The day had finally come. Well, almost.

Today was the last day before I left tomorrow morning. And then the day after that, I would be on a train to college – the college of my dreams, the dream I had worked my whole life to get to.

And now that it was here, I was scared and nervous.

The week had flown by before I had even had a chance to blink. I had stayed mostly in my room, working on the assignment that was proving to test my very last brain cell to its fullest capacity, but at least I had been isolated from the one person that I suddenly became very aware of that I was leaving soon.

– The person I realized I had become too addicted to.

Laying in my bed that morning, I stared out of the window, at the clear sky that was slowly rising and painting the landscape a reddish-orange color. The clock told me it was only 5.34am, but I had been awake for hours, tossing and turning.

Judgement day had come, hadn't it.

Closing my eyes, I squeezed them together as the aching in my chest I had been suppressing all summer came back now as my mind circled the topic. This time there was no period to save me from the truth. The truth I had been denying to protect myself.

But you couldn't fucking hide from karma, could you.

It was laughable, really, when you thought about it. I had been supposed to come here to get pregnant with a man whom I was supposed to swindle out of his good mind, and yet the tables had been turned and I was left with a scrambled mind and a heavy feeling of having been fooled.

By Richard. By Harry. By fate and by my fucking heart, but mostly by my stupid self.

– For not caring to admit that the game I had been playing all summer had always been doomed to end badly.

Sighing, I rolled onto my back now and felt a tear roll down to my ear as I turned my eyes towards the ceiling.

I had fallen for him. I, Cassandra Berry, had foolishly fallen for a man who was not only out of my league, but out of my world. And I had ignored all the signs to try and stop it.

The aching in my chest had been there every time I was in his vicinity, every time he looked at me, touched me, or even when he gave me one of his sarcastic remarks and infuriating lectures. He challenged my mind and he challenged me as a person, but I liked to think I also challenged him with my ways. My crassness, for example. And my lack of shame. I even think he in some way liked that I wasn't shy and always told him what I wanted. Or rather showed him, so to speak.

In the beginning of the summer, I had sworn that I would make him come undone. At the time, it had been more of a cheeky challenge, but somehow overtime it had become... a need. I needed him to come apart—to give me what I wanted so I didn't have to hopelessly pine after it.

But he didn't. He hadn't. So I had kept on pretending I didn't feel anything either, and now, here we were.

But I just couldn't cope any longer.

It had been driving me insane, not being able to crack him and hear him say the things I wanted him to say. When we were together, like a few days ago in his office, his eyes and his touch spoke a million things... but the next day, he would look at me as if I was still just a houseguest, occupying his guest bedroom.

How could a man be so passionate, yet so inattentive to feelings?

I snorted at myself as I wiped a stupid tear away from my cheek. It wasn't like I wanted a big, grand love-declaration. God, no. Just a sign that he was feeling some of the same things I was feeling when we were together – a simple sentence or a single word would be enough.

But he never did.

The worst thing was, I knew it right from our first big argument. That night in the basement, where I had gotten into his liquor stash, he told me the next morning he didn't do feelings.

He just didn't give them the time of his day.

And that, in a nutshell, was why I had continued to ignore the feelings that I had been building up all summer long. He hadn't given me any definite signs that the feelings were mutual... hadn't given me enough of a reason to bare my heart... So I had kept to what had always been the unspoken deal; sex only.

He didn't feel that way about me. And if he did, I would've hoped he would've been man enough to tell me, to fight for me and let me know so I could tell him the same, but he hadn't. And before anyone said 'why don't you just say it yourself, you big wuss?', it was because I had everything to lose and he had nothing.

He was a fucking mathematical genius. He was a grown man, set in life and he had everything he could ever want and need attainable within his grasp. If he wanted me, he could have me.

But me? I was barely a college student, broke as shit and new to this whole adult-fuckery the world pushed on you. I had everything to lose if I gave him my love this young and it was unrequited. Besides, I would look like a fool. 'Hey, remember me, the woman who originally came here to fool you and make you get me pregnant? Well, I've fallen in love with you now and I would like for you to ask me to stay.' Yeah. Not likely.

But even if I stupidly did... what would be the point?

I was going to college and he was staying here. I was about to start my life and he was already knee-deep in his. Our lives ran on two different paths and I just couldn't see how they were supposed to meet up, even if...

Maybe that had been the main reason I hadn't said anything this whole summer. Why I had ignored it, but at the same time still painfully hoped he would say something... and getting let down doing so.

Today was my last day. The last day to survive, the last day to bury my feelings and pretend this summer had been nothing but educational and purely professional, if not a little naughty.

And that's why, swallowing my tears and giving myself a mental slap, I put my armor on and got out of bed for the last day.

The last time.

~~~

Freshly showered, I came downstairs right after my last breakfast in bed, served by a smiling Giselle who expressed how dearly she would miss me. I had asked her to stay and eat breakfast with me, simply because the company had been nice and hearing someone actually say they would miss me was nice. So I shared my fluffy blueberry pancakes and split my fruits.

I was now heading down the stairs with my tray, a job I had insisted on doing the whole summer, since the staff worked hard enough as it was and I was perfectly capable of bringing down my own dishes. I therefore walked steadfastly towards the kitchen, nudging the door open with my shoulder when my hands were full. "Good morning, guys!"

I halted in my steps when all four people in the kitchen turned around to look at me; Jean, who with his white chef-outfit smiled and shot me a wave, his sous-chef, Claude, who did all of the prepping and chopping, Giselle who had left me after breakfast to go fetch Harry's breakfast tray, since he seemed to be incapable of doing it himself, walking across the grand foyer and into the kitchen to return his dishes.

– But that turned out to be incorrect today, as I walked in on the three usual kitchen staff... and Harry talking to them.

Conversation stopped when I stepped in, and Harry, like the others, turned to look at me as I stopped in the doorway with my tray. I didn't know why I was so surprised. I just couldn't remember ever seeing Harry in the kitchen before, except for the other night.

Or, maybe it was because I hardly ever saw him outside his office, unless there had been an important cause for him to be elsewhere. Like when handmixers got away from you or when houseguests swam alone and naked at night.

"Oh," I finally got out, dumbly. I shifted a little on my feet, but then saw Harry lift a brow when I hesitated. "This is a surprise. You're never here."

"I was just speaking to Jean," Harry turned towards Jean who gave a nod when Harry provided him with a look. "About tonight's menu."

"Tonight's menu?" I questioned, lifting a brow.

"I figured since you are about to go live and thrive on the nutritional diet that is the ramen noodle-soup college special, I would make sure you're sent off with at least one last hardy meal," Harry drawled, Giselle cupping her mouth not laugh from the corner. I was tempted to follow her lead.

"Oh. Right," I nodded, pressing my lips together. "Is that your bullshit way of saying we're having a farewell dinner together tonight?"

Giselle now let go of a snort, and to my own bemusement, I saw Harry purse his lips. If he was gonna stand there and be sarcastic with me without expecting a comeback... "How does 7.30 sound?"

"7.30 is perfect," I replied, grinning when he clenched his jaw. "The food better be the best I've had all summer." Excluding his dick, of course.

"I'll leave that to Jean," Harry gave a last look to Jean, who nodded firmly and offered a broad smile.

"Of course! I will whip up something special."

Harry nodded, but then walked towards me – towards the exit. "See you then."

"I can hardly wait," I dramatically voiced as he walked out quietly, probably shaking his head at me behind my back. I didn't bother to look, but merely grinned to Giselle who could finally let her giggle escape.

"I think that's a good of a dinner proposal as he is capable of making," She voiced, chuckling as I handed over my tray to her.

"Well, it could've been worse," I sighed, shrugging my shoulders. "He could've asked like the Beast, from Beauty and the Beast."

Although to be honest, if he had asked like that, the naughty side in me might've just replied, yes daddy, just to see him choke on that.

~~~

I worked all day on the seventh assignment, determined to meet my promise to finish it before tomorrow. I was struggling hard, but mostly because my concentration kept flickering.

What Giselle had said earlier in the kitchen had for some reason stayed with me, but mostly because of something that she had said a few weeks ago.

'Mr Devon never eats with others, unless he's with a colleague.'

Except for the first day here, where I guess he only ate with me to bust my whole act and tell me he knew about what his brother had planned, we hadn't eaten a single meal together, except for when I had forced my company upon him. Like the lunch we had and the cake I made. But now we were having dinner together and he was making sure it was a good one. Why?

Was I reading too much into this? Were these my emotions taking over again or was there actually some secret meaning behind tonight? Was he trying to make it special because there was something he wanted to say to me, or was he merely being his gentlemanly self and bidding me a proper farewell with a nice dinner?

It was probably the latter, but the ache in my chest only intensified if that was true. It was hard to ignore it when the signs kept coming up, but the words never left his lips.

So if tonight was him finally setting the theme to saying something...

No. I couldn't... I wouldn't get my hopes up, because even if I did, it would mean nothing. Or it would, but... God. I couldn't find heads or tails in this anymore. I wanted him to just say it, to acknowledge something had happened this summer, just so I could leave not feeling so... empty. So... stupid.

– Even if we couldn't stay together, I just wanted him to tell me this summer had meant something to him.

That I had.

Pushing out a shaky breath, I looked down at my assignment and then at the clock. It was almost dinner time and I was a mess. Glancing over at all of my packed bags, I squeezed my eyes shut and forced myself to shut it down.

I was leaving tomorrow. It didn't have to matter unless I let it. Just take the experiences with you, treasure them and then move on with your life. That's all you have to do.

Unfortunately, I didn't have the same practice shutting down my emotions as Harry did.

Twenty minutes later, I was dressed for dinner and walking down the stairs. I hadn't known if I was supposed to put on something special, so I had simply put on the same dress as I had worn the first day I came here, the flowery summer dress without straps. It was comfortable for a big meal and without a doubt, Jean had cooked up a storm that would keep me fed till Thanksgiving.

Coming to the foot of the stairs, I headed towards the dining room when the smell was making my mouth water. I had barely entered before I halted in the door, surprised.

"I've been here for three months now, and in the past 24 hours, you've been more outside of your office than you been the whole summer," I remarked, just as Harry looked up from staring into some papers.

Wearing a brown pair of pants and a dark green shirt that brought out the amber in his eyes and the umber tones in his hair, he offered me a smile and got up from his seat by the dining table when I came in, crossing my arms. "Cassandra."

"I'm not late, am I?" I said, wondering how long he had been sitting here. From the looks of the scribbles on his papers, at least a few minutes.

"You're perfectly on time," He replied, pulling out the chair next to his for me to sit. I was definitely feeling some trepidations running through me as I sat down, letting him tuck the chair under me. "I came early to make sure dinner was coming along."

"And is it?"

"I'm assuming that's your way of saying you're hungry."

"Well, not to be forward, but if they don't serve dinner soon, I'm gonna eat you instead." And that was my way of saying he looked edible. And if his silent chuckle was anything to go by, he understood.

"I guess we should get the appetizers out, then," He replied, before turning his head towards the kitchen doors. And then, as if having telepathic powers, out came Giselle with two plates of food.

"This is a cream soup with shallots, portobello mushrooms and parsley," She presented as she placed the food in front of us, along with a basket of bread. My mouth definitely watered now.

"Thank you," Harry politely offered, just before Giselle smiled and bowed out. I glanced after her, but then down at the soup.

"This almost feels like a restaurant," I laughed nervously and grabbed my napkin. This almost felt like a date. The ache in my chest came back. Harry, what are you doing?

"I asked them to make a big meal, not a big deal," Harry sighed and did like me, taking his napkin and placing it in his lap. "I guess they don't know the distinction."

"Or chose to ignore it," I bid in, biting my lip, before taking my spoon. This food needed to be inside me now.

Seeing Harry's lips twitching, we both dug into our food and tasted the soup. I moaned not-so-subtly and I didn't give a damn as I swallowed and went in for another spoonful. Holy shit, what did Jean do to this? He had to have gotten the pope to bless this soup or something, because it tasted that heavenly.

"I presume you like it?" Harry noted when I kept moaning to myself. I chuckled and nodded, forcing myself to slow down and grab a piece of bread.

"It's good. Like, really good. I don't know what you're paying Jean, but it's definitely not enough. He needs a raise."

Harry smiled a little and took another sip of his soup. "I'll be sure to remember that."

The soup was almost enough to distract me from the fact that all of this was smalltalk and just warmup to something bigger that I felt was brewing. This dinner had to mean something, because despite the fact that I was acting casual, there was a tension I couldn't deny. But for the sake of appearance, I kept the façade up.

"So," I said, breaking off a piece of bread while trying to keep my voice normal. "Have you found a new project to keep you busy, now that I'm not going to be here to disturb you anymore?"

Harry sipped the white wine in his glass and waited a beat before replying. "Very diplomatically put. And no, I'm still browsing, so to speak."

"So what was that thing you were looking at before I came in here?"

"This?" He pointed to the papers laying beside his plates. He gave a vague shrug with his shoulder. "Just some past notes I was revising. Prevention of boredom."

"I see," I noted, sipping my own glass of wine. "God forbid not doing math for a day."

"Speaking of which, how is the last assignment coming along?" He conversed, taking a piece of bread for himself.

"I was actually working on it before dinner. It's coming along, just... very slowly," I replied, giving a sigh. "But I promise it's still going to be done before I leave. I have until tomorrow morning, after all."

"There's no pressure, Cassandra."

"Well, I'll consider it practice then. You know, for college. I'm guessing there'll be some pressure coming that way."

"Presumably," Harry replied, after a short moment of chewing. I smiled back, silently.

The conversation died for a moment and it only amplified the tension as we slowly finished our soups. I kept glancing discreetly towards Harry for signs of something, but he was acting normal and like nothing was out of the ordinary. Except everything was out of the ordinary.

"Are you all packed for tomorrow?" He then finally spoke up.

"Yeah," I replied, smiling a little. He gave a curt nod back.

More silence.

Thankfully, Giselle chose that moment to come back in and clear our plates out to make room for the main course. A marinated, seared piece of tenderloin with mesclun greens on top. Sauce on the side and the most inviting salad I had ever seen in my life. And that came from a meat-lover.

"Looks delicious," I said, smiling up to Giselle who smiled back. "Give Jean my compliments, please."

"I will," She grinned, before leaving us once again to eat. Harry picked up his cutlery, but I couldn't take this any longer. I reached for my wine glass to break the tension.

"I'm gonna make a toast," I said, seeing Harry lift his eyes. "Don't worry, it's going to be a short one. And I won't make it corny."

He slowly put down his cutlery and instead reached for his wine. "God forbid," He mimicked me.

Ignoring his remark, I shook my head and then took a deep breath. "– To a great summer that started up a bit rocky and to be frank, kind of fucked up. But somehow it all turned out better and... it's been a summer I think I'll always remember," I said, softening my voice a little. "It's been great staying here and it's been... great getting to know and learn from you, Harry. Even when you were being an asshole."

He chuckled quietly, but allowed me that comment with a nod. "Thank you."

"But now summer's almost over," I said, feeling my stomach twist as I came closer to my point. "And since I'm leaving tomorrow... I just wanted to say a last few words and express my gratitude for giving me a chance. And for giving me... well, this summer."

Harry looked back at me, and for a moment, I thought I saw something inside his eyes change. Just for a second, but then he lifted his glass and nodded. "All the same to you, Cassandra. It's been a pleasure having you stay here. Scams and schemes included."

I laughed dryly, but felt my heart clench in my chest. "I didn't get the money, but I got the scholarship. I'll take what I can get," I joked, giving him a teasing smile. He chuckled back. "So! To going to college and to you staying rich!" I cheered, before sipping my wine and putting it down. My chest was aching so hard, I almost couldn't hold it back any longer. Just a little while longer.

Harry sipped his wine with a measured look, but then lowered his glass and his eyes. "That's the thing my family never understood."

I lifted my gaze and frowned ever so slightly. "Huh?"

He smiled faintly, but then he sighed and leaned back. "Money does not make you rich. That's only an illusion. You aren't rich until you have something money can't buy."

My breath slightly froze, but I wasn't sure why. Maybe because his words were sincerely true, or maybe it was because of the way he had said it... sadly.

"And you have something like that?" I whispered, feeling my heart beat firmly in my chest as he slowly lifted his eyes and looked at me.

"I don't know," He then replied, his voice low and solemn.

I felt my breath stutter and I was officially not okay any longer. I hoped it wasn't showing on the outside, because the last thing I needed right now was to crumble.

But why did I want to be that 'something' so badly?

Taking in a deep breath, I forced my emotions back into their little black box where I had kept them for the past few weeks. It wasn't like me, being this... emotional. I had never been the girl to pine after a man and I wasn't going to start today.

But leaving tomorrow would hurt like fucking hell.

But maybe it was a necessary pain.

"Well... at least you have math," I said, breaking the silence when none of us had spoken for a few minutes. I saw Harry smile, but it seemed mostly polite.

"Yes, I suppose."

Asshole.

I tried not to show my anger and my pain, but mostly because... because it wasn't really Harry I was angry at. It was myself.

For expecting him to be the brave one of us, for putting these things on him that I wanted him to say when he clearly didn't feel the same way.

– I was angry at myself for giving myself hope that this dinner would be his moment to confess.

But it wasn't.

"Cassandra?"

"Huh?" I looked up and realized I had zoned out. Harry was looking at me with a small crease between his brows and eyes that pierced me too closely. "What?"

He watched me for another moment, but then clenched his jaw a little. "Are you sure you're ready for tomorrow?"

I almost laughed. Almost. Because that almost sounded like a backwards way of saying 'are you sure you want to leave?' but I very well knew now he didn't have the guts to say it.

Because he didn't feel it.

"Of course," I therefore replied, screwing a perfect smile on my lips as my heart silently shattered. "Why wouldn't I be? There's nothing stopping me from going, after all, is there?"

And to that, his eyes stopped piercing me and turned away. He picked up his fork and knife, and with a calm voice replied; "No."

Coward.

– But was it me, or was it him?

~~~

Nothing happened. The dinner had been successful or a disaster, depending on how you chose to look at it. To me, it was all the same.

The clock on the bedside table showed 2.03am and I was shaking as I gathered up the last of my assignment papers and stuffed them into the folder.

It was done. The last assignment was done. Whether or not it was correct, I didn't know, but I had finished it and that meant... there was officially nothing left for me here.

In less than 10 hours, I would be in a cab, on my way home before I was off to college, and this whole thing could finally be put behind me. This whole summer... the lessons... the assignments... Harry.

Harry.

Clutching my pillow and pressing it to my face, I wanted to scream. I felt the furious tears pressing in the corner of my eyes well up, but I forced them to stay down as I gasped in some shallow breaths.

God. I thought I knew what unrequited love felt like, with my mom never having been able to give me what I needed. But after this? Shit, this was a new kind of pain, and let me tell you, it consisted of anger, aching, the urge to scream, punch, hit and then cry until you felt stupidly pathetic about how you could be so... foolish.

This wasn't me. I wasn't this person. I was Cassandra, I was fucking strong. I didn't need a man's love. I didn't need his confession. I didn't need...

Fuck.

Gathering my folder up and grabbing my robe, I swung it on and then headed out of my room in a fast march, going down the marbled stairs.

– There was still one thing left to do before I was done here.

Walking up to his office, I opened the door and stepped in, only to find the room bathed in darkness. For once, when I needed him, he wasn't here.

I was just about to turn and defeatedly leave when a small light behind the protruding bookshelf suddenly caught my eye. I followed it cautiously and suddenly I was headed towards new direction.

Taking a deep breath, I rounded the bookshelf and slowly stepped into his cluttered bedroom. The writing was on the wall (literally and metaphorically) and there, in the bed... was Harry.

He sat perched up against his headboard, a book in his hand and glasses sloped on his nose as read whatever the book contained. At the sense of movement from the door, his eyes flicked up.

Meeting my eyes, I lingered in the doorway and bit my lip hesitantly as nerves suddenly washed over me. His bedside lamp was the only light burning in the room, and it highlighted the flat, yet carved plains that was his bare chest, and the deep, tired hollows beneath his eyes; The eyes that were watching me, waiting for me to speak or move.

"I finished it," I finally stated, swallowing hard as I decided to step in, moving forward slowly. "I finished... the assignment."

Stopping at the foot of his bed, I held the folder out to show the finished assignment, and watching his eyes drop to the movement, he let go of a slow sigh and closed his book. Perching it on the side of his bedside table, he then extended his hand and beckoned me closer.

His eyes stayed on mine as I came forward, climbing in on his bed, rather than going around it to hand him the folder. I crawled up to his side and placed the folder in his hand.

"I finished it," I repeated, as if to solidify the meaning.

I was done here.

His amber eyes softened ever so slightly in the light. With a slow movement, he then took off his glasses. "Cassandra..."

And that was all it took.

Launching at him with a furious, yet desperate cry, he caught me as if he had expected it. The moment he spoke my name, my restraint snapped, and I clasped on to him with fervor and rage.

The assignment fell to the floor as his hands grasped me and held me in place as my body climbed into his lap and my lips found his, brutally. I heard his low grunt as I bit into his lip, before taking them in a hard, punishing manner. The next second though, the wrath melted away from my veins.

His mouth responded to mine, and with not a shred of restraint did I feel his hands slide to my sides as my own clawed at his chest for leverage. His hands slid up and buried themselves in my hair, gripping my neck and my hips as I practically shoved him into the bed.

But he wasn't resisting. In fact, I felt as the heavy bulge beneath the covers pressed harder against the crevice between my legs as his lips kissed mine back. I registered my own hands ripping at my robe, peeling it off and shucking it away on the floor, but I also sensed hands helping me and exploring my shriveling body the moment the thin barrier was gone.

His hands soothed the chill of the cold night air as I felt them skim down my body, the same time the covers between us were ripped away. I came in contact with his bare flesh and my body noticeably shivered at the feel, especially as I sensed the feel of one of his hands traveling down and cupping my rear.

A feeble whimper came from me before I could stop it, and before I could stop anything else as well, I was already clinging to Harry as I felt my hips grind for what they wanted.

It was the moment I felt us work together to make it happen, I felt the air get knocked from my lungs; The moment I sunk down on him and we both expelled a hard breath, I knew it was game over.

One of us had broken this summer, and it hadn't been Harry.

But tonight, I did.

• • •

Breaking is the easy part.