The Princess soldier (Revised)

15. Kaden

I try to calm my racing mind and quiet the voices screaming in the back of my head. Standing outside of Cassie's door I listen to her finally opening up.

I listen as she talks about Sofia and her cousin. She sobs about how she failed them and I swear I got tears building in my eyes. Shes a fucking diamond, shes Xena a fucking warrior princess and doesn't even know it.

She has had nightmares nearly every night since I've met her she always cries for Sophie and now I know why. "Kaden!" My father calls out, snapping me out of my eavesdropping.

"I thought you went home?" He questions as I try to shut him up and pull him on the other side of the door.

Cassie just woke up from a nightmare but this time she's opened up to Mel. She told Mel everything. "I-I was mad." I admit looking away from her door to him. He raises a brow, a smile creeping up his face.

"You left because you got mad? Why did you get mad?" The smug look on his face feels like he's mocking me so I angrily hop on my crutches away from him. "Okay I'm sorry I'm sorry talk." He gestured.

I focus on my hands avoiding his eyes as I think back to Danny kissing Cassie. I've never felt a clenching in my heart or the feeling of a thousand knives to my chest.

I've never had these feeling with Gene I've never felt the magnetic pull like I do with Cass, it was circumstantial. Don't get me wrong I love Gene she's been apart of me for half my life but being with Cass is something else. I've never been this enamored with any female.

"Nothing, I-I just needed a break." I lie.

"So this has nothing to do with the guy forcing himself on your girl?" He asks, crossing his arms over his chest. My eyes snap up to him widening in embarrassment.

"S-she's not my girl and how do you know Danny pushed himself on her? She seemed pretty into it." My dad sits down in the chair next to mine, setting his hand on my knee.

"I could see from my angle that she tried to push him off." My fist clenched and unclenched with this new information. "But didn't you bring some random female to my house for a sleepover?" Thinking back to that I can't help the small laugh that escapes.

"I brought her to get under Tinks skin. I-I was becoming all too aware of the effect she had on me and I was confused. I don't want to hurt Genie." I notice the thick tension at the mention of her name.

"Kaden, I don't think you and Genie are right for each other. Think about it son. She's Derek's niece. When your mom first met Derek how was Genie's situation?" I can feel my anger bubble as he talks but when I think about his question I think back.

"She seemed cared for." I admit thinking back to our first encounter. She was wearing jeans with a blue halter. She seemed more mature than us even though we were all thirteen but she was stunningly happy.

Jeanie gave me my first beer and even managed to introduce me to weed when my mom was beaten by her uncle. She gave me my first blow job the first time mom overdosed. I'm noticing a pattern.

"She seemed fine and grown for her age but she was a happy free spirit." I confess.

"With everything you've told me I can tell you this, I don't trust the girl. She's connected to David and you have no idea what she's telling him." That can't be true.

"David used to beat the shit out of her." I snap pushing out of my chair. Holy shit every movement goes straight to my shoulders.

"How do you know? Why didn't child protective services step in? Why did it only start when you moved in? Why didn't she ever run away?" Thinking back I never actually saw or heard Derek actually hurt her. All I ever had was her words, tears, and bruises that only ever lasted a day or two max.