Losing Hope | {BOOK 4}

14| Saving Claire

"This is why you called us? THIS is your emergency?!"

We were outside of the restaurant Cass had texted to me, and he'd just informed us that Claire had run away from him.

"Yes!" the angel yelled back at Dean.

"No, Cass! An emergency is a dead body, okay? Or- or a wigged out angel, or the apocalypse, take three. Some chick bolting on you is not an emergency. That's... that's every Friday night for Sam."

"Dude," Sam protested.

"Well," Dean shrugged at him.

"This isn't just 'some chick'," Cass insisted. "I'm responsible for her."

"Since when?" I asked. "You met her once, how many years ago?"

"Look, Cass, even if we do find Claire... then what?" Sam asked.

"She rolled you, and she ran, okay?" Dean added. "It's pretty clear that she doesn't want to play house."

"I understand. But I need to know that Claire is safe. I need your help."

"Alright," Sam nodded. "Uh... why don't we ask around at the group home?"

"Uh, you know what? We're gonna stick here in case she circles back. You two go ahead."

Dean fixed me with a look, and I held his gaze. After a moment, he nodded.

"Thank you," Cass told us.

After Sam and Dean left to check out the group home, Cass and I headed inside the restaurant and ordered lunch.

"Is ketchup a vegetable?" he asked me, studying the bottle intently.

"Hell yes," I nodded. "So spill. What's with the family reunion?"

"I don't know. I've just been... thinking about people."

After glancing around, I switched our plates, so I had his untouched burger and he had my empty one.

"I've helped some, but I've... I've hurt some," Cass continued.

"So you're having a midlife crisis," I translated, biting into his burger.

"Well, I'm extremely old. I think I'm entitled."

"Cass, listen to me. There's some stuff you just got to let go. Okay? The people you let down, the ones you can't save... You got to forget about them. For your own good."

"Is that what you do?" the angel asked.

"That's the opposite of what I do," I scoffed. "But I'm not exactly a role model."

"That's not true."

I looked at Cass, then laughed, not believing him.

"Yeah," I rolled my eyes, continuing to eat his burger.

"How are you, Eleanor?" he inquired.

"Fine."

When he fixed me with a pointed look, I tried to defend myself.

"I'm great!"

"No, you're not," he called my bluff.

"Yeah, well, I lost the black eyes, but I still have this."

I reached over, gently slapping the Mark on my arm.

"Is the Mark of Cain still affecting you?"

I thought about my dream, chewing on my lip.

"Eleanor?"

I blinked, coming back to reality.

"Cass, I need you to promise me something."