9 CHAPTER 9

C A S S I D Y

"She should wake soon" a voice that i didn't recognise bounced through my head. My ears slowly adjusted to the sounds around me.

"Thank you doctor" my fathers voice sounded so strained. What the hell had happened?

My eyes slowly peeled open, adjusting to the lights and sounds around me. My dad was the first person that i saw, but as my eyes drifted around the room i noticed everyone was here. Jake, Josh, Elliot, Elouise, Holly, Michael and Christine all stood in a group, oblivious to the fact that i was now awake.

"What happened?" i croaked out, my throat as dry as my phone most days. I'm not even joking there.

"Cassidy, you're awake" my dad smiled and rushed to my side. "I was so worried about you baby". I could hear the quiver in his voice, knowing he was trying to keep his emotions in.

"As for what happened, you jumped into a fight even after Elliot and I told you not to" Jake snarled. Yeah, i remember now.

"How long was i out for?" i whispered.

"Only a couple of hours" Elliot replied.

"Honestly Cassidy, how could you have been so stupid!" he added as he walked towards me. "I told you to stay away from it all, and yet you still had to get involved. And look at where that has landed you. Laying in a hospital bed with a fractured ankle" he growled. If looks could kill, i'm pretty sure that i would be on deaths door. I had never seen Elliot so angry.

"I just wanted to help. They were fighting because of me and i couldn't stand to watch it happen any longer" i muttered. I turned to face Jake before i continued. "I'm not sorry for jumping in". I watched him, waiting for his face to change, move in anyway to indicate how he was feeling, but i got nothing.

"What you did was stupid and reckless Cassidy" Jake growled.

"You wouldn't listen to anything i was saying Jake. What else was i meant to do".

"Not jump into a fight that's what!".

"Okay you two. Cassidy knows what she did was wrong, so how about we stop with the arguing" My dad interrupted.

"Can i talk to Jake alone for a second?" i asked my dad. He looked at me sceptically, before eventually nodding his head and ushering everyone else out of the room. Silence flooded the room until Jake eventually broke it.

"Are you going to talk or what?" Jake asked. Honestly, i didn't even know what i wanted to say. Yes i know i was the one who asked to talk in private, but i didn't think he would actually stay.

"You can't seriously be mad at me. I did nothing wrong Jake".

"I have every right to be mad Cassidy. You jumped into a fight after i explicitly told you not to" Jakes voice raised.

"Because you wouldn't listen to me!" i shouted back.

"There was a reason i told you not to get involved and this is exactly it" he shouted as he gestured around the room. "It was to stop you getting hurt. But you never listen do you!" and with that, Jake stormed out of the room. Elouise walked into the room not even a minute after Jake had left.

"The doctors are saying that you should be able to leave after they run a couple tests. Shouldn't be long now" she told me, pity swirling in her eyes. I knew it was because of the conversation we had had last night, about my feelings for Jake. She knew that it hurt that Jake had walked out on me. She just knew everything.

"How about we go out for some food once your released?" she smiled. I knew she was trying to cheer me up, and for that i was grateful.

"Yeah, that would be nice" i smiled back.

J A K E

I stormed out of that hospital as fast as i possibly could. How could she really be that stupid and care so little about her own health. All i wanted to do was avoid her getting hurt, but the stupid girl just refused to listen to me. Oh how that girl infuriated me. I didn't even know where i was going. I just kept walking aimlessly, trying to calm myself down before i did anything stupid. Before i knew i, i had reached the park a couple blocks from our house.

Deciding that it would probably be best to stay out for a bit longer, i sat down on one of the swings, swinging myself back and forth. I had no idea how long i had been there before my phone started ringing. I took a lot at the contact name and heaved a sigh of relief when it was just Josh calling. I quickly answered the call, wanting to see what my little brother wanted.

"What can i do for you dear brother" i teased.

"Where are you Jake? You just stormed off without a word to anyone" he cut straight to the chase.

"What does it matter Josh. I just needed to cool down" i muttered.

"Where are you?" he repeated.

"The park. You know the one" i told him before hanging up the phone. Josh would be here soon, and my peace and quiet would soon end. After 10 or so minutes, I saw Josh walking into the park.

"What do you want Joshua?" i asked. I really couldn't be arsed for this.

"Why did you storm out?" Josh wondered.

"She was infuriating me" i said. He didn't need to know anymore than that.

"She went quiet after you left. What did you say to her?" he probed.

"Nothing except the truth" i muttered. There was silence between us for a while before Josh started speaking again.

"We all went out for food" he told me. "And you missed Michael trying to make Cassidy laugh" he added. That shocked me. Michael had always been a very shy and closed off person to people he didn't know, so that fact that he was openly trying to cheer Cassidy up came as a surprise.

"Oh well" was all i replied back.

"Look, we were all talking and we all agreed that Aiden isn't going to stop going after Cass until he gets her alone again" Josh said and visibly shivered when thinking about what Aiden wanted to do to Cassidy.

"OK".

"And we all agreed that one of us should be with her if she leaves the house" Josh kept on going.

"OK".

"I just don't want Cassidy to be scared to go out. Always fearing that Aiden will be just around the corner".

"Josh, no offence, but i really don't care" i growled.

"Jake, this is Cassidy we are talking about" Josh pushed.

"I REALLY DON'T CARE ABOUT CASSIDY OK. GET THAT THROUGH YOUR HEAD!" I shouted at him.

"I don't care about Cassidy in the slightest. She is annoying and infuriates me every time she opens her damn mouth. Not only does she have no care for her own health, but she also has no care to follow the instructions that people give her. Maybe this situation will teach her a lesson" i spat at him.

"You know that's not true" Josh mumbled but i let it go.

I don't care about Cassidy. I don't. Why can't he understand that.