12. Cassandra Walker
Istared at Theo’s last text as I waited in line for my coffee. I hadn’t even bothered to try and use that monstrosity Edmund had bought me this morning, and had come right to the cafe to get my daily caffeine fix.
It wasn’t clear to me whether the machine was actually broken or if it was user error on my part, but I couldn’t be bothered with it today.
I told myself it was because I didn’t want to be late getting into the office again, but really, I’d been hoping Theo would be here.
Theo hadn’t been here waiting like I’d hoped. In my imagination, she’d been leaning against the service counter with her annoyingly sexy new haircut and her usual lazy smirk, just waiting to push all my buttons.
But she hadn’t been. That gruff old man she’d been with the day before was at the same table, though, and he looked just as grumpy as I was.
When the barista called my name, I snatched up my coffee, and before I knew what I was doing, I was approaching the old man at the table.
“Excuse me,” I said, and the man looked up at me. His weathered hands were curled around a small paper cup filled with black coffee, and he had a crossword out over what I recognized as a fight plan.
So she hadn’t been lying about that, at least.
“Uhh, can I help yuh, miss?” the man asked, his tone rough but not unfriendly.
“Yes. Are you Theodora’s coach?”
The man’s bushy grey eyebrows rose, and he nodded, standing up. He held out a hand, and I slid my Chanel up to my elbow so I could shake it.
“Yeah. Name’s Jerry.”
“Hi. I’m Cassandra–”
“I know who you are.” His eyes narrowed slightly on me, and I forced my face not to give away how surprised I was that he knew me on sight. My belly warmed slightly.
Theo must have talked about me to this man… Why did that make me feel all fluttery?
“Yes. Well, nice to meet you. I was just wondering… have you seen Theodora yet today? I was just messaging her, and she wouldn’t tell me where she was, and I’m…”
Worried about her.
The words caught in my throat, but Jerry seemed to understand what I was implying.
“She hasn’t shown up yet. She was due here an hour ago.”
I frowned.
“Is that… normal? For her to be late like that?”
Jerry scoffed and shrugged.
“Depends. Kid’s got some demons, Miss Walker. Sometimes they catch up to her, and it’s usually a bitch to get her back on track. I suspect she’ll be here once she sorts herself out.”
What the fuck did that mean?
“Demons?” I asked dumbly, and Jerry’s scowl intensified.
He looked me up and down critically and shook his head.
“Listen, Miss Walker. I’m gonna be frank with yuh.”
I blinked at him and nodded.
“Please do.”
He eyed me warily before clearing his throat.
“Unless you’re planning on helpin’ that kid, you’d do well to stay away from her, you hear me?
I have my hands full enough keepin’ her head in the game without watchin’ her pick up the pieces of a broken heart.
I don’t know what she’s got going on, but whatever it is, she’s barely hanging on as it is.
You’re either helping her, or you’re hurting her, and I don’t take kindly to anyone who doesn’t have that kid’s best interests at heart. You hear me, Miss Walker?”
‘I like him,’ my beast purred, and I blinked again, unsure how I felt about being threatened by someone’s grandpa. After a moment of consideration, I decided it was endearing and not worth getting bitchy over.
It was nice that Theo had this man looking out for her.
I found that I approved.
“Understood, Mr…”
“Just Jerry is fine.”
My lip twitched.
“Understood, Jerry. Thanks for taking the time to speak with me.”
“It ain’t nothin.’” He shrugged before settling heavily back into his seat.
I left the cafe, feeling even more stressed than I had when I’d come in.
Demons? What demons?
As far as I knew, Theo had a great childhood. Both of her parents had loved the shit out of her. She was a certified badass who hadn’t taken shit from anyone in school.
Ryan had told me she used to protect him all the time from kids who tried to bully him.
Theo was the strongest, most confident person I’d ever met. So much so that I was honestly a little bit threatened by her. It was a big reason why she rubbed me the wrong way sometimes.
She was just so calm and cool… It made me feel like an out-of-control psycho in comparison.
How could somebody like that have demons?
And if she did… Did that mean someone had hurt her?
Like, really hurt her? More than all the cuts and bruises that always marred her perfect face?
The second that realization tore through my mind, my grip tightened hard enough on my coffee that the lid popped off.
Shit.
Holding the cup away from me so I wouldn’t stain my blouse, I cursed as I struggled to get the lid back on without messing up my outfit.
I growled in frustration.
Maybe Jerry was right.
Maybe it was better if I just stuck to my original plan and stayed the fuck away from Theo. Let her work out whatever was going on with her on her own…
But as I slid into the driver’s seat of my Audi and checked my phone one last time before pulling into the early morning traffic, our text exchange seemed to taunt me.
‘All jokes aside… Are you okay?’
‘I am now, princess.’
As if something as simple as texting me had made whatever she’d been going through better.
The possessive monster that lived in my chest preened over that, and I sighed, dropping my head back against the seat.
Fuck.
We were both so fucking fucked.