The Aldean Chronicles: Spotlight (Part 2)
Chapter 21

Towards the end of November, I run into Tristan in the library.

I dock behind a bookshelf and wait till he's walked away to come out.

"Cass."

I exhale and turn back to face him fully. "Excuse me?"

"Are you hiding from me?" He folds his muscled arms across his chest.

I do the same and unfold my arms soon after. "No."

He scoffs. "You are unbelievable."

"What would you have me do?"

He curses loudly. "What would I have you do? Not ignore me, talk to me, talk to other people, not keep all your feelings bottled up inside." He runs a hand through his hair. "Fuck, Cassandra, it's like you learned nothing from last year."

"Can we not..." I look around the almost empty library.

"No. You can't keep everything you're feeling to yourself. You're going to explode." He lowers his voice. "And the next time, Collette won't be the only person getting hurt."

My tongue goes dry and I can't form any words. My heart rate goes up and I place my hand on my chest.

Tristan looks me over. "Do you need to go the health centre?"

"No," I whisper. "I'm fine."

"No," his voice is hard. "You're not." He reaches into my cardigan pocket and pulls out my phone. "I'm calling Seb."

My laugh is short and bitter. "Good luck with that."

Tristan's face is etched in concentration while he waits for Seb to pick up. Unsurprisingly, it goes to voicemail.

"He didn't pick up, did he?" I ask.

"We can call him again. Or we'll call your aunt."

I don't need to see my eyes to know they're red. "Do you think it matters?" I ask him. "Whether or not Seb and Freya know? Oh my god, Tristan, do you think Kat and Grey woke up and become unhinged?" I sniff. "No, their parents knew what was wrong, and they knew it was coming. The only "help" they provided was coming up with ways to hide it from the media."

"Cass..."

"No," I stop him. "I spent the entire summer wondering when I was going to have my episode. Well, I did. And my family reacted exactly how I thought they would." He doesn't say anything. "Me, Kat, Grey. This is it for us. And I'm not saying our life sucks or anything, it's just..." I bite my lip to stop the tears. "It's just hard knowing that you'll always come second in your family." I'm more surprised than Tristan that I said that. I'm even more surprised when I realize that I mean it.

I've been struggling to replace out what exactly was wrong with being a Harrington. But now I know. "We will never matter more than our titles. And Seb and Aunt Freys will always protect that first. And you know it's true. And my brother and my cousin and I know it's true. And Seb and Aunt Freya, they know it's true."

I wipe the tears on my cheek.

Tristan runs his hand through his hair. "I'm sorry."

Is there anything else to say? "I'm tired. I want to go back to my dorm."

He nods slowly. "Okay."

I leave him in front of the shelves and walk solemnly back to my room.

***

I feel a bit better after my epiphany with Tristan. It's helped me feel less guilty about Collete. Well, that and avoiding her completely.

I've accepted that the situation wasn't going any other way. When I asked Kat what aunt Freya offered Collette, she said it was her dad that helped.

I wasn't sure what to think of that. Uncle Max is the best of us. The good one, the down-to-earth one, the one everybody adores. But when it comes to it, he'll act like a Harrington. Even though he technically isn't one.

I'm not sure if my conversation with Tristan in the library helped our relationship. I know he understands me better now. I think he's just giving me space to work out my feelings.

As for Sara, Kat told me to forget her completely.

"She makes you feel bad about yourself. Why would you want to be friends with someone like that?" Was her reasoning.

So I decided to avoid Sara as well.

I'm also spending more time with Cara. Sorry, professor Cara.

I spend two afternoons a week helping her with her plants and whatever weird lesson plan she has for the week.

It's something I look forward to.

Between avoiding people, spacing out of conversations with others, studying for tests, and helping my fire professor in class, the next four weeks of the term flew by quickly.

Before I know it, it's the second week of December, and the start of our three-week holiday.

I'm out of school on Friday, and spending the next week at the manor. Then I'm off to my parents on the 19th and staying there till the 28th.

My fire exam just ended and our teacher is about to hand out grades.

"Well, class." She stands in front of her desk and raises her hands in a flourish. "You all did marvellous. A 100 for everyone."

Derek groans. "Is she joking? Half the class didn't even finish the third task."

Professor Cara smiles. "I won't keep you. Please go forward, and have wonderful breaks." We all leave our seats. "And remember to stay safe. It's very dangerous out there, let's all remain vigilant." She clears her throat. "Cassandra, can I have a brief word?"

I turn back and make my way to her desk. "Um, hi Professor Cara. What's up?"

"Cass... Well, I guess since school is over, I should say your Highness." She laughs. I laugh uncomfortably as well. "I just wanted to ask how you're feeling."

"I'm good."

She nods. "I noticed you'd been tense for the past few months. I just wanted to let you know that it's okay to relax. You don't have to be on guard all the time."

I shake the smile away. "That's not exactly possible for me. But thanks for saying that."

"Come on, I doubt the break won't be all bad."

"One week won't suck at least."

She shakes her head and laughs. "Go have fun. No one deserves it more than you."

"Thanks, proffessor Cara, see you in the new year." I turn back and walk out of the door, down the halls, and to the front door.

As I'm walking back to my hostel, I replace Grey waiting for me in front of his car.

"Hey," I greet.

"Hey." He looks up from his phone. "I'm giving you a ride home."

"Are you?" I walk slowly so I don't slip on the thin layer of ice on the concrete. "Where's David?"

"He's on his way. He would have been here sooner but he's coming with about three other cars. Royal guards."

"Of course." I go into my hostel, pick up a small suitcase, and take it downstairs with me.

Grey puts it in the trunk at the front of his car. "You want to come in and wait? It's getting cold."

I haven't been alone with Grey in over a month. And for good reasons. But the clouds are covering the sky and it might start to snow again. "Sure," a cloud of steam is released when I sigh.

Grey and I get into the three-seater car. He puts on the heater and radio.

For ten minutes, all that's playing is pop music. Then the radio presenter begins talking.

"On Monday, we will be hearing the first draft of the New Year Action Plan. It will be delivered by the Queen herself, and is said to have been..."

It's me that switches it off. "That's enough of that." I connect my phone to the car and put on a playlist.

Grey smiles. "If you don't mind me asking, how have you been?"

I take a big breath. "Better than I thought I'd be. What about you?"

"Not interested in going back home." He reveals. "I don't really want to see Dad."

"Did you two get into another fight?"

He stares out the window. "Something like that."

We both say nothing and the car's silence is filled with a slow ballad.

"Did Keri send you your Itenary for the next week?"

Grey ignores that. "How are things with Tristan? Are you guys still dating?"

"Kind of, yes. We're just taking things slow."

He chuckles. "Isn't that what you do at the beginning of a relationship?"

"We're both busy right now. And we still like each other. And we text every day. It's just complicated right now."

"Is it Arin?"

I shake my head. "It's not about him."

"Do you talk to Arin?"

"I don't want to talk about him."

Grey nods. "Okay." His phone goes off. Keri's name flashes on the screen. "They're here."

I disconnect my phone from the car, connect it to my headphones, and listen to music while Grey drives between the black cars.