Intertwined

Six

I turned to look at Cassidy, whose usual smile had been replaced by a somber grimace, which I hated. Something had gone wrong and I hated myself for it.

"Kate, this is Cassidy," I answered, stepping away from her for a moment and struggling to find the words. "She's my frie- no, she is... Beckett's sister. We aren't friends, actually. I have to deal with her."

Before I could see the look on Cassidy's face, I only directed my attention towards Kate, afraid of the damage my words may have done to the girl standing right next to me. Cassidy said her voice trying not to break, "I'm Beckett's sister. I-I only came to watch the rodeo."

Her voice slowly drifted away out of earshot, and as Kate returned to my gaze I still heard a girl's soft sobs. Throughout Kate's conversation, I was too busy looking for the brunette girl who ran away from me crying, and it was all because of what I did.

"Is everything okay, Houston?" Kate asked, my attention returning to the blonde girl in front of me. "You haven't been paying any attention, and the rodeo announcer said the rodeo is going to start."

"Actually, I have to go check in with someone," I replied honestly, making my best attempt at lying and failing. "I'll be back in a few minutes, I promise. Beckett should be coming by here soon; you can talk with him."

Kate leaned in for a kiss and I moved, narrowly avoiding her before jogging to the stands. There were too many people at this rodeo to find Cassidy and apologize, and finding the short, brunette that I grew to like was harder and harder. Everyone in the stands seemed to have some sort of resemblance, causing me to bump into too many people I thought were her.

I never did end up finding her.

Someone grabbed my shoulder suddenly, hoping that Cassidy somehow found me instead. It was her brother, followed by Kate.

He asked, "What are you doing, Houston? We have to get ready for team roping; it's almost our turn."

Words began tumbling out of my mouth, leaving me no way to stop it at all. I gestured to the stands, "But I need to find her."

Beckett's face contorted into a confused look as he asked, "Who's her?"

Her name was on the tip of my tongue, and I was prepared to tell everyone out loud how much Cassidy drove me crazy. She did drive me crazy, with her bubbliness and her stubborn personality and how she never stepped down from me at all.

But I realized who I would be telling this to, and no matter what I never wanted to jeopardize anything when it came to Cassidy and Beckett. The Mitchells' treated me like I was their own family, even when my own family seemed to be crumbling down as it continued.

I bit down on my words, and said, "Never mind, let's get ready for the team roping."

"Finally," Beckett exclaimed as he turned away from the stands, and headed back to the trailer oblivious to me.

I thought I was being nonchalant about the whole Cassidy fiasco, but someone never bought me from the beginning. Kate fell into step with me, her eyes telling me everything that she knew, and asked, "Are you sure everything is okay?"

With one glance back at the stands, I turned back to Kate and replied, "I'm fine, Kate. Cassidy means nothing to me, and all I want is to go on this date with you."

Kate agreed with my poor attempt at a lie, but her face told me otherwise. She didn't believe my lie, but I was serious. Cassidy was nothing more than a friend to me - more like a coworker, actually. Kate had nothing to worry about.

~

Hours had passed and the rodeo began dwindling down, and yet there was still no sign of Cassidy. Once I finished competing, I gave Rebel to Beckett and searched the entire fairgrounds for her, hoping she would turn up eventually. It was a mistake; I didn't mean what I said.