The Face In The Mirror – Chapter 2
Hello! Here is the second chapter finally! Thanks so much for reading, and I hope you enjoy!
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"Cassie, are you sure you're okay?" DD questioned her friend as they entered the beach house.
"Look, guys, I told you, I'm fine."
Shane crossed her arms and looked at her pointedly. "You don't look all that fine to me."
"Well, I am."
Cassie took off her jacket, careful of her recently bandaged arm, and made her way over to the kitchen for some coffee.
DD and Shane shared doubtful looks.
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She allowed the water to run over her trembling hands for a couple minutes before she splashed some on her face. Taking a hand towel to wipe away the drops,Cassie finally allowed herself to look at her reflection.
A bit pale, yes, but very much the same.
How can I still look the same? Everything feels so different.
Unable to look anymore, Cassie entered her bedroom. She sat on her bed. The only light shining in the room came from the lamp on her bedside table as the night's events began playing through her mind.
Heavy breathing matched with pounding feet and breaking branches as she ran. She was gaining on him, and he knew it. He kept glancing back at her, his eyes set with determination. He would not let her catch him.
And then he slipped. Cassie was just about to him as he struggled to his feet and limped out of her reach.
"Just stop running!" she shouted to him. "We can help you!"
He didn't answer, just kept on going. But he was getting tired. It wouldn't be much longer before she had him.
Then he fell again.
'Finally,' she thought. 'Now we can all just go home!'
But as she reached him, she realized something was wrong. He was hanging over a ridge.
Cassie scrambled to her knees in front of him. His over confident eyes were now filled with panic.
"Give me your hand! Let me help you."
"I can't move."
"Yes you can. All you have to do is give me your hand, and I will pull you up. I promise."
After a moment's hesitation, he reached a shaking hand out to her. She grasped his arm, and held him tight. But then what little footing he had broke away, and Cassie came crashing against the ground, her arm digging painfully into the rock.
Jacobs was now taking gasping breaths, tears, if not sweat, were rolling down his face. This was neither the time nor the place for a gruff exterior.
"Pull me up!"
"I'm trying! I'm trying!"
"Please help me! I'm gonna fall!"
"No you're not!"
But he did. She hadn't been able to save him, and he had died. He had depended on her, criminal though he was, but, despite her promises, she couldn't help him.
Cassie woke up gasping for breath as she felt his grasp slip from hers. She stared in confusion at her surroundings until she remembered where she was. Running shaking hands through her hair, she jumped off her bed. She had to get out.
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Quentin Cross looked at himself in the mirror beside his door. Dusting off invisible lint and fixing an imperfection in his tie that only he could see, he was ready for the day. He grabbed his keys and left his apartment, turning back to lock the door.
"So this is how come you're always at the office before me."
Despite his years of experience, Quentin couldn't keep the surprise off his face as he looked down to see a rumpled looking Cassie sitting with her back against the wall near his door, her knees drawn to her chest, two cups of coffee in her hands. She held one out to him.
"I think it's cold by now, but at this time of the morning, I doubt it matters."
He took in the dark circles under her eyes. "How long have you been here?"
"Long enough," she grunted as she rose off the floor.
"Okay then. Why are you here?"
"Can't a girl just drop by?" she gave him a slight smile. The best she could muster at the moment while running her hand through her hair for the umpteenth time.
"Cassie."
"I, uh, I guess I'm just not really sure why I'm here. I woke up about 4:00 and couldn't get back to sleep. Before I knew it... Uh, look, I'll just go. I'm sorry."
Of course it was a mistake to come. What had she been thinking? She turned to leave.
"Cassie, wait."
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Okay, that looks incredibly shorter than when I had it written in my notebook... Oh well! Hopefully another chapter will be coming your way soon!
Lots of love!
macisgate
