Chapter 83
If Cadence noticed my word choice, she didn’t let on. “No, Aaron’s not always there, but he is a lot of the time. It makes it hard. I’ll talk to him while we are in the field, but not any other time. I just… can't.”
I could feel Cadence’s broken heart beating through the phone and felt just terrible for her. “I’m so sorry, Cadey. Maybe… maybe it’s just not meant to be, you know? But there are lots of other guys on your team.” I didn’t name any names. The only ones I could think of that were even options were Jamie, who was an old man in my mind and one she’d already shot down at my suggestion, and Elliott, who belonged to me, even if it wasn’t in a romantic way. I was not going to suggest Christian as he creeped me out.
“Yeah.” She was quiet for a really long time. “I’m still thinking about transferring,” she said, catching me completely off guard. I hadn’t really taken her seriously when she’d said it before. “There are other offices. My training is done. I’m thinking… maybe I could go somewhere else for a while, learn to do more on my own or from other people. I don’t know….”
For some reason, I almost felt like she was asking my permission. I’m not sure why. “Listen, Cadence, if that’s what you want to do, then do it. If you’re not tied to that office, why stay there?”
“That’s what I’ve been thinking about. But I’ve grown so close to Elliott. I’m not sure I could leave him.”
“Maybe he’d go with you.” Secretly, I hoped not. There was something about my sister being close to him that didn’t sit well with me. I wanted him to myself, though I couldn’t quite put a finger on why.
“He would never go with me. He’s got a life here. He and Aaron are best friends, and he’s like Aaron’s number two, even if technically Hannah out-ranks him. No, he’d never go. But I have a few other friends who might consider it. Or maybe I should go on my own.”
I could tell she was thinking out loud. “Have you talked to Grandma?”
“Not yet,” she replied quickly. “I haven’t talked to anyone but you. I actually called to see how school was going. Sorry to monopolize the whole conversation. I’d call in the evenings, but that’s when we do most of our work—planning and stuff.”
She had no way of knowing I was already aware of most of that. “It’s cool,” I replied, getting back to her original point, about taking over the conversation. “I’m sure things will work out the way they’re supposed to.” I was repeating an oft-spoken phrase even though I no longer believed it. If things always worked out the way they are “supposed to,” why were Drew and Jack dead?
“You’re right,” but I could hear in her voice she didn’t agree with me. “I guess I’ve just gotten a taste of freedom, and I want more, you know? Nobody to tell me what to do or where to go. I choose what I do and when I do it. That… that would be nice.”
I thought back to how I’d felt in the Lamborghini, when Elliott was speeding down the highway. Totally free, without a care in the world, only the open road before me. I longed for that myself. “Hey, maybe I’ll come with you.” I said it like it was a joke, but in my heart, I meant it. What I wouldn’t give to join Cadence as she headed out in search of whatever she was missing.
She laughed. “I wish you could. Maybe in a few years, when you’re done with high school. Or college.”
There was no point in arguing with her. “That’ll be so cool. The Findley sisters, making their way in the world.” Killing vampires and taking names.
“Maybe you could convince Elliott to come with us,” she mused. “He seems to like you a lot.”
I thought I heard a tinge of jealousy in her voice and was glad for it. “I like him a lot, too. He’s a pretty cool dude.”
“Yeah, he really is.”
The bell rang. “Shoot, I’ve gotta go.”
“That’s cool. Just… be good, Cass,” she said, and I assumed that was also her way of telling me to stay safe. I thought she might know something I didn’t know, but I pushed the paranoia away. The last thing I needed was to start acting like Jack or Emma, staring out the window all the time.
“You, too,” I replied, fighting my way upstream, back to our table to clean up my mess and grab my stuff. “Love you, Sis.”
“Love you, too,” Cadence said, and then she hung up.
“Here you go.” Lucy handed me my bag. “Emma got your trash.”
I breathed a sigh of relief and spun around. “Thanks.”
“Sure. How’s your sister? She still upset about Jack?” Lucy’s tone was sympathetic, but I could hear tones of brainwashing in it as well. We were not meant to be sad; Elliott wouldn’t allow it.
“She’s okay.” I didn’t mention what she’d said about striking out on her own or asking for a transfer. I had no idea how any of that would work, and I couldn’t ask anyone either. If I mentioned it to Elliott, it could be a problem for my sister. She hadn’t even been working there for two months yet, and she was already ready to go? It made me realize whatever had happened between her and Aaron must’ve been worse than she’d been letting on. Thoughts of Romeo and Juliet came to mind, but instead of Romeo dying, he rode away into the night with Rosalind.
“See you later,” Lucy said, stopping at her locker.
“Yep,” I replied, trying to focus. How in the world was I supposed to concentrate on school when my sister was out there killing vampires and trying to save the world?
