Caged Bird | ✔

Chapter Fourteen

It is one of the warmest days of the summer, the kind where the smell of cocoa butter sunblock drifts in the air, and the sand on the beach is littered with caramel thighs and different brightly colored beach towels and umbrellas. The seagulls, scurrying around on their little legs, pestering the people at the beach for food

I check my phone again to see how far I am from my destination; my phone alerts me that I'm not far from where I need to be, it's on this street, and I'm nearly there.

I turn my head away from the shoreline and towards the opposite side where the buildings are; villas, restaurants, hotels and condominiums, some people I see on their balconies leaning against the railing, smoking cigarettes and soaking up the sun, some are having drinks at the restaurant's

It is no secret that every single structure on this street is insanely overpriced, you are paying for the ocean after all.

I wonder what people who want the ocean the first sight they wake up to every morning, pay for rent

Probably a fortune

I unlock my phone and send a text to Damien

I'm almost there

Damien has booked us a suite for the night, yes,- a night is a short amount of time, but when you are married with kids; it is the maximum amount of time you can spend away from your dying wife who you promised you would not see the woman you were having an affair with again.

Initially I did not know about the promise he had made Riley, it was about three weeks ago when I found out. I had come in to the office early, early enough that I had to knock on the glass of the main entryway doo for Ian, the security guard to open for me

''you are early miss'' he had said, genuine surprise as to why anyone would be so early at work written clearly over his face. I did not have a very conventional reason as to why I was so early

''lots to do'' I responded, with a shrug, lying through my teeth

I was early for one reason and one reason only, and for the first time it had nothing to do with Damien. Instead, I had been avoiding Cassie since dinner at her place, which had been at least about a month ago. I had cancelled every Sunday lunch of ours claiming to be extremely busy every week, and letting all her calls go unanswered and straight to voicemail

Simply because I was afraid to face her. I know I had not said anything entirely incriminating, but I still felt insanely guilty. And I know Cassie, know her enough to know that she was suspicious of me.,- Not that she did not have a good reason to be

I was guilty

Therefore, I could not see her

Which was why I was early for work; Cassie had texted me that morning saying that she understood that I was busy. And even though it was just a text, sent with no emotion, I read the text aloud in an impression of Cassie's sarcastic tone

Yeah sorry I sent back, acknowledging her text, but not providing her with any explanation

What time do you leave for work? The next text came. Cassie knew what time I started work so I sent the next text without hesitation

7:40

Okay ill swing around sometime before that

My heart leapt out of my chest when I read this text. So much so that I had switched off my phone, and still have not turned it on since then

Cassie did not come around to the house ever since dad practically forbade her from coming over, - but she had visited a couple of times, and by that I mean she parked out front whilst I came to meet her at the car, still technically respecting dads rule of him not wanting to see Cassie inside his house