Chewie stayed silent for a bit before he rubbed his face and sighed. "Dov'è Xav? (Where is Xav?)" he asked. "È nelle vicinanze? (Is he nearby?)"
I shrugged because I didn't know where he was, but I knew that he wasn't there nor close.
If he was, then I would've felt him.
"Non lo so, (I don't know,)" I replied, honestly. "Non so dove sia. (I don't know where he is at.)"
"Hmmmm." He pressed his lips into a thin line, and I could tell that he was annoyed.
I scoffed and rolled my eyes while I looked at him, showing him how dissatisfied I was about the question. "Non farò niente di stupido se è questo che ti preoccupa, (I am not going to do anything stupid if that is what you are worried about,)" I scolded. "Sto bene. (I am fine.)"
Chewie scoffed and rolled his eyes. "No, non lo sei, (No, you aren't,)" he said. "Non stai bene. (You are not fine.)"
I shrugged and grimaced. "Ma lo sarò, (But I will be,)" I replied, my voice barely above a whisper. "Non ho bisogno di un'altra babysitter, (I don't need another babysitter,)" I added, implying about the tree people that were there, watching me with each breath.
"Hmph." He paused and studied me. "Quanti? (How many?)" he asked.
"Cinque, (Five,)" was my response.
"Gli stessi? (Same ones?)" he asked, wondering if they were the same as the ones that I had before.
"Sí, (Yes,)" I replied. "Loro sono. (They are.)"
Chewie hummed and nodded. "Si scambiano con qualcun altro? (Do they swap out with anyone else?)" he asked, and I knew that he wanted to know if they swapped out with those that weren't part of a group that I once belonged to.
"No," I replied. "Sono solo loro. (It's just them.)"
Chewie sighed and cleared his throat while he moved a hand across his face. "Cosa è successo questo pomeriggio? (What happened this afternoon?)" he asked, and I knew that he was talking about the conversation that we had this afternoon and the look he caught when we were talking about the principal and vice principal.
"Non qui, (Not here,)" I replied instantly while I looked at him. "Più tardi, quando sono a casa. (Later, when I am home.)" And away from prying ears... I added silently, knowing full well that Chewie would know what I meant.
Chrwie frowned and studied me before he slowly nodded. The look on his face told me that he wouldn't forget and that he would call me later, and I rolled my eyes and scowled.
I was about to say something nasty to him but was interrupted by something moving through a bush.
A wave of relief washed over me, and this bond between me and Xav strengthened and grew closer together while he made his way to me from somewhere close by, and I bit my lip in relief.
"Che cos 'era questo? (What was that?)" Chewie asked, and I could see a look of worry and fear appear on his face before he was able to control himself, and I held back an eye roll. "Chi è la? (Who is there?)"
I didn't respond and closed my eyes. I took a deep, shuddering breath and released it, waiting for Xav to appear, even though I had a feeling he wouldn't because I was on the phone with someone else, especially a male.
"Cassidy," Chewie warned, and I held back an eye roll. "Chi è? Perché non reagisci? (Who is it? Why aren't you reacting?)"
Why aren't you reacting to this as you would normally react? Why aren't you threatening them to come out?
"È Xav, (It's Xav,)" I said, not looking at him. "Ovviamente non ho intenzione di reagire in modo minaccioso. (Of course, I am not going to react threatening like.)"
Chewie frowned and narrowed his eyes while he looked at me. He didn't believe me; I could tell, but he wasn't going to tell me.
I looked at my phone fully and rolled my eyes at my best friend. "Smettila di essere mio padre, (Stop being my father,)" I said and scowled, choosing my words carefully. "He is just jelly that I am talking to another male," I added, switching to English.
There was a loud, humph, from the bush, and I smirked in that direction. However, he didn't come out, and I frowned before turning my attention back to Chewie.
Chewie bit back a huff of his own and rubbed the bridge of his nose before he shook his head. "Non sono tuo padre, Cass, (I am not being your father, Cass,)" he said tersely. "Sono il tuo protettore. (I am being your protector.)"
"Sono il tuo protettore, (I am being your protector,)" I mouthed mockingly while wrinkling my nose in annoyance.
The bad thing was, I knew that he was. I knew that he was my protector and watched my back like Charlie had done with Cassandra. I leaned on him more than the others, even though I had known the twins longer.
That was why I didn't tell him to stop being my protector because I knew that it would have killed him. It was his duty to protect me while it was my duty to protect others.
There had to be times when he had to relent control and the urge to protect me for the greater good of others, even though he didn't like it.
He wanted to make sure that I stayed safe and protected, not caring about what my duty was to those that we both served and took orders from.
Just like Cassandra... even though there was a chance that she disobeyed their orders, even in death. That was probably the reason why she had claimed me as her reincarnation before she was supposed to.
She knew that it was going to take me a while to fully accept it, even though a part of me already did. She wanted to make sure that I was prepared and learn to trust the group that she was a part of growing up, and a part of me already did, even though I hadn't had her memories of them yet.
"Ti comporti ancora come mio padre, (You are still acting like my father,)" I said sassily, and he huffed and rolled his eyes while he scowled.
"Chiamalo fuori, (Call him out,)" he said, changing the subject because he knew that I was going to keep telling him that he was acting like my father and for him to stop it because I knew how to protect myself... for the most part.
"Chiamalo fuori, (Call him out,)" I mocked before I moved closer to the center of the path and away from the edge of my said boundary, dragging my bag with me. I moved a hand across my face when I made it to the middle and shook my head before I looked in the direction that Xav was in.
Blue eyes stared at me through the bushes, but he didn't move towards me like I thought he would. He waited for me to call for him, being more patient than I thought he would be, especially since he was an Alpha, and I knew that I looked like shit.
"Smettila di prendermi in giro e fa' come ti dico, (Stop mocking me and do as I say,)" he scolded. "Non c'è bisogno di farlo aspettare. (There is no need to keep him waiting.)"
"Non c'è bisogno di farlo aspettare, (There is no need to keep him waiting,)" I mocked, and I earned a hiss in return. I gave him a wicked grin before I looked at Xav to see that he was still waiting for me. "You can come out, you know," I said, switching to English. "There is no need for you to hide yourself from me." I looked at my phone before I looked his way. "Especially in front of my friends. They're not going to say a word to anyone else if they see you with me."
Xav whined before he hesitantly stepped out of the bush, the bush rustling with each step he took towards me. His ears were pressed to the back of his head, and he looked worried about my well being, especially since I still looked pale and had eyes full of fear.
I noticed that he was holding my letter in his mouth gently, and my mouth went dry. I didn't say a word while he walked over to me with it in his mouth, and it took all of my self-control to look up at him again and not at the letter.
"È quella la lettera? (is that the letter?)" Chewie asked, and I had a feeling that he caught the look of dread on my face. "Dalla Juilliard? (From Julliard?)"
"Sì, (Yes)," I said, my voice breathless while it quivered. I cleared my throat and cringed when it shook before I cleared it again. "Questa è la lettera della Juilliard. (That is the letter from Juilliard.)"
"Quindi aprilo. (Then open it.)"
I looked at him, shocked and appalled, ignoring Xav for a moment while I stared at my best friend. My heart skipped a beat while he suggested that I open the letter before it started to pound faster and faster like a runaway train picking up speed as it was about to crash and derail. "Che cosa? (What?)" I asked, not hiding the shock from my voice. "Come mai? (Why?)"
Chewie sighed and moved a hand across his face before he shook his head. He looked annoyed that I had questioned him about opening the letter, but I had a feeling that he knew I was going to ask him because that was going out of my comfort zone. "Non fare domande, (Don't ask questions,)" he scolded softly. "Basta aprire la lettera e vedere cosa ha da dire. (Just open the letter and see what it has to say.)"
I scoffed and rolled my eyes while I scowled. "So già cosa dirà, Chewie, (I already know what it is going to say, Chewie,)" I said in a sickly sweet voice that had him scowling. "Non ho bisogno di aprirlo per sapere cosa dirà. (I do not need to open it to know what it is going to say.)"
"Bene, stai ancora per aprirlo, (Well, you are still going to open it,)" he said, and I rolled my eyes while my scowl deepened. He studied me before his face grew softer as if he knew what I was hiding and thinking. "Perché ti preoccupi di aprire la lettera? (Why are you worried about opening the letter?)" he asked, and I looked away from him. "Pensi che qualcun altro si farà male mentre sei via? (Do you think that someone else will get hurt while you are away?)"
I didn't respond and shrugged while I looked away from him. A part of me did think that someone was going to get hurt if I went to Julliard, even for a semester. I was afraid that Xav would get hurt if I left, and I couldn't let that happen.
It would kill the good inside of me if he was dead. I wouldn't have the power to go on, to hold back my anger until it consumed me when I dealt with someone that made me mad or something.
I was the wolf in sheep's clothing, the devil disguised as an angel, and if it wasn't for Xav or for the fact that I had someone waiting for me, then I would be the monster in the night, having everyone fear me, not letting the kindness that I possess show through.
Xav whined and moved over to me. He nuzzled my cheek before he dropped the letter into my lap and backed away from me.
I stared at the letter in my lap, my heart pounding in my chest. I had the urge to toss it again and went to do it, but I was stopped by Chewie saying, "non farlo. (don't.)"
I huffed and clenched my hand into a fist. "Ti odio, (I hate you,)" I seethed and relaxed my grip while Chewie snorted.
"No, non lo fai, (No, you don't,)" Chewie said, knowing full well that I didn't hate him but hated the situation that I found myself in. He gave me a pointed look, and I didn't respond and scowled while I looked at the letter and then at him.
"Sì, certamente, (Yes, I do,)" I replied, even though I didn't mean it. I didn't hate him; I couldn't, not after all of the secrets that he kept for me or the times that he had my back when others couldn't or didn't. "Ti odio. (I hate you.)"
"Hmph," Chewie replied, not even phased about me telling him that I hated him. He leaned back in his seat while he watched me, waiting for me to do what he had said and open the letter.
"Non posso semplicemente ributtare la lettera nel bosco? (Can't I just toss the letter back into the woods?)" I asked. "Non voglio leggerlo e non voglio sapere cosa ha da dire. (I don't want to read it and don't want to know what it has to say.)"
"No, (No,)" Chewie said, and I rolled my eyes and scowled. "Pensavo sapessi già cosa ha da dire. (I thought you already know what it has to say.)" He was challenging me, challenging my Truth Seeking abilities by saying that, and I looked at him and scowled.
"Io faccio, (I do,)" I said, defending myself and my abilities. I scowled and narrowed my eyes at my best friend. "Non ho bisogno di aprirlo per leggerlo e vedere cosa ha da dire. (I don't need to open it to read it and see what it has to say.)"
"Ma lo farai, (But you will,)" Chewie said. He nodded towards Xav, who was seated a few feet away from me, watching me with pricked ears and worried eyes. "Vuole sapere cosa ha da dire. (He wants to know what it has to say.)"
I rolled my eyes and scowled before I looked at Xav. "Do you want to know what it has to say?" I asked, switching to English. I narrowed my eyes, and my scowl deepened. "And will you come over here? I don't know why you are a few feet away from me when you don't have to be."
Xav whined in apology and walked over to me. He didn't want me to be mad at him for giving me back the letter, which was why he had decided to stay away from me.
I sighed and rolled my eyes again. "I am not mad at you, Xav," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. I rested my cheek against his head when he moved over to me and placed my hand on the side of his face. "I know that you were trying to help and that was it."
Xav nuzzled me closer before he went behind me like he did last time. He laid down, and I moved back until I was able to bury myself into his fur, seeking his comfort and love that he provided me.
I closed my eyes and enjoyed his warmth, letting myself relax in his presence, even though I knew that it was going to be for a little while. "Do you want to know what it says?" I asked, again, my voice barely above a whisper.
Xav moved his head closer to me and nuzzled my side. He wanted to, but he didn't want to push me to open the letter if I didn't want to.
"Bene? (Well?)" Chewie asked and raised an eyebrow in question. "(Are you going to read it?)"
"Parla in inglese e poi deciderò se leggerlo, (Talk in English and then I'll decide if I'll read it,)" I replied in Italian. "It's fine if he knows what we discuss," I added, switching back to English, "especially if it's about the letter."
"Hmph," Chewie said before he nodded. "Does that mean you are going to open it?"
I sighed when Xav pushed against me before I slowly nodded and opened my eyes. "Yes," I said finally. I cleared my throat and licked my lips while I looked at the letter and then at Chewie. "I'm going to open it and read what the letter has to say."