rebuke.
“I have some cool stuff you might like in my room,” he said. “Maybe I can show you sometime.”
“If this is your way of coming on to me, it’s not working,” Cassie said.
“I’m not coming on to you,” Aaron said. “If things go as my mom hopes, we’ll practically be family.”
“Wait,” Cassie said. “What?”
“Our parents are dating,” Aaron said. “Mom seems happy about it, and your dad too, by the sound of it.”
“What do you mean they’re dating?” Cassie said, panic rising in her chest.
“They’re going out,” Aaron said. He frowned. “Mom said your dad told you. They’re an item. Which means we’re probably going to end up being stepbrother and sister.”
“No!” Cassie said. “You’re wrong!”
Her voice had risen, getting the attention of other pairs close to them.
“Wrong about what?” Aaron said, lowering his voice. “It’s nice to have someone to talk to about all this. I can sense us getting closer already. By the way, if you think I’m going to be letting Clint come over and use my stuff, think again.”
Cassie rocked back in her chair like she’d been dealt a knockout blow. She stood up and walked toward the door.
“Cassie, where are you going?” Mrs. Rae said.
“To the toilet,” Cassie said.
“Have you finished your work?” Mrs. Rae said.
“We’re almost done, Miss,” Aaron said. “Cassie did most of the work. I’m just finishing up now.”
Aaron winked conspiratorially at Cassie.
Mrs. Rae pursed her lips.
“All right then,” she said. “Be quick about it.”
Cassie left the classroom, the world seeming to spin underneath her. The moment she was through the door, she hit speed dial and called her father’s cell. She was redirected.
“Angelo Industries, Bryan Angelo’s office. Rosetta speaking, how can I help?”
“Rosetta, this is Cassie. I need to speak to Dad right now.”
“I’m afraid he’s in an important meeting at the moment,” Rosetta said. “Would you like to leave a message?”
“This is far more important,” Cassie said. “Get him on the phone!”
“If you leave a message I’ll get him to call you as soon as possible,” Rosetta said calmly. Duty first, as always.
Cassie ground her teeth.
“I’ve been involved in an accident,” she said.
“An accident?” Rosetta said. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” Cassie said. “Just a few bumps and bruises. But it might turn critical. I’m heading to the hospital now. I need Dad’s insurance number so I can pay for treatment.”
“I can give it to you if you want,” Rosetta said.
“No,” Cassie said. “I’d like Dad to know I’m okay, to hear my voice. I know he’ll worry to death about me otherwise.”
Please, please, please.
“ All right,” Rosetta said. “Give me a minute and I’ll get him for you.”
Cassie heard the phone being put down, and then movement in her office. A door opened, followed by muffled voices. Finally someone picked up the phone.
“Hello?” Bryan said.
“Dad, it’s me,” Cassie said.
“Are you all right?” Bryan said. “Rosetta told me you were in an accident.”
“I’m fine,” Cassie said. “There was no accident.”
“No accident?” Bryan said.
“I needed to get you out of your meeting,” Cassie said.
“I’ll see you at home,” Bryan said, his tone gruff.
“It’ll be too late by then,” Cassie said. “I need to talk to you about your new girlfriend.”
“What’s happened?” Bryan said.
“Nothing,” Cassie said. “I just have a question. This woman you’re seeing, you said she doesn’t mind about you having kids. Is there a reason for that?”
“A reason?” Bryan said. “Like what?”
“Like maybe she doesn’t mind because she has one herself?” Cassie said.
There was a pause on the end of the line. Cassie found herself hoping it was a problem with the line, not that her father was thinking.
“Hello?” Cassie said.
“Yeah, I’m here,” Bryan
“I have some cool stuff you might like in my room,” he said. “Maybe I can show you sometime.”
“If this is your way of coming on to me, it’s not working,” Cassie said.
“I’m not coming on to you,” Aaron said. “If things go as my mom hopes, we’ll practically be family.”
“Wait,” Cassie said. “What?”
“Our parents are dating,” Aaron said. “Mom seems happy about it, and your dad too, by the sound of it.”
“What do you mean they’re dating?” Cassie said, panic rising in her chest.
“They’re going out,” Aaron said. He frowned. “Mom said your dad told you. They’re an item. Which means we’re probably going to end up being stepbrother and sister.”
“No!” Cassie said. “You’re wrong!”
Her voice had risen, getting the attention of other pairs close to them.
“Wrong about what?” Aaron said, lowering his voice. “It’s nice to have someone to talk to about all this. I can sense us getting closer already. By the way, if you think I’m going to be letting Clint come over and use my stuff, think again.”
Cassie rocked back in her chair like she’d been dealt a knockout blow. She stood up and walked toward the door.
“Cassie, where are you going?” Mrs. Rae said.
“To the toilet,” Cassie said.
“Have you finished your work?” Mrs. Rae said.
“We’re almost done, Miss,” Aaron said. “Cassie did most of the work. I’m just finishing up now.”
Aaron winked conspiratorially at Cassie.
Mrs. Rae pursed her lips.
“All right then,” she said. “Be quick about it.”
Cassie left the classroom, the world seeming to spin underneath her. The moment she was through the door, she hit speed dial and called her father’s cell. She was redirected.
“Angelo Industries, Bryan Angelo’s office. Rosetta speaking, how can I help?”
“Rosetta, this is Cassie. I need to speak to Dad right now.”
“I’m afraid he’s in an important meeting at the moment,” Rosetta said. “Would you like to leave a message?”
“This is far more important,” Cassie said. “Get him on the phone!”
“If you leave a message I’ll get him to call you as soon as possible,” Rosetta said calmly. Duty first, as always.
Cassie ground her teeth.
“I’ve been involved in an accident,” she said.
“An accident?” Rosetta said. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” Cassie said. “Just a few bumps and bruises. But it might turn critical. I’m heading to the hospital now. I need Dad’s insurance number so I can pay for treatment.”
“I can give it to you if you want,” Rosetta said.
“No,” Cassie said. “I’d like Dad to know I’m okay, to hear my voice. I know he’ll worry to death about me otherwise.”
Please, please, please.
“ All right,” Rosetta said. “Give me a minute and I’ll get him for you.”
Cassie heard the phone being put down, and then movement in her office. A door opened, followed by muffled voices. Finally someone picked up the phone.
“Hello?” Bryan said.
“Dad, it’s me,” Cassie said.
“Are you all right?” Bryan said. “Rosetta told me you were in an accident.”
“I’m fine,” Cassie said. “There was no accident.”
“No accident?” Bryan said.
“I needed to get you out of your meeting,” Cassie said.
“I’ll see you at home,” Bryan said, his tone gruff.
“It’ll be too late by then,” Cassie said. “I need to talk to you about your new girlfriend.”
“What’s happened?” Bryan said.
“Nothing,” Cassie said. “I just have a question. This woman you’re seeing, you said she doesn’t mind about you having kids. Is there a reason for that?”
“A reason?” Bryan said. “Like what?”
“Like maybe she doesn’t mind because she has one herself?” Cassie said.
There was a pause on the end of the line. Cassie found herself hoping it was a problem with the line, not that her father was thinking.
“Hello?” Cassie said.
“Yeah, I’m here,” Bryan
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