"Cassie, how're you feeling? I know it's been hard on you literally losing the rest of your family in one night. Other than the fact that you have four half siblings running around, I know how you feel." Jake said. Cassie stopped tracing the Balcoin scar on her palm and looked over at him. "I don't know. I'm confused about a lot of things. I just need to move on in my life. It's just that some things are so hard…" Cassie trailed off.
Jake waited for her to continue, but instead she resumed playing with the new scar on her palm. "Move on how Cassie?" he asked.
"I still love him, Jake. The potion only took away Adam's love, it never stopped me from loving him." Cassie mumbled, Jake barely picked up on her words. "Cassie, I'm sorry. I-" "That's not the only thing Jake." Cassie cut in. "Lately, I've been confused about how I feel about you. This is not coming out right. I don't want you to be with Faye, but I'm not in any position to tell you what to do. Because part of me still wants to be with Adam." Cassie told him.
They were in the old Blackwell house, their secret house that had turned out to be Cassie's fathers old house. Cassie sat on the love seat across from where Jake was stretched out on the sofa. It was the day after their big night of fighting witch hunters and demons. The night when Diana's dad sacrificed himself to save the circle and Blackwell tried to kill every non-Balcoin witch. Cassie and Diana together killed their birth father and Diana left Cassie for Grant. Cassie had needed someone to talk to and Jake was there for her.
Jake reached out a hand and then brought it back to his side. "We're both going through a lot right now. We don't need to figure this all out yet. And I'm not sleeping with Faye because I love her, I still care about you Cassie, I never stopped caring. That was all you. Faye's still broken over Lee and I'm hurting over you. We're just… I don't know."
Cassie sighed. "At my grandmother's funeral a few weeks ago, I kissed Adam and I think that he was going to say something to me and then Blackwell came in. And this whole witch hunter thing happened. And now Diana's leaving me, I have no one left who really knows me." Cassie's voice broke at the end.
"Cassie, you're still in love with Adam, and Adam's still in love with Diana and I'm still in love with you. But this is something that you need to decide on your own. You can't have both of us." Jake said. Cassie stood up and crossed the room, she sat next to Jake on the couch.
"We've both screwed up, it hurt me that you've killed witches. I'm sorry for judging you, I almost killed Adam and Diana. I need someone who's going to be on my side. I should have realized that it was you earlier, but I was so wrapped up in that stupid thing about Adam and I being written in the stars. I finally realized, that if I didn't care about you, I would have let you die for my love with Adam. But I do, I gave up everything for you, and I can understand if you don't want me back. But I- I still love you. And-"
Jake kissed her. Cassie wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back. Jake's hand came up to cup her face and he pulled back and looked at her. "I'll always be here for you. No matter who you choose." he told her.
Cassie looked into Jakes deep, blue eyes. "Come home with me." she said, Jake gazed back at her. "Are you sure?" he asked. "I'm sure. We're both alone Faye only sees you for who you used to be, I see you for who you are now. And I want you now." Cassie said. Jake tried to read her face, and then turned to look beyond Cassie.
"I know that you're not over Adam yet and if you choose him, I don't want to do anything to mess up what you two have." he finally said.
Cassie moved closer to him, "Maybe it's because I'm going through such an emotional turmoil right now, or maybe it's just because it feels right. But I want you, Jake." she whispered.
Cassie kissed Jakes lips, softly at first, and then more urgently. Her hands slipped underneath his shirt and Jake didn't resist her. His own arms wrapped around her waist and he pulled her on top of him.
Her hands moved up his body, feeling every inch and contour of his chest. She pushed his shirt up and then broke away from and slipped it off over his head. Cassie brought her head down to his neck and grazed it with her lips. Jake groaned and he slid his hands under her shirt and, while his left hand began tracing patterns on her back, he used his left to unhook her bra.
Jake slid the straps down her arms and threw the bra over his head and onto the floor behind them. The motion caused them both to fall off of the couch. Jake gave her a wicked grin and took off his shoes. Then he muttered something under his breath and Cassie watched as their random articles of clothing floated up to the second level. "There's a day bed thing, up there. It's twice the size of this." he said.
Cassie followed him up the rickety stairs and down the hall to a bedroom that wasn't nearly as old and rickety looking as the rest of the house. The bed, in fact was rather comfortable looking. Cassie climbed up onto it and watched Jake undress.
As Cassie studied Jake, a small smile played on her lips.
This wasn't like the passion that she had felt with Adam. This was a different kind of passion. With Adam, it had suddenly felt right, like the pieces of a puzzle sliding into place. Like they were meant to be.
With Jake, it was a decision, a small flame that was billowing into a forest fire. They were both thinking clearly and they both knew what they wanted. So when Jake started to take off Cassie's shirt, she let him.
Jake watched Cassie, sleeping in the crook of his arm. They hadn't really decided what to do yet. But being here with her, right now, just felt right. Cassie had work from four until eleven so they'd have to leave eventually, but Jake didn't have the heart to wake her yet. Faye had texted him several times asking where he was and Cassie had two missed calls from Adam. Jake was slightly surprised that they hadn't already been found or at least that someone had guessed what was going on. But Adam wasn't the brightest and Faye had blown him off last night.
Cassie rolled over and Jake used the time to get up and find his clothes. He had just pulled on his pants when the floorboards creaked somewhere beneath him. Jake walked back to Cassie, and pulled the comforters up and wrapped them around her small frame. Then he quietly went over to the balcony overlooking the lower level to see who was downstairs.
Faye, Melissa and Adam were seated on the same chairs that Cassie and Jake had been sitting on a few hours ago. Jake crouched down and listened to what they were saying.
"I haven't seen Cassie since right after Diana left." Melissa was saying. "Do you think that she went after her?" she asked the others. "Oh come on Melissa, we have so many other things to worry about like, where's Jake for instance?" Faye said. "You don't think they're together, do you?" Adam asked. Melissa glanced over at him and then put her hand on his knee. "Of course not. I mean, by what I saw last night, I think you and Jake are together, right Faye?" Melissa inquired. Faye smirked, "We're not exactly together together. But I guess…" she trailed off with a wicked look on her face.
Adam rolled his eyes and turned away, "Then where the hell are they?" he shouted. The sound reverberated through the house.
Jake turned around and hurried back to the bedroom where he had left Cassie. Her eyes fluttered open and she looked up at him sleepily. "Go back to sleep." he said and leaned to down to kiss her forehead. Cassie groggily nodded her head and shut her eyes again. Jake waited for her to fall back asleep before returning to his position to eavesdrop.
"You did destroy it didn't you Adam?" Faye scolded, pointedly looking at him. "It just, it had so much power, you don't understand. But yes, eventually I brought myself to destroy it." he told them. Faye rolled her eyes, "I knew that I should have done it. Don't go to the dark side Adam. There isn't anymore room over here and we still need you to be our goody-two-shoes and keep us all in line." Faye said, "Not that I care or anything." she hastily added. "Oh, of course not." Melissa chuckled. Faye shot her a death glare and Melissa stuck her tongue out.
"Have you even tried to reach Jake?" Adam asked Faye, "Of course I tried. I texted him like five times, maybe he just lost reception or his phone died or something." Faye responded. "What about you?" Adam looked annoyed, "I called Cassie twice. She's probably at home sleeping or reading her book of shadows." Adam sighed. "You didn't check her house yet?" Faye was bewildered. "I knocked on Jakes door early this morning. And only after several tries did I get you two to help find him." she said. Clearly exasperated that Adam hadn't tried as hard as she had.
"Alright. Let's go." Faye stood up and walked over and pulled Melissa up too. "Go where?" Adam asked. "Cassie's place. Duh." Faye said, "And this time, we'll use our individual magic to find her-them." she explained. Adam stood. "Okay." he seemed shiftier as he left the room.
Jake watched them leave with a growing dread. Something was going on other than his thing with Cassie and Jake didn't like whatever it was.
After making sure that they had left completely, he gathered up Cassie clothes and quickly went back upstairs. He nudged Cassie's shoulder, "We need to go, Cassie. The other's are looking for us." he said. Cassie dipped her head, acknowledging that she heard him and took her clothes from him.
Jake turned so that she could get dressed and soon became lost in thought about their predicament.
He felt Cassie's hands slip around his waist and he turned in her arms to face her. "We're going to need to be careful." he told her. "Uh-huh." Cassie murmured. Jake smiled, Cassie let go of him and they both pivoted to survey the room. "I think we have everything." Cassie said. "Me too." Jake agreed, then he looked down at her. "Where's your shirt?" he asked. Cassie held it up, "It's dirty." and it was, the dust had mixed with sweat and the end result was terrible. "Do they have a cleansing spell?" she asked him. Jake took it from her and yanked off his own shirt, "Put this on and I'll give wear a jacket when we get to my truck." he instructed her.
Together they went down and out of the house. Jake held Cassie's hand as they walked back through the woods and out to where his truck was. He handed her a jacket from the back. "Ready?" he asked. "Yupp. Where are we going?" she replied. "I'll drop you off at work and then go home." he said. "Crap, I totally forgot about work today!" Cassie exclaimed. She waited for him to unlock the car and then tossed the jacket back to him. Jake donned the jacket and held Cassie's door open for her. He waited until she got in and started the engine.