The Art of Knowing [Completed]

28. • doubts •

[to all prone to underestimating themselves, because there's nothing harder than seeing yourself for how others see you.]

                                    •  •  •  •
"Okay, so Shay's going to some salon to catch up with one of her friends. But I guess we can meet her later on tonight for dinner."

The pair waltzed through the halls of the small apartment complex with ease. As they walked further, Ryan promptly concealed his cellphone back into his jacket pocket, avidly walking next to Cassandra as they made their way towards her home. Truth be told, there was indeed some hesitation in the artist once she realized the arrangements. The idea of the Ryan Eckhardt, well-known socialite with the endless ability to travel back and forth without a care, seeing her modest home to be incredibly underwhelming, was terrifying.

"Okay, cool. At least she's having fun so far," Cassandra mused. It must've been pretty disheartening to see her own brother travel off whenever he felt like it, all while the blonde had to meticulously plan any trips she wanted for the sake of not alerting her parents about her whereabouts.

As they arrived, the brunette jammed the key into the lock, only to then turn to Ryan with a pained grimace. He, however, furrowed his brows instinctively as palpable hesitation draped over Cassandra's face.

"What?" he chuckled.

"Just remember I'm not rich or anything. Don't expect too much," she countered grimly, an instant catalyst for the young man's incredulous laugher.

"I couldn't care less about that, Cassy. Give me some credit."

She waited for a moment, her gaze fixed on his as her hands remained on the door knob. After another beckon from Ryan to open the door, she relented. With a swift swing of it, her apartment came into full view. The entire space was engulfed in mild darkness as she entered and rested her bag against the counter. It'd been a while since she'd been back to her home after the impromptu trip to Chicago, and now that she was back there was no denying her true roots. In all honesty, the sudden trip to Chicago had been a true dream- paradise, in fact. She felt different over there, and in spite of the specific occurrences that had transpired, it was a good kind of different. But coming back was a bitter reminder of her struggles- her stress.

"I knew it," Ryan muttered with a grin. The remark was met with a questionable raise of an eyebrow from the artist before asking what he was referring to. "It's a universal fact that your home reflects who you are," he proclaimed. "Your place is almost as cute as you."

His lips thinned into a tight smile as Cassandra threw her head back in amusement. "Oh my God, that was a good one. I'll give you that."

The young artist placed certain belongings near the living room as she suppressed her grin. And as she did so, Ryan remained heavily entertained as he roamed the living room with curiosity, his eyes skimming through her books and countless art supplies. Cassandra, meanwhile, stood her ground by the kitchen before noticing the dim lighting within her apartment and deciding to flick on the lights. It was only when she attempted to that her heart sank.

She continued to flick the switch on and off repeatedly, only to realize that no matter how much she tried, it was evident no lights would be illuminating her small apartment. Her lips parted as an airy sigh escaped her, and it wasn't long before realization set in. Commissions had been scarce currently. And while paying her bills was surely something she was organized with, finding enough money to pay that month's electricity bill proved to be far more difficult than it ever had been. The sudden trip to Chicago had served as the perfect distraction, a deceiving distraction. And now as she remained silent with overbearing stress, she was faced with incredible dread and embarrassment towards her worrisome situation.