Cloud Riders(10)

Kayden slid his arm around her. ‘You are very convincing but your story is so unbelievable. How could someone do that to their own? Are you sure, Cassie, that you haven’t just run from a bad experience and are trying to get shelter? I promise if you tell me I will help you. I just need to know the truth.’

Cassie shook his arm off and pulled away. ‘Kayden, I repeat: I am not a liar and I do not need your help,’ she fumed. ‘I’m better now so let me make your life a lot easier and relieve your conscience. I’m not scared to go it alone nor do I need a babysitter anymore. This is my new life now, not yours. I’ll make it just fine on my own. I’ll head off to that Newman town tomorrow and that’ll be the end of it. Now go away and leave me alone. I hate them and I hate you,’ she sobbed and turned from him, wishing she never had to talk to him again.

Kayden sat for a minute, before getting up and walking back inside the house, closing the door. Cassie hated her family for what they had done to her and now she hated him. He had never believed a word she’d said and right then she didn’t care. I’m really on my own and I’ll show them all I can make it, she thought as she finally went to bed. She punched the pillow before cuddling it.

It was late in the night when a big crash woke her. It was so loud she jumped out of bed and stood frozen to the spot. There was another loud grumble and a shrieking crack that lit up the room. That one had her moving and she ran out of her room and flung open Kayden’s bedroom door. She stood there, breathing fast and hard.

He sat up, looking concerned and sleepy and rubbing his eyes.

Cassie whispered, ‘What’s that noise?’

As she said it, the house shuddered with another loud crack. She flew over and jumped at him, wrapping herself around him and trembling, waiting for the roof to come down around them. He lay back down with Cassie still clinging to him like a vine to a tree. ‘It’s just an electric storm. Don’t you have them where you come from?’

Cassie shook her head and clung to him as the sky crackled again.

‘Shh. Go back to sleep. It won’t hurt you, silly,’ he said, a bit jovial but sleepy.

He relaxed and breathed heavily, letting her know he’d gone back to sleep. Every time the noises cracked, they shot through her and there was no way she could sleep. She clung on to Kayden, not releasing her grip until the noises quietened down. It was only after she settled that she realised he was stroking her hair which helped her to doze off.

When Cassie woke up much later she was on her own. She sat up, remembering the storm and feeling silly about being scared. She scrambled out of his big bed and looked for him. He was having a coffee and reading the paper. She looked at him a bit shyly. ‘Sorry about last night and the whole storm thing,’ she said, embarrassed, as she slipped into the bathroom.

‘Watch that foot. Don’t press on it too hard,’ he cautioned and she hopped the extra few steps to prevent it opening up again.

Cassie came out of the shower to find he had fried a couple of eggs for her. She ate while he cleaned up his plate of food and finished reading the paper. He said he had already gone out to the paddocks and she felt sad that she’d missed seeing the foal this morning. It was her last morning here and she would have liked to say goodbye. Kayden was most likely wanting to get his rounds out of the way early so they could leave directly after breakfast. She suddenly regretted saying she hated him and was leaving





Truth Unfolds


Kayden put his plate down and lifted her onto the table. She flicked the suds on her fingers at him. He grinned and after taking the oversized bandage from her foot, said that it looked good and today she just needed a bandaid. After putting a plaster on, he slid her off the bench. They heard a car pull up and Jason walked in with a box. He had a black eye and Cassie shrank into Kayden as he came closer.

‘My sister packed up some of her old clothes for Cassie to wear and she also put some girl stuff in there for her.’

Kayden laughed. ‘Nice shiner. Sorry about that.’

‘I deserved it.’ Jason glanced at Cassie. ‘Now she’s in the light and I’m sober I can see she really is just a little cutie.’ He grinned. ‘We thought you were … it doesn’t matter, I just came to apologise.’

Jason didn’t seem like the scary person she’d thought he was at all. In fact, now he was being nice she could see it was all one big misunderstanding. ‘Sorry for throwing you against the wall. I guess we’re even, hey?’

‘You know, how did someone as fragile-looking as you manage to throw ninety-five kilos across the room?’ Jason asked.