I was actually more than excited for the chance to work with Marc and Ryan. I had no idea if it would be something I would enjoy and want to pursue in the future, but just having something I was interested in was encouraging. Especially being around goal-oriented people like Jack, Cassie, and Melissa, who already knew what they wanted to do and were pursuing it.
I was younger than they were and the expectation level for me was lower, but still. Jack had always known that he wanted to play ball, and I was certain Cassie always knew she wanted to be a photographer. I just wanted to find my dream too.
“How’s your internship going?” I asked. “And how’s the new camera?”
Cassie sighed. “The new camera is unbelievable. The model he got for me was way newer than the one I had, and it has the ability to shoot in ways that my other one didn’t. I’m in love. With a camera. And my internship.”
“It’s that good?”
“It’s pretty good,” she said as Melissa walked back out of her bedroom and avoided looking at either of us.
Rather than stay there and make things any more awkward than I apparently already had, I decided to go back home.
“I’m gonna take off.”
Cassie whined a little about my leaving as I pushed up from the couch. Reaching for her hand, I helped her up, and she gave me another hug.
“Come over anytime.”
“You too,” I said, reminded her that she was just as welcome at our house as I apparently was at hers. Well, at least she welcomed me.
“Shit. I forgot to tell you guys that Jack bought me a car!” I blurted, suddenly remembering.
“What?” Cassie’s jaw dropped. “He bought you a car?”
“What kind?” Melissa asked from behind me. Apparently this was big enough news to stop ignoring me for.
“He didn’t tell you?” I asked Cassie. “You seriously didn’t know?” I had assumed that Jack kept very little from her, and it wouldn’t have surprised me in the least if she’d been involved in some part of his plan.
“No! I had no idea.” Her face lit up, as if Jack’s gesture made her proud of him.
“Apparently he bought Gran and Gramps one too, but it won’t be here until tomorrow.”
Cassie’s expression shifted, turning worried. “You don’t think he’d do that for me, right? I’ll kill him if he buys me something like that. He already bought me this camera, and I don’t need a car.”
I placed a hand on her shoulder to calm her down. “I’ll make sure he knows.”
“My car is here now. I convinced my parents to let me have it for the summer since I needed a way to get to my job every day.”
Melissa waved her arms at us. “Hello! I asked what kind of car? Why are you both ignoring me?”
I turned to face her. “Why don’t you come and see?”
Damn. This girl had suddenly made me channel all of my brother’s arrogance and confidence tonight.
Without another word, I walked out the front door into the night with the two girls trailing behind me, giggling and whispering.
“Jeez, where did you park? China?” Melissa asked as I walked past all of the normal visitor parking spots.
“I didn’t want any door dings,” I admitted, but wasn’t embarrassed by the fact.
“Well, you won’t have any because no one in their right mind would park this far—” She halted in her tracks, stopping mid-thought. “No way. Is that it? The Mustang?” Her voice was almost as excited as mine had been when I first saw it.
Darkness had fallen while we were talking inside. The car looked good under the streetlamps, but not as good as it did in the daylight. I wished that they could see it better.
“Wow, Dean. This is beautiful,” Cassie said as she stepped closer to admire it.
“Open it!” Melissa exclaimed, clapping her hands and hopping up and down like an excited little pixie.