Final Truth

Chapter 81: Fireside Stories

Julia's point of view:

Nightfall finds me on the floor once again, frigid air cloaking the house as I lay in front of the fireplace.

I watch the flames weave hypnotically in and out of each other, hoping, praying, begging I'll find sleep on my own instead of using my powers for it. I've regressed on everything else, but maybe I can hold out on that.

Unlikely, but worth a try.

It's begun to rain within the past few hours, starting up poetically right when Susan and Cassia left.

The sound of the downpour outside is nice though, and coupled with watching the fire, it's a nice distraction to keep me from reliving the argument with my friends. Maybe I can use it to trick myself into relaxing, into shutting my eyes, succumbing to sleep, blocking out all else...

Knock knock knock.

I shoot up from my spot on the floor, looking around frantically before I sense someone at the door. Rolling my eyes and groaning, I get up and head that way, grumbling with each step. It's going to be Adam, I know it.

Cassia sent him to talk to me, to convince me to do therapy, as if he would be able to get through to me in a way that she and Susan couldn't.

Fat chance. I'll tell him the same thing I told them.

"Look Adam, I'm not going to-" I begin as I open the door, but the rest of my sentence dies in my throat when I see that it's not Adam standing outside.

It's Cade.

Soaked to the bone from the rain but smiling nonetheless, he stands before me as if it were the most casual thing in the world.

"Hey Julia," He greets, his chipper mood feeling vastly out of place. "Sorry to bother you this late, but I was leaving my shift at the police station and got drenched on my way to see Cass. Mind if I hide out here until the rain stops?"

It's a lie, and not a particularly good one. Even if truth weren't one of my powers, I'd still be able to tell. Cassia's home is on the complete opposite side of town, so he wouldn't pass my house on the way to hers unless he meant to take a detour. She definitely sent him here to talk to me, but for the life of me I can't fathom why. Adam I could understand, but Cade...

Why someone I've spoken to only a handful of times since I've been back?

Despite this, I'm not gonna send him back out in the rain. He's drenched and appears to be hiding a shiver from the cold, shifting his weight from foot to foot awkwardly.

"Yeah, come on in," I say, opening my door wider to let him pass through.

"Thanks," Cade sighs, relieved, as he shuffles in.

I follow him into the living room, discreetly reaching for the thermostat while his back is turned to quickly dial up the heat up for him. No need for him to ask why I had it so cold to begin with.

Cade sits on the floor in front of the fire while I go to find him a towel, internally reminding myself of how strange this whole thing is.

Why him, Cassia? Why send him?

Returning to the living room with the towel, I awkwardly hand it to him as he murmurs a thank you.

"Shame about the rain. It was so nice earlier, too," He muses.

"I guess."

Cade looks up at me from his spot on the floor, and I can tell that he's perusing through his head for what to say next, how to start a better conversation with me.