All Grown Up (Eden High)

I made the short ride to Cassie’s house in no time, suddenly impatient to see her face. With all these new realities awakened in me, my head was full of plans and ideas for the future. There’s no doubt now that I am definitely taking her back with me. Whatever reasons I’d given myself before for leaving her back here, at least to finish out her last year of high school, were now dead in the water.

The notes play a part in this new realization, sure, but they aren’t the only reason for my rash decision. Jace has a point. The more I think about making love to her and just walking away in a few days, the more repulsed I am at the idea. All that’s left to do now that my mind was made up is to get her parents on board. She’ll be old enough, according to state law, an adult, but knowing her, she won’t want to leave on bad terms. My job is to get her asshole dad to give her up without a fight.

The same housekeeper from the day before answered the door when I rang the bell and seemed a bit friendlier though still somewhat reserved. “Ms. Cassie will be right down.” She walked away, leaving me standing in the doorway to twiddle my thumbs, and I stood there, hoping not to run into her mom or dad because I wasn’t in the mood for niceties.

I could’ve headed up the stairs after her but stayed put for the same reason. If I’m going to take her out of here in a few days on good terms, I have to keep my disdain well hidden from the two assholes she lives with. I know her mom had been going through some shit, but I still can’t find it within me to excuse her neglect of her child. Her dad, well, let’s just say, he gets no props, and I’ll probably never like the guy as long as I live. All that said, he’s still her dad, and she loves him so killing his dumb ass is out of the question.

I only have a few days to put whatever plan I come up with in action, but I need something to give me the upper hand with the two of them, something that won’t alienate her from them. First, I need to take care of whoever is sending her those damn notes; then there’s the Mandy factor. I need to handle that before Jace does, but I’m still not sure how to muzzle her ass while she’s behind bars and out of my reach.

Shayne and I thought we had years to plan her demise since she’s going to be in there for a while yet. But if her reach is still long enough that she can get to my girl on the outside, I’m gonna need a different plan. And I have to do this shit in a matter of days without letting my girl know what’s going on. Like Track likes to say, we didn’t grow up in the land of make-believe for nothing. Time to put my acting chops to good use.

Cassie came beaming down the stairs eliminating all other thoughts from my head, and I felt that rush of excitement hit me in the gut when she smiled at me like I hung the moon. How is it possible that she’s even prettier than before? She’d lost the baby fat from her cheeks, but even with her more sculpted features, there was still that look of innocence that I’d fallen in love with about her.

I know and had heard from Sian that my baby had self-esteem issues, mostly brought on by Mandy and her asshole brigade. I’d spent the last year trying to build her up, but it was still a mystery to me how someone so amazingly gorgeous could think she was anything but. It’s one of the things I like about the dynamics between my brothers and their wives, the way they validate them without seeming to.

Belle and Tammy especially had been dogged by Mandy and her clique for years, but now with the love and support of their men, it’s obvious that they no longer buy into the bullshit that has been spewed at them for years. Now it’s my turn to show my girl that she’s none of the things they’d tried so hard to make her believe about herself. And if Mandy is the one tormenting her with this shit, I will, in fact, find some way to reach out and touch her skanky ass behind bars.

“Hey baby, you look amazing.” Thank fuck she wasn’t wearing those jeans though the skirt she wore wasn’t helping matters with its length. I wanted to run my hands up her thighs for the litmus test, but I didn’t do more than kiss her forehead before taking her hand and walking her out to the car. I bit my tongue the whole way so as not to comment on the damn skirt that barely reached above her knees.