“That’s not necessary, Cass,” I interrupt. “The last thing this old guy needs is his father-in-law trying to bail him out. I can guarantee Coach would extend my consequences just out of spite.”
She frowns but doesn’t bother arguing, instead sliding under the blanket and settling in with a long sigh. I tuck the blankets around her, leaning over her to kiss her cheek. “I’m going to get cleaned up. I’ll be right back.”
Her eyes are already closing as she nods. I turn off the light on her bedside table, leaving most of the room in shadows. I walk to the bedroom door, lock it, then head to the bathroom where I splash water on my face then brush my teeth.
Returning to the bedroom, I bypass my side, instead walking around the bed to check on her. Noticing the drawer on her bedside table is slightly open, I slide it closed then turn my focus to her. She’s curled in on herself, her hands tucked beneath her chin. Pulling the blanket up, I tuck it around her, squinting at something she’s gripping between her fingers. Gently, I give the end a tug, revealing an old worn shoestring, tattered and frayed.
My heart cracks in my chest, and I choke back a sob. Deep anguish rolls over me at the nightmare Cassidy was born into, of the trauma she survived for what equates to a fifth of her life.
Rubbing my thumb along the string, I give up on controlling the burning behind my eyes, allow the pain I feel for Cassidy to run amok. A few tears spill over, a mixture of sadness and rage that I currently have no direct outlet for.
Cassidy shifts on the bed and I blink rapidly until I see her peering up at me. “I always thought my mother gave that to me,” she whispers, her hand reaching for the string I’m still holding. I hand it to her, then swipe at my damp cheeks, slightly embarrassed that she caught me in the middle of my emotional outburst.
“You don’t have to hide from me,babe,” she murmurs, a small smile on her lips. “Your emotional intelligence is one of the sexiest parts of you.”
“One of, huh?” I tease, looking for a distraction from my melancholy because while a touch of emotion is fine, the last thing she needs is her husband boohooing on the floor in her honor.
Her giggle is muted, but it sends a zap of warmth through me, and I find myself smiling down at her. “What do you want to do?”
She says nothing for a moment, her eyes searching mine as if she’s going to find the answer there. But then she says, “I want to speak to her.”
“Which her?”
“My mother,” she responds after a brief pause.
“Then you will.”
She smiles faintly, her eyes closing on a heavy sigh. I wait a few long minutes, watching her body relax, listening for the even breaths indicating she’s truly sleeping this time.
Squatting down next to the bed, I brush her hair from her cheek, lean in and kiss her forehead.
Then I stand, make my way out of the room as I reach for my phone.
And I call Declan Hughes.
39
BLANKET FORTS AND CONFIDANTES
CASSIDY
I'm notsurprised to wake up the next morning and find Issa once again positioned at the end of the bed waiting for me to wake.
I glance over to the corner of the room to find Jessica perched in the same chair she had been in previously. This time thumbing through a different gossip rag, her legs resting on the arm of the chair, her feet swinging back and forth lazily.
They both glance at me and though I'm sure they know that I'm awake, they remain silent, waiting for me to speak first. I take my time, allowing my eyes adjust to the light, waiting to see if the dull ache in my chest increases or abates. When it does neither I accept that this is my new baseline, at least for now, so I roll over onto my side, curling my body around so that Issa is in my line of sight as I whisper, "I take it he called Declan?"
Issa nods but says nothing so I add, "Ren is with him now?"
Again, Issa nods then says, "Apparently they had business."
"Did he tell you what happened?"
She shakes her head. "No. It's not his story to tell."
I swallow the sudden lump in my throat, torn between being relieved that he didn't share the information and being disappointed that he left it up to me.
"Jessica?" I say and then wait for her to look at me before continuing, "What can you tell me about Lilith?"
