father caused me was etched deep inside and was never far from my mind. And whether I wanted to admit it or not, I was affected by his lies and inability to follow through on the smallest of promises.
I didn’t say anything. I continued to glare at Melissa, angry at her for pointing out the flaws I felt I couldn’t change.
“Cass, I just don’t want you to punish Jack for the mistakes your dad made.” Her voice was soft as she leaned in to touch her forehead to mine.
“How can you even say that? You know what I saw today. Those pictures have nothing to do with my dad.” I jerked back, my jaw clenched.
“No, the pictures don’t. But the fact that you refuse to speak to Jack unless it’s in person, does. I know what you’re doing,” she stated, her expression solemn.
“Why don’t you inform me then?”
“You want to test him. Judge his body language. Watch his eyes, his mouth.”
“You’re damn right I do. Please tell me what’s so wrong with that?”
“Nothing, I guess.” Melissa shrugged her shoulders in defeat. “I just thought that maybe you wouldn’t need to talk to Jack in person to decide if he was lying or not.”
“But I do. Don’t you see?” I took a long breath. “I don’t trust myself when it comes to him.”
“Why?”
“Because I’ll want to believe anything he tells me over the phone. I’ll hear his voice and turn into a stupid girly ball of mush.”
“This is about protecting yourself, isn’t it?” Melissa rested her chin against her hand and sighed.
I nodded.
“You think someday you’ll be able to trust the way a normal person does?”
“You mean blindly?” I laughed harshly before continuing. “Probably not.”
The sound of Jack’s ringtone blasted from my bedroom again, grinding our conversation to a halt. “Please go answer that, Cassie.”
“I can’t. I’m sorry.” I winced before walking into my room and pressing Ignore once more.
My phone beeped with another voice mail alert, followed quickly by the sound of an arriving text message. This was going to be a long weekend.
Kitten, I ’ m getting worried. Please let me know you ’ re okay before I lose my fucking mind over here. I love you.
Part of me thought, Good. Lose your mind. Be worried. You deserve it . The other part of me breathed in with relief that he actually cared. I shook my head, disgusted at my conflicted emotions, and turned my phone off. I couldn’t deal with any more text messages or missed calls tonight. Not to mention the fact that I couldn’t stop wondering if Miss Thin Brunette would be making another appearance inside Jack’s hotel room later. The very thought made my stomach churn.
I heard Melissa’s cell phone ring, followed by the sound of her voice. “Cassie, get out here!”
I reluctantly walked back into the living room where Melissa held out her phone in my direction. “Who is it?” I whispered, afraid of the answer.
“It’s Dean. Get on the phone.”
“Hello,” I said, my tone irritated.
“Cassie, Jesus Christ, what the hell is going on? Jack’s calling me like a lunatic. He’s flipping the fuck
completely flipping
out. Says you won’t answer any of his phone calls or texts!”
“So what.” I pretended not to care.
“You gotta talk to him, Cass. You can’t ignore him like this when he’s on a road trip, it’s not fair.”
“Yes I can!” I screamed back into the phone. “He’s the one who had a fucking girl up in his hotel room, not me! So don’t tell me I have to talk to him, Dean. Don’t talk to me about what’s fair!”
The tears reluctantly escaped my eyes once more as Jack’s betrayal settled into my damaged heart.
“You’re so goddammed stubborn! He’s going fucking apeshit and you’re just going to let him?”
“I just can’t call him, okay? I can’t talk to him right now.” I pleaded with Dean for some sort of understanding. “Just tell him I’m busy with a project for school or
I didn’t say anything. I continued to glare at Melissa, angry at her for pointing out the flaws I felt I couldn’t change.
“Cass, I just don’t want you to punish Jack for the mistakes your dad made.” Her voice was soft as she leaned in to touch her forehead to mine.
“How can you even say that? You know what I saw today. Those pictures have nothing to do with my dad.” I jerked back, my jaw clenched.
“No, the pictures don’t. But the fact that you refuse to speak to Jack unless it’s in person, does. I know what you’re doing,” she stated, her expression solemn.
“Why don’t you inform me then?”
“You want to test him. Judge his body language. Watch his eyes, his mouth.”
“You’re damn right I do. Please tell me what’s so wrong with that?”
“Nothing, I guess.” Melissa shrugged her shoulders in defeat. “I just thought that maybe you wouldn’t need to talk to Jack in person to decide if he was lying or not.”
“But I do. Don’t you see?” I took a long breath. “I don’t trust myself when it comes to him.”
“Why?”
“Because I’ll want to believe anything he tells me over the phone. I’ll hear his voice and turn into a stupid girly ball of mush.”
“This is about protecting yourself, isn’t it?” Melissa rested her chin against her hand and sighed.
I nodded.
“You think someday you’ll be able to trust the way a normal person does?”
“You mean blindly?” I laughed harshly before continuing. “Probably not.”
The sound of Jack’s ringtone blasted from my bedroom again, grinding our conversation to a halt. “Please go answer that, Cassie.”
“I can’t. I’m sorry.” I winced before walking into my room and pressing Ignore once more.
My phone beeped with another voice mail alert, followed quickly by the sound of an arriving text message. This was going to be a long weekend.
Kitten, I ’ m getting worried. Please let me know you ’ re okay before I lose my fucking mind over here. I love you.
Part of me thought, Good. Lose your mind. Be worried. You deserve it . The other part of me breathed in with relief that he actually cared. I shook my head, disgusted at my conflicted emotions, and turned my phone off. I couldn’t deal with any more text messages or missed calls tonight. Not to mention the fact that I couldn’t stop wondering if Miss Thin Brunette would be making another appearance inside Jack’s hotel room later. The very thought made my stomach churn.
I heard Melissa’s cell phone ring, followed by the sound of her voice. “Cassie, get out here!”
I reluctantly walked back into the living room where Melissa held out her phone in my direction. “Who is it?” I whispered, afraid of the answer.
“It’s Dean. Get on the phone.”
“Hello,” I said, my tone irritated.
“Cassie, Jesus Christ, what the hell is going on? Jack’s calling me like a lunatic. He’s flipping the fuck
completely flipping
out. Says you won’t answer any of his phone calls or texts!”
“So what.” I pretended not to care.
“You gotta talk to him, Cass. You can’t ignore him like this when he’s on a road trip, it’s not fair.”
“Yes I can!” I screamed back into the phone. “He’s the one who had a fucking girl up in his hotel room, not me! So don’t tell me I have to talk to him, Dean. Don’t talk to me about what’s fair!”
The tears reluctantly escaped my eyes once more as Jack’s betrayal settled into my damaged heart.
“You’re so goddammed stubborn! He’s going fucking apeshit and you’re just going to let him?”
“I just can’t call him, okay? I can’t talk to him right now.” I pleaded with Dean for some sort of understanding. “Just tell him I’m busy with a project for school or
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