Page 26

Cassidy

Eighteen Months Later

I hate tourists. If one more drunk frat boy asks for my number, I’m going to throw myself into the ocean.

I am in a shit mood, and I just want to go home.

Incessant texts from Trey aren’t helping.

This fucking psychotic loser has been blowing up my phone all goddamn day.

We went on a total of three dates, and somehow, he managed to talk me into crashing at my apartment.

My fucking sanctuary. Now it’s been a year, and I can’t get rid of him.

He is needy and verbally abusive. I work every single shift I can just to avoid seeing him because when I do, he just fucks me with zero regard for my feelings or pleasure.

If I say no, he talks my goddamn ear off until I give in.

By talking, I mean he just begs. The last few nights, he has gotten angry when I stay firm.

It’s easier just to let him get off so he will drink himself into a stupor and pass out. How did I fall so far?

“Cassidy, you’re done. Clock out,” Gwen says.

“I’ll work for free,” I suggest, only half joking.

“You’ve been working since eight this morning.

Go home,” she laughs. I groan and go up to the computer to cash out.

It’s so fucking dead tonight; I knew this would happen.

Gwen is a great manager and the only one I can confide in about my shitty situation.

One day, I know she will tell my brother. God help Trey when that happens.

Once I have my tips, I get my bag and walk outside to wait for Trey to get here in my car. Why in the fuck I let that happen? I don’t know.

Arms wrap around me, and I scream when I am picked up and squeezed in a hug. When I am dropped, I spin around and hit him in the chest. “You asshole! You scared me,” I bark at my brother. He giggles and hugs me again. Oscar squeezes me before kissing the top of my head.

“You love me,” he says.

“I do. What’s up?” I ask. I squeal when someone suddenly tickles me, but when I turn, I am immediately squeezed into a sandwich hug between Gunner and Collin, my older brother’s sexy best friends.

They’re twins, but they’re not identical.

I’ve also had a massive crush on them since I was twelve and they were fourteen, but I will always be their friend’s little sister.

Oscar is highly protective of me and would be happy if I never dated, so you can imagine his disdain for Trey.

“I can’t breathe!” I laugh.

“You are avoiding us, Cassie,” Gunner says sweetly.

“No, I’m not,” I say with a frown. “I’ve been working.”

“And now you aren’t. Come to dinner,” Collin says. “Our treat.”

I look around and see Trey watching me from my car.

He hates my brother and his friends. I have avoided them just to avoid the fight with Trey.

He is so fucking insecure that he thinks if a man, any man, talks to me, I must be fucking him.

I don’t want to fight with him, but I know tonight we will.

We always do when these three are involved.

“Hey. Don’t look at him. Look at me,” Collin says, turning my face to look at him.

The way he looks at me… he knows I’m scared right now.

I’m so afraid he will escalate, but I don’t know how to get rid of him.

I’ve told Trey time and time again to get the fuck out, but he doesn’t.

I’ve never been the confrontational type of person, but I also don’t want these three to go to jail for killing him. “Dinner with us. We can take you home.”

“I can’t,” I whisper, my bottom lip trembling.

“I’m not asking, Pebbles. I’m telling you that you are having dinner with us. Go tell him,” Oscar says.

“He will want to come,” I say, looking at my brother.

“He’s not invited,” Oscar says. “Come on. We will walk with you.”

I let Oscar, Gunner, and Collin drag me toward my car. Trey steps out and plasters on a fake smile. “Hey, fellas,” Trey says.

“Hey, man. I’m stealing Cassidy for dinner and some family time,” Oscar says simply. “Sorry you drove all the way out here in her car, but we will get her home after.”

“Was there a question in there somewhere?” Trey asks.

“Nope. Just a statement. I don’t need permission to see my sister, and she doesn’t need yours to have a life,” Oscar says. Trey looks at me, and he might seem calm, but he isn’t. He’s angry, and shit is going to get ugly when I get home.

“Well, give me a hug, babe,” Trey says with a smile. I hesitantly step over to him so he can wrap me in a hug. “You’ll regret this,” he whispers in my ear.

“I won’t be late,” I say, trying to sound normal.

“Have fun,” Trey says, kissing me. “Love you.”

“Love you too,” I whisper, ashamed of my lie.

I don’t love him, but I’m scared of what will happen if he doesn’t get his way.

The last thing I want is for my brother to get in trouble.

He has nearly avoided murder charges on multiplication for me.

I don’t want to be the reason he goes to prison.

I almost lost him when he killed Dad, and I’ll be damned if I let him do that again.

Oscar wraps his arm around my shoulders when I step away from Trey and leads me to his truck. He puts me in his front seat as Collin and Gunner get into the back, and he walks around to the driver’s side door. I stare over at Trey and mouth “I’m sorry,” as if it will help.

When we start to drive away, the silence in the truck is deafening. The only thing I can hear is the rumble of the engine, but I can feel them looking at me. “So, how’s work?” I ask, trying to ease the tension.

“It’s okay,” Oscar says simply. “We are going to hit up a drive-thru and go find somewhere to sit to talk. Do you have any preferences?”

“No,” I whimper as a tear slides down my cheek. He pats my leg, and the truck falls silent until he stops to order us burgers.

“Thanks,” Oscar says, taking the bag of food from the woman and handing it to me.

There’s nothing better in this world than trash burgers when you are sad.

Oscar always tells me that shitty food comforts shitty feelings.

which I guess is why I am as fat as Trey makes me out to be.

I am five foot four, and I weigh 220 pounds.

My life has been shit since the day that my mom died, and I ate my feelings. Some things never change.

We find a secluded park, and Oscar rolls all the windows down before shutting his truck off.

He takes the bag from me and hands out the food while we are still silent.

Every part of me wants to reject eating and just sit here, but…

shitty food comforts shitty feelings. I can’t eat like this at home, so I might as well enjoy it now.

When I put my trash in the bag, Oscar turns to me. “What’s going on, Cass?” Oscar asks gently.

“Nothing,” I reply, picking at my nails.

“You never call. You never text. You never come by the house. Gwen told me that you work seven days a week, and most of the time it’s doubles.

She has to make you take time away from work.

Now, I know you have always been a hard worker, but something’s going on,” Oscar speculates.

When I don’t say anything, he continues.

“You look tired every time I see you, and not just in need of a nap kind of tired, but you are emotionally exhausted.”

“I’m okay. Money is just tight,” I say, still tearing up my fingers to avoid looking at my brother.

“Money wouldn’t be tight if that piece of shit would get a job,” Gunner remarks.

“He’s trying,” I say defensively, even though I know he isn’t. He doesn’t even have a fucking license.

“Cassidy, I’m trying to be gentle about this, but you are being stubborn,” Oscar says.

“ I said I’m fine ,” I shout at him. He raises his eyebrows at me in surprise, but I sink back down into the chair and resume picking at my nails. Two of them are bleeding, but I can’t stop.

“Cass,” Oscar says softly as he carefully takes my hands into his to force me to turn toward him. “You don’t think I see what he’s doing to you?”

“I love him,” I whimper.

“No, you don’t,” he says, keeping a calm and gentle tone. “You love the idea of not being alone.”

“I’m okay,” I say, sniffing back tears.

“No, Cassidy. You aren’t,” he says, taking my face between his hands. “You are my little sister, and I love you so fucking much. But I have no problem hogtying your ass and throwing you into the bed of my truck to get you away from him. What do I need to do to get you away from him?”

“I’ve tried,” I say as I start crying.

“What do you mean?”

“I’ve told him to leave over and over again, but he won’t. He won’t leave. I never wanted him to move in, but he… he… tricked me. I don’t know. I’m in too deep, and he won’t leave me alone,” I say as my resolve cracks and pain pours out of me.

“Has he hit you?” Oscar asks.

“Uhm… no,” I say. “Not really.”

“What do you mean, Cass? What has he done that you don’t like?”

“You’re my brother. I can’t… Please don’t make me say it,” I beg tearfully.

“You might be my sister, but you are also my best friend, Cassidy. What does he do that you don’t like?”

“He… hits me with a belt… Like a punishment.” I say through tears.

“He… He makes me have sex when I don’t want to.

He’s always so… so… mean about it. When we argue, he makes it hurt more…

I don’t know how I got here. I swore I wouldn’t be like Mom.

I didn’t want this; I just wanted someone to love me.

He said he did. He promised me he would…

he lied. He’s like a fucking demonic leech that won’t fucking let go.

Why won’t he just let go? Why did I have to go for the one person in the world that was exactly like dad? ”