Page 143 of Shattered Veil

I pressed my lips together tightly. “Yeah…sorry.”

“Like I said, we’re good, man.” Liam waved my apology away. “I just wanted to clear the air.”

I repeated, “Clear the air?”

“Uh huh—and for the record, I can tell that she cares about you, too.”

My face instantly went hot.

“Oh,” I whispered. “Thanks.”

He smirked in such a way that I wondered if he noticed that my cheeks had flushed, but he gave me a curt nod that signified we didn’t need to delve into nitty-gritty details.

“James?!”

Cassie’s panicked call of my name rang out from my bedroom, interrupting Liam’s large inhale in anticipation to speak once more, and I didn’t get a chance to take in his reaction for my head had snapped to the noise so quickly that I should have been concerned about whiplash.

I understood in an instant—she woke, and I wasn’t there.

My chest lurched as I cursed, “Shit.”

Running for the door, I left Liam without a second thought, and the moment that I reached for the knob, it was yanked open for me.

Haphazardly dressed and hair frizzed and frazzled, Cassie’s eyes were wild as she nearly sprinted into me. I caught her by the arms, holding her at length because she looked to not be absorbing what was around her, and stooped ever so slightly down to her level.

“Cassie.”

“I…” Under eyes a bit purple, she was hellbent for the door until I spoke her name. When she finally saw me, she just blinked. “You’re here.”

“I’m here,” I told her gently. “I was just making coffee—was letting you sleep.”

“Right,” she breathed. “Sorry…I—”

Liam cleared his throat loudly from behind me. Cassie caught sight of him immediately, and she looked to be caught with her hands painted red. I meekly glanced at Liam, grateful to find him less than shocked and looking at his sister with arms crossed and a half-lidded gaze.

“Oh…erm…hi, Liam.”

“Good morning,” he greeted her, no doubt amused at the lack of her usual confidence, his words less than casual and holding an undertone of, ‘I know what you did.’

She hooked her thumb over her shoulder toward my bedroom door.

“I…um—”

Rather than mention her entry or the fact that she had exited from my room, he asked, “Did you call Skylar yet?”

“Um…no? Not yet.”

“Good—let me make some coffee for me and Zo’, and she’ll call Claire.” Liam’s thick brows pinched together. “I think she would want to be here…she looked worried.”

“Yeah,” Cassie quickly replied. “Of course.”

Just as Liam passed me on his way to the front door, he spoke, “Jay,” and clapped me twice on the shoulder so hard that it stung through my t-shirt. “Be back.”

We watched him stroll out the door, Cassie with her jaw hung open, and when it clicked shut, she looked at me, bewildered.

“What—what the fuck just happened?”

I shook my head as I let out a quiet sigh. “Coffee?”

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