AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I unlock the door and step inside the condo. The front hallway leads right into the kitchen. All the lights are on, but theroom is empty. I follow the music to the right and toward the living room, pausing in the doorway.
There’s no sign of Catherine.
My little sister and my girlfriend are the ones dancing and jumping around and singing at the top of their lungs.
Sydney looks the same as she did when I saw her in May. She came back to Pembrooke for a week before returning to New York for a summer theater program at her school. She’s smiling widely, her long hair pulled up in a ponytail that bounces around as she tosses her head around.
Cassia’s eyes are closed, her arms raised over her head as she sways in place.
The song blaring sounds familiar, but I don’t know any of the words. They’re hard to hear. Cassia and Sydney are singing loudly enough to drown out the original artist’s voice.
Cassia spins around to face Sydney. Then they’re moving again. This portion must be choreographed because they’re in perfect sync as they shimmy and twirl their way across the fluffy rug that covers the floor.
The song ends.
“Killed it!” Sydney exclaims. “Once more with…” She spots me and her voice trails.
Cassia glances over, stilling when she sees me.
“We didn’t hear you come in,” Sydney says.
“Shocking,” I drawl. “It’s so quiet in here.”
Sydney rolls her eyes. “I’m going to grab some water.”
“Nice to see you too, sis,” I call after her as she heads toward the kitchen.
Cassia attempts to fix her hair as she walks toward me. Half of it is falling down again by the time she reaches me.
“How was the court?” she asks.
“Eventful. Mark sat on a bee, and it stung him.”
“Poor bee.”
I roll my eyes. “Poor Mark. He’s allergic.”
Her eyes widen. “Is he okay?”
“Yeah. He had an EpiPen. We took him to the hospital, just in case. He’s fine.”
I haven’t decided what to do about my mom. If I’ll do anything. If I’ll say anything.
I really don’t want the responsibility of telling Sydney. And I don’t want to burden Cassia with the secret.
But she knows me too well. Her head tilts, studying me closely. “Are you okay?”
I let my gym bag slip off my shoulder and step forward so I’m just inches away from her. Rest my hands on her waist and then slip them under the hem of the oversize t-shirt she’s wearing to pull her against me.
“Better now,” I say into her hair.
I mean the words.
Talking to her, touching her, it soothes the ache that’s always there when I think about my parents and got amplified today.
Cassia Nolan is the only person who’s everchosento love me.
And if I have my mom to thank for anything, I guess it’s the lesson that love is never guaranteed. That just because someone is supposed to care doesn’t mean they will.
