Lifetime Guarantee ➪ Josh Dylan

twenty five

Cas walks into Josh's room the next day, nervous beyond compare. Her legs tremble as she cautiously takes a seat on his mattress, the sleeping boy only a few feet away. Taking a deep breath, she places her hand on his leg and shakes it a bit. His eyes peel open and he looks around the room before locking eyes with her, a huge smile forming.

"Cassie," he whispers, his voice raspy. Cas smiles and exhales heavily. Josh sits up out of bed to greet her. Up close, the damage on his face is almost frightening. There are butterfly bandages on his forehead, stuck together to keep his cuts closed. And the bruises forming around his eyes and cheek are already black and blue.

"We need to talk," she mumbles. In one swift movement, Josh gently pulls the girl towards him. passionately kissing her. Instantly, she melts, making it so much harder for her to say what she needs to. Placing her hands on his chest, she softly pushes him off, receiving a frown from the boy. "I really care about you, you know that, right?"

"Yes! Of course, and I care about you a lot, too," he replies, slipping his hand into hers and intertwining their fingers. Cas stares down at the sheets, unable to speak as the feeling of choking strikes her.

"I have to leave." She mutters. Josh furrows his brows and twitches his head slightly.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm going to the mainland and I'm catching a flight back to London," she looks up at him, sorrow in her eyes.

"Why? Is everything okay?" He shifts himself to sit straighter, his voice coated with worry.

"I don't know anymore. I just need to go home for a while."

"Did I do something wrong?" He chokes out.

"No... No! It's just-,"

"It's not you, it's me," Josh mocks out of frustration, realization taking over. He pulls his hand out of hers and rubs his face. Cas stares at him, her mouth gaping open from her last sentence.

"Josh," she starts. "It's what's best... for both of us. I want to protect you." Josh shakes his head and laughs softly out of defeat.

"Well, you and your brother seem to have some serious issues when it comes to protection." Cassie scoffs in return.

"You know what," she leaps off the bed, throwing her hands up in defense. "I came in here and decided to act like an adult. But — of course — if you can't have your way, you have to be an asshole about it."

"Cas, c'mon," he tries to get up, wincing as the aching hits.

"No. That's enough," she shouts, wanting to have the last word. "Goodbye, Josh Dylan." She exits and slams the door, leaving Josh to the emptiness of his dark bedroom. Cassie walks out to the living room, greeting her friends with a pained grin.

"How'd it go," Alexa asks, even though she knows exactly how it went from the yelling and door-slamming. Cas let's the tears roll down her face, but she's too broken to sob. Lily jumps up and wraps the girl in a hug.

"We'll help you pack, darling." Alexa takes the girls hand and leads her to the bedroom. Jess pulls Cas's suitcase out from under her bed and starts folding clothes. Lily cleans the crying girl up, wiping her tears and combing her hair with her fingers.

"What are you going to do back in London?" Jess asks while folding Cassie's bathing suits. The girl shrugs.

"I dunno yet. I've always been into theater and acting, so maybe I'll join a local group or something," she shakes her head.

"Are you serious? I know so many people in the theater industry, both in the US and UK. I can always help you out with that, sweetie," Jess cheers, pulling out her phone and searching through her contacts.

"Ah Jess, that's so kind, but you don't have to-,"

"Too late. I already emailed you the names and numbers of agents and managers that I've had in the past. Only the best," she winks at Cassie. The girl smiles wide.

"Thank you so much."

"Anything for you, girlie."

"So are you not going to be Josh's assistant any more?" Alexa asks as Cas cringes at the mention of his name.

"Not sure. He seems fine without me. If I can go to a different country and still get paid by 'working for him'," she air quotes, "then I'll still be his assistant until he fires me or I quit."

"I'm thinking your agency with fire you before any of that goes down," Lily giggles.

"That's... pretty true," Cas laughs in response.

...................................................................

Saying goodbye is never easy, especially to the people Cas has to wave off. Her and the three girls form a group hug, each remaining quiet for a few moments as they embrace one another.

"Promise you'll call," Lily sobs.

"Of course. Every night." Cas responds, this time wiping Lily's tears.

"You better visit, otherwise we'll have to kidnap you when the press tour starts," Alexa jokes.

After the girls finish their goodbyes, Cassie walks over to Hugh, engulfing him in a huge hug.

"I'm gonna miss you so much," he mumbles, placing a kiss on the top of her head. She beams up at him.

"Don't you dare think I'm not going to call you every night, too, Hugh," she giggles. He smiles and hugs her tighter. They share one last look at one another before Cas saunters into Jeremy's room. She stands at the foot of his bed, the boy staring at his cell phone.

"I'm leaving," she announces. He places his phone down and starts to get out of bed, but Cas shakes her head at his movement. "I'm gonna be late. See you later," she mutters, still upset about her brother's actions from the other night. Jeremy glares at her, utterly discouraged.

"Can you call me when you land?"

"I guess. I have a lot of traveling and stuff. If I have time I might," she lies to him, not wanting to forwardly express her emotions. He nods before getting back into bed, allowing Cassie to leave the room.

She waves off her friends and takes a car down to the port, which is not too far from their flat. Getting onto the boat, she looks back at the island she was able to call home for a couple months, and thinks about the people she considers family. Examining the building complex where she lived, she notices a figure standing on the beach out front: A head full of blond hair and a muscular build. Her heart shatters as she gazes at the familiar man.

From the shore, Josh watches as the love of his life leaves for who-knows how long. Guilt strikes him, knowing that it was his fault that they had separated on bad terms. He feels broken, not being able to hug her one last time.

"Josh, can you help us make dinner?" Jess calls from the balcony, startling the boy. He nods and takes one last look at the girl who grows farther and farther into the horizon. He turns on his heels and trots up the stairs, hoping that their separation won't be forever...

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[Oh shit! What's gonna happen next?! I hope you guys are enjoying the turn this story is taking. Let me know how you like it, and even drop some predictions on what you think is going to happen next :) xx]