with love, always, michael clifford

confused.

The next week was very confusing for Asteria.

Casper wouldn't return her calls or texts, he didn't even leave her on read — he left her on delivered.

"You seem very dazed," Luke said as he walked into the kitchen with a cup of coffee in his hands. "What's going on in that beautiful head of yours?"

Asteria exhaled a long breath, leaning her head in the palm of her hand as her eyes rose to meet Luke's. "If I tell you," She mumbled. "You have to promise not to utter a single word to dad."

Luke narrowed his eyes, but extended his pinky and gave Asteria a pinky promise. "I promise."

"Alright," Asteria sat straight up and said. "Casper kissed me on my balcony last week. And now he's not answering a single goddamn call, text, email — fuckin' nothing."

Luke's chest rose. Fell. Before he finally said, "Alright, well," He mumbled. "Have you showed up to his house?"

Asteria snapped her head up. "What?"

"I said, have you shown—"

"I heard what you said," Asteria put a hand up. "Are you crazy? I cannot just show up at his house. Begging for his attention."

"Well," Luke crossed his arms and leaned against the cabinet. "We're about to go on vacation to Australia, so why don't you sit on it for a while — let Casper as well. And if he doesn't show up to our house, on his knees, begging, then he's not worth your time."

Asteria nodded firmly. "Alright."

The whole rest of the day, Asteria read on her bed while occasionally jumping at her phone anytime it buzzed. And not one time was it anything mentioning Casper.

In a few days, they would be leaving to Australia to see every time before the summer for America ended and school began again.

Luke was right. She needed to put her phone away for the whole goddamn week, let Casper decide if he wants her or not, and if he doesn't — oh fucking well.

"What're you reading?"

Asteria moved her head over to see her little brother sitting in her bedroom doorway. Asteria smiled gently, sat up, and said. "Love and Other Words."

"What's that?" Apollo asked, crawling next to Asteria and propping his head up. Asteria sighed.

"A romance book. What are you up to?" She asked, laying back.

Apollo sighed. "I'm just bored. Daddy's at work, and so is everyone else. I'm just watching TV."

"Yeah," Asteria twirled Apollo's hair with her finger gently. "How about we watch Tangled?"