Page 69 of The Other Half

“I’m her boyfriend. Donovan.” His arm slid around my waist and I finally convinced my feet to move. Pulling from his grip, I shook my head.

“No. Jake. This isn’t what it looks like.”

As I stared at the agony in the depths of his eyes, it felt like his hand wrapped around my heart and crushed it into dust. “It looks like you lied to me about who you are and that you have a fucking boyfriend!”

“Who is this guy, baby?” Donovan asked. When he said the word baby, Jake’s eyes narrowed.

“Don’t call me baby.” I spat, then turned my attention back to Jake. “Jake. I swear I was going to tell you. I just couldn’t yet. But I was going to.”

His head was shaking while he backed away from the bar. “No. I can’t. I can’t believe you lied to me, Cassie... or Cassandra. Or whoever the hell you are. How could you do that after... everything you know about me?”

He turned and pushed through the gathering crowd.

“Jake!” I called, rushing after him. When I made it to the door, I saw him jump in his truck. I raced after him, but all I caught was the smoke from the burning tires while he peeled out. It felt like the smoke surrounding me was from the life I’d planned now engulfed in flames.

After standing in the road watching until his taillights disappeared, I stumbled back into the Ox in a daze. An eerie silence had settled over the customers, and every set of eyes stared at me while I moved between them back to the bar.

“Seriously, Cassandra. What’s going on?” James asked while I brushed by him.

“Are you seriously like, working here or something? We thought you were in rehab and we were coming to bust you out,” Richie said, but I ignored him and kept moving.

“Cassandra?” Jessica asked as I stepped back behind the bar.

“You guys need to go,” I whispered, barely able to form the words.

“Baby, what’s up?” Donovan reached for me, but I stepped out of his grip.

“Go.”

“Cassandra? What the hell is wrong with you?” Liza stepped to his side.

They all stared at me. Seeing them again... their over-done makeup, expensive clothes, glittering jewelry, and the vacant look in their eyes reminded me of the life I’d left behind. The life I’d never wanted. Because of my extreme grief, I’d fallen into it and I’d let them keep me there even when I’d wanted out. It had been too hard to say no. Too easy to let the drugs and the parties cloud my mind and my heart, protecting me from the pain I didn’t want to accept. But now, seeing them with clear eyes, I knew I could never go back to that life again. This was the life I wanted. A life here. With Jake.

And now, because of them, I saw the life I truly wanted slipping out of my fingers.

“Cassandra?” Donovan said while I stared at them, blinking.

“Get out!” I screamed, startling even myself with the force of my words. “All of you! Go! I don’t want any of you in my life anymore! Please. Go. Leave me alone. Just leave me alone!” Tears broke through and burned a trail down my cheeks.

“Cassandra,” Donovan said, reaching for me one last time.

“Go. You’re all bad for me. This,” I waved a hand over them, “isn’t what I want. It’s not who I am. Just, please go. Go. Go!” I screamed, hurt and rage rising inside me. Anger at the death of my parents. Anger at the way I’d thrown away my life. Anger at these people who fueled my grief with drugs and alcohol. And the anger that I’d lied to Jake and he would never forgive me.

But mostly, anger at myself. I’d lacked accountability in my life for far too long. That ended right now.

“Okay, okay, we’re going. Whatever, bitch,” Liza snapped, then pulled Donovan by the hand. I caught the glares of all my old friends while they walked out the door, and I hoped, out of my life. When the door closed behind them, I let out a deep breath. I’d finally been strong enough to tell them no. This time I chose myself, and the life I knew I could have without the temptations of a quick escape.

Standing at the entrance to the bar with tears streaming down my face, I turned to Jo. “Please. You have to let me explain.”

“The only thing I have to do is not kick your ass because I don’t feel like going to jail tonight, and I have a feeling you and your money come with a lot of lawyers. But if you don’t get the hell out of here in the next thirty seconds, I’ll take that jail stay. I told you if you hurt Jake, I’d kill you. So, consider this your head start, Cassandra.”

“Jo, please.”

“Go get on your jet and go back to your shitty little world.”

“That’s not what I want anymore, Jo. This is the life I want.”

“Then don’t. I don’t care what you do. All I know is you’d better get the fuck out of here. And stay the hell away from Jake. He didn’t deserve this, and you don’t deserve him. Now go.”