WANT (completed)

ch. 31 | Bad News

trigger warning! feel free to message me before reading if you have any concerns, want someone to talk to, or have any other questions.

ASA'S POV

Cassandra was way too understanding with why I lied to her. She shouldn't have been, but she was, and I'm grateful that she didn't break up with me right then and there. I promised her no lies, and I'm going to keep that promise from here on out.

But, regardless of the fact that she had assured me about a thousand times that she's not mad at me anymore, that doesn't mean I'm not mad at myself.

I'm mad for two reasons.

One being that I almost told Cassandra that I love her. Thank fucking god that I caught it before it slipped, because it was not the right time. I want to tell her, but I can't say it when I know she's not ready to hear it from me.

Second reason that I'm mad is that I can't believe I let Camara of all people pull me into a trap. But, I'm pulling myself out of it. I needed to find out what the hell was going on, and there's only one way of doing that. Going straight to the source.

Or having the source come to me.

"Sit," I gesture to the seat in front of my desk as I make my way around it, unbuttoning my suit jacket as I take my own seat on the opposing side of the large, sleek black table.

Zac hesitates as he walks into my office behind me, taking a seat directly across from me. He's dressed very similarly to me, probably considering that this is the middle of the day and we both have better things to do than converse with each other.

That being said, this better be quick. It's all dependent on how well he complies and answers all my questions.

He's confused. I don't blame him on that. I requested an urgent meeting with him in my office without a hint of what it is regarding. That required him to come down to my company's headquarters, which is on the complete opposite end of the city from his own.

"You can relax. This is a completely off the books thing," I notify him, relaxing my shoulders as I lean back into my chair. "Listen, I don't want to start shit, especially considering we are partners, but we need to talk."

My tone is dead serious, and although he's also relaxed some, his expression tells me that he has no idea why he's here.

"You want to talk?" Zac raises his eyebrows, adjusting in his seat. He folds his hands over his lap,  leaning back just as I am. "Fine, let's talk. If this is about my sister, the answer is a solid no. I don't know what the hell is going on between you two, but it ends now."

I narrow my eyes at his comment. Does he really think he has the upper-hand here? He's about to realize he's wrong.

"Camara called me the other night. I was there when you passed out drunk out of your mind," I inform him, my face not faltering at all.

I don't say anything apart from that, but it seems to do the trick, because he immediately sits up straighter. "What do you want, Asa? Seriously. I thought we were friends," he remarks.

Whatever he's hiding, he doesn't want his sister near it. That means neither do I. I'm more than happy keeping both of us out of that equation. If Zac thinks I know, that means that I'm in charge now, which I'm perfectly content with.

That may not have been why I called Zac here in the first place, but I'm more than happy to walk out of here with a compromise.