WANT (completed)

ch. 43 | Get It Together

CASSANDRA'S POV

I pull up to Zac's apartment in a cab, hoping that since it's mid-day, he won't be there. When I left the office yesterday, I didn't tell him where I was going, and ignored all of his messages thereafter apart from telling him that I was safe.

Zac would be beyond pissed if he knew that I was with Asa and that we had made up after what happened on Friday night. I saved Zac the details of it all, but needless to say, me calling him in the middle of the night to pick me up was more than enough for him to know that we weren't in a good place.

That I wasn't in a good place. I never called on Zac unless I really, truly needed him, and on Friday, I really did need his comfort. But now? Now that I know the truth and that Asa is into this fully? I'm completely fine with falling back into routine with him.

I've always enjoyed my routines, and being with Asa is my comfort zone. So I have decided to grab my things from Zac's place to cuddle up in bed with Asa again. He needed to go to the office, which was the perfect opportunity for me to stop here and get my things.

Zac gave me a key on Saturday in case I needed it, and I would be leaving it behind after getting my things, but unfortunately for me, Zac is two steps ahead of me. The second that I step foot into the kitchen, he looks up at me from his table, where he's working on his laptop.

"Cassandra, what the fuck?" he gets up, closing his laptop as he pushes his chair back. It squeaks against the flooring, making me cringe at the sound.

"I'm here to grab my things," I tell him, ignoring his question as I shut the door behind me. I begin to make my way down to his bedroom where I was staying, only to be stopped by his body halfway.

Zac has his arms crossed over his chest and his eyes narrow down at me. I refrain myself from rolling my eyes, because this is so typical of him. He wants to act like a big brother again, and certainly when I don't need him.

"Zac, I don't have all day," I remark, trying to side step him but he takes a step at the same time as if he anticipated my movement.

"You were with Asa, weren't you?" Zac's next question comes out more like a statement, and this time, I do roll my eyes. I cross my own arms across my chest, tapping my foot against the floor, annoyed. This was exactly what I was trying to avoid.

"Zac, please. Thank you for letting me stay here, but yes, we made up, and things are really good between us, so stop making this a bigger deal than it is," I sigh, hoping to reason with him. I'm a grown adult. I don't need to be having this conversation, but I do love him and he is my brother after all. He just wants me to be safe. I know that his intentions are good.

"This is ridiculous," Zac scoffs, shaking his head down at me. "Cas, seriously? You let him walk all over you, hurt you, and now you forgive him? Just like that? God, I was beginning to think you were finally growing out of this crap, but this is like Ethan all over again. Don't be naive," he barks, his words cutting through me like a hot knife.

"No. This is nothing like that," I huff as I frown, hurt that he would say such a thing. "Asa wouldn't purposely hurt me, and what happened between us was just a misunderstanding. He's never done anything to intentionally hurt me, and he wouldn't. He is nothing like Ethan, and I'm not a child."

Something about my serious statement makes Zac laugh out loud, which only angers me. I'm fairly good at keeping my anger low, but this was absolutely stupid. I'm an extremely emotional person, especially when it comes to getting hurt, but what I am feeling right now is through the roof.

"Oh? You're not a child? Cassandra, you haven't really grown up much, you know that, right? You do what you're told to, you always have. That goes for dad telling you to do something, me telling you, Ethan telling you, and now, Asa telling you. You are a child, and this is serious. You can't just forgive him like that! Like you forgave Ethan! Aren't you even the slightest bit worried that you're falling into old habits?"