Page 19

I rolled my eyes. “No ultimatums, Cass. My options are limited.”
She scoffed. “Find a way to do it. Your paintings convey emotions; when you illustrate, you capture the essence of the writer’s words and the feelings.”
I laughed. It was just like Cassidy to think I could do it. I had Jacob and Mama to think about and they mattered more than dreams. “I did one project and you’re already pushing for more.”
She huffed and placed her hands on her hips. “Do another book illustration, Lina. Contact a company and show them what you’ve done.”
I always wanted to, but was afraid. However, Cassidy was much too talented to give up her acting.If I tell her I’ll do it, maybe she’ll try again?
I quirked a brow. “I’ll only do it if you agree to audition.”
She shook my hand. “It’s a deal. Now, let’s get moving. I only had a bagel before coming here, and I’m starving.”
Cassidy took off, and I sprinted after her, putting my troubles away, and we ran free. But her words stayed with me.“Find a way to do it. Your paintings convey emotions; when you illustrate, you capture the essence of the writer’s words and the feelings.”Rocco had said something similar. He had believed in me just like Cassidy. Would there ever be a time that I could continue painting or would that choice too be ripped from my hands?
“That’s it. I’m going to Paris,” Cassidy declared after watching Furiosa.
I laughed and squinted. “That’s what you got from watching that movie?”
“Yeah. She reinvented herself. Kicked ass. Life goes fast, might as well live it as much as you can.”
Her answer surprised me since she was always the optimist in our duo. “What’s up?”
She stretched like a cat on the bed. “Still hoping the world would open and I can escape to a dystopian wasteland.”
“You don’t need to escape, Cass. Just take the break you need. Harvard will take you again if you reapply.”
She groaned. “The applications and references were brutal. No, I’m staying at least for a year.”
We both knew she lived for the chaos. “You’ll figure it out like you always do. Whatever you choose to do is best.” I handed her the remote, and she searched for something else for us to watch.
Chime. My phone buzzed. I lifted it and wrinkled my nose. “Unknown number?”
Cassidy sat up expectantly. “Let it go to voicemail.”
I held onto the phone and waited. Sure enough, the person left a message. Cassidy was as curious as I was, so I put the phone on speaker for us to listen.
“Hello, Adelina. I’m Tabitha with Tela News. We have a story about Rocco and Marjorie rekindling their romance following the cancellation of your wedding. I prefer to run the story with your side instead of only theirs. Call me back anytime.”
I glared at the phone. “How the hell did she get my number?”
“That’s harassment.” Cass picked up her phone from the side table and started texting. “I’ll see what my parents can do. Or actually, let me call Gunnar.”
The smile on her face somewhat lessened my annoyance.
“Ohh, Gunnar,” I teased.
She shook her head. “Not happening.”
My mouth went dry. “But I thought you liked him.”
“We friend-zoned each other after having phone sex—”
My jaw dropped. “You had phone sex with him?”
She laughed and shrugged. “Yeah. There was a lot of sexual tension between us, so we decided to explore it.”
I frowned. Gunnar and Cassidy had lawyering in common. I hadn’t seen him yet, but if Cass considered sex, he had to be good-looking. “So why friendzone?”