Page 261 of As the Rain Falls
“Oh.” She bites her lower lip guiltily. “Dad and Nathan went out for dinner. I didn’t want to go. Do you… Do you want to come in for a sec?”
I nod quickly.
She steps aside, giving me just enough space to walk in. The house is dark, the only light in the room spilling from a lamp, and our shadows stretch and merge together. I slip my hands into my pockets, my fingers itching for me to do something.
“Sorry.” Cassandra glances down before turning her back to me. “I get paranoid when I’m alone at the house. Port des Ondes really creeps the shit out of me at night.”
A weak smile tugs at the corner of my lips.
“Lucia and I used to hide underneath the covers and tell each other horror stories all the time when we were kids.” I look around, trying to see something through the darkness. “Why don’t you turn the lights on?”
“I have a headache,” she explains, sounding a little tired. Her hands fly up, fixing her hair around her face. “Might be migraines.”
Now that my eyes have adjusted a little more, I make out what I assume to be pink-and-white striped pajamas and a pair of fluffy bunny slippers covering her feet.
Cassandra is way too covered for the kind of weather Le Port has to offer, but I think she might be feeling cold because the windows of the house are all closed.
“I was making myself some tea. Do you want something to drink?” she adds after a beat, her steps hesitant before she walks me to the kitchen. “Peppermint? Camomile?”
“Peppermint. No sugar.”
I lean on the counter, watching her move around the kitchen with proficiency. Then I see it—Pepé’s bed—the one she’d made to welcome him in her home. It’s layered with at least ten different pillows. The light of the lamp shines softly, a bookforgotten in between the covers. She’d been reading before I came over.
“Cassandra?” I say.
“Yes?”
“Angelina told me about what’s been happening at school.”
The kettle slips from her hand, crashing abruptly into the sink. Hot water spills everywhere.
“Fuck!” Cassandra hisses, yanking her hands to her chest. “Fucking hell!”
I motion towards the light switch, but she snaps.
“Don’t you dare turn the lights on, Beckett, or I swear to God, I’ll never speak to you again!”
My steps falter.
“Why?”
“Just…” she exhales sharply. “Don’t.”
I angle my head, trying to see her clearly, but she keeps her face turned away. My fingers hover over the switch. I don’t press it immediately because I don’t want to push her, but something feels wrong. Something feelsreallyfucking wrong.
“Cass, let me turn them on.”
“This was a bad idea.” Her voice cracks, making her sound more nervous than before. “I need you to leave.”
“Cassandra, please,” I insist, my thoughts starting to spiral.
My fingers linger over the surface of the switch now, but for a second, I just stop and listen to her breathe. It’s steady at first, but eventually, I hear her gasping and making sounds like that of a child in pain.
“I need you to go!” she whines, her breath coming out in chopped bits.
There’s something she doesn’t want me to see.
I blink hard, knowing my mind is racing to figure out what’s happening. Cassandra doesn’t move away; she reaches outinstead.She holds out her hand, tapping the counter, leaning against it as if it’s the only thing she can hold onto.
