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chapter six! So what am I defending now? ☆
The remainder of summer had flown by, filled with countless laughter-filled nights and spontaneous sleepovers with Este. Tense, heavy moments filled with the weight of unspoken words with Jason and somewhat pleasant conversations with Becca, both familiar yet complicated.
Cassie still hadn't shaken off the emotions that swirled within her after jumping into Andie's case once more. It weighed heavily on her mind, always lingering. She hadn't spoken to Pip or Ravi for a while, leaving her unsure about if they had been in contact with each other or if there were any more updates on her sister's case.
There were moments when Cassandra considered knocking on Pippa's door, too desperate to continue and find out if there had been any recent changes or if she had come up with any new theories, perhaps due to stumbling upon some new information. She never did. She would never admit it but she was scared to do so, besides she wouldn't want to intrude or cause any disruption within the Fitz-Amobi household by having the youngest Bell show up unannounced. She assumed Pip was going to spend most days hanging out with Cara and the rest of their circle anyway.
Cassandra tried her hardest not to overthink, to resist the worry that constantly gnawed at her about what was happening. Instead, she wanted to focus on the little time she had left of the summer holidays, spending most of her days outside in the sunny weather or immersed in the easy rhythm of the Madden home, joining in on their family dinners and game nights that always got a little too competitive.
Este and her parents were always welcoming, making it clear that she was invited whenever and that her presence could never be a burden on them. It had been that way since primary school and it always served as a temporary fix and escape from the uncertainty that still bubbled within her.
But still desperately she hoped that there hadn't been any recent information contributing to their investigation that she was unaware of, wishing to remain in the loop mainly for her own peace of mind and sanity. After their last encounter, she worried that the Fitz-Amobi would think she couldn't handle what was to come and the thought of being seen as incapable filled her with immense anxiety and insecurity.
She was sure she could handle it. Couldn't she?
The call from Pippa came out of nowhere. It was about mid-afternoon, Cassie savouring the quiet of the Bell house. The sudden ring of her phone was enough to make the blonde choke on the coffee she had been drinking. "Shit!" she cursed, tone sharp with surprise, and caused Becca, who was sat at the other end of the island, to straighten up and peer over her laptop screen at her younger sister, assessing the situation.
"You good?"
"Yeah, sorry." She apologised and quickly stood to grab a handful of paper towels which she then used to clean up the small amount of coffee she spilt in the process and amidst the chaos, Pip's call was accidently sent to voicemail.
