Beyond Bloodline - Unbreakable Bonds

twenty six

Cassandra had only lived a short eighteen years but there were already a handful of things she regretted; like that one night at Gabe's party she'd gotten drunk off her socks and ended up complicating all her relationships, agreeing to actually end things with Nigel since if she hadn't, then she wouldn't feel so alone and like the whole word had left her to her devices. Of course, more than all that she hated her own jinx of a mouth.

She had just turned eight and was a hot tempered little missy who never meant the things she said when raving at her parents. She wished that of all memories could be wiped clean but knew she'd be haunted by it for as long as she lived.

It was her temper, just her fucking temper. She never should have cursed out her mother. Maybe then she'd still be with her, they'd still be the loving family with her dad; cajoling her with late night stories in the blanket fort she preferred to her bed, binging Disney movies with her and taking her to the carnival or cinema every other week to get her dose of fun.

There would be no Dianne, no half-sister to compete with her on what should have been only hers and most of all, her father would never have turned his back on her.

Not if her mother was still alive.

So she regretted it. With every breath she took. Her harsh words, her even harsher stomping up the stairs. The next morning, she was gone and it hadn't taken even a year for her life to turn over and her father to become someone she no longer recognized.

It was her fault, wasn't it? Her mother was too happy, her life too perfect. There was no other reason she could have had to commit suicide but the words of her rebellious teenage daughter who inundated her parental skills and had succeeded in pushing her over the edge. Totally her fault.

Now, she was doomed. Doomed to a forced union with some pig she'd never even met and doomed to the wicked schemes of her stepmother. All week she'd been dragged around, shopping for 'proper' clothes and pulled into so many etiquette classes that her brain had slowly turned to mush as in Dianne's words she needed to befit the standards her husband-to-be's family had for her.

She'd been fed up of the whole thing and resented how after nearly a decade following her mom's passing, her dad had finally looked upon her with love and appreciation—the intense look you'd bestow upon the golden goose you'd carefully cultivated and could finally be of some use to you.

That's right. That's all she was, a fucking commodity to help him exchange for a better cooperation. And every forsaken hour of her life since the news of her impending marriage had been broken to her, she wished her mother was still around. The woman, for all of her gentle outlook on life, would flay any pig that dared to set their sight on her pretty flower.

The company she'd poured sweat into would only have flourished and there wouldn't have been a need for some marriage alliance she disdained. She'd still be that pretty flower, the only one that could get into her eyes. Now it was like all her lush petals had wilted and all that lingered was a crippled bud.

"Hey, pretty," the voice snapped her out of her blind musings and she gave a sidelong glane at the person to her right. "Can I buy you a drink?" Her nose immediately crinkled in disgust as she recalled where she was and that some bastard was making a pass at her.

She could barely hold down another shiver of disgust as she pulled the blue cocktail she'd been sipping on closer to herself and forced on a plastic smile. "I'm waiting for someone," she said, neatly avoiding his hand and raising her glass to her lips. She should just have stayed home.

She'd been staying at Hayley's for a while until her friend had left to spend time with her other family. Seeing no point in enduring loneliness, she'd returned home and would take that over being here right now. Her home was a death trap but it was at least much better for her than what she'd gotten herself into.