love, at the end

Chapter 4: In Deep Water...

After painfully forcing the sandwich down my throat without Cassius noticing, a familiar melody floods into my ears. Something is vibrating in my bag.

"Hey, your phone is ringing." Cassius nudges me and hands me my phone.

"Oh, shit, shit, shit..." I frown. I'm swearing, sweating even, but I couldn't care less. There could only be two people who'd call me—my parents. I'm terribly late for home. "How am I supposed to explain this?"

"I don't know, come up with something!" he hisses, irritated, and I suddenly like him a lot less.

I ignore him again and swipe my phone open. Lydia Calloway—Mom is calling.

"Where are you." Lydia/Mom asks, her tone stoic and eerily calm, of which I had half-expected.

"Uh–uhm—uuuuuuhmmmmm..." My eyes dart around his home as Cassius gets up to get a drink. "At school." Cassius mouths, and I repeat after him.

"At school? It's 6:30."

"OH, FUCK." I mutter to myself and scour my mind for an excuse. He's gone. "I'm attending a club meeting, and—"

"And you can pull your phone out without getting scolded?" she sighs with a tinge of anger. "Evie, don't lie to me."

"No, it's break now. W-we can use it." I try to steady my breathing and realize: I'm far, far away from home.

"Don't touch my limits, Evita Calloway." she reiterates. "Where are you?"

No, I can't hide it anymore. It's hard to lie, I must confess. "I'm at Cassius's..." I look outside and see a mall. "On the left of the Pavilion, which is in Agora Street."

"I'm driving there in 10 minutes. Don't go anywhere."

Then she cuts the line. I stare at Cassius, who looks back at me. His eyes look a lot less shiny and more...hollow.

It's creepy how she doesn't even comment on me being with Cassius, who she says looks like those dipshit lawyers who only want money.

"I have to go." I say, my voice echoing through the house. I grab my bag and look at Cassius. This may be the last time I can date him.

"Um..." he mutters. "Good luck, honey."

At last, this feels genuine. Like he cares. But I still doubt it—does he?

Evie shoots Cassius a glare, her amber eyes like a cheetah's coat and drowned in tears, her curly silver hair drooping from her face like stalagmites.

I sigh and close the door. It's peeing with rain, and it rolls from my cheeks, but it doesn't fail to hide the fact that I'm suddenly leaking tears.

Just when I thought I was growing a backbone.

The Thought emerges in my brain again.

Does he even give a shit about me? He had acted so worried when I didn't reply to him, so concerned about my parents sheltering me, and so...nonchalant when I finally got into trouble.

Off-putting, even.

No, he's not going to give a shit about me. Why would he? I'm a rich, spoiled girl about to get in trouble. And I'm passionately in love with him, like I can't get him off my mind.

If only I really could grow a backbone.