Chapter 8
When the doorbell rang, Cassidy was in the middle of packing her luggage. She went to the door, checked the peephole, and felt a wave of relief upon seeing Josiah. She opened the door and let him in.
As Josiah stepped inside. Paisley dashed out of her room. Spotting Josiah, she quickly retreated behind Cassidy, peering at him with a shy wariness.
Josiah crouched down, stretching out his hand. “Paisley, how about let me give you a piggyback ride?”
Cassidy ruled Paisley’s hair. “Let Josiah carry you, all right?”
Paisley shook her head, “No.”
Cassidy sighed inwardly. What a little clingy monkey. She only wants me!
Jog
looked at Cassidy. “Paisley didn’t go to class today?”
“Well, I wanted to move, so I asked for a leave from the school,” she replied.
“You’re moving?” Josiah asked, looking at the half–packed boxes behind her. “Why so sudden?”
Cassidy looked worried. “Nathan seems to have found out my address. I’m afraid he might find Paisley, Josiah, can you take care of Paisley for a couple of days before we move?”
Paisley looked up at Cassidy, hugging her thigh. “Mommy, I don’t want to part with you. I don’t want Josiah,”
Cassidy comforted her, “We’ll be together, Paisley. You go home with Josiah first, and I’ll come find you tonight, okay?”
“Really?” Paisley asked.
“Yes, pinky promise. Cassidy hooked their pinkies together.
Josiah suddenly grabbed her hand. “What happened to your hand?” There were red chafing marks on her wrist.
Cassidy hurriedly withdrew her hand. “It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it,”
“What’s wrong?” Josiah persisted.
Cassidy said urgently, “All I want right now is to move quickly. If Nathan finds out Paisley’s identity, I’m afraid he’ll try to take her away. Please, take Paisley with you first. I’ll pack up quickly. The movers are coming this afternoon.
Josiah looked at Cassidy, wanting to say something but hesitated. “Okay,” he said in the end, picking up Paisley and tapping her on the nose. “Come with me”
Paisley glanced back at Cassidy pitifully, her voice trailing off. “Mommy…”
“I’ll come find you soon,” Cassidy reassured her.
Josiah then left with Paisley in his arms.
All afternoon, Cassidy busied herself with packing. Exhausted, she eventually lay down on the couch to rest. Amidst her drowsiness, she faintly heard the sound of the door closing. She opened her eyes and vaguely discerned a tall figure standing beside the couch against the sunset outside. Startled, she shot up.
Before she could make out the man’s face, his figure loomed over her suddenly, enveloping her with the familiar yet strange scent of peppermint. He hugged her tightly and they both fell onto the couch.
“Nathan?” Cassidy was pinned underneath him, struggling to breathe. She wondered, ‘How did he get in here? I just changed the padlock passcode, yet he still managed to bypass it. The lock isn’t reliable at all!‘
Unlike last night’s forceful approach, Nathan embraced her, trembling all over.
“Nathan Cassidy began, but he tightened his arms around her as if he had regained something precious he had long lost, wanting to merge her into his embrace.
“What are you doing? Let me gol” Cassidy shouted.
12:10 PM
Chapter 8
Nathan’s voice was hoarse. “Cass, don’t move.”
“Nathan Howell!” she shrieked.
He tightened his grip even more to restrain her. ‘I miss you so much.” His voice, tinged with trembling emotion, resonated deeply.
Cassidy was stunned.
“Cassidy, I miss you so much… Nathan repeated. For the past five years, there hadn’t been a single day he hadn’t missed her dearly. He had often imagined if she ever appeared before him again, he’d hold her tightly, never letting her slip away again. “T won’t let you escape again. You won’t get away,” he declared firmly, his grip on the back of her neck tightening.
Cassidy’s eyes widened. After a moment, she sneered and pushed Nathan away. Caught off guard, Nathan staggered back. Cassidy locked eyes with him. “What’s the use of saying this now? Yesterday, you said I deserved to be dead. Why not just consider me dead? It’s been five years, Nathan. We’re over. We’ve been over for five years! I have my life now, and you have yours. Why do you have to keep pestering me?”
Nathan approached her slowly. “I know you hate me.”
“Yes! I hate you!” Cassidy shouted vehemently. She hated him so much that the mere mention of his name made her tremble. She clenched her fists tightly, her knuckles turning white as she lashed out. “Go away! Get lost! Never show your face in front of me again!”
“If hitting me relieves your hatred, then go ahead.” Nathan took her hand and pressed it against his chest.
“Hit you? Sure!” Cassidy gritted her teeth and struck him hard in the chest again.
Nathan bore the blows without flinching. Even though each punch affected the wound on his shoulder, he let her vent her anger to her heart’s content.
“I gave you a chance five years ago, but what did you do? Since you already have Meredith, why do you still use me? I thought I was special to you…” Cassidy landed punch after punch, tearing up. He had once been her entire world, but he had pushed her away himself.
Enduring the excruciating pain of his wound tearing open, Nathan stared at her intently. “Have you relieved your hatred?”
Cassidy was about to speak when she suddenly caught a glimpse of blood seeping through Nathan’s shirt from his shoulder. The wound she had inflicted with scissors yesterday had torn open. She wondered, ‘Did he not treat his wound?
“Your shoulder… Cassidy muttered.
Nathan, suddenly drained of energy, leaned wearily against the couch. Two sleepless nights and the inflammation of his wound had taken their toll on him.
Cassidy hurried over, pulling back his collar to reveal the bandage completely soaked with blood. “Are you crazy? Why didn’t you go to the hospital?”
“I don’t want to,” he replied stubbornly.
“Get to the hospital, now!” Cassidy urged.
“I’m not going anywhere,” Nathan insisted firmly.
Cassidy was at a loss for words. Gritting her teeth in frustration, she grabbed the medical kit from her suitcase and went back to Nathan’s side.
His breathing was labored yet rapid. He curled up on the couch with cold sweat soaking his bangs.
Cassidy soon noticed something was wrong with him. “Is your gastritis acting up?”
Nathan pressed his lips together firmly but stayed quiet. He seized her hand and drew her into his embrace, yearning to simply hold her at that moment.
“Nathan, let me change your bandages,” Cassidy said.
“No,” he refused.
12:19 PM
Chapter 8
“Do you
want the wound to get infected?” she asked.
Nathan looked up at her and smirked. “Are you worried about me?”
曲
