UNEDITED
Between his semi-committed addiction to smoking and his role as CEO of Elemental Coffee, Cassian Russell has spent the majority of his life running one of the most popular coffee shops on the Island with his best friend, Jake Swift. After a...
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Cassian
Under the smokescreen of watching passing scenery, I can't stop myself from stealing glances at Pen. Or thinking about her. Fuck. Something's changed. I'd thought Penelope overcrowding my mind the other day had been a fluke. I thought I was worried about her well-being. It made sense when she was lying in bed and crying. It made sense when her DNA test was in action. Not anymore. This addictive thought pattern is real—almost worse. There's no sense present in my mind as my eyes follow the soft lines of her frown to the concentrated look in her eyes.
I take a deep breath in through my nose and avert my gaze, squinting through the front windshield into the sunlight and wishing it was raining. Maybe if the sun weren't beating down on Penelope and giving her peachy skin an obnoxious glow, I wouldn't be so transfixed. If the weather had cooperated and rained, I could have given myself an excuse to stay inside one more day. Instead of my usual routine of waking up, eating breakfast, and then heading to the winery to take some field notes, I had to get up at the ass-crack of dawn to go to a spin class with Penelope. My sudden motivation has nothing to do with Ophelia's second chance—nothing. But it has everything to do with Penelope's burst of energy. She's bouncing off the walls like a kid that's high on sugar. No matter how much effort I put in, I can't keep up with her.
That fucking spin class killed me. I feel like a limp noodle.
My phone dings. When I pick it up, I see we've missed our turn on Google Maps. "You were supposed to turn left."
"Cassian," Penelope says. "I know where I'm going. I grew up here."
"Yeah," I argue, "but the GPS system said to turn left."
From the driver's seat, Penelope shoots me a glare. "Those apps are bullshit. They make you take the longest routes so you'll waste gas and spend more money. Trust me. I know where I'm going."
I knock my head against the headrest and close the app, shutting my eyes. God, I want a nap. It's a good thing we didn't have to dress up for this meeting with Tessa. Today, my level of effort is zilch. Pulling on a suit and tie would have been disastrous. I think Pen would've had to dress me herself.
"Why did you take me to that spin class?" I groan.
Penelope snorts. "You sound like a baby."
"I am a baby," I reply. "You're supposed to pamper me and take care of me. Not attempt to murder me."
We putter past a school. It's next to a pond and there's a mutinous-looking mountain behind it, covered in pine trees and splashes of colour. A large group of kids are playing soccer on the field, dressed in their jeans and heavy sweaters. The younger ones are scattered around the playground like ants. A small smile curves my lips. I remember the days when I used to fight over who got on the swing next with Jake and Gemma. It was quite entertaining to challenge them to a game of jacks or hopscotch to win the next turn.
