Somebody Like Me

Sixty Six: It’s A Lot To Ask

“Sergio?”

Sergio, who’d been quietly staring down at his feet, blinked a little at the sound of Cassie’s voice before he quietly shook his head, his dark eyes briefly glancing up at her.

It had fallen quiet, after Cassie had admitted that she’d been offered a job in Paris, the room had fallen into a tense and awkward silence, but Sergio couldn’t seem to force a sound of his mouth, even if he did hate the silence which filled the room, he didn’t quite know what to say to her. It had surprised him, the idea that she had been offered a job in Paris had knocked him for six, and he wasn’t quite sure how to react, even if it did feel as though the air had been knocked out of him. He couldn’t seem to force a single word out of his mouth.

“Sergio, amor, can’t you just say something?” Cassie protested softly “At this point, I don’t care what it is, I just want you to say something. Please?” she posed, gently shifting on the spot.

Sergio blinked a couple more times before he shook his head, a frown pulling at the corner of his mouth. “Paris?” he breathed softly “You…you’ve been offered a job in Paris?” he added, his dark eyes peeking into her greens.

Cassie held his stare for a brief moment before she nodded her head, dropping her gaze back down towards her feet. “I’ve been offered a job in Paris” she confirmed softly “But it is only for 6 months. I mentioned to my editor a while ago that I’d like to work abroad at some point and he offered me first refusal. He wants an answer by next week” she explained, her voice soft and sheepish. She knew that she had caught him off guard, one look at the expression that marked his face confided it, but still she wanted to talk about it, even if it had been a surprise. She wanted to know what he was thinking.

Sergio paced for a moment, quietly mulling over her words, before he shook his head. “You want to go?” he posed, the tone in his voice hard to place.

Cassie, who’d been watching him quietly, startled slightly at his question before she shrugged her shoulders softly. “I don’t know” she murmured softly “I mean, it’s come out of nowhere, and I’ve not really had a chance to think about it” she added, nervously twisting a strand of dark hair around her finger.

Sergio simply nodded his head quietly, something which caused Cassie to step towards him, her hand gently resting on his arm. “Sergio…”

“Six months is a long time, Cassie” Sergio interjected, cutting off the question he knew was coming “I mean, I know it isn’t forever, but it is still a long time” he added, his brown eyes briefly meeting hers before he carefully shifted his hand, knotting their fingers together.

Cassie nodded her head gently. “I know that” she agreed softly “It is a long time, but I think we’d cope. You’ve said it before, Sese, we’re good together, and I think we’d cope, even if it does take a little adaptation. I’m sure that we could figure it out” she added softly, her thumb gently brushing over the back of his hand.

Sergio watched the small movements of thumb for a second before he shook his head quietly, a small frown pulling at the corner of his mouth. “6 months” he repeated softly “You’d be gone for 6 months, Cassie, and I don’t quite know how that would work. I like us, Cassie, I like us as we are, and I don’t know that you going to Paris would be good for us. Things are so good right now, nena, the last few months have been great, and I think it is a lot to risk. And then there is Noah. I’d risk missing a lot in his life, Cassie. His first word, his first steps…these are things I’ve been looking forwards to and I know that I’d hate to miss them. You really want to do this?” he posed, his voice caught between annoyed and soft.

He knew that she was tempted, the look on her face as soon as she had bought it up had confided it, but he wanted her to see that it was a big risk. Things were good for them, they had been for a while, and he was worried that if she left then things between them would stumble, something he dreaded. The last thing he wanted was for things to fall apart so soon after they’d gotten engaged.

Cassie simply shifted her feet, something which caused Sergio to shake his head softly. “You want to go, don’t you?” he rephrased softly.

“I don’t know” Cassie replied gently “I mean, the offer caught me a little by surprise, but…but it is something I’ve wanted for a while. I know it is a huge thing to ask, Sergio, I know that I’d be asking a lot of you, but I’d…I’d like it if you could at least give it some thought. I’m not going to push for it, the last thing I want is to ruin what we have, but I’d like you to at least give it a little thought, even if you decide that you don’t want me to go. Can you give me that?” she posed gently, her hand lightly squeezing his.

She knew that it was a lot to ask, the idea of the two of them separating for 6 months was huge, but she wanted him to at least think about it, even if his answer was still that he didn’t want her to go, she wanted him to give it a little thought.

Sergio spared another glance down towards their hands, her words hanging in the air around them, before he quietly nodded his head. “I can do that for you” he mused softly “But, Cass, you need to know that I don’t like the idea of not seeing you for 6 months. I love you being here, I love coming home to you, and to Noah, and I don’t think that that is something I will be able to just give up, even if it isn’t forever. I love you, nena” he insisted softly.

Cassie quirked a soft smile at his words before she carefully leant into him, pressing a soft kiss against her lips. “I know that, Sese” she mused between light kisses “And I love you too” she added, her fingers lightly brushing a few loose hairs off of his forehead. Sergio closed his eyes at the touch, enjoying the light feel of her fingers against his skin, before he let out a soft sigh, not quite sure what to say. He knew what he wanted, from the second the words had fallen out of her mouth, he’d wanted to tell her not to go, but he knew that it meant a lot to her, even if she hadn’t said it, and he knew that that meant he had to at least give it a little thought.
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Thanks to Jayme112234 and FootieJo for the comments :)