Chapter 365
The sun was up way too soon, and when I opened my eyes just before my alarm went off, I wanted to turn that bright orb off and roll back over. How I longed for the days after my training was complete when I wouldn’t have to get up and go to the gym so early.
“Hey, you up?” My sister’s voice in my head was way too perky, and I ignored her for a moment as I got dressed in shorts and a T-shirt.
“Yeah,” was all she was getting. She wasn’t the one to let me know my shield had worked the night before, after all. If Jamie hadn’t told me they’d been able to help Aaron, thanks to me, I’d still be in the dark. I didn’t let thoughts of how lovely the dark could be stay in my mind too long.
“Sorry I had to blow you off last night. It worked though. Aaron’s back! Thank you for your help. It would’ve been so much harder without you.”
“It would’ve been impossible without me,” I replied, slipping my tennis shoes on.
If my sister wanted to argue, she chose the higher road. “Look, we’re going to meet at 1:00 in our office, and we need you there, okay? We’ve got a lot to discuss, so as soon as you get done at training, grab a shower and some lunch and head over, all right?”
This piqued my interest. It sounded like there might be a hunt on the horizon, and I was ready. Just one more and training was over for me. “All right. I’ll be there. Anything I can do to prepare?”
“I don’t think so,” my sister replied. “Aaron and I have been going over everything we need to discuss, and it’s kind of a long list. Hopefully, by the time the whole team gets there, we’ll have more to share.”
“Sounds good,” I said, finally awake and actually smiling a little. Anything that got me closer to taking an item off of my plate was great news. I walked out into the living room to find my mother frying eggs. I looked around, thinking maybe my dad was there, but the rest of the apartment was empty. “See you in a bit.”
My sister was gone from my head as I reached for the cabinet where I kept my protein shakes. “Good morning, honey,” Mom said with a broad smile. “I thought you might like a good home-cooked breakfast this morning. It’s always better to eat your breakfast than to drink it.”
So the eggs were for me. I had tried to explain to my mom more times than I could count that my protein shakes were actually the best nutrition a person could have in the morning, but clearly she was still in the dark ages. The eggs didn’t look at all appetizing, but she scooped them onto a plate for me, a big smile on her face, and I wondered how in the world I was going to get out of this one.
I checked the time. Technically, I could swallow them whole and then run off to the gym and not be late. But I didn’t want to. I wanted my protein shake and a leisurely stroll to training. I wanted to choose what I was going to consume. I wanted control over something. “Mom, thanks, but I need to drink my protein shake.”
My mother’s face fell like I’d just told her I loved Dad more. “Oh, but they’re just the way you like them. Over easy.”
They looked like they were way over easy, even a little runny. “I’m sure they’re delicious.” I opened the cabinet and pulled out my protein powder and one of the portable cups I usually used. “But this is what my body needs to get me going.” The idea of weighing myself down with all of that butter and egg juice wasn’t appealing at all.
Mom just stared at me for a long time, still holding the plate, before she said, “Fine.” She walked over to the trashcan and tossed her hard work right in. I felt awful. At the same time, I was mad. “I was just trying to do something nice.”
“Without asking!” I shot back, dumping the ingredients into the blender as quickly as I could. “If you would’ve asked me what nice thing you could do for me, I would’ve said you could do this.”
“I don’t know how to do that, Cassidy Elizabeth. And I’m not even sure it’s good for you!”
“Then read it!” I yelled back at her, shoving the container within an inch of her face. I hadn’t meant to be so forceful, but sometimes I still forget my own strength and speed.
“You are so ungrateful,” Mom muttered, storming out of the room. I turned the blender on as loudly as I could, hoping to drown out the sound of my own thoughts telling me she was right. But... I didn’t want or need eggs!
Once my shake was done, I rinsed the blender out and put it in the dishwasher before grabbing my drink and my bag out of my room. I was glad I’d taken the time to pack my clean clothes into it the night before since I was going to be late if I didn’t hurry, thanks to Mom’s interference. She was sitting on the sofa when I headed for the front door, but she had papers spread all over the place, and for a moment, I wondered what in the world she could possibly be doing. I thought I saw a map and then some sort of correspondence. Whatever it was, it had to be something Aaron or Cadence had asked her to work on, so of course, I was curious as to what it was. It might let me know what our meeting was about or where our next hunt might be. But I could hardly go over and ask my mom about it now. Without another glance, I walked out the door, slamming it behind me.
