An Unexpected Love, Amber Riel [i have read the book .txt] 📗

“Matthew Table?” Brandon asked, raising both eyebrows with interest.  He was use to girls lying to him about guys they supposedly liked or having a fake boyfriend but Cassie’s lie wasn’t believable compared to the others.

          “Yea.”

          “So tell me about Matthew Table…. What kind of guy is he?”

          “Well he’s cute, honest, funny, and he acts like a bad boy but he’s really just a sweetheart.”

          “Oh…. Really?”

          “Yea…. He’s everything you’re not.”

          “Wow.”  He led Cassie to believe that he was falling for her lie.  “He sounds like a cool guy.”

          “Oh…. He is.”

          “It’s been more than a minute,” Brandon replied, looking at the clock on the stove.  “We shouldn’t keep my brother waiting.”

 

 

          Chris looked at a few pictures which hung on Brandon’s wall.  He smiled at one where Brandon had Laura on his shoulders.  It had been taken the summer before at the beach.

          Cassie and Brandon walked back into the room.  Brandon had an arm wrapped around Cassie.

          Chris turned to face them.  “Well, what were you two doing?” he asked, jokingly.

          “We were just talking about what we were going to do with Laura.  She’s going to stay another night then we’re going to have to bring her somewhere or do something so she won’t be bored,” Brandon reassured him.

          “Yea right.”  Chris smiled.

          Cassie kind of laughed at Chris’s expression then looked at Brandon.  “Your brother has jokes.”

          Brandon returned the smile.

          Chris checked his watch.  “Well, I better get going.  Jessica’s going to be mad if I’m late for our date…. You know how that is?” he asked Brandon.

          “Yea…. Cassie gets pretty mad when I do that.”

          “Well, I’ll see you two later.”

          “Okay.”

          Chris left.

          “So it looks like I’m back in your room tonight and you get the couch again,” Cassie told Brandon, heading up the stairs.

 

 

          Laura sat on the couch, watching a show on Disney Channel.  Brandon walked in and sat next to her.  Laura looked up at her uncle and smiled.  “Is Cassie going to hang out with us again?” she asked.

          “Yea…. She is actually.”

          “Cool.”

          Brandon kind of laughed.

 

                                                            *****

          Cassie moved her clothes and other things to Brandon’s room.  She was starting to feel like she was at home but at the same time she missed her friends and family.  It was kind of hard for her to wake up knowing that her kidnapper was the only person she would see from dawn to dusk.  She already met his brother and his brother’s family in one day.

          She had to lie to Brandon.  She couldn’t keep her mind off of that kiss.  It was unexpected and unbelievable.  Some part of her wanted him to kiss her again but the other part was trying to tell her it was wrong and he was a dangerous man.  Confusion filled her thoughts.

 

 

          Cassie walked out of Brandon’s room, carrying her toothbrush.  She walked into the bathroom and closed the door.  She turned on the facet and let her toothbrush get damp.  She stared into the mirror.  The reflection had an image of Brandon standing next to her.  She looked around the empty room, relieved she was alone but confused.  “Get over it, Cassie,” she told herself.  “You don’t like him.  He’s dangerous no matter how cute he is.”

 

 

          Cassie walked into the living room.  Brandon glanced over at her.  “We’re about to play Candyland.  Would you like to join?” he asked.

          “Sure.  I haven’t played Candyland in a while so you’ll have to tell me how to play.”

          “Alright.”  Brandon turned his attention toward Laura.  “Can you go get it or do I need to get it?”

          “I’ll get it.”  Laura stood up and left the room.

          “We’re not really dating and yet she thinks that you’re the coolest girlfriend I’ve ever had.”  Brandon smiled.

          Cassie kind of laughed.  “Really?”

          “Yea…. If her parents like you, then maybe I’ll propose,” he joked.

          Cassie laughed a little harder.  “So is this all you do when Laura’s here is stay home and play Candyland?”

          “Yea…. Every now and then, I’ll bring her to Chucky Cheeses and places like that but we usually just stay here.”

          “Why?”

          “Well, I like to have the phone close to me and well my cell don’t have any minutes…. Well, I just like knowing that if I need to call someone, then I can just rush over to my phone…. So far I’ve been lucky.  Laura’s been pretty good but just in case.”

          “Oh.”  Cassie was starting to see the soft side of Brandon.  It was hard for her to believe that the man who sounded tough at the bank had a sweet, kind hearted side to him.

Movie Night

Later that night, all three of them sat in the kitchen. They tried to figure out what they could do for the night. “Laura, what do you want to do?” Brandon asked.

          “Can we watch a movie?” Laura answered with another question.

          “Yeah, go get ready for bed, while we choose the movies that you can pick from,” Brandon told her.

          “Okay.” Laura left the kitchen.

          “Oh… so… we’re going to watch movies tonight? Is this considered our first date?” Cassie asked with sarcasm.

          “Oh no… a first date with me is going to rob a bank,” Brandon shot back.

          “Was that supposed to hurt me or you?” Cassie stood up and began to leave the room.

          “Where are you going?” Brandon asked.

          “Going to change,” Cassie answered. “I’ll be right back.”

          “Okay. Meet me in the living room.”

          Cassie left the room.

 

 

          Cassie walked into the living room where Brandon was kneeling on the ground, laying out digital video disk. “What movies do you have?” Cassie asked, sitting next to him.

          “Disney movies and other videos for kids,” he answered. “Here.” He handed three movies to her.

          Cassie took the moves and read the titles. “Why don’t we watch Beauty and the Thief? Or maybe Snow White and the Seven kidnappers? Or my favorite The Lion Killer?” she asked with a spiteful tone.

          Brandon held up another movie. “Or maybe we can watch The Annoying Mermaid?”

          Cassie dropped her mouth. She couldn’t believe he was playing along.

          “Cat get your tongue?” he asked.

          Laura walked into the room. “What are you two talking about?”

          “Nothing.” Brandon stood up and took the movies away from Cassie and placed them on the table. He laid them out so Laura could see each one. “Which one?”

          “Beauty and the Beast,” the child answered.

          “Okay.” Brandon took the movies, except for the one which Laura had picked, and placed them back in the entertainment center. He walked back over to the table and picked up the movie.

          “Can we sing-a-long with it too?” Laura’s sweet little voice asked.

          Brandon smiled and walked over to the digital video player. “Why not?” he opened the case of the movie then pressed a button on the player. Once he placed the movie into the player, he pressed the button again, and he grabbed the remote. He walked over to the couch.

          Cassie sat on the opposite side of the couch.

          “Cassie, you should next to Uncle Brandon,” Laura told her.

          “No. He’s your uncle and you can sit between us,” Cassie answered.

          “I’m not sitting down until you sit next to Uncle Brandon.”

          Cassie smiled. She could tell that the little girl was joking and she laughed. “Okay.” She moved next to Brandon.

          Brandon placed his arm around her. “We have to make it look good,” he whispered in Cassie’s ear.

          “I know,” Cassie replied.

          “Cassie, you should sing as Belle,” Laura told her.

          “Okay,” Cassie replied.

          “Uncle Brandon, you should sing as the guys and I’ll sing as everyone else,” Laura continued.

          “Ok-ay.” Brandon locked eyes with Cassie. “You know the songs?”

          “Yeah. I love Disney movies and the songs. The songs are quite catchy.”

          “You have no life.” Brandon laughed and he pressed a button on the remote.

          Cassie rolled her eyes at him.

 

 

          After they all sang the first song, they all laughed. Cassie looked at Brandon and played with her hair. “You know the songs?” she asked.

          “Yeah,” Brandon replied with a smile.

          “You have no life,” she replied.

          Brandon continued to smile. He noticed how quickly she had used his words against him. “Actually, I watch this movie with my niece almost all of the time. This is one of her favorite movies. See I have a better reason than you.”

          Cassie smiled and dropped her mouth. “This must be one of your favorite movies as well.”

          “Well it’s not bad,” Brandon admitted.

          “Does this movie make you cry?”

          “What kind of question is that?” Brandon laughed. “I don’t cry at any movie not matter how sad it is… I just get something in my eye.”

          Cassie went to reply but decided against it. Her smile grew.

 

 

          “Oh. I love this song,” Cassie said when the music began playing. She sang along with Belle. Brandon laughed, watching Cassie jump into character.

          Brandon waited. He had to get the timing right before continuing the song. The one thing that popped into his mind was that he was starting to feel something for Cassie. The feelings had started after the kiss from the night before but how could he tell her after all he did kidnap her and she did watch him kill someone which was an accident but she didn’t know that. Still he had no way to show her that he wasn’t a bad guy and get her to love him. Something about the Disney movie had helped him realize that. There was a lesson and he felt like someone else.

 

 

          Laura had fallen asleep somewhere in the middle of the movie and Cassie and Brandon were still watching it. “I think that this is one of the best parts of the movie,” Cassie said with a small sigh.

          “Why do you say that?” Brandon asked.

          “Well, Mrs. Pott’s sings while they dance. It shows how they’ve grown closer and that they’re falling in love.”

          “But she was his prisoner, how could she love him?”

          “It’s a fairy tale. In fairy tales, you have to expect it. Not only that, he’s not a monster that she thought he was. He’s sweet and kind.”

          Brandon smiled. There wasn’t anything for him to say. For him things were starting to feel like the movie, but he didn’t know if she felt the same or if she would ever feel the same way about him.

          “If you ask me,” Cassie paused, “Gaston is the real monster.”

          “Oh… who am I?” Brandon asked.

          “What?”

          Brandon realized what he had asked but didn’t mean to actually say it out loud. He had to think of a lie fast. “Nothing… I thought we were playing a game… forget I said anything.”

          Cassie stared at Brandon with confusion.

 

 

          The movie had finally ended. Cassie stood up and walked over to the digital player. She stopped the movie and went to press a button.

          “You can leave it in there. Laura will wind up playing the games that are on it anyways.” Brandon had stood up and moved over to Laura. He picked