Cassian PoV
I reached for the bottle, but stopped myself as soon as my fingertips touched it. No, I couldn't give in to alcohol. That would be admitting defeat. Instead, I got up and started tidying my room, the repetitive motions helping to clear my head.
I smiled a little and snuck out of my room to throw out the bottles of whiskey.
Outside, I saw Shelly hiding not far from the trash. Were they playing hide and seek?
I crept closer. "Who are we hiding from?" I asked, my voice playful.
Shelly's eyes widened. "Cassian? What are you doing here?"
I grinned. "I was just walking around and saw you hiding. Thought I'd join you."
She looked annoyed. "I was trying to hide from Toren. We're playing a game."
I sat down beside her. "Mind if I join?"
"No, go away," she said, rolling her eyes.
"Rawr! Dino gonna find ya!" Shelly's little brother said as he stomped around, Zara behind him.
"Rawr," Zara said, her voice not into it at all.
I tried not to snort. Zara was usually so stern and serious. To see her playing like a child was hilarious, especially since she was so bad at it.
Toren sniffed the air. "Hmm, dino smell prey!"
Shelly gulped.
I grabbed her hand. "Let's go."
She looked surprised. "Wh-what?"
"I said let's go," I said, pulling her along. "If you don't move, that dino's gonna get you."
She frowned. "No, I'm not going anywhere with you. Let go of me!"
I huffed. "You're really stubborn, you know that?"
"Rawr! Dino gonna win!" Toren shouted as he began to stomp closer.
Shelly sighed and followed me. "Fine, but if you try anything, you're losing your male card."
"Relax," I said, grinning.
I got on my arms and knees and began to crawl. "Come on, follow me. I know a place where we can hide."
She hesitated before getting on her arms and knees as well. "I'm only coming because I don't want Toren to find me. He's too good at this game."
I grinned. "You'll thank me later."
I crawled along the ground until we reached an old tree with a hollow beneath the roots.
Shelly stopped and looked around at the giant grotto-like root hollow. "What is this place?"
"It's my old hiding spot," I said, crawling inside.
"Your hiding spot?" she said, crawling inside beside me. "You mean, you used to hide in here when you were a kid?"
I laughed. "Yeah. I used to come here a lot when I was younger. It was my safe place, where no one could find me. Not even Mom. I guess I just needed somewhere to escape to." I bit my lip, realizing how uncool that sounded.
Shelly smiled. "That's cute. I never thought you would be the type to hide in a hole."
"Rawr! I'm coming to get you!" Toren shouted as he ran past the hole.
Shelly and I stayed quiet. As we waited for him to pass, our bodies were pressed together. I could feel her warmth, smell her shampoo, feel her breath on my skin. My heart rate picked up, and I could feel my cheeks heat up.
What the hell was happening to me? I was Cassian Aldrige Veyron de Luthaine, the guy who never got nervous around women—especially not some slum girl who'd been dodging my every move.
"Are you okay?" she asked, noticing my change in demeanor.
"Yeah, I'm fine," I said, trying to act cool. But, the more I tried to act cool, the less cool I was becoming.
"Rawr! Dino gonna find you!" Toren's voice broke through my thoughts, closer now, his little feet stomping through the grass just outside our hiding spot. Zara's unenthusiastic "rawr" followed, and I bit back a laugh, the sound catching in my throat.
Shelly sighed. "Don't give us away."
"Rawr! Me gonna find you!" Damien said.
The slum girl's eyes widened. "Eh? Toren found him already?"
I gulped. If that kid found even Damien then we were in trouble. Serious trouble. Damien was one of the best people I knew at hiding. Yet he was discoveted. That little guy was a hide-and-seek prodigy, and I'd dragged us into this hollow thinking I could outsmart him. Now, with Damien in the mix, our odds were shrinking fast.
"Rawr! I think she's in the hollow!" Damien said.
"Rawr!" Toren said as his footsteps joined Damien's.
"Shh," I whispered, leaning closer to her ear, my voice low to avoid detection. Her breath hitched, and I felt the shiver that ran through her, though I couldn't tell if it was from the game or my proximity. "We're not out yet. As soon as they come in, I'll distract them and you can run off."
The shadow of Toren's head appeared at the entrance, his dinosaur toy raised like a weapon. "Dino gonna get you!" he shouted, his voice high with excitement. Damien leaned in behind him, his messy hair falling into his eyes, a smirk playing on his lips as he scanned the hollow. Our eyes met, and I saw the challenge there—old rivalries flaring up, even in a kid's game.
"Huh? Cassian? What are you doing here?" Damien said, frowning.
I softly kicked Shelly's side to signal for her to run. She got my cue and hid behind a large root.
"I decided to join you, didn't I?"
Toren sniffed the air. "Dino smells another one here."
"Rawr! You've found the mighty Cassaurus," I roared, mimicking Toren's dinosaur noises, but you haven't beaten me yet! Toren's eyes lit up, and he lunged at me, giggling as he tackled my legs.
"Cassaurus is no match against Toren-rex!"
"Rawr! You'll never defeat the Cassaurus that easily, Toren-rex!" I bellowed, dropping to one knee with exaggerated drama, letting the kid think he had the upper hand. I grabbed a stick from the ground, waving it like a club, and swung it playfully in the air, drawing Toren's focus. His eyes sparkled with delight, and he leapt at me again, his dinosaur toy jabbing at my chest as he roared with all his might.
Damien chuckled and crossed his arms, watching the scene unfold. "Didn't think you'd stoop to playing dino games, Cass. What's next—tea parties with Isadora?"
I huffed at the mention of my sister. "Don't mention that brat."
"Touchy, huh?" Damien said, his voice teasing as he uncrossed his arms and took a step forward, his gaze drifting past me. My stomach dropped as I realized where he was headed—straight toward the large branch where Shelly was hiding. Her wavy orange hair was tucked away, but if he got too close, he'd spot her for sure. Her blue eyes had flashed with gratitude when I'd signaled for her to run, and I wasn't about to let Damien ruin that moment. Not when I'd finally done something right in her eyes.