Page 50 of Waysider
Cass had seen that look on a guy’s face before, and in a rush, she realized what was happening. Usually it was just in the backseat of a car, or in a dim corner at a party. Teddy liked her. Or at least a certain part of him did.
He kept staring down at her, and something inside Cass stirred, low and hot. She hadn’t expected it, wasn’t ready for it, especially after everything that had happened earlier. But at the start of this disastrous night, Cass had set out just wanting to have fun. Her gaze lowered to Teddy’s mouth. What could be more fun than a steamy makeout session with a sweet, hot guy?
“Kiss me,” she whispered.
Teddy’s eyes heated, and he didn’t need to be asked twice. His fingers slid into the hair at the base of her neck, and he gently tipped her head back. As his mouth came down on Cass’s, she felt his hard body brush against hers. She pressed closer and parted her lips, wanting more. Teddy’s tongue tangled with hers. He tasted like chocolate, Cass noted faintly. Arousal exploded through her body, but Teddy explored her as if they had all the time in the world. She felt his hands slide down her back and land on her waist, then pull her even closer.
At the exact moment Cass felt his erection press against her thigh, Teddy groaned and broke away. “Fuck. Cass, I just broke up with—”
“Don’t worry about it.” She shook her head quickly, hoping it was too dark for Teddy to see the heat rushing to her cheeks. You have got to be kidding me, Cass thought. Again? This was happening to her again? She tried to sound utterly unfazed as she added, “That makes total sense, and I need to focus on school, anyway. Thanks again for… for helping me tonight. Really. I’ll see you in class.”
Teddy looked worried. “We should go to the diner again sometime. If you’re up for it.”
“Definitely,” Cass agreed. She couldn’t bring herself to reassure him any more. With a tight, parting smile, Cass opened the door and went inside. She closed it and leaned against the solid wood, letting out a breath. Two rejections in one night. That had to be some kind of record, she thought faintly. She couldn’t wait to head upstairs and put this horrible day to an end.
Cass was about to push off the door when a sound reached her ears. She straightened, a fresh surge of adrenaline pumping through her. She reminded herself that five other people lived in this house—seven if she included Cal and Michael—and the noise had probably come from one of them. But after being possessed just a couple hours ago, Cass was a little on edge. She crept down the hallway, panic making her breath ragged.
The sound had come from the kitchen. Cass peered around the doorway, her heart a thunderstorm in her chest. A moment later, relief rushed in, and Cass could breathe again. “Finch? Are you okay?” she said.
Her roommate sat on the floor, her back slumped against the cupboards. Finch’s pale legs were splayed, her long skirt bunched around her thighs. Her head had lolled to one side, but at the sound of Cass’s voice, Finch stirred. Her red eyes cracked open and slowly landed on Cass.
“You can’t see my underwear, can you?” she asked. The words were hoarse.
“Nope,” Cass lied smoothly, leaning over Finch to open one of the cupboards. Her roommate needed to hydrate, and Cass also did it to hide the guilt surging through her. She’d gotten so caught up in the moment with Teddy that she had completely forgotten Finch’s crush on him. It was definitely a good thing he’d put the brakes on, Cass thought. Where was Bradley? Was he in the same shape as Finch?
She took a clean cup off the shelf, then put it beneath the water faucet. Once she’d filled it, Cass squatted and held the cup in front of Finch’s white, pinched face. “Drink this.”
Finch took it and drank for several seconds. Once the cup was nearly empty, she rested it against her stomach and let out a long, deep sigh. “They’re so disappointed in me,” she mumbled.
Cass frowned. “Who? Those mouth breathers at the party?”
“My parents.” Finch’s tone was mournful. “Victoria Chen isn’t the only legacy on campus, you know. Everyone in my family is a voyant. Mom and Dad, my brother, my uncles, my grandparents. They all went to Else & Bellows. They were so excited when I finally had an encounter with the revenant in our garden. My family leaves him there, you know, so each generation can be tested. One by one, my cousins and siblings saw him. And year after year, I saw…nothing.”
She sounded so defeated that Cass lowered herself to the floor and crossed her legs. She wasn’t good at comforting people, but she’d had some practice with Teresa over the years. “You did eventually, right?” Cass ventured. “You said you had an encounter.”
Finch made a soft, humorless sound. A strand of hair stuck to her temple and her pearly skin gleamed with perspiration. “If you can even call it that,” she said.
“What do you mean?”
Cass’s roommate lifted her hand to make a vague gesture. She was so drunk that even this looked difficult for her, and Finch’s voice slurred as she said, “I sat out there every night, between three and four, and I waited. I waited for years. While the rest of my family was tucked in their beds, I was outside, crying on that stone bench that always made my butt fall asleep. If any of them knew, they didn’t care. Finally, last fall, I did it. I was staring at the fountain, and I caught a glimpse of him. It was quick, like a camera flash. But he was there. Kneeling down, taking a sip of water. He was wearing a strange straw hat.”
Near the end, her voice broke, and Cass saw that look in Finch’s eyes again. The confusion. The rejection. Wondering why she wasn’t good enough, trying to think of what she could do to be what they wanted. Cass felt something in her chest constrict.
She hesitated for a moment, and then she shifted, moving to sit beside Finch. Cass’s wrists dangled off her knees, and she fixed her eyes on the floor. “Look,” she said slowly, “I know how much it can suck, feeling different from everyone in your family. Feeling like you’re failing them, or that you’ll never be able to become the version of yourself they’re hoping for. But if you think about the people in the world who everyone remembers, the people who actually made something of themselves? They aren’t usually known for sticking to the status quo or following in someone else’s footsteps. Maybe being the black sheep just means we’re supposed to make our own legacies.”
Finch’s chin quivered. She turned her head, which was still resting against the cupboard, and met Cass’s gaze. “That was a beautiful thing to say. Thank you for trying to make me feel better. I’m… I’m really glad you came to Else & Bellows, Cass.”
Cass felt that sensation in her chest again, but more gently this time. As if someone were tugging at a tiny thread tied inside her.
“Me, too,” she said to Finch. The thread tugged again. Quickly Cass added, “What happened at the party, by the way? I was outside for a while, but when I came back, I couldn’t find you anywhere. And where did Bradley go?”
Finch moaned and bent her head, pressing it against the tops of her knees. Her response was muffled. “I spent most of the night in the bathroom. Bradley got pulled away by a couple Pennyseekers, and we lost track of each other after that. Every person I talked to looked at me like I didn’t belong there. So I drank a beer for some courage. Then I had another one, and before I knew it, I was three sheets to the wind. I locked myself in with a toilet and listened to people pound on the door while I puked my guts up. How was the rest of your night?”
“Humbling,” Cass muttered, thinking of Sinister and Teddy.
Finch sniffed and lifted her head. Her cheeks gleamed in the yellow kitchen light. “Sorry, what?”
“Never mind,” Cass sighed. She got to her feet and crossed over to the sink. “Hey, let’s get you cleaned up. I think we both need some sleep.”
