CHAPTER 138: FOR A NEW BEGINNING

When Cassidy saw who was calling her, the smile on her face instantly disappeared. A hint of disappointment crossed her face when she realized it wasn’t the person she had in mind.

"Hey..." she said softly as she answered the call from Xavier.

"Hi, Cass. I hope I’m not bothering you?" Xavier’s voice came through, a little cautious.

"No, not at all. What is it, Xav?" Cassidy sat down on her bed.

"Ah, I was hoping to see Claire. It’s been a while since I last spent time with her, so I thought I’d call and ask if I could visit her today?"

Before, whenever Xavier asked something like this, Cassidy would immediately said, ’Of course, you can visit Claire and play with her anytime you like.’ But this time, for some reason, she hesitated.

It wasn’t that Cassidy didn’t want Xavier to see Claire. It was just... Zeke had been coming over to her apartment almost every day. And things felt different now. Xavier’s role in her life made things feel a bit awkward, especially after she and Zeke had just confessed their feelings for each other.

What if Zeke showed up while Xavier was there?

She knew how possessive Zeke could be. Just the thought of it gave her a headache.

But more than anything, Cassidy felt guilty toward Xavier. Like she owed him an answer—soon. She didn’t want him to think she was taking her time because she was unsure, or worse, because she was giving him hope.

Cassidy let out a heavy sigh.

"Of course. You can come, Xav. Claire misses you too. What time were you thinking?" she asked.

"Around 1 p.m., maybe?"

"Alright. I’ll let Claire know you’re coming."

"Thanks, Cass," Xavier said before ending the call.

Cassidy sighed again and rubbed the back of her neck, suddenly feeling drained.

She picked up her phone again, this time to call Zeke. She needed to tell him about Xavier’s visit.

Zeke picked up on the third ring.

"Hey, did you dream about me last night?" he asked, getting straight to the point as soon as the call connected.

His question instantly lifted Cassidy’s mood, which had taken a dip after Xavier’s call. She smiled and said teasingly, "Unfortunately, no. I waited for you in my dream, but you never showed up."

"That’s alright. If I couldn’t make it into your dream last night, I’ll make sure to show up in tonight’s," Zeke replied, his voice sounding serious, like he was in the middle of a meeting.

The contrast between his tone and his playful words made Cassidy laugh out loud.

"Alright, I’ll be waiting for you tonight... in my dreams," Cass replied playfully. "Are you getting ready for work?"

"Yeah. Just got out of the shower. By the way, why did you call? Did you miss me?" Zeke teased.

Cass let out a soft scoff and smiled. "Yeah, I missed you. But that’s not why I called."

"Oh? I thought that was it. So, what’s the reason then?"

Cassidy adjusted her voice, trying to sound as casual as possible. "Well... Xavier called me earlier. He said he wants to come by and hang out with Claire today," she said, nervously biting her lip.

Zeke went quiet for a moment.

"Xavier called you? And he wants to come to your apartment and spend time with my daughter?" he said, his deep voice turning serious.

"Yeah. And I said yes. You’re not mad, are you?" Cass asked, staring up at the ceiling.

She could hear Zeke let out a heavy breath on the other end.

"I’m not mad. Just... jealous, I guess. I know Xavier has played a big part in your lives. And I know how close he is to both you and Claire. That’s what makes me feel a little jealous and a bit uncomfortable."

Cassidy stayed quiet. She didn’t know what to say, because deep down, she understood why Zeke felt that way.

"But it’s okay," Zeke continued honestly. "I don’t want to keep Claire away from Xavier. I know how much she loves him. And I don’t want to make her sad by taking him out of her life."

"Thank you," Cassidy said softly, grateful that Zeke is trying to understand.

She knows it’s not easy for him to accept Claire’s bond with Xavier. Especially before Claire knew Zeke was her father, she was so close to Xavier, like a daughter to her dad.

"Is my princess still sleeping?" Zeke asks, clearly trying to shift the topic to something lighter.

"Yeah, she’s still asleep. Probably still tired."

"Have you had breakfast yet?" he asked.

"Not yet. I’m about to."

"I’ll eat now, then head straight to the office. I’ll call you once I get there."

"Okay. Take care on the way."

***

After hanging up the call with Cass, Zeke rubbed his temples. His headache started to come back, probably because of that sudden wave of jealousy. He grabs his medicine from the drawer beside the bed and takes it right away.

Zeke knows he needed to get used to Xavier being around Claire and Cass. It won’t be easy, but he’ll try. After all, he believes Claire still loves him more than Xavier. And Cassidy is almost his again.

If Xavier ever tries anything with Cassidy, Zeke won’t just sit back. He’ll show him who Cassidy really belongs to. Just the thought of it already makes his blood boil.

He got ready for work, had breakfast, and left for the office with his driver.

Once he arrived, Zeke called Andrew into his office.

"Yes, sir? Is something wrong?" Andrew asked as he walked toward Zeke’s desk.

"I need you to find me a large piece of land. Empty, quiet, and with a beautiful wide view—somewhere like the countryside or an open farm."

"A land with a view? What do you need it for?" he asked curiously.

"I want to build a new home on it. A real one. For a new beginning."

Andrew blinked. "Wait... are you getting married?"

"I’m working on it. So go find that land as soon as possible. I want the house built quickly," Zeke said, his tone firm and urgent.

Andrew nodded in understanding. "Is the house for you and Cassidy to live in?"

"Of course. Who else would it be for if not me and Cass?" Zeke replied, sounding a bit annoyed.

"So... you two are really back together?"

Zeke gave a small smile. "Yeah."

"Congrats, man. You finally won her heart. I’m really happy for you," Andrew said with a grin. As someone who had seen how broken Zeke was after the divorce, he felt happy.

Zeke finally found his happiness.

"Thanks."

"So, when are you planning to get married?"

"As soon as possible."

"You better come up with a good proposal if you want Cassidy to say yes."

Zeke raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Oh? What kind of proposal did you do when you asked your wife?"

"I surprised her with a fancy dinner and hid the ring inside her dessert," Andrew said proudly, clearly pleased with the memory.

Zeke frowned instantly. That didn’t sound like a great idea to him. Was there really nothing better? Do women even like things like that?

***