when she heard it, the confirmation as he had put it, and then watched in horror
as he took a picture of the blood that was still fresh on the sheets.
“I thought you said it was a lie?” she whispered, and clutched the sheet
tighter around her. “Something Gunnar had just made up ‘cause he didn’t
want me to be with you.”
Jake dropped the phone when he heard her voice, picked it up from the floor to
shove it into his pants pocket, and sat up slowly. “It was just me and
Brandon having some fun that’s all, it’s not what you think.”
“Oh that’s a relief,” Cassie was trying hard not to lose it. “Since I was
thinking that you didn’t care about me at all and just tricked me into being
with you so you could win a bet.” She walked over to him and waited, for
something, anything. Instead he just started to put his pants on like
nothing that important really just happened.
“I told you it’s not a big deal,” he zipped up his pants and finished putting
his shoes on and headed for the door. “I’m hungry. You want
anything?”
“Umm, nope.”
“Okay then.” He opened the door and looked back at her. “I’m supposed to
meet Brandon and the guys so we can head over to the park and celebrate grad
night together, I’ll give you a call.”
“I won’t hold my breath,” Cassie mumbled as the door clicked shut. She
bit her bottom lip to keep it from trembling and looked around at the sleazy
little hotel room that Jake had booked for them. According to him it was
perfect because they could have their special night together and then take the
shuttle straight to Disneyland and still celebrate Grad Night with their
friends. Apparently that was code for him bailing and leaving her in a seedy
room in a terrible part of town so he could go party with his friends. After
all, she had lost hers. Wes was already gone and Gunnar…
She looked over at the blood red stain in the middle of the bed and started to
cry for real. First for what an idiot she’d been and then for all of the
ways she had screwed things up. This should have been one of the happiest
nights of her life. She had graduated at the top of her class and should
have been with her best friend celebrating Grad night with hundreds of other
seniors from around the country. She picked up the phone and called the only
person that would help her no matter how much of a failure she had turned out
to be.
“Can we please just go, this is a bad idea,” Cassie pulled at her sister’s
sleeve but she wouldn’t budge.
“No way.
You have had everything else taken from you tonight, and we are going into that
park to find that loser. First were going to hit some rides and have some
fun, and then we are going to get down to the business of making that weasel
pay.”
“I really just want to go home,
Lonnie.”
Her sister
stopped walking and turned around. She grabbed Cassie by the shoulders
and forced her to look up. “I know you’re mad at yourself right now, but
I am so proud of you.” When Cassie tried to pull free she held her tight.
“Listen to me. I never got the grades like you did and I sure as Hell didn’t
get a full ride scholarship to UCLA. You have worked your butt off these
last four years and you deserve to enjoy this. So you had a blind spot
where that creep was concerned. It won’t be the last time you make a
mistake Cass, but I know you and I can see whatever does happen you won’t make
that kind of mistake again so give yourself a break.”
Cassie reached up and hugged her
sister with everything she had. “I love you.”
“I love you too little sis, now
let’s go on some rides, and eat some junk food and stay up all
as he took a picture of the blood that was still fresh on the sheets.
“I thought you said it was a lie?” she whispered, and clutched the sheet
tighter around her. “Something Gunnar had just made up ‘cause he didn’t
want me to be with you.”
Jake dropped the phone when he heard her voice, picked it up from the floor to
shove it into his pants pocket, and sat up slowly. “It was just me and
Brandon having some fun that’s all, it’s not what you think.”
“Oh that’s a relief,” Cassie was trying hard not to lose it. “Since I was
thinking that you didn’t care about me at all and just tricked me into being
with you so you could win a bet.” She walked over to him and waited, for
something, anything. Instead he just started to put his pants on like
nothing that important really just happened.
“I told you it’s not a big deal,” he zipped up his pants and finished putting
his shoes on and headed for the door. “I’m hungry. You want
anything?”
“Umm, nope.”
“Okay then.” He opened the door and looked back at her. “I’m supposed to
meet Brandon and the guys so we can head over to the park and celebrate grad
night together, I’ll give you a call.”
“I won’t hold my breath,” Cassie mumbled as the door clicked shut. She
bit her bottom lip to keep it from trembling and looked around at the sleazy
little hotel room that Jake had booked for them. According to him it was
perfect because they could have their special night together and then take the
shuttle straight to Disneyland and still celebrate Grad Night with their
friends. Apparently that was code for him bailing and leaving her in a seedy
room in a terrible part of town so he could go party with his friends. After
all, she had lost hers. Wes was already gone and Gunnar…
She looked over at the blood red stain in the middle of the bed and started to
cry for real. First for what an idiot she’d been and then for all of the
ways she had screwed things up. This should have been one of the happiest
nights of her life. She had graduated at the top of her class and should
have been with her best friend celebrating Grad night with hundreds of other
seniors from around the country. She picked up the phone and called the only
person that would help her no matter how much of a failure she had turned out
to be.
“Can we please just go, this is a bad idea,” Cassie pulled at her sister’s
sleeve but she wouldn’t budge.
“No way.
You have had everything else taken from you tonight, and we are going into that
park to find that loser. First were going to hit some rides and have some
fun, and then we are going to get down to the business of making that weasel
pay.”
“I really just want to go home,
Lonnie.”
Her sister
stopped walking and turned around. She grabbed Cassie by the shoulders
and forced her to look up. “I know you’re mad at yourself right now, but
I am so proud of you.” When Cassie tried to pull free she held her tight.
“Listen to me. I never got the grades like you did and I sure as Hell didn’t
get a full ride scholarship to UCLA. You have worked your butt off these
last four years and you deserve to enjoy this. So you had a blind spot
where that creep was concerned. It won’t be the last time you make a
mistake Cass, but I know you and I can see whatever does happen you won’t make
that kind of mistake again so give yourself a break.”
Cassie reached up and hugged her
sister with everything she had. “I love you.”
“I love you too little sis, now
let’s go on some rides, and eat some junk food and stay up all
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