Page 69 of As the Rain Falls
I help her, tucking a loose strand behind her ear. There’s a tiny braid threaded with blue and gold beads… Some sort of hair jewelry?It’s pretty, though, thin and very delicate.The golden surface even glimmers between my fingers when I pick it up.
“Do I look better now?” she asks, her voice sounding so small. “Is it hidden?”
“Yes, it is,” I lie, not wanting to spook her even further. “I really like your jewelry.”
Cassandra smiles awkwardly, rising to a standing position and shifting her weight from one leg to the other.
“Thanks. I got it at the flea market.”
“Mn.”
“I really did hurt myself, you know?”
I quickly check her knees to see if the scratches she’d gotten the other day are healed. The skin is no longer reddish, so it doesn’t seem like it might become a bigger problem.
Good.
“I can see that, but that’s twice in a month, Cass,” I keep my voice as light as it can be, but my stomach still churns uneasily. This bad feeling rises in my guts, and I can’t for the life of me figure out the reason why. “Do I need to wrap you in bubble wrap or what?”
“I’m just really clumsy, Becky,” her smile is shaky, like she’s mortified that I pointed it out. “It’s nothing for you to worry about.”
Taking a hint, I roll Pepé’s leash around my hand and smoothly change the subject, letting this go.
“About to go to bed?”
Cassandra relaxes, leaning against my touch when I reach for her hair charms again. I place the braid behind her ear, brushing my knuckles against her earrings as I do so. She does wear a lot of jewelry, but mostly earrings, bracelets, and necklaces. It all looks good on her anyway.
“Gotta do the dishes first,” she tells me. “We had take out delivered to us.”
“That’s nice,” I nod, listening attentively. “What did you guys eat?”
“Tacos from Silvio’s again,” her voice sounds far away. “Mom is a better cook than I am, and Nathaniel is tired of my seasoning. I asked for the full combo with the new vegetarian stuff because I’ve been trying to eat more healthy.”
“Good call. It sounds delicious.” My tattoo starts to itch again, and I pull away to scratch my naked chest. “Do you have a favorite flavor?”
“The ones with red peppers are the best,” Cassandra yawns, stretching her arms above her head. Then, she eyes me curiously, “And you?”
I shrug. “I’ll probably cook something after I’m done walking Pepé.”
Her eyes widen with shock. “You know how to cook?”
“Just the basics,” I answer. “You should come around sometime. We can trade recipes.”
“But wouldn’t I be bothering you on your time off?”
“Cassandra? Where are you?”
I’m about to answer her question, but her dad’s voice cuts through the night, calling her back inside. He stops by the door, features hardening once he finally notices me talking to his daughter.
“Hi, Mr. Rivera.” I wave a hand, greeting him from afar.
“Hello, Beckett.”
“Oh,” Cassandra’s smile wavers, glancing back to check on her father. “Becky, I think I have to go.”
“You have my number, right?” I check. She nods. “Just text me, and I’ll bring him over if it’s alright with your parents. If you ever want to come over, it’s not a problem.”
“Okay, I will.” She smiles softly. “Have a good night, Beckett.”
