Listen up Cause This Is Not the End

(Vic's POV)

"Victor! Go check on CJ! She didn't come down yet," Jaime said to me, seeing I was already halfway up the stairs.

"Okay," I replied.

"Cassie?" I said, knocking on the door.

"Yeah?" she asked, her voice shaky.

I opened the door to see her crying.

"Cassie girl! What's wrong?" I asked, running up to her and wrapping her in my arms.

She just pressed a button on her phone, then held it up to my ear. I took it, grabbed her hand and listened. It was a voicemail from Ronnie, saying he's sorry and he loves her. He started crying, I heard his voice change in the middle. When it ended, I hung up and hugged her tighter. She cried into my chest, and I tried to comfort her.

"Cassie, why are you crying?"

"I don't wanna forgive him, but I do! I'm confused! Part of me is still pissed, but the other part wants to go back to him!" she yelled, slightly muffled in my chest.

I stroked her hair and said, "Well, you don't have to make a decision today. Take time to think about it. If you wanna go back to him, then do it, but do it tomorrow. If you wanna take some time to date someone else," I looked into her eyes when I said that, "then that's fine."

She sniffed, "Thanks, Vic."

"No problem," I said.

we hugged and she wiped her eyes, then went downstairs. I watched her walk.

I hope she doesn't go back to him. She's been with him for six years, I want some time with her. Actually, I want to marry her. I've been in the friend zone for a long time, Why can't she see that her and I were meant to be? Oh, well.

I got up and walked downstairs to see Cassie kissing Jaime on the cheek multiple times, making him laugh.

"What the hell, Cas?" I laughed.

"I don't know! I'm happy right now," she said, running toward me and kissing my cheek multiple times.

I laughed more and she kept doing it.

"Okay, that's enough," I said, grabbing her hands and dropping them.

"What's wrong, Vic? You don't seem happy, and you didn't seem very happy when you came in to see me, either," Cassie said.

I dropped one of Cassie's hands, still holding the other.

"It's nothing," I said, "I just, have stuff on my mind."

She looked at me then said, "Okay, but if you wanna talk about it, just know that I'm here for ya."

She walked out of the room and into the kitchen. I heard the fridge door open, and I sat on the couch, Jaime was staring at me.

"What?"

He scooted closer to me and said, "What's going on with you? You're acting different. Ever since CJ came ba--" he stopped and his eyes lit up, a smile on his face.

My eyes widened, "You wouldn't."

"Oh, I'm not going to tell her, you are. I don't like Ronnie, so she needs to get over him, and you're how she's gonna do it. Tell her how you feel."

"Jaime, she just got out of a relationship, she's gonna say she's not ready," I said, inspecting a hole in my shirt.

"I know, but you have to make her attracted to you. Make her see you in a different light, walk around shirtless, flirt with her, ya know?" Jaime said.

I sighed and said, "Okay, I'll do it. I, uh, dropped a hint before, but I don't think she got it."

"Then keep dropping it. She'll get it sooner or later. Hey, her food's done cooking, so I'll leave you two alone. Go get her, tiger," Jaime said, patting my thigh then going upstairs.

Cassie walked into the room with a toaster waffle on a plastic plate and sat down near me.

I scooted closer to her and asked, "Ya feeling better?"

"Yeah," she said, folding the waffle in half and taking a bite.

"So, you're single now," I said.

"Yep," she replied, taking more bites.

"Do you, um, have your eyes on anybody yet?" I asked.

Stupid, stupid! Why did I ask that?

She finished the waffle, put down the plate and said, "Well, I'm not sure yet. I mean, I've always had celebrity crushes, but some are too young, or too old for me."

"Yeah... So, why not check the friend zone?" I asked, immediately regretting it.

Ahh! That's basically saying, 'Hey, Cassie! I like you, so date me!'

"The friend zone, huh?" she repeated, obviously thinking, "Not a bad idea. Who do you have in mind?"

Me.

"Um, I don't know. Who do you think is worthy enough to date the beautiful and talented Cassie Jordan?"

She laughed, "Beautiful and talented? You're sweet, hun. And, I have someone in mind."

"Who?" I asked.

"Someone..." she said, "Someone that's been in the friend zone for a long time now and I've always thought he'd be a great boyfriend because he's a great friend. I just don't know if he likes me back, and I'll be embarassed if he doesn't. I'll feel stupid."

"Cassie, if he doesn't like you, he's the stupid one, not you. Tell me, I wanna know. Do I know him?" I asked.

She nodded her head.

"Is he in this house?"

She nodded again, and my heart started racing.

"Is it Jaime?"

She shook her head.

"Mike?"

She shook her head again.

"Then who is it?"

"It's..." she trailed off and looked at the stairs, then gasped quietly.

I looked at the staircase and saw him.

Tony?