“I’m glad you moved in with us,” I said later in his car on the way home.
“I’ve really improved since you’ve been around.”
“I’m truly glad to hear that,” he said.
“Do you feel like telling me about your brother’s accident?” he asked cautiously.
“I’d rather not,” I said.
“You’d only find me repulsive afterward.”
“I highly doubt that, but I won’t push it,” Cas said.
I just nodded.
I gave a soft sigh.
Anything more than friendship would never be in the cards for me.
Cas really didn’t nag me about Victor, but he didn’t show any signs of wanting more than friendship, either.
I assumed he was seeing girls, but he did it very discreetly, just like Dominic, and I was grateful to both of them for that.
There was no way Cas would want a girl as repulsive as me, but I didn’t like the thought of seeing him with someone else.
One Saturday, I’d just finished cleaning and my home workout when a photo flashed on my phone: Cas falling asleep at some dining table.
Then another one followed where he was about to “cut his own throat” with a butter knife.
I laughed and texted back that it would be over in a few hours, and if he ate his fill, at least I wouldn’t have to feed him.
“Thank God the day is over,” Cas said as he arrived shortly after the photos and closed the front door behind him.
He was always in a suit for these events—no tie—and he said they usually ate at an elegant restaurant.
I had to admit, he looked good.
“Was it really that bad?” I asked, turning off the TV.
“You saw the pictures,” he said.
“That’s how engaged I was in the family conversation.”
“Be glad you have a family,” I said.
“Anyway, get dressed,” he told me firmly.
“I want to show you something.”
“We don’t usually go out on Saturday nights,” I remarked.
“Trust me, you won’t regret this.”
He went to his room to change as well before we headed down to his beat-up little car.
“Tonight, you start learning how to drive,” Cas said, steering us toward a deserted parking lot.
“This is an industrial site,” he explained.
“It’s been sitting empty for years.”
“Is it safe?” I asked.
He nodded with a smile.
“My parents mentioned today that someone’s going to redevelop the place, but until then, it’ll be vacant.
It’s perfect for us,” he replied.
“Come on, swap seats.”
I climbed into the driver’s seat and started pumping the lever to raise it.
He just burst out laughing.
“Need a booster seat?” he teased, but the moment I turned the key, the engine roared to life instantly.
“See?” I asked with feigned condescension.
“It loves me.”
“That’s not fair,” he grumbled.
“No matter how I beg, it doesn’t give a damn about me.”
“You threaten it,” I said.
“That’s not the same thing.” I laughed.
“Telling it you’re going to push it into a ditch isn’t ‘begging.'” He laughed along with me.
I pulled away, driving slowly in circles around the empty expanse.
“Now, try parking right there, between those two crates or whatever they are,” he said, pointing to two large boxes on either side.
I started to maneuver into the spot, but I misjudged the distance.
I gave it too much gas and crunched right into the crate.
Cas burst into laughter.
“Oh my god,” I gasped.
“I’m so sorry.
I’ll pay for the repairs.”
Cas got out to inspect the damage.
“It’s not a big deal, just a dent in the bumper,” he said, still smiling.
“It doesn’t matter much to this junker anyway.”
“If you keep talking to it like that, it’s going to stop starting for you eventually,” I laughed.
Cas made me keep practicing.
It was already dark by the time I managed to pull between the crates successfully, both head-first and in reverse.
“Next time we’ll move the crates closer; you could fit a semi-truck in there,” he said with a grin.
I nodded.
After we swapped back and headed into the city, Cas took me to the movies.
If I weren’t so repulsive, maybe we could be more than just friends.