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“What, you're going to leave me here on my own?” I'm half serious but half joking, trying to bait him for a reaction.
“You’ll be fine out here. Enjoy the sun while it lasts. I'll monitor you.” There is no budging him from the work mode he has now resorted back to.
“Go then, I’ll just sit here and rest, while you watch me from behind some screen. Because that’s not creepy at all.”
“Cassandra, don’t push it on the first day. You know what’s going on here. Don’t lose your shit at me again over something neither of us can control.” As he runs his hand around the back of his neck, I know I’m stressing him out. I just don’t know if I feel sorry about it or want to keep pushing him more.
Sitting now on my own with just the sound of the slight breeze through the trees and some birds close by, I’m wondering what all that last statement meant.
Do I know what’s going on here? Is he talking about the situation I’m in or the intense chemistry that is starting to circle us in the first day?
He’s right either way, about both things; neither of us has control.
I’ve just walked out on a toxic relationship, and surely this attraction is just some savior complex I have.
Besides, this guy is way too intense for me. I just want a simple life when this is all over.
It will be over one day, right?
I must try to believe that.
ChapterFive
CASSIE
The next few hours I spent sitting in the sun for a while, then taking a wander around the outside of the house. I didn't venture far, though. I have no idea where I am or what is really going on outside this place, so I stay where I feel secure for the time being.
The house is wood-slatted on the outside, with a porch that runs the full length along the front of the house, and out back the porch is only half the size, just a small area that allows you some space on either side of the back door to sit. The gardens are bare of any flowers but just a few shrubs that look after themselves. No shape to them, just growing wild however they please. I envy them in a way, to be free like that. Then across the back of the property there are trees that provide privacy, but peeking through them, I can see there is a big open field behind them for as far as I can see.
There is a shed in the back yard that looks empty through the window. When I try the door, it’s locked, which makes no sense when there’s nothing inside, but I suppose security is the main objective in this place.
After looking at what feels like every single blade of grass in this yard at least twice, I can’t be out here any longer. I need something else to do.
The house isn’t big enough to explore for longer than five minutes. Looking around as I walk down the hallway, the first room on the right is the bathroom, and next to it is my room. Across from me the door is shut to the room that I’m guessing Ghost is using. Hearing the tapping of the keyboard, I figure he must be working like he said he would. Part of me just expected that was an excuse so he could get away from me.
Alongside Ghost’s room is another room that has a bed in it and one bedside drawer set next to it. They really went all out with the furniture here. It’s like they set this house up in the eighties, and it hasn’t been touched since. Nothing matches, and each room is a blank canvas.
Oh, how I’d love to do a bit of interior designing in here. With a little bit of paint to clean it up and new furnishings, it would look like someone loved it. Not that I know anything about decorating, but I’ve always had an interest in it. I love to look through magazines at nice houses and apartments that have had makeovers on a budget or a full renovation where the place is stripped bare and becomes a whole new home. I might not know what I’m doing, but if I were given a chance, anything would look better than the floral cover on the bed in the unused room, that is all orange, yellow, and brown. With my room in green and Lord knows what color Ghost's room is.
I need to find something to do, otherwise I’m going to go stir-crazy, locked up here day in day out. And who knows what Mr. Split Personality in there is going to be like to live with.
Turning on the television, I'm glad at least it looks new. As the screen lights up, I can see all the streaming services are here, which at least is one saving grace. Surely, I can find some series to binge and take my mind off why I’m here.
Nothing too serious, just some light comedy.
Friends.
Perfect. I've seen random episodes over the years, but I don’t even know where it all began. Guess I’m about to find out.
This couch might be old but at least it’s comfortable. I’m three episodes in and am now lying down with my head on the end of it and my legs sprawled out. My whole body is a little achy. It’s no wonder why, with everything that’s happened today.
The light through the windows is dimming as dusk gradually turns into night. I know I had a few hours' sleep earlier, but I still feel exhausted now.
I haven’t seen Ghost for hours, and although that is making me feel anxious, I understand that he has work to do. I need to learn to be on my own. I can’t expect him to babysit me all the time. I didn’t know what to expect in the WITSEC program, but this is not quite what I had pictured. I thought they would put me in a house and leave me there, giving me a new identity and letting me know how to get in touch with someone if I was worried. I wasn’t expecting an agent to be living in the house with me. It kind of makes me worry a little more that he's here. Does it mean I’m in more danger than most people? Or is there more to this whole thing that I don’t know? Taking a deep breath, I tell myself not to overthink this. Just listen to what they tell me and let them worry about the rest. Raising my arms above my head, I stretch my body completely out which feels nice.
“Okay, Cassandra, time to get up and get on with it,” I tell myself, still trying out my new name and how it rolls off the tongue. It’s going to take a while to get used to it, but there is no other choice. It’s a bit too much for me, but I just have to accept it, I guess.
I stand up and make my way to the kitchen. I’m not very hungry, but I feel like I should at least make something for Ghost after he looked after me today, feeding me and comforting me when I needed it. I have a feeling there is a lot more to that man than he shows the rest of the world.
