Letting Go of Us (Anchored Hearts Vol. 3) Read Free

fall to the floor and
scream. Instead the words continued to fly out of my mouth. “I
don’t know who to be more disgusted with. You’re pathetic.” She
seemed to be speechless and I turned and headed for the stairs.
“You can forget about the job, too. I won’t be made a fool anymore
by you or him.” I had to get out of there before James showed
up.
    As my foot hit the first
step and then the second I was jerked backwards. Turning, I saw
that my purse strap caught on the railing. I wasn’t aware of the
tears I was shedding until they ran down my cheeks. Melissa came
closer and tried helping with my caught strap as my tears began
blinding me.
    “ Cassidy!” It was James
and then I heard the front door close.
    “ Dammit.” I couldn’t
clearly see the stairs due to the tears, as I attempted to get down
them. My strap gave way right as I tugged on it
violently.
    His figure came into view
just as my foot missed my intended target. One leg went out in
front and the other behind me as I grabbed for the railing. I was
unsuccessful at catching myself and the room tumbled around my
vision as I rolled down the stairs. Pain seared me and I could hear
him calling my name as my back crashed against the stairs and then
everything went black.

 
    C hapter 2 ~ H eartbeat
     
    ~ JAMES ~
     
    Refusing to take the call,
I listened as Smith laughed at something Cassidy said. He then
tried coaxing her to come to the office. As I listened to the
conversation I became slightly nervous. Why was she so insistent
upon seeing me?
    “ Dammit.” Smith put the
phone in his pocket and glared at me. “Did you change the
codes?”
    “ No, why?”
    “ She’s at the hotel and
headed to the penthouse.”
    FUCK! “God damn that
stubborn woman.”
    He glared at me, arms
crossed over his chest, “Isn’t this what you wanted? Her to move
on.”
    “ Not like this.” We both
knew if she found Melissa there that it would crush her. I still
hadn’t told her that Melissa was staying with me. Cassidy would be
heartbroken. Maybe it’s what needed to happen to get her to let go,
but why did I feel so sick about it? “I have to stop
her.”
    “ Why don’t you just admit
that you want her? Things would be a lot easier for
everyone.”
    “ Wanting her has never
been the question. You know what she did, what she said. There’s no going
back.” Smith was the only person I’d confided in about Cassidy
using her safe word on me.
    Smith just shook his head.
“You and your stupid rules. Make some new ones. If you love
her…”
    I was out of the room
before I could hear the rest of what he had to say. Riding down the
elevator, I dropped down, my legs bent, and released a guttural
groan. How was I ever going to get her out of my head, my heart,
and my soul? Loving her from afar was my penance. Maybe Smith was
right. What could be so important that Cassidy was willing to wait
for me until I showed my face? Maybe she wanted to stop the
divorce? I shook the thought from my head. Dreams weren’t something
that came my way.
    I opened the door to the
penthouse and heard her raised voice coming from upstairs.
“Cassidy!”
    The door slammed behind me
as I made my way toward the staircase. I glanced at Melissa, in
nothing but a towel, fucking
perfect, as Cassidy stood at the top of
the stairs. I saw it happen even before she was aware of it. Her
foot slipped, as she lost her balance her body flung back against
the railing as her body tumbled over itself and down the stairs. I
was helpless to stop it from happening.
    She landed at the base of
the stairs and I carefully gathered her in my arms. “Cassidy, baby
are you hurt?” She wasn’t moving or responding to me. No, no,
no.
    “ James, be careful. You
shouldn’t move her.” Melissa was running down the stairs toward
us.
    I glared at her, “What did
you do?” Looking back down to my angel I pleaded with her, “Talk to
me, Blackbird.”
    “ James, her purse was
stuck, I was trying to help. I