Voodoo [H.S.]

Thirty

                           October 15th, 2022

Is this a good idea?

Cassie is going to kill me. I hope it's worth it.

We're supposed to meet in ten minutes. I'm early, so I'm pacing outside the hotel debating on cancelling and making some lame excuse.

After talking to Cassie last night, I made the decision once she fell asleep to call Cassie's dad to meet with him without her there. I know it's none of my business and I'm fighting battles for Cassie that she doesn't need fought, but I know she's hurting. I know why she's hurting over this. Both of them are too stubborn to talk to the other again, and it kills me to see two people who want a relationship with each other so bad fight against each other.

I would do anything to have my mother and sister back. Anything. Maybe I can try to help in getting Cassie a relationship back with her family.

So once Cassie fell asleep after drunkenly begging me to come get her and bring her to my place, I may have snooped through her phone for her dad's number. I— of course— didn't go any further than that, but I still feel scummy about it. It was a violation of her trust and privacy. I'll tell her tonight and apologize because it will never happen again, but I was desperate.

Ben easily agreed, said we could meet at the restaurant at the hotel considering it's more like a sports bar and very casual.  Now it's close to four pm and my stomach is in knots while I wonder if I did the right thing.

Cassie is at work right now, seemingly feeling better this morning in better spirits. I made sure I took care of her every second her drunk ass was awake, including ensuring she woke up to breakfast in bed, while I had my own sort of breakfast in bed.

Five minutes until I need to go inside. All this pacing is making me dizzy.

I don't even have a game plan going into this. Cassie was very brief in how their interaction went. Basically just telling me that her dad is, and I quote, a lame excuse of a father who has never apologized for anything in his life. I don't know what my purpose is here. Maybe to understand her father better and get him to see Cassie's point of view?

This is a stupid idea. I'm going home. I'm just going to call him to tell him I got called into work—

From 6234376541: Up at the bar. No rush.

Fuck. Too late.

Here goes nothing.

The inside of the hotel lobby is huge, with a large aquarium surrounded by plants on the left side of the wall, generic paintings hung all around me, and a reception desk to my right. Directly in front of me are four elevators side by side leading to the rooms above us with a large open space on the right of the elevator leading to the additional amenities of the hotel. It's definitely a nicer hotel.