Free Redemption by La Kuehlke

eyes, he willed himself to stand taller. He wasn’t going anywhere. Not today.
    They took the elevator to his room, and he swiped the key. Cassidy let out an impressed breath upon entering the suite.
    “It’s just a room,” he said, embarrassed.
    She looked at him and grinned. “No, it’s not, and you know it. Now, you sit there.”
    He obeyed.
    “Whatever happened in the parking lot still has me worried about you.” Cassidy wandered into the bathroom, and he heard her rummaging through his toiletry bag. “Do you have a thermometer?” she called.
    “No, why?”
    She peeked around the corner at him. “I’m going to take your temperature, naturally. You’re sick or something. Since we’ve come inside, you’re even more pale than you were before.”
    “I’ll be fine, really,” he reassured her. It wasn’t like it really mattered if he was okay. In the end, who would really care?
    Cassidy walked over and stood in front of him. Kneeling, she pressed one hand to his forehead, then his cheek. “You don’t seem warm.”
    Not there, anyway, he thought.
    “Really, I’m okay,” he insisted. She needed to take her hand away from his face. No, she needed to keep it there.
    “All this scruff,” she teased.
    “It was probably just a reaction to the cold. California is a bit warmer, you know.”
    “All right, if you insist.” She didn’t seem convinced, but instead of arguing sat next to him and looked around. “This room really is incredible. I think my entire old apartment might fit in here. Seriously huge. You must be doing really well.”
    “Oh sure,” he lied. “Everyone wants Bryan Roemer Photography. I’ve got to turn clients away.”
    She looked pleased, for him. “So, what’s next? Movie? Food? Shopping?” Cassidy smirked.
    “Do you want a drink?” Bryan asked.
    “Sure, but just water until I’ve eaten.”
    He got two waters out of the mini-fridge and sat beside her again. Now that color seemed to be returning to his face and he actually did seem to be better and she wasn’t so worried about him, Cassidy realized they were sitting on the edge of his bed. Suddenly she felt thirteen again, just like Carrie had accused her of feeling. She cleared her throat and stood to pull over a chair.
    “Thanks.”
    Bryan nodded.
    “So, tell me what you’ve been up to. Tell me all about your photography. Tell me about California,” Cassidy said. “I’ve never left the East Coast.”
    “Never?” he asked. She shook her head. “Wow. Well, I don’t really know where to begin. I suppose photography was a natural way to go. I’ve always loved it, have always been told I was good at it. Believe me, getting established wasn’t easy, but,” he paused and smiled, “there is something so amazing about being able to create. You know?”
    She nodded.
    A tiny spark was coming to life inside him.
    “I love capturing moments. Stealing them, I guess, and keeping them.” His voice was energized. He hadn’t thought about, talked about, photography the entire time he’d been with Mara. He frowned. She never really asked him anything about himself. She just kept him in bed.
    Not terrible. Talking could be overrated.
    “I think that sounds amazing,” Cassidy said.
    “Thanks. And California is pretty incredible, too. The sun, the beaches. I love to surf.” He realized he hadn’t been doing anything he loved in recent months. Again, the exception being spending time in bed with Mara. Still.
    Who was he anymore?
    “I’ve never surfed before. Maybe sometime you could teach me. You know, when it’s seasonally appropriate?” Her eyes were shining at the possibility.
    “I could do that,” Bryan said, realizing that a part of him wanted to. “Why don’t you tell me what you were saying before? When I was too much of a jerk to listen.”
    “I could do that.” She smiled again at copying his words. Cassidy pulled her legs up into the chair to get comfortable. “I wanted a fresh start, you know? So, for