3 Simple Steps

TWENTY-THREE: If A Guy Wears A Leather Jacket He's Automatically Hot

TWENTY-THREE: If A Guy Wears A Leather Jacket He's Automatically Hot

The harsh melody of my phone's ringtone woke me up. Pale sunlight streamed in from blue curtains, making me blink repeatedly. Prodding Cas awake by poking him in the ribs, he let me out under his arm before turning on his side. I stretched like a feline before picking up my phone. As soon as I put the phone to my ear I knew I was in trouble.

"Adalina Alexis de la Cruz! Where are you? You're always eating breakfast when I'm leaving for work. You weren't in your room so where do you think you're at?" Underneath her anger, there was concern struggling to surface.

"Mom, I'm at Cas' house," I admitted, and pulled my shoes on. "I didn't want to wake you, but I had left some important papers at his house so I came early."

There was a long pause on the other end.

"Young missy, don't think I was born yesterday. You could've gotten them from him at school." I winced as I realized I had basically been caught red handed. I groaned.

"Ah, mom, I'll explain later. I really need to get to school." My mother drew in her breath and I knew she was mulling this over.

"Whatever you were doing at Cas' house--"

I rolled my eyes and pulled my sweater on.

"No mom. Nothing happened. Talk to you later. Bye." I hung up.

Oh, boy, how was I going to get out of that one? Glancing one last time at a peaceful Cas, I placed my hand on the doorknob ready to leave. I hesitated. Was I just going to leave Cas without a single word? Did something happen between us last night that meant I had to stick by Cas now? Who was I kidding? It probably did mean that. Only, a hesitating feeling lingered in my stomach. Everything seemed to be falling together as well as apart. Could being with Cas while Isaiah was returning affect something? I didn't want to hurt Cas. That was my hesitation. Who knows how I would react when I saw Isaiah again.

"Sugar Cube? Are you leaving? I could drive you to school. You probably missed the bus already, anyways. It's 7:40." Startled, I withdrew my hand from the doorknob and turned around to face Castel Simons.

"Uh...no. I was going to use the restroom," I lied easily.

"Ah, it's just down the hall. I'll get ready and then we'll leave." I nodded and smiled warmly; the sensation of having a smile on my face feeling alien after frowning for a long time.

***

Cas told me his parents had left extra early for work, so that I could go downstairs if I wanted to. Apparently, his parents were cardiologists. There were so many things I didn't know about Cas and his family yet. That made things with him seem more realistic. As if I hadn't just made him appear from a magical golden book. That he and I had met through destiny and that he would learn about me and I about him. 

I found myself wandering around the first floor. I faintly recalled where everything was from the first time I had been here, which had been when my family and I had come to visit Cas' family. When they had barely come back from London. They had been there because I had destroyed the page in "HTHAAI3SS" with all their information. My footsteps sounded extremely loud in the grand house, especially with linoleum floors that were squeaky clean. The glass door to the backyard came into my view and I walked towards it without even realizing. I opened the door with ease, stepping out into the algid morning air. The garden was just as I remembered from that disastrous dinner. Stone steps cut into the middle of the brightly-planted flowers leading to a dirt trail that lead to the woods. I spotted a white arch in the woods. One that Cas and I had passed under.