A Step in the Other Direction

~~Chapter 17~~

--Bowen's Point of View--

The look in Cassidy's eyes is what made this whole thing worth it. She looked up, fascinated by what she was seeing. 

I had looked like that the first time Saige and I had found this cavern. 

The ceiling was covered in crystals. When all of the lights were off, they light up, making the whole room sparkle. The light reflected off of her blue eyes. Ocean blue eyes...

"Bowen?" I snapped out of my haze, seeing Cassidy staring at me. I had been staring at her. Crap. "You ok?"

"Oh y-yea," I said, scratching the back of my neck. Cassidy laughed.

Her laughter was music to my ears. 

After all that she had gone through, she could still laugh. After almost doing something crazy, she could laugh. And after all of that, she was standing here right in front of me. 

I was standing here in front of her. After everything...

"Bowen," Cassidy said, a smile on her face. "This is amazing." 

I laughed, "It really is." Cassidy took another look around the room. Her light eyes were shining with excitement. 

After everything...

The word promise came to mind. I had made her a promise a long time ago, and I hadn't held up to it.

"Hey Cass," I said, wondering if this was the right thing to do.

She turned back to me, face straining when she heard my serious tone. "Yea?" 

"I um...do you remember when I told you that I would tell you about...you know...stuff?" 

"Stuff?"

"Yea. The stuff about..."

"Yea I remember. About why you know." I nodded. "Ok." 

She walked towards the cavern wall, myself right behind her. We sat down, backs pressing against the cold wall. She stared at me expectingly. I didn't really know what to say. "So a long time ago my dad-" I looked at her, "not Jimmy. He's my stepdad, just like for Saige." I paused. "I don't really know how to say this, sorry."

"It's ok," she said, "Just say whatever."

"Ok..." I took a breath. "So when I was five, I was in a car with my biological dad. We were driving down the road, about to go home for dinner. Then there was this car- a Ford truck I think- and it just came out of no where. Dad didn't have time to turn before the car hit the drivers side of the car." I felt my breath hitch in my throat. I knew I had to finish. "I remember the car spinning around in circles around that road. I remember when it stopped that he was just sitting there. Everything had stopped."

"I passed out a few minutes later. When I woke up I was laying in a hospital bed, trying to figure out where my dad was. They told me later that he...he was killed on impact, that he didn't suffer at all. I was 'lucky' they said and only had a concussion and a broken arm. I was fine and he was dead." I couldn't say anything after that. My voice was stuck in my throat. 

"Bowen I'm-" 

"Stop. I'm sick of people saying they're sorry when they can do anything." I took a breath. "Sorry that was really mean." 

I looked over at Cassidy, seeing her eyes filled with compassion. "No it's not mean. I know what you mean." She paused, almost scared to say anything. "Go on."

I took another breath, wondering how to word the next part, the part that hurt the most.

(SLIGHT MATURE THEMES)