His to Belong To
Page 20
“One night, just before he came into my room, Cassidy starting screaming from a nightmare. Everyone rushed to her room, and she asked Karen if I would sleep in her room for the night. Of course, Karen said yes, and I got a short reprieve. That started this pattern of all kinds of histrionics from my sister. Sometimes it was a nightmare, sometimes an illness. One time she even wet the bed. Poor Karen was beside herself with this sudden behavior, and they sent Cassidy to all kinds of doctors and specialists. They all pretty much said the same thing: that she was suffering from some sort of separation anxiety. Karen decided to move Cass into my room for a while, and the issues miraculously stopped. Lyle backed off for a time, and I thought it was all over. One morning Karen announced that she was taking Gem to her sister’s house a few hours away. Her sister had a little girl around the same age, and she and Gem were besties. Cass had a science fair, and I had a dentist appointment, so that we couldn’t tag along. The boys stayed at a friend’s house, so it left me with Lyle and Cassidy. The minute we were alone, he pounced on me and let me know that his waiting game was up. He renewed his threat about sending the girls away and told me to make sure that Cassidy stayed in her room that night.
I made up some excuse to Cassidy, and I will never forget the look on her face. She didn’t say anything, just rubbed her ear and nodded weirdly. We got ready for bed, and Lyle stayed downstairs drinking like he sometimes did. I was shaking like a leaf and quietly crying when Cassidy came into my room with her backpack. She didn’t say anything; she just looked at me and scrunched up that chin. “Go in the closet Brin.” I didn’t get a chance to object; she shoved me inside and locked the door. I could hear her moving about and muttering to herself and some slight banging. The light under the closet door flickered a few times. And then everything went quiet.
“After a long while, I heard Lyles slow, heavy steps coming up the stairs. I whispered for Cassidy but there was silence. It felt like years, but minutes later, I heard the knob for my bedroom door jiggle and Lyle calling my name. Cassidy had bolted the door and called out to him to go away, “or else you’re gonna get hurt.” The jiggle got more aggressive and he threw his weight against the door. He was threatening her with vilest things and that brave baby just stood there and told him that he wasn’t going to hurt me anymore. I was so scared for her and I started banging in the closet to let me out, but she wouldn’t. Then I heard the door give way and an odd pop and grunting sound. The lights flickered again, a loud thump echoed, then utter silence.”
“After a while, the closet door opened, and a policeman was lifting me off of the ground. There were people everywhere, and Cassidy was sitting on my bed surrounded by cops. She was so small, but to me, she looked gigantic. I was ushered out of the room and taken to the hospital for tests. It wasn’t until much later that I learned that Cass had rigged the door with some sort of wiring that shocked Lyle with an electrical current strong enough to knock him out. When she was sure he was unconscious, she called the police and told them that our foster dad was hurting her sister, and she “took him out.” They immediately removed all of the kids, including the boys, from the house. Gem and I were put into an emergency placement and given aggressive therapy. I never saw any of the Pattersons again.”
“And Cassidy?” His voice is ragged, but he never lets go of my hand.
“Well, Lyle didn’t die, unfortunately. The Pattersons wanted to press charges against Cass because he was pretty hurt for a while, and though he tried to deny everything, the hospital turned my medical records over, and that was that. Cassidy was sent to a redirection facility and then wound up back at the group home. She never left there again. Gem and I got adopted by the family that took us in that first night, and while they let Cass visit us a lot, they never really warmed up to her. I think they thought she was dangerous or something. She was always on her best behavior with them, but it didn’t matter. All I know is that my ten-year-old sister saved me. In so many ways, I still can’t count them all. When she was fifteen, she emancipated herself and went full scholarship to MIT. She made some sort of deal and scored Gem and myself full rides as well. I stayed in-state while Gem went to Parsons.”
Sneak Peek- “Hers To Belong To”
Love found, and love lost…
Ayden and Cassidy were fated for a fairytale- until a sudden and shocking tragedy tore them apart. Choosing to protect what matters the most, they separate in the most painful of ways-hoping to forget each other and the love they once shared.
But life has other plans, and this time Ayden will have to fight with everything he has. Because this time, Cassidy needs to know that he is hers to belong to. Forever.
This is Book Two of The Possession Series— Book Three “Free” will be released in 2021.
Sneak Peek:
“Because I can’t forget about you. I can barely stand the sight of myself. Don’t you understand? I woke up with a whole life that I couldn’t remember, and everyone was pressuring me just to accept it-even you. No one stopped to consider that you were a stranger to me; Kian was a stranger to me. My son.. I had no memories of. Everyone behaved like that was not a concern, but it was to me. I couldn’t remember a gigantic portion of my life, but no one was willing to give me time to adjust. So I took the time. And yes, I realize that I was cruel to you, evil even. What kind of man throws away a woman that everyone tells him that he loves with all of his heart? A woman who is not only the mother of his child but is also about to give him another one? That’s not who I remember being, but it was who I was at the time. I don’t blame you at all for hating me, but please. I need to see my children.”
Playlist
On Spotify——> https://spoti.fi/2m746uR
“London Boy”- Taylor Swift
“We’re Not Friends”- Ingrid Andress
“Say You Won’t Let Go”- James Arthur
“I Don’t Wanna Live Forever”- Zayn and Taylor Swift
“Diamonds or Twine”- Ryan Hurd
“That’s Why I Love You”- SiR Featuring Sabrina Claudio
“You Are The Reason”- Calum Scott, Leona Lewis
“Castles”- Freya Ridings
“Take Me Back To London”- Ed Sheehan, Stormzy
“Dancing On My Own”- Calum Scott
“Trampoline”- SHAED
“Sorry”- Joel Corry, Hayley May
“Losing Me”- Gabrielle Alpin
“Someone You Loved”- Lewis Capaldi
Cassidy’s Dr. Pepper Cake
So you can be a scientist too. You don’t have to use eggs, oil, or water when baking a cake mix and soda. The leavening in these cake mixes ensures the cake still rises, and the pop adds that liquid element required to turn powder into the batter.
What you need:
A box of cake mix- white or vanilla is preferred
A can of soda: Go crazy! Get a flavor!
That’s it. Seriously dude, that’s it.
Steps:
Preheat oven to 350
Mix your dry cake mix and can of soda using a hand blender or beat by hand for about two minutes. Make sure you scrape the bowl, so no bits are wasted
Pour batter into two lightly sprayed and floured 8-inch cake pans
Bake for time on the back of the box
Let cake cool completely before frosting
(You can also make cupcakes using the same method)
Also By JM Blake
The Power Series: (Nick and Kenna)
Impelled
Compelled
Inflamed
Embraced
Entwined
Masen (A Standalone Novel- Coming Soon)
The Possession Series: (Ayden and Cassidy)
His To Belong To
Hers To Belong To (Coming Soon)
Free (Coming in 2021)
Dreadful Stories Series (Scary Stuff)
Swallow
Swipe
Hey, Silas
Binge
Efflux
Excerpt From “Imp
elled”- The Power Series #1
The OG Enemies- to- Lovers
#nickandkenna
“The party wound down, and guests started departing. I walked Masen to the door where we exchanged numbers. I wasn’t attracted to him on any romantic level, but he was a chill guy who I could see turning into a terrific friend. We made tentative plans to go to an anime festival together in a few weeks. He kissed me on the cheek and waved goodbye to Michael, buttoning his coat against the chilly night.
I was supposed to be spending the night here and wanted nothing more than to escape to my room, pull off this tramp towel I was wearing, and bury my head in a pillow. I could hear the last of the guests leaving and just wanted to go to bed. I nodded politely at a couple who’d I met a few times and made my way around. If I used the back stairs, maybe no one would see me, and I could avoid having to deal with you-know-who.
The cleaning crew was getting ready to start their late night work, and I managed to make it to the narrow staircase that the servants used to get to the top levels. I took off my heels and put my foot on the first step.
“Where are you going?” I heard that deep, deep voice say behind me.
You have got to be fucking kidding me.
“Not that it’s any of your damn business, but I am going to bed.” I didn’t even turn around. I took another step.
“Here? Don’t you have your own place to sleep? Does my aunt know that you are planning on staying here?” Suspicion tinted his words.
“Yes she knows, I have a room here. What’s it to you?” I still didn’t turn around. I took another two steps.
“What’s it to me? It’s my family, that’s what it is. I don’t know you or what your agenda is. Somehow you have managed to convince my aunt and uncle that you belong here, belong with us. Maybe they are fooled by that innocent act that you put on, but I’m not,” his voice hardened with every word.
Anger vibrated up my arms and made my shoulders shake. I turned my head just enough that I could see his silhouette, but not full face.
“You just managed to call your whole family gullible idiots, and me some snake in the grass, while painting yourself the savior of the fucking universe. Congratulations. You did that with what, twenty words? That’s a talent for sure,” I sneered.
He grabbed my arm and spun me around. I almost lost my footing and had to brace myself against him to stop from falling. I still had my shoes in one hand, so the other gripped his chest tightly for balance. We were face to face by only inches, and I could smell not only the liquor he’d drank, but the muskier scent of his expensive cologne.
“What do you want from us? Money? Connections? A fucking husband?”
I push him and retreat up a few more steps. “What do I want? I want you to go back to that hole you slithered out of. I want to make the last four years disappear so that MY family didn’t spend all that time hurt because of YOU. I want you to go straight to hell where you belong.”
I punctuate each word with a jab of my heels, and for a coup de grace, threw first one, then the other shoe at him. I don’t even wait to see if they hit home, I just run up the stairs straight to my room and slam the door.
Come tomorrow I’m going to have a stern talk with Felice about her cousin. There is no way I can be around him for any length of time without trying to recreate a Friday the 13th movie.”
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About the Author
JM Blake has a few thoughts about life:
-Wine and coffee are a must, daily
-I talk through every movie and TV show-
you have to get used to it if you want to be my friend
-Cats beat dogs, hands down
-Nerds run the world
-Nothing beats a good sex scene
-Chocolate is the food of the gods
-“The Talisman” is history’s most perfect book
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