AFTER HIGH SCHOOL

Chapter twenty three

CASSANDRA KHAN

It's a long swim that I take, I dive and dive as deep as I can go in the water relieving my tenseness and everything that has been going on in my life out in the water.

I enjoy it a lot but mostly I relieve myself. I get to get back in my room when the sun has set.
I shower and then get in the living room to watch some movies in between times to try and get by the day.

I haven't seen Aaron since our talk in the afternoon. It doesn't bother me though because I feel at peace.
I didn't see that one coming, when I got on that flight with him I was convincing myself that I was coming to give him an ultimatum.
He was either in my baby girl's life or out her life for good.

His reaction though... I shake my head and just focus back on the movie.

But no, we can't move on without me commenting on it.
His reaction surprised me so much, it took every ounce of willpower to prevent me from going insane from there.

But I could scream to my sister who hasn't gotten back to my messages yet nor Brian.

I reach for my phone and call my sister, and the first dial tone goes by without her picking up so I call again, and by the third, she answers.

"You won't believe what happened?" I squeal in her ear as soon as she picks up and welcom her with my big news.

"I know Cassy, I know am working on it. Am sorry they did that to you. Look I was thinking of calling you or maybe even come be there for you. ...are you okay? Please am so, so sorry it had to go down like that. I swear I didn't know or if I had, it wouldn't have gotten out there just like that. How is Aaron holding up?" I frown.

I pull the phone from my ear and bring it back to check if it's Sarah I called or if I am mistaken but it's her.
Sarah with a heart emoji and another with hearts in the eyes.

It's her. So what the hell is she talking about?

"Cassy, are you still there?"

"Yes, yes I am Sarah. Hey, take a break and breathe. What are you talking about?" I hear her sigh into the call so deeply.

"I am sorry, Cassandra. I am sorry I let it happen but I am working on it though it's hard with our parent's status but I am trying I promise. It already attracted the international media's interest." Now I feel something cold wash over my heart and all my insides not leaving a single organ in me not shaking up.
This is bad.

What happened?

I sit upright bringing my phone closer to my ear than it were.
"What happened?" She doesn't answer and it nearly drops my heart down to my stomach.
The dispense of waiting and not knowing is killing me.

"Sar..."

"I am sending you a link." I don't wait to hear more, I head to my message app but a message from my best friend back in high school makes me pause.

I didn't realize Anna texted me.
Who read it? Because it's read.

I raise my phone back to my ear.
"Send me the link of what happened," I say to my sister and hang up.

I go through Anna's message and I nearly drop the phone when I read the title of the tabloid she sent me. I drop the phone.

Jesus.

My hands shake as I keep on reading the title over and over again from where I dropped the phone.
I can't seem to know what to do except to keep reading.

My breathing stops for a second as the shock, disbelief, fear, anxiety, and so many other emotions hit me at once.
I pull my phone back and look at what I am reading closer to know for sure that what is there is what I am really reading.