon? The guy who had completely abandoned her throughout the pregnancy, because he had been selfish enough to cheat on his own wife with Cassie. Throughout everything, Patrick had always had a bad attitude towards Brandon. He didn't like him at all; he had run out on Cassie and when he was around, he didn't treat her very well. Cassie deserved so much better than that. Seeing how frustrated the girl got, looking for the hat, Patrick walked up to her and grabbed her hand, making her look at him. He was frowning but as soon as his eyes met Cassie's, it softened and he felt his heart pick up. No, he couldn't be thinking that right now. "She doesn't need him. He doesn't deserve to be in her or your life," Patrick said, knowing very well that he probably shouldn't be saying these things right now, when Cassie already had so many other things on her mind. But he really didn't want her to go off and see him. Swallowing hard, he knew that he was going to get into trouble for what he said next, but he really couldn't help it. "I'm in her life."
Cassie knew that Patrick hated Brandon, and honestly, she really didn’t blame him. He wasn’t a good guy, but the part of Cassie’s mind, the part that’d been scarred by her parents and the situation with her real father all those years ago, was making her not think rationally right now. She just wanted Brandon to love Evie. She wanted her little girl to know that her parents loved her, something Cassie had never known herself. Still not thinking clearly, it caught her off guard when Patrick grabbed her hand, and she looked down at it a little surprised at first, before her gaze drifted upwards to meet his. Then he spoke, and then she was frozen. She just looked at his expression, at the way it softened when she’d looked at him. She looked into his eyes, the way they met hers and didn’t break that connection even for a second. Breaking out of her daze, she shook her head. “Yeah, Patrick, you are. But for how long? What happens when you get a girlfriend, and then you eventually have a baby of your own? Evie isn’t always going to be a priority to you. We’re not always going to be your priority,” she said, her voice soft and sad sounding, more so than she’d meant it to be. She shook her head again, attempting to shake her hand free. “I have to go.”
Patrick listened to her, knowing very well in his mind that he'd probably never really settle down, the way that he wanted to, unless it was with the girl of his dreams, who seemed to a lot more interested in the father to her baby. He knew how important it was to have a good father figure in one's life, but Brandon wasn't good. He wasn't even decent. He hadn't been interested at all in Cassie's pregnancy, so why would he be interested in Evie? Patrick knew that was harsh, but he also knew that he was much better for Cassie and Evie, even if it only stayed platonic. Shaking his head, he let go of Cassie's hand, his eyes locked on her still. "I'm not going to get a girlfriend, and I'm not going to have my own kids with her," He said, swallowing hard because all he wanted was for Cassie to be his girlfriend. "You're my best friend, you're always going to be my priority." He could feel his adrenaline kick in, in his body, wanting so badly to show Cassie that he wasn't going anywhere and that he was going to stay in her life for as long as she wanted him to.
Cassie wanted so badly to believe what Patrick was saying. She wanted so badly for she and Evie to always remain his priority, because she wanted them to be more to him than just his friend and his friend’s daughter. A part of her almost dared to wonder if he was feeling the same way, if that’s why he was so sure that things weren’t going to change for them. She knew it was a stupid thought, though. Why would he want this baggage? Regardless, Cassie could feel her heart rate picking up as she stared at Patrick, unsure of what was really happening here. “That’s not true,” she shook her head again, her eyes never leaving his, “I have to go, Patrick. Let me go.”
Patrick wanted Cassie to stay so badly, he could feel his heart break when she almost begged to be allowed to leave. He didn't want her to. In his eyes and mind, everything would go bad if she did. Of course, that was just Patrick's theory. In his eyes, everything had been so perfect while Brandon had been gone, Patrick had been able to have Cassie for himself, not having to worry about her going off to get hurt again by her ex. Now, she was off to see him again and all Patrick could think about was that she would end up hurt and confused and worried, because the guy would most likely walk out on them again. It was the last thing that Patrick wanted. "Please don't go," He said, stepping in front of her and in her way out of the house. "You're my priority." Patrick whispered, nodding to himself, before taking a step forward. He had no idea what he was doing; well, he did. But he wasn't sure where the courage came from; if it was his determination to see how much he prioritized her, or if his patience had run out. Whatever it was, it was about damn time. His hands grabbed Cassie's face gently as he leaned down, and his lips crashed against hers, passionately and hard, yet gently moving, his eyes closing as their lips touched. He could smell the apple-flavoured lipgloss. Her lips were soft against his, but they fit perfectly together, like two matching puzzle pieces. His heart was beating uncontrollably in his chest and a shiver ran down his spine as his hands moved from her face to her waist, holding her in place, before pulling away after a moment and breathing heavily, swallowing hard. He was so scared of what was going to happen, now that he had literally jeopardized his friendship with the girl that he was in love with.
Cassie was on the verge of just saying fuck it and staying. Deep down, she knew Evie didn’t need Brandon in her life, and Cassie didn’t need him either. It wasn’t going to be the same way for Evie as it was for Cassie. The little girl was going to grow up so loved by everyone around her; she didn’t need the sperm donor that was her father in her life for that. Cassie couldn’t help herself, though. She was in something of a frenzy now, and something was telling her to go. She took a step towards the door, though she was blocked by the very person she wanted to stop her. If anyone was going to do it successfully, it would be Patrick, because saying no to him had always been one of the hardest things for Cassie to do. Attempting to avoid looking into his eyes this time, she simply looked down, shaking her head. “No, I have to go,” she whispered, her voice sounding even sadder this time. She heard him speaking, she heard him call her his priority, and she wanted to believe him. She couldn’t bring herself to look up still, though. Not until she felt his hands on her face, of course, and her gaze flickered up to look at him, her heart beating faster in her chest. She’d barely even had the time to think about it before his lips were against hers, and Cassie could swear someone had let off fireworks around them, as cliché as it sounded. She’d thought about this moment many times before, but now that it was actually happening, she realized she hadn’t been giving it enough credit. It was so much better than she could’ve imagined. Patrick’s lips were soft but firm, they fit perfectly with her own, and she absolutely didn’t want this to end. When it did, both of them pulling back, she was truly speechless. She just looked up at him, breathing a little faster. Her eyes scanned his face for a moment, before she reached her hand up to grab a fistful of his shirt, tugging him gently closer and leaning up to press her lips hard against his once more.
Patrick was panicking inside. He had just kissed his best friend. His best friend for more than twenty years. He had never known someone like Cassie before, and had never stayed friends with anyone, for as long as he had with her. He had shared everything with the girl; reading for the first time, the first sign of facial hair, his college application before sending it off and his first real film. She had been there through everything that he had done and had had such an important impact on how he had turned out to be. She was his best friend and his everything; he relied on her when he had a problem or when he was sick. She was the first person he thought of when he woke up and the last when he went to bed. She was his muse for every project, without ever really telling her. She was his best friend, and he was pretty sure that she was also his soulmate. And now, he had taken a step forward and kissed her, and there could be so many consequences with it. She could not want it, which would make things awkward as hell, which could end up in her moving out with Evie. She could hate him for doing, not wanting to mess up their important friendship. Patrick was beyond scared to see her reaction, so when he opened his eyes, he just saw her scanning his face. Then he felt her tiny hand grab his shirt and pull him to her, and that's when he felt his lips against hers again. His eyes closed again as his arms wrapped around her tiny frame and pulled her closer. Their lips moved together in perfect sync as the violins in Patrick's head played the sweetest tune. There was something about Cassie's lips that Patrick wanted more of. They were sweet, soft and had an intoxicating-feeling to it; even after two kisses, the guy was addicted.
