From Sunrise To Sunset

Destined 3

Cassandra

I try not to look back at him because I don't want him to think that I am less than serious about not dating him. I made a mistake last night when I turned back to look at him before entering the ball and I don't want to repeat it, but as I reach the top of the steps and step onto the backyard I can't help myself. I turn to look at him and notice that he has just begun to walk back to the parking lot which means that he stayed looking at me till I got to the top of the steps.

"No!" I say to myself, turning away from the sight of him. "I will never fall in love!" I don't care if we share a mutual dream or this strong connection. I will not fall in love.

I open the backdoor to my house and enter the house then close the door and lean on it.

"You know, when a woman leans on a door like that and smiles to herself, it only means one thing."

"What?" I turn to my right, finding my father sitting at the small table in the kitchen with a cup of coffee in hand and his laptop in front of him. He's wearing a blue T-shirt and blue jeans, his brown hair tousled.

Hi dad, didn't see you there," I say, leaning off the door.

"I know... How was the sunrise?" He smiles, setting his cup down on the table and gesturing towards the empty chair across from him.

"It was interesting." I smile at him as I take a seat in the chair.

"Interesting?.. is that why you were leaning on the door and smiling?" he teases.

I roll my eyes at him and he laughs.

"So... How was the ball?"

"The ball was...it was surprising," I say, remembering what happened between Nicolas and me.

"Hmm, the sunrise was interesting and the ball was surprising... Seems like a common denominator contributed to those adjectives. Am I to believe that it was Mark, or was it someone else?"

"Dad, do you always have to be such a lawyer?" I say, hating how he was reading me so well.

"Does that mean I'm right?"

"Do you need me to answer that?" I roll my eyes again.

"I guess I don't," he laughs, "Well, I hope Mark was a complete gentleman last night."

"Mark?" I say, suddenly remembering how I left him at the ball last night without an explanation.

"Yes, Mark...the young man who took you to the ball last night." My father says, studying my face and I can tell that he knows that Mark isn't the reason that I smiled when I leaned on the door.

"Yes, he was a total gentleman," I assure him.

"Happy to hear it," he smiles and brings his cup of coffee to his lips.

My phone buzzes in my back pocket. I take it out and look at the screen. "It's Ally... I should get it." I say, standing and making my way out of the kitchen.

"Hey, Cassie." My father calls, stopping me halfway out of the kitchen.

"Yes, Dad." I turn to look at him.

"Not any man can make a girl smile the way you did just now," he teases.

"I wasn't smiling because of any man, Dad." I half-smile then exit the kitchen quickly and run up the stairs to my room before he teases me anymore.

"If you say so!" He yells after me.

My father and Laura both hope for the same things for me; that I would break the vow that I made years ago to never fall in love, and finally allow myself to fall in love but their hope is futile. The walls that I've built around my heart are unbreakable, not even a world's army can break them down.

I sit on my bed to read Ally's text message.

Ally: *Hey Cinderella🥿*

I read her text message with a confused look on my face.

Me: *Cinderella?.*

Ally: *You forgot to leave your prince a glass slipper when you ran off last night😅.*

I roll my eyes at the phone's screen.

Me :*Do you have to make fun of everything?*

Ally: *Sorry I couldn't help it. I'm here if you wanna talk about it💞*

Me: *Thanks.💞*

Ally: *So... Jason and I are going to 3rd Street Promenade tonight. Heard there's this really cool boy band that's gonna play there 💃You wanna come with?*

Me: *Sure, I'd love to be y'all's third wheel...meet you there at 5.*

Ally: "So... Jason kinda asked Mark to come too. I hope that's alright."

Me: *It's fine. I think I owe him after last night.*

Ally: *Great see you then😘*

I place my phone on the nightstand and kick my sandals off my feet.

"Hey," Laura stands in my bedroom doorway.

"Hey." I shift my gaze in her direction. I can sense that she's still worried about me and hates that I won't open up to her about what happened last night. "You're all dressed up. Going somewhere?" I add, trying to sound cheerful.

"Yes. Noah and I are visiting his parents in Long Beach!" she says excitedly.

She's wearing a peach sundress, nude sandal heels with a nude bag, her hair's down, and her sunglasses are on the top of her head.

"Well, have fun," I say, giving her a small smile.

"You're welcome to come with us if you want to. I'm sure they'll be happy to have you."

"No thanks. I'm just gonna hang around the house till five, then go to the promenade with Ally."

"I see you all are making use of the final day off," she smiles.

"We sure are," I say, returning the smile.

Laura gave Ally and me the entire week of graduation off from working at the dress shop so we could focus on graduation. Ally and I go back to work on Monday.

"Hey, Cassandra." Noah stands next to Laura wearing a peach button-down shirt and blue jeans.

"Hey Noah," I say, giving him a small smile.

He puts one hand around Laura's waist and kisses her on the cheek. "Ready to go, babe."

"Yeah, I'm all set," she responds. "See you later, sis."

I give her and Noah a small wave with my right hand.

As they make their way down the stairs, I hear them exchange whispers, and Laura giggles. Noah and Laura are always whispering sweet words to each other. You'd think that they'd stop flirting with each other after being together for six years, but every day, they act like they're falling in love all over again. Sometimes I can't help but wonder what it feels like to have someone like Laura has Noah, Ally has Jason.... and Margaret had Jonathan. But then I remember the consequences that come from falling in love and I toss the thought aside. I remember how my father willingly gave his heart to my mother only to end up heartbroken and a single dad. How someone willingly gives their heart away without thinking of the repercussions of it is beyond my understanding. I could never do such a thing. The mere thought of it terrifies me.