Summer

Chapter 41

I don't even realize what time it is until we hear banging on the front door. My immediate reaction is to scramble for my phone because I haven't checked it since dinnertime. I cover my body with Noah's bed sheets and grab it from my bag to find numerous missed calls and texts from Liam, Jacob, and Cassie.

Shit. How is it 3 am?

"My phone's blowing up," I tell Noah, who then grabs his phone from the nightstand.

"Mine too," he says as he panically rakes his fingers through his hair.

We don't waste any more time and run downstairs to find an alarmed Justin pacing outside. Noah opens the screen door as I stand behind him so that Justin can't see me.

"Dude, what the fuck? I called you like a million times," Justin says as he anxiously makes his way inside. "Where's Fee?" he asks, looking around the house before finally noticing me. "Shit guys, this isn't good," he continues.

Noah closes the door and I walk over to Justin.

"We fell asleep," I explain, as if that's going to justify anything. "I need to call Cassie. Have you spoken to her?"

"Yeah, she's on her way here," he says, his breathing heavy. "You were supposed to be by her hours ago. When you didn't show, she started to panic. She knew that you were at Noah's, but when you didn't answer her calls or texts, she thought something might have happened. She wanted to come here and check on you. She called me because she wasn't sure where Noah lives, but I wasn't by my phone. I was...well, it doesn't matter where I was. But this isn't good, guys."

"Stop saying that," Noah shouts, but I know that his anger is purely out of nervousness.

I start to dial Cassie, but stop when I see her car pull into the driveway.

Noah walks to the door before Cassie can start pounding on it, and she doesn't wait a second to rip us to shreds once she walks in.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" she immediately yells. She's only looking at me, and I can tell that she's holding back making eye contact with Noah. "Are you fucking kidding me?" she repeats, this time with even more rage.

"Back off Cass," Noah interrupts.

"Fuck off, Noah. You are in no position to say anything to me right now," Cassie seethes, holding up a finger to him. I've never seen her look at someone with such disgust. Noah stays silent, and Justin stands there looking somewhat uncomfortable.

"How could you do this?" she turns back to me and asks. "How could you be so irresponsible, huh? After all the lying that I've done for you..."

"Hey! I said back off, Cass," Noah shouts again.

"Noah, stop." I give him a pleading look. "Please, just go into the kitchen. Let me talk to Cassie."

I look to Justin for assistance, and I'm thankful once he catches my cue.

"C'mon bro." He walks up to Noah and pats him on the back. "Let's have a little talk."

I'm relieved when Noah follows Justin's lead into the kitchen. Cassie waits for the boys to leave before turning back to face me.

"What the fuck were you thinking, Fee?"

"Cass, I'm sorry," I whisper as I rub my fingers along my temples. I'm ashamed for acting so recklessly. This isn't like me.

Her mood changes and she starts to look at me with guilt. I can tell that she feels bad for yelling at me.

"No, Fee, I'm sorry," she says, looking down at the floor. Her words sound remorseful, like she regrets doing something, even though I'm the one at fault here.

"You have nothing to be sorry for," I walk up to her and assure her. Her eyes are still fixed on the floor. I wait for her to look up, but when she doesn't, I know something's not right. "Cass?"

She finally looks up at me. "I'm sorry, Fee," she says again, shaking her head. Why does she keep apologizing? Her eyes are watery and her bottom lip is trembling. Whatever she's about to say next is going to disappoint me, I just know it.

"Oh no Cassie, what did you do?" My voice shakes as my eyes move from side to side.

She takes a deep breath in and waits a few seconds before responding. "Liam knows." And just when I think it can't get any worse...it does. "And he's on his way here."