Damn Good Reasons **DISCONTINUED - SEE NEW VER!**

Chapter 9 - Matter of Trust

I didn't know what to say. I had to keep it all under wraps like I promised Ace, but I didn't want to lie to Chris either. I slumped down onto the sofa in the living room with my elbows on my knees and prodded my forehead with my thumbs.

"Cass?"

"I've got some... problems I need to sort out, and it might take some time."

"What kind of problems?"

I looked up to see a fraught expression on his face. "I don't want you to worry, Chris."

"What's he done?"

"This isn't Ace's fault."

"What was he doing here then?"

"He's gonna help me get through this. I hope. He's offered me a way out - the only way out. And I have to take it."

"Ace doesn't do good deeds out of the kindness of his heart."

"I know that. Boy, do I know that. But... I wouldn't expect him to. Just don't worry, OK? You need to concentrate on yourself right now and focus on your schoolwork. You've gotta trust that I will sort this out myself."

Chris sighed and sat down on the sofa beside me.

"How's school?" I asked.

"It's OK. I got an A in history."

"Wow, way to go!" I said, ruffling his hair. "Hearing that just made my day. I'm gonna need perking up a lot over the next few months, so you'd better get back to it."

"Well, I can't work on an empty stomach," he teased back.

"I'll get us a snack."

Cooking for him, helping him with his homework and chatting about trivial stuff that had nothing to do with anything were all good ways of avoiding making the dreaded phone call. Every time he said he should leave, I'd find another excuse to keep him there. It wasn't until he began to worry about staying out too late that I finally let him go.

I sat by the phone and looked at the clock - it was almost 7 pm. I assumed they'd be getting anxious to hear from me. I ran over what I would say to them in my mind several times but just couldn't make myself pick up the phone. By 8 pm I was so keyed-up about it that I just wanted to get it over with. I picked up the receiver and dialed.

"Carl," said a deep, smoky voice.

"Hello, it's Cassie."

"Cassie. Where can we make the pickup?"

"I'm sorry but... I searched that house from top to bottom. The money... it wasn't there."

"Oh. Well, that is a problem."

"I can get it, though," I said, trying to sound optimistic. "I just need some time."

"How much time?"

"Is... three months OK?"

"Three months? We've been waiting long enough as it is."

"I know. But I really am doing my best right now."

Carl paused. "Look, Cassie, I like you - I really do. But, if you want an extension, you'll have to pay interest."

"Of course. I understand. How much?"

"Look – I'll go easy on you. A third all up."

"An extra ten thousand dollars? But that's-"

"A very generous offer. Usually it would be ten thousand a month."