Cassandra felt a knot forming in the pit of her stomach. It was unsettling to know that the previous Cassandra was physically involved with Dan first, amongst the other brothers.
In a few hours, the brothers along with Framton will come back and it will turn awkward quickly. Cassandra was predicting the future with her unstable heart. As she was getting dressed up, she sees the reflection of her lover in the mirror. He was behind her, looking at the wall and sitting straight as if he was given a punishment by his teacher.
“Hey.” She innocently approaches him. A whiff of the scent of sex flows in the air as he turns his head toward her. “Yeah?”
“How do I…”
“You don’t have to think your brain out of this. Just say it was a mishap and it will never happen again. Trust me, he won’t approach you again.” Says Zayn to the girl, holding her tiny waist.
“Okay.”
The time was near and so was her anxiety to burst into a puddle of nervousness. Zayn watches them closely as she knocks and enters Dan’s room.
Zayn stands outside, listening to their conversation as the door closes shut in his face. The corridor held no other presence except for his, at least he won’t be caught eavesdropping and messing up everything.
“Heyya! What’s up?” He greets his stepsister rather awkwardly. Cassandra sits beside the male, talking in a low voice to keep the secret from spilling to other members of the family.
But Zayn was hearing everything.
“You gave your virginity to me, Cassandra. I’m the happiest man on earth and I was in your bed. There was no other time I felt so special-”
“I- I know, but I’m sorry. I like someone else…” Zayn closes his eyes and purses his lips tightly. She shouldn’t have said that, because the question which follows was expected.
“Who…?” Dan asks in an unsure voice. Cassandra looks towards the door as her brain suddenly seemed to have switched off. She licks her dry lips and leaves in an instant.
Hissing when she almost stomped on his fingers, Zayn quickly makes it back to his room so he doesn’t look like he was spying on them.
The dinner has been unusually silent and awkward ever since. The old man Framton sat on his chair and sighed loudly upon the harsh whiskey going down his throat. His eldest son sat beside him, sipping the wine as well.
“Why are they so quiet?” Framton asks Louis who jumps his shoulders. They both turn towards the silenced table and see the awkward eating pattern of their youngest: Cassandra.
“What happened to her?”
“I don’t know, papa. Let’s ask her the night before bed. Maybe it’s just school bothering her.” Says Louis, only assuming her mental health.
“She said that too.” Repeats Framton.
As the night approached, Cassandra looks outside the window and sat against the window pane. She admired the loneliness that the moon never had to face with the blanket of stars around it, wrapped to keep it warm and give it company. She sighs, a ton of thoughts running through her mind.
“Hey,” it was Louis, the eldest sibling. He had a giant, assuring smile on his face as Cassandra couldn’t help but produce one back for him. He was so elegant in his nightwear too, in his eyes. He had. Charm and charisma around him, it was undeniable.
“Come in.”
“Dad’s here too.” The male informs.
Cassandra nods softly as she settles on the lap of her fatherly figure.
“Is everything alright in school, Cassie? I heard you even ran out of your class today.” Says Louis, getting the news directly from someone he knows.
And then someone was his ex-girlfriend, concerned for the student in her class. Overly concerned, about the matter.
She only had to be given a reason to contact her indirect guardian of hers, her eldest brother Louis Johnson.
“Who said that?” She says.
“What…?” Confusion rises in the air. Cassandra forgot that she even did such a deed.
“Oh, you’re having a fever…” Framton then feels her rise in temperature as he places the girl on the bed, fetching warm water and a wet towel.
Uncomfortable as hell because of her fever, she was moaning in uneasiness and cries a little out of frustration, in front of the two elders.
“Louis… don’t go…” she mumbles, half asleep.
Louis and Framton look at each other. They don’t know the root of her words nor could they guess why she’d say that. But as the good brother he was raised to be, he holds his sister’s hand and kisses her knuckles, saying, “I’ll never leave your side, Cassandra. Never. You’re my baby sister.”
‘Liar…’ her mind says, her body shutting off for the day.
Waking up again in the middle of the night, Cassandra makes noises of discomfort as she sees someone wiggle in their sleep. There was Louis right there, on the little couch which did no justice for his 6’3 height. His legs were completely thrown out of the couch, hanging out charily.
Changing her own towel and cooling her body, she walks around the room, rather awkwardly.
She remembers about her own brother.
Once when she was sick, two years ago and their mother was out of the city, Louis dutifully took care of her even though he was complaining about her falling ill. The present Louis resembled her brother in ways more than just physical spheres.
Suddenly, she began crying as she mounts on top of his large body. Placing her fists between their chests, she curls up on his body as the male stirs away.
“Hmm… how are you feeling?” He asks groggily.
“I feel okay…” she says in a shaky voice. She refuses to show him his face, so he touches her neck against her tousled hair to measure her temperature. Looks like most of her fever had gone down, but some more left to treat.
“Do you wanna have a shower?”
“Yeah… but I’m too tired and weak.”
“Okay. I’ll prepare some soup for you and get you in the tub. You’ll feel better. Your exams are coming close, right?”