Cassidy "Cassie" Mae Dylan, a childhood best friend to Aaron Hotchner. Best friends, but they both secretly wanted each other. While both went off to different colleges, they lost touch.
Ten years later, Aaron is the Unit Chief of the Behavioral An...
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Chapter 10, Shitty Days
September 15th, 2008
Cassidy's POV
"I'll take a rum and coke please." I say to the bartender. I sit down on the barstool, hoping to relieve the tension I currently felt.
As I wait, I think about everything that happened today. Today was overall just shitty. I was late, which never happens, lost patients, and I felt overwhelmed. Today wasn't my day, and there's no one to help me feel better.
Lucas and I broke up halfway through our freshman year of college. We'd gotten back together in April of '99 on spring break. However, with us going to two different colleges it was too difficult. We just were going two separate ways, and it was for the best. We still keep in touch, every so often. He's engaged now, and it makes me happy.
"Here you are. Is there anything else I could get for you?" The bartender asks, as he hands me my beverage.
I shake my head and say, "No, thank you." He leaves, and I take a few sips of my drink. I let the burning sensation of the alcohol linger down my throat.
I wonder how Aaron is. Aaron, now that's a name I'd wish to forget. We had our fun, but after the day I left for college, we never saw each other. Six years ago, I got a piece of mail from him. I knew then he'd talk to one of our parents to get my current address. Our parents still live in our childhood homes, they're retired now but they still do Wednesday dinners. I go over maybe twice a month and visit.
Anyways, the piece of mail was actually a wedding invitation. He was marrying the one and fucking only, Haley Brooks. He also put a letter in my invite, saying he hopes that I come but understands if I don't. We hadn't talked at all, but yet he invited me to the wedding. I sobbed for weeks, none of my friends knew why I was so down. I didn't go, I couldn't face him. Not a chance in hell, would I've gone.
However my parents did, and they silently cursed me out because of it. They knew I loved him, but they couldn't wrap their head around the fact why I couldn't go. I didn't want to watch the one person I've loved my entire life, vow to someone else about his eternal love for her.
I continue drinking my beverage, sucking it down quickly. I hadn't even realized. There were days I wish that I'd never chosen the medical field to go into. I minored in Criminal Justice, even have a degree in psychology. I thought about joining the F.B.I, but that's something I couldn't do. I didn't want the chance to run into Aaron.
I hear the door of the bar, ironically named Luke's, and I turn to face it in curiosity. I watch an older gentleman hold the door for a group of seven people. Two blonde women, a brunette woman, a younger looking sophisticated man, a dark-skinned man, and someone who I'd never thought I'd see again. Aaron. He hasn't aged much in ten years, still looks as hot as ever.
I quickly turned away, hoping he didn't see me. They were all dressed in formal work clothing. They must've just come from work. They sit at a round table behind me, and I can hear some of their conversation.
From what I heard, they just got back from a stressful case, and they wanted to spend time outside of the work-place setting together. It's like the team was a family. I smiled, knowing Aaron seemed to be happy. He has a team that acts like family, he has Haley as a wife, and he has a son.
I never knew he had a son until Jack, his son's name, was two. Both of our parents thought that he told me, but he hadn't. I had only found out when I was looking at the pictures on the mantle at The Hotchner's. I asked them who that was, knowing it wasn't Aaron.
"I don't know, ask Hotch." I hear a female voice behind me say. Hotch? He refused to let me call him that when we were younger, and now his co-workers call him that?
I couldn't sit at the bar anymore. My day went from shitty to even more shitty. I couldn't sit there overhearing bits and pieces of their conversation. I need to get out of there. I couldn't be there and feel my heart break even more. I wave the bartender over, and ask for my bill.
A few minutes later, he hands me the receipt and I pay. I get off the barstool, throwing my coat on. I wait for him to bring back the check, and he says, "Here you are Cassie."
I smile, and thank him. I frequent the bar, as I work just down the road. It's where most hospital workers went. I still wore the necklace that Aaron gave me. I wear it everyday, but I keep it tucked in my shirt. I get my card back, and I sign the paper. I gave it back to the bartender and I dropped my card.
It fell straight down, and I bent down to pick it up. My necklace fell out of my shirt, now hanging from my neck. I grab my purse, put my card in my wallet, and walk out. I didn't want to talk to Aaron, I had no need to talk to him. He was with people anyways, he probably didn't even recognize me.
As I walked out of the bar, I couldn't help but feel slightly guilty. I didn't know if I'd see him again, or if it'd be another ten years before I spotted him again. I let it go, and continued walking to my car. I pulled out my phone, and was playing some silly little game.
"Cassie!" I hear an oh-so familiar voice say. Shit, he did recognize me. I turn around, seeing the man that's become Aaron Hotchner.
"Cassie, oh my god. It's been so long! I never thought I'd see you again! How's Luke?" He asks, trying to make conversation. All it did was make me angry.
"It's been ten years, Aaron. Luke and I broke up freshman year of college. If you don't mind, I'd like to go home." I say rudely. I didn't mean to be that rude, but I let my emotions control me.
Aaron just stared at me, no emotion showing on his face. He let his job affect how he shows emotion. "Don't think you're getting away from me that easy. Not this time, Cassie Mae." He says, and I roll my eyes.
"You work for the fucking F.B.I. Aaron. If you wanted to find me that bad, you would've. Face the facts, and leave me the hell alone." I retort, and I turn back around and leave. Self-sabotage, the one thing I do best.
I hear heavy footsteps coming toward me, but I disregard them. That was until my arm was grabbed and pulled to spin me around. I'm met with the eyes I fell in love with. "I'm not going to leave you, not like last time." He says, and I can feel the pain behind his words.
He lets go of me and I compose myself yet again. I didn't know what to say, or do in this matter. "You're not leaving, I am. Goodbye, Aaron." I say, and I turn around and find my car a few feet away from where we were standing.
You did the right thing. You can't love a married man. Hell, you can't even be friends with him anymore. Honestly, he's no more than a stranger to you now. I hop in the car, buckling up, and zooming away fast. I just wanted peace, and that certainly wasn't peaceful.
When I arrived home, I sobbed. I didn't know what else to do. All the emotions flooded back to me like I was a teenager again. I set my purse on my kitchen island, and walked back into the bedroom. I stripped myself of my day clothes, to put on my pajamas. I returned to the living room of the apartment I lived in, and turned on the television.
Soon enough, I found a show I liked. I let the television run and I got a small snack from the cupboard and watched the show. As a couple hours passed, I found my eyelids becoming more and more heavy. I eventually let my eyes shut completely, falling asleep on my couch.
