“Mom?”
“Call your father.”
“Mom, what’s wrong?”
Her body fell to the ground, collapsing as if the weight of the world was pushing her down. I stared in horror, then ran out the door, terrified I was about to lose my mother.
“Sam!” Blake yelled at me, shaking me out of my stupor. “I’ll call you from the hospital.”
“Right. Go,” I said, shooing her out the door.
As the rest of the guests fled the house, I found myself standing there all alone. Memories that I never wanted to think about assaulted me, reminding me of a time when my life was flipped upside down.
I just couldn’t take it. Couldn’t stand to be alone.
And there was only one person who could erase those thoughts.
I watchedin the dark as a whole horde of people walked out of Cassidy’s house.
One of them I recognized all too well.
What the fuck was Austin Callahan doing at Cassidy’s house on Thanksgiving? Hell, his whole fucking family was there. Did she invite them after I told her no? Was this some kind of payback?
I shook that thought from my head. Honestly, it wasn’t any of my business who she invited or why. But why Austin Fucking Callahan? Did she have a death wish? Didn’t she know all the shit he’d pulled recently?
Storming through the darkness, I headed for her back yard, careful not to be spotted as I made my way to her sliding glass door.
Except, it wasn’t there.
The frame was still intact, but the glass was missing.
“I just had no idea any of that would happen,” an older woman said. “I’m so sorry, Cassidy. Let me help you clean up.”
“No, just—” Sighing, Cassidy sank down in her chair, burying her head in her hands. “Just go home. I’ll take care of it.”
“I’ll see if I can find some plastic to cover the frame until we can get it fixed. Maybe you should stay with us until this is taken care of.”
“I’ll be fine, Dad. I promise.”
“I don’t like it,” her father rumbled, shaking his head as he looked at the mess
“All that food. What a waste,” the woman sighed. “Are you sure I can’t help?”
“No, I just want this day to be over.”
I understood her sentiment all too well, and while I didn’t like seeing that defeated look on her face, I couldn’t exactly storm in there without letting everyone know I was lurking outside her house. Keeping us secret was the one thing I had going for me right now.
“I’ll be back as soon as I can get my hands on some plastic. In the meantime, you might want to watch the thermostat so you don’t waste all that heat.”
“I know, Dad. I promise.”
“And wear shoes. I don’t want to come back to you bleeding out on the floor.”
“Dad,” Cassidy groaned, shooing them out of the house.
As soon as the door shut, I stepped through the broken door, my feet crunching on the glass, announcing my arrival.
Cassidy gasped, her hand flying to her chest as she spun around. The wild expression on her face sent anger through every vein of my body. That fucker was going to get my fist in his face the next time I saw him.
