Cassidy Jones and the Luminous (Cassidy Jones Adventures Book 4) (7 page)

I was an utter wreck. In our family room, I rested in my mother’s arms while Serena rubbed my back and offered words of consolation. Across the sectional from us, Chazz huddled next to Nate, watching me with great concern. Even at six, Chazz understood our family would be in danger if Jared told the police the truth.

Dad had called an hour earlier from outside Jared’s apartment building, which he’d been about to enter under false pretenses. The cover story was that his neighbor, Gavin, had called him about the attack, since my parents were responsible for Jared this weekend. Fortunately, the police hadn’t been able to contact Eileen, since she was somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean. They’d also had no luck tracking down Mr. Wells. He hadn’t gone into his office that day, and wasn’t picking up his home or cell phone. This gave Dad, Gavin, and Emery an opportunity for damage control—and to convince Jared not to expose me.

However, Mr. Wells’s unavailability did bring up a concern. Those goons had showed up at Jared’s apartment because of something his dad was involved in. So where was he?

“Guys, I think we’re overreacting,” Nate piped up. “I mean . . . this is Jared.”

“You didn’t see him, Nate.” I plucked another tissue from the box. “You didn’t see
me
. He was terrified.”

“Don’t fret, dear,” Serena soothed. “Gavin will contain the situation.”

Contain?
I certainly didn’t like the sound of that.

~~~

At 7:18 p.m., Dad’s Volvo pulled up to the curb in front of our house. Spying Jared in the front seat, I let the curtain in our living room window drop. Police statements had taken longer than usual, perhaps due to another report of a missing person, a Candace Something-Or-Other. I’d been too distraught during the news broadcast to pay much attention to her name.

Dad had updated us in his last phone call, saying that the three thugs were in the hospital under police guard. As far as he knew, they’d declined to talk until their lawyers arrived, the thought of which filled me with unspeakable fear. What if they’d overheard us talking? What if they knew a girl named Cassidy had pummeled them?

I sat down in the wingback chair slanted toward the foyer and listened to Gavin’s SUV pull up across the street. The doors on Dad’s car closed.

Jared, don’t hate me. Don’t be afraid of me.

“Come with me, Jared,” I heard Gavin summon.

I resisted getting up to look out the window.

“We’ll be right over.” Dad sounded weary.

Footsteps came up our walk. I recognized them as belonging to Dad and Emery. I would know the sound of their footfalls anywhere.

Keys jiggled in the deadbolt. I forced air into and out of my lungs. The front door opened, and Dad stepped into the foyer.

“We’re home,” he called, not noticing me sitting in the dark. It was the first place Emery looked.

Mom walked briskly from the kitchen, entering the foyer while drying her hands on a dishtowel. The boys trailed her. They’d been playing Xbox in the family room, decompressing.

“Where’s Cass?” Dad asked.

Locking the front door, Emery didn’t speak up.

Before Mom or the boys had a chance to answer, Dad swiveled his head to the living room, as it suddenly occurred to him where I might be.

“Cassy?” He flicked on the light. Concern reshaped his tired features when he saw me. “I’m sorry for being so vague on the phone,” he apologized as he approached me. “Jared was in the car.”

“Does he hate me?” A tear tumbled down my cheek. Knowing the danger I’d put my family in was unbearable.

“No. Of course not.” Dad got down on his knees in front of me and wiped my wet cheeks with his hands. “He doesn’t hate you. How could he? But he is very confused. I explained as much as I could in the car, but we have more to talk about before you can see him.” He gathered me in his arms. “Everything will be fine. Jared just needs time to sort through everything.”

“That’s right.” Mom stroked my hair. She and my brothers had followed Dad. Chazz looked scared out of his mind. This had to stop.

“I’m okay,” I lied, pulling out of Dad’s hug. “Chazz, it’ll all work out.”

He didn’t appear to buy it.

Dad smiled. “It will.” He patted my knee and stood up. “Your mom and I will be back soon.” He motioned to her with his head that they were going to the Phillips’s, where Gavin and Serena were probably coercing Jared into silence. This was a nightmare.

Emery had watched the scene with hands shoved deep in his pockets. After the door closed behind my parents, he pushed off the living room’s entryway molding where he’d been leaning.

“I’m famished,” he announced. “What do you have to eat?”

~~~

“You’re probably wondering what happened after you left,” Emery remarked between bites of casserole.

He hadn’t said a peep while Nate dished him up a plate and I scrounged around the pantry for a can of soda.

“Ya think?” I couldn’t help myself. I popped open the soda and placed it before him.

“Dude, you’re being cruel,” Nate chided.

“I’m not trying to be.” Emery wiped his mouth with a paper napkin. “I’m gathering my thoughts.”

“Well, are they
gathered
yet?” I couldn’t help myself, again.

“I deserve that,” Emery agreed and launched into his account. “When I texted my dad the ‘go ahead,’ he approached the officer securing the building and told him that his son had called from his friend’s apartment, where they’d been attacked, but managed to overpower their assailants. He brought them to the apartment, where I answered the door,
distraught
. We played our parts perfectly, sparking no suspicion, and Jared did as instructed, agreeing with everything I told the police and keeping his mouth shut otherwise.

“The police weren’t able to contact Jared’s parents, so they wouldn’t allow your dad to drive him to headquarters for a statement. You can imagine how chancy leaving him alone with the police would be. My dad persuaded the officers to let me ride with Jared. Luckily, the police at the station were able to contact Jared’s grandfather in Ohio. He gave permission for him to be released into your parents’ custody.”

“Where is his dad?” Nate asked what had been bothering me.

Emery shrugged.

“Maybe the bad guys got him,” Chazz said just above a whisper, his eyes widening.

“Chazz, why don’t you watch TV?” I suggested.

He glared at me. “I’m not a baby,” he scoffed, puffing out his chest. Whipping his nose up and away from me, he addressed Emery, deepening his voice. “Do you think the bad guys shot him like they were going to shoot Jared?”

Oh, this had to stop.

“Don’t worry, Chazz. No one was going to shoot Jared,” Nate stated as though he knew this for a fact.

Chazz scowled.

“He had a gun,” he challenged.

“They were just looking for Jared’s dad,
end of story
,” Nate insisted.

“Back to what I was saying,” Emery continued, not wanting to back up Nate—who hadn’t even been there
.
If he had, he would know the possibility of Jared getting a bullet between the eyes had been highly probable. “Obviously, Jared and I weren’t able to corroborate our stories in the squad car, and we weren’t sure what he would disclose out of our presence. I did worry that he would rat Cassidy out. Thankfully, he proved me wrong.”

“Why would you think that?” Nate demanded, offended for his friend.

“Why
wouldn’t
you think that?” Emery countered.

“Because that’s not Jared!” Nate shot me a fiery look. “You’re awfully quiet! Shouldn’t you be all worked up, defending him?”

“You weren’t there, Nate,” I bit out.

“I’m mad at all of you!” Chazz screamed, shaking his fists. He stomped out of the room.

“Chazz,” I called after him, but he ignored me.

“Oh, man!” Nate barked a humorless laugh. “This sucks.”

“Sums it up,” Emery agreed.

Chazz turned up the volume on the family room television, seeking his revenge. He had
SpongeBob SquarePants
on. Guess he wasn’t feeling overly reckless.

“Dude, there’s pie in the fridge,” Nate gave Emery his peace offering.

“Sounds good.”

While they wolfed down apple pie, I paced the kitchen.

“Cass, sit down,” Nate urged. “You’re stressing me out.” He belched pie.

“Emery, did Jared talk about me?” I blurted. I wasn’t going to ask, but not knowing was killing me.

“There wasn’t an opportunity.”

“What about before your dad brought the police to the apartment? There was time then!”

“Cassidy, sit,” Nate commanded. “You’re putting my stomach in knots.”

I was at the table and in the chair next to Emery in a flash. Emery didn’t flinch at my speed, though Nate practically jumped out of his skin.

“Are you trying to make me puke?” he demanded.

“Stop feeding your face!”

“Stop being agro!”

“Both of you cool it,” Emery ordered. “Cassidy—”

“What?” I bellowed.

He grabbed my face between his palms. “
Calm
down.” His eyes bore into mine. I glared daggers into his. “You’re not angry with me,” he stated, unmoved by my fury. “You’re angry at the situation. To answer your question, we did not discuss you because Jared was in shock.”

My rage dissolved. “Is he afraid of me?”

“Cass,” Nate protested. Even he knew Jared was afraid of me.

I pulled my face loose from Emery’s grip and averted my gaze. I had embarrassed myself enough with all the waterworks. I wouldn’t cry again. What was done was done.

“Why don’t you trust him, Emery?” I asked, controlling my voice.

“Jared isn’t a member of your family, nor mine. He is a crush, Cassidy. That’s it. What happens if he loses interest in you, if there is another rift, or if you date and break up?”

“I keep my mouth shut.”

I jolted upright in my chair. How could I have not heard, or smelled, Dad and Jared come into the house?

Holding Athena, Jared stood stoically next to my dad. Chazz had trailed them into the kitchen. The tears I had just sworn off once again filled my eyes. There was no fear in Jared’s steady gaze.

“Hi,
kitty-kitty
,” Chazz cooed, petting Athena.

“Her name is Athena,” Jared told him, flashing a gentle smile. He looked at me again. “Can we talk?”

“Y-yes,” I stammered and scrambled to my feet. “But privately—if that’s okay?”

He smiled. “Of course it is.” His eyes moved down to Chazz. “Would you watch Athena for me?”

While Jared handed over the cat, I took the opportunity to swipe a quick sleeve across my eyes. It would be okay, after all.

Jared shut the attic door behind us, and we made our way up the stairs in silence. Near the top, it occurred to me that I hadn’t switched on the lights. I’d been so nervous that I’d forgotten he didn’t have night vision, too.

“Can you see?” I asked mid-step and glanced back at him.

He stared at me without squinting, indicating that he could see. “Yeah,” he confirmed with a shy, sweet smile. “Thanks to the full moon.” He gestured to the two large skylights soaking the open space in natural and urban light.

“Just checking. Sometimes I forget not everyone can see in the dark as well as I can,” I explained awkwardly and began ascending the steps again, grateful that Jared couldn’t see my blush in the dimness. This would be a difficult talk.

Stepping onto the landing, I looked from one side of the attic to the other, uncertain where to go. Jared made the decision for me.

“Over there.” He walked past me to the large gymnastic mat. I would have chosen the sofa on the other side. Jared didn’t always do the predictable thing.

He plopped down dead center on the mat and stretched out on his back. Hands folded under his head, he gazed at the night sky through the skylight. I lingered at the mat’s edge, nudging it with my foot.

The corners of Jared’s mouth curled. “Cassy, join me.”

I reclined next to him. He stared at the skylight, thinking. Once I had situated myself, I directed my gaze upward, too.

“Wow,” I said with wonder. It wasn’t often stars were visible in Seattle.

“I know. It’s amazing.”

“Believe it or not, I’ve never done this before.” My eyes bounced from twinkling star to twinkling star. “And this window has been here for, what, three years?”

“Longer than that. We were in sixth grade when your house was remodeled.” Jared rolled his head to me, his hair swishing against the vinyl. I watched him peripherally with a galloping heart. He studied my profile for several seconds before speaking. “I’m sorry, Cassy.”

“You’re sorry?” I asked incredulously, turning my head toward him. Our faces were inches apart, which didn’t do a thing to calm my pounding heart. “What for?”

Jared rolled to his side. “I made you feel bad about yourself, and for that I’m very sorry.” His gaze lingered over my hair splayed across the mat. “I don’t know what to say.” His fingertips traced my hairline. I couldn’t breathe. “Those goons . . . you . . . Emery . . .” He gently tucked loose strands behind my ear, his fingertips brushing my skin. “It was like a dream.”

“Like what?” I was having trouble listening to what he was saying.

He smiled. “A dream.”

I cleared my throat. “
Dream
? More like a nightmare,” I said, picturing the bloodied faces of the thugs. Nothing kills a romantic buzz like remembering that you’re lethal. “Are you afraid of me?”

His fingertips traveled down my jawline, delicately, as though I were made of fine porcelain. “No.” His smile twisted devilishly. “But Emery scares the crap out of me.”

I sputtered into laughter.

Jared busted up, too, and soon we were rolling on the mat, hugging our guts, and laughing so hard that no noise emerged.

“I’m being serious,” Jared insisted at last, his voice hoarse from laughing. I was still trying to get my laughter under control. “I always knew something about him was off. But I didn’t see
James Bond
coming.”