UNEDITED
Between his semi-committed addiction to smoking and his role as CEO of Elemental Coffee, Cassian Russell has spent the majority of his life running one of the most popular coffee shops on the Island with his best friend, Jake Swift. After a...
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Cassian
"You smoke?"
I stub out my cigarette as Patrick walks over. After last night's fiasco with Ophelia, I brought Patrick to my place and gave him the spare room. It's a wonder he's not moaning beside the toilet, puking his guts up. By the time we made it back here, he was hammered. Though, I have to say he looks like shit. There are purple half-moons under his eyes, and his skin is paler than normal. His curly blond hair is greasy and styled in a disarray of knots.
When he stops beside me, he tightens the blanket around his body and shivers. "You're crazy," he continues. His breath comes out in a puffy white cloud before dissipating into the air. "Being out here in the cold." He eyes the cigarette stub in my hand. "Smoking is bad for you."
"So I've been told," I drawl, sticking it in the ashtray on the snowy table. I glance around the yard, taking in the hot tub, lake, and mountains. We're blessed to have connections to such a beautiful place, but I miss the ocean. I miss the salty, musky smell that lingers in my clothes and hair.
But I have to wonder... Would I miss the Okanagan if Pen were here, and I was back home?
I think I would.
"Why do you do it?" Patrick presses.
"Nervous tic," I reply. "Smoking calms me."
Patrick snorts. "You get nervous?"
While I stare ahead, I about Penelope and I presenting our company to Utterly Uncorked. All the cigarettes I smoked after I learned Jake and Gemma had slept together during the camping trip, fearing the worst for their relationship. Or the one I snuck before Hanna's high school graduation, before I bawled like a baby. I think about telling Patrick the truth.
My hand itches for another smoke, though my lungs could beg to differ.
It's a nervous habit I can turn on and off, but it's increased within the past year-and-a-half. I've faced a lot of changes. The ironic part is that most of these changes have had positive outcomes. So who's saying telling Patrick the truth won't have one, too?
I can only hope.
"Patrick," I sigh. "We need to talk."
He glances at me from the corner of his eye. "What happened?"
Crossing my arms, I lean against the sliding glass door. "Penelope went back to Saanich."
"What?" he blinks. He swivels and stares at me, tightening the blanket around his body. I could use a blanket right now. Almost as much as I could use another cigarette. "Why? What happened?"
I swallow thickly, wondering if I'm doing this correctly. I've never been good at easing into topics. I prefer to jump right into them. "Before we discuss interest, we need to clarify something. Pen has been through a lot since we arrived here. I'm not blaming you for starting this. You and Pen deserved to find each other. All I'm saying is it's been a struggle for her. She's strong, but she has a dangerous habit of suppressing her feelings. She left for her own mental health."
