He couldn’t believe his good fortune, how I’d seemed to practically glow in that lecture hall the day that he’d come in and spotted me at the start of the semester. If that wasn’t fate, he’d asked, then what was? I’d venture that it was horrible luck. But according to Charlie, we’d started our relationship back up right then, moving slowly this time since he’d sensed that I might need that. He remarked that I was more beautiful than he’d remembered, and I hazarded a guess that it was due to my facial reconstruction that had been required due to the damage that he, himself, had inflicted.
He.
To my pretty face. The horror just kept coming.
Charlie couldn’t understand why I’d broken things off, but he suspected that it was part of the dance that we were partaking in. I never was a good dancer. But the more I played my “game,” the more determined Charlie became that we were meant to be, that we were destined for each other and great things…together. He may have lost his temper a few times when he'd discussed Harrison, but Diane was vague about that. But perhaps it was the Restraining Order that had pushed him to attempt that last effort to possess me, or perhaps it was just that he’d finally had enough of not getting what he wanted…because Charlie always got what he wanted.
Diane said it was very lucky that my call had gone through, and that the 911 operator didn’t hang up, assuming that it was a prank. I knew she was right, but I figured that I was due a little luck. Because deep down, I didn’t think that I’d have been able to keep my bargain with the devil. I would have fought until this time, there may not have been the word survivor by my name.
So Rachel and I had a whole new road ahead of us, although much the same as before. Except this time I knew that my attacker wouldn’t resurface, which was surprisingly reassuring. I guess I hadn’t realized that all of the time that I’d been watching my back, it hadn’t been as much for general evil, but one particular devil. I would have thought that this whole new chapter in Charlie vs Cass would have sent me back to square one, but I was stronger now. I’d lived through a lot and I knew my worth, and it wasn’t so blind-sighting that bad things could happen, this time around.
And Harrison, well Harrison stood by my side, a little closer than before, a little more protectively, but I didn’t mind. I knew it was well intentioned and honestly, I liked having his presence with me; he was one of the few people that I chose to allow that entrée to. Because he was a huge reason why I had hope…not Harrison himself, per se, but how Harrison made me feel about myself, how I’d chosen a new path for me, Cass. I’d wanted to allow him in, I’d decided that dismantling my fortress a bit was worth it. So while it may have been related to Harrison, it was because of me.
Me. Cass 4.0. Pretty Face and all.
Epilogue
Rachel and I had been working really hard in preparation for the upcoming trial, Rachel exhausting her entire arsenal in order to keep me focused and determined. We were then notified that Charlie had taken a deal: in exchange for dropping the attempted manslaughter charge, he would plead to felony rape which carried a 5 year sentence, and aggravated battery which was a third degree felony, and carried a minimum of 10 years. So a 15 year sentence, but I was told that he’d probably be out sooner. I was glad that we weren’t going to have to go to trial, because despite wanting to do everything that I could to contribute to the punishment and imprisonment of him, I also felt that if I never had to see Charlie’s confident face again, it would be too soon.
Harrison and I didn’t talk a lot about Charlie, and I’d withheld most of the information that Diane had let slip regarding his obsession and stalking of me, feeling like our relationship carried enough of his ghost as it was. Harrison would always feel guilty for leaving right before I was ambushed, or for not seeing Charlie when he slipped into my house, but I made it clear that Harrison shouldn’t carry any responsibility for that. I hadn’t seen him either, we’d been wrapped up in each other and truthfully, I didn’t mind that being the reason that we’d dropped our guard.
Harrison still maintained that I made him forget what he was going to say when I looked at him in a certain way, but considering he was never at a loss for things to say, I pretended not to believe him. So sometimes, I just looked at Harrison, because it was fun to mess with him. And, I liked looking at him. We’d had to have a more serious talk about our relationship, since I wanted all of my concerns about my ability to be in one, out on the table. Harrison was surprisingly unfazed, or unsurprisingly, and open to acknowledging the difficulties that we faced.
“I just mean, like I said awkwardly that time, I don’t do sex. Or at least, I don’t know when I would be ready for that. Harrison, I wondered for a long time if I’d ever be ready. I hope to be, I want to one day reach that point in my life, I want to be happy and complete, but you need to really think about that, examine whether you could be in a relationship with someone like me.” I felt both vulnerable and scared, but I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself if I weren’t upfront with him. Life was unfair enough, I would always try my hardest not to contribute to that.
“Cass, we can take things as they come. I’m happy just being with you, and honestly, I never even considered ‘us’ an option, so I already feel like I’m ahead of the game. And I’ll be here, with you, if or when you’re ready for whatever you feel capable of. Because one thing I’ve definitely learned about you is that you’re stronger than you think, and you can do whatever it is that you set your mind to. So your telling me that you want to be with me, well, it tells me that’s something that you can make happen, for yourself. And the other stuff? I have the feeling that you’ll find the right time and speed for it to fall into place.”
I held Harrison’s dark gaze for a moment, before a big smile broke out on my face.
“And here I thought you couldn’t be serious about anything,” I joked. Because I had been wrong. Harrison was serious about the stuff that was important to him, and I had discovered that I’d made that list. Harrison laughed, but reached out and grasped my hand, bringing it to his lips…and I found that my own were jealous of my hand. I quickly leaned toward him, sealing a promise for a better future, telling him that I was at a place where I could try to be happy, and in order to do so, we had to do it together.
✧✧✧
Thank you for following Cass on her journey to wellness. Awareness is the first step toward combatting the insidious issue of sexual assault, harassment, and stalking. If you enjoyed this work, please review us on Amazon and let others know.
About The Author
Kathryn Hewitt
Kathryn Hewitt was born and raised in California, where she currently resides with her husband, son, and menagerie of birds. Hewitt writes New Adult, Young Adult Romance, Paranormal Romance, and Coming of Age Novels.
Books By This Author
Forgiving Eve
Eve learned at a young age that those who were supposed to take care of you, weren’t guaranteed to do so. After suffering the ultimate betrayal, 17 year old Eve finds herself lost and with nowhere to turn. Desperation can lead to losing yourself, but for Eve, she had nothing left to lose. Those she loved abandoned her, and the one who didn’t, well his was a love she didn’t want. In a misguided attempt to right an atrocious wrong, Eve finds herself the villain, and at a crucial crossroads. Definitely at rock bottom, she is forced to become an unwilling participant in a state-mandated facility, designed to rehabilitate convicted juveniles who have been diagnosed with mental illness. Eve fits into these categories perfectly, but she doesn’t want rehabilitation, and detests this offer of redemption. Numb and utterly lost, Eve meets the handsome and mysterious Jack, a fellow “Camper”. Against her best judgment, she is befriended by the quirky and overly enthusiastic Leia. Despite her desire to never be close to anyone again, and her best efforts, Eve can’t seem to alienate Leia and Jack. But loving Jack would require Eve to learn to love her most hated enemy, herself. Sometimes having nothing to lose helps us gain everything we thought neve
r we’d get.
Reading Tara (Growing Up Ashton Book 1)
Tara thinks she remembers when life was easy. Well, life is never easy for a seventeen year old, but the drama of high school was certainly better than this. With her dad gone from their lives, Tara has to pick up the pieces and make sure that the remaining Ashtons don’t completely fall apart. Her mom is useless, her brother obnoxious and infuriating, and her sister is too wrapped up in her own life to be of any help. When Calen enters her life, the "Hot New Guy," as he’s known among Tara’s friends, a glimmer of hope arrives with him. But Tara knows better than anyone that good things don’t necessarily happen to good people.
Maybe sometimes they do. Tara can’t believe her luck that such an amazing person would show interest in her, normal and boring as she feels. But Calen does. Along with romance, Calen also brings heartache with his joy. Suddenly the rules of life don’t apply. Calen has a gift, and it’s not just his skill on the Basketball court.
A New Adult romance, with a paranormal twist, "Reading Tara" reminds us that love isn’t always enough…especially when the one you love caries a burden that can only be described as a curse.
Book 1 in the "Growing Up Ashton" Series
Releasing Tara (Growing Up Ashton Book 2)
Tara has had to learn to live without her better half…or at least she’s working on it. Ending things with Calen was the right thing to do, but that doesn’t make living with the gaping loss of him in her life any easier. Inevitably, life marches on, regardless of Tara’s own personal happiness. Despite her efforts, Tara and Calen’s worlds continue to collide. Following an accident, Tara is reminded of just how important Calen is to her, and just how far she’ll go to keep him happy…something she feels is only possible if they’re apart.
Getting her wish, though, finally forces Tara to admit that she can’t let him go. But now, the tables have turned and Calen’s new life no longer has room for her. Tara learns that his secret ability is only the tip of the iceberg, as she’s pulled into a dark world where Calen’s grandfather is the puppet master, and Calen’s only hope of protecting Tara is by keeping her away. As her home life continues to unravel, her mother makes a decision that destroys what little family Tara still has. Luckily, with her best friends and her infuriatingly lovable brother Will by her side, Tara manages to draw on her inner strengths, discovering that when life seems impossible, it’s time to let go.
Relying On Tara (Growing Up Ashton Book 3)
Tara is trying to move on from Calen, to move past what they’d shared, but it is definitely easier said than done. Her friends are vocally in favor of her letting him go, so when Tyler, a dark haired cutie from the community college enters her life, Tara decides that it is finally time to take the plunge. Upfront about his interest in her, Tyler’s relaxed nature and light heartedness is appealing to Tara after so much intensity.
Her mom is still recovering, Beth and her baby have moved out, and Tara and Will are all that’s left of the Ashtons. Will’s support comes hand in hand with his arrogance, but the siblings have managed to strike a balance where they only infuriate each other every other day. High School is still a drag, and Tara’s girls are the only light in her otherwise depressing life.
Calen’s gift for sensing her happiness, or lack there of, causes a deeper entanglement as he re-emerges in her life. In hopes of justifying their star-crossed reality, Calen attempts to explain that he is deeply entrenched in a community of people who are gifted…and extremely possessive of those who are exceptional, like him.
But when Tara is blindsided with information about her father’s whereabouts, she realizes that sometimes people leave you in more ways than one. Despite his reservations, Calen can’t seem to stay away, complicating her budding relationship with Tyler and her attempt to finally let Calen go.
When Prom night ends in disappointment and horror, Tara discovers that relying on romantic distractions is not, in fact, the best way to “move on.” In the aftermath of this revelation, Calen’s Grandfather drops a horrifying bomb on Tara, forcing her to realize that her dreams of a relationship with Calen might really never be. Torn between the love of her life, whom she can’t be with but doesn’t want to live without, and the reality of their circumstance, Tara must learn to stand on her own two feet.
Reinventing Tara (Growing Up Ashton Book 4)
Despite harboring the painful truth of her dad’s disappearance, things are finally looking up. High School is done, and regardless of her own uncertain future, Tara can’t help but be happy for her friends who are moving on and beginning their own adventures. Keeping secrets from Calen is hard, but his absence from her life is not new. Besides, it’s easy to not divulge what she knows…when she never sees him.
As her birthday arrives, Tara discovers that true happiness does exist, having without a doubt the best day of her life…courtesy of the guy who, as she has finally come to terms with, is the love of her life. But as with everything in her short existence, a dark cloud quickly descends to obliterate any hope of finding peace. Calen’s grandfather has resurfaced, just in time to blot out her newfound joy, and to give Tara horrifying insight into the true evil from which Calen has so desperately tried to protect her.
The gravity of Calen’s gifts, and those of the people of the Community to which he belongs, becomes all too real…and all too terrifying. Barely escaping their newest attack, Tara finally begins to understand what Calen has been trying to tell her for so long. As the realization hits, Tara begins to wonder if both she and Calen really would be safer apart.
Finding the opportunity to define herself, Tara embarks on her own journey. She is finally able to focus solely on herself, and begin her own self-discovery. Despite this new chapter, her past finds a way to cast a shadow over her fresh beginning, making Tara wonder how far she would go to keep both herself, and the ones she loves, happy.
Reminding Tara (Growing Up Ashton Book 5)
Tara and Calen have finally chosen themselves and their own happiness, turning their back on Calen’s gifted Community and its oppressive and unwanted expectations. Calen remains the desired leader of choice, but Tara has finally convinced him to put himself first and choose a life with her, despite the danger that this poses. United, at last, the two have begun a life together…as normal of a life as can be between two people in love, when one of them has extraordinary abilities.
Discovering a world where the mundane is what matters, and rediscovering each other, Tara and Calen have finally found their place in the world. As school wraps up for the summer, all that they’ve been ignoring is once again pushed to the forefront, and Calen convinces Tara to accompany him to spend their break down south…with Calen’s grandfather. Things have been going so well for the couple that they feel like this concession, in order to keep them protected, is the right decision.
Until, it’s not. Tara’s strength and loyalty is tested, causing Calen to wonder if they will ever be able to live the life that the two want so desperately. After an ultimate attempt at the complete annihilation of all that Tara and Calen have fought so hard to achieve, they launch a final assault against those who wish for them to forever be apart. In this conclusive chapter of the Growing Up Ashton series, Tara and Calen must completely commit themselves to each other and their battle against evil, and hope that love is enough to trump all.
Calen: A Growing Up Ashton Novella
The star of the basketball team, Calen Havenfield had everything going for him. School came easily, and the only person who rivaled him for attention from the opposite sex, was his own girlfriend. Right when things seemed like they couldn’t get any better, all of it disappeared, one night on a rainy road. His life irreparably changed after the accident that killed his two friends, Calen is left wishing that he too hadn’t survived that night. As if dealing with loss isn’t hard enough, the tragedy also resulted in his development of new extraordinary abilities. Trying to reconcile his new ‘gifts,’ and an existence that he no longer reco
gnizes, Calen wonders if he’ll ever be able to live a normal life again.
When his grandfather decides that a change is in order, a new town seems like it might be exactly what Calen needs. All that Calen wants is to fly under the radar, play basketball, and protect his most guarded secret…until he meets Tara. Calen’s world is flipped upside down by a little golden-haired girl, who manages to make him feel things that he’s never felt before, and allowing him to dream that he might one day have a chance at happiness.
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