Chapter 54
Elowen's POV
Two days had passed since I reconnected with Juno, but the shadows of what Drake did still haunted me. Two days of hiding in Casper's bedroom, jumping at unexpected sounds, nightmares jolting me awake in cold sweats. The twins had been patient, taking shifts to make sure I was never alone, bringing me food I barely touched.
I stared at the ceiling, counting wooden beams for the hundredth time. Physical bruises were healing faster than the invisible ones. Every time I closed my eyes, I felt phantom hands holding me down, Drake's voice echoing in my ears. But I couldn't stand this prison of safety anymore—even if part of me was still terrified of what waited outside.
You need to do something, Juno advised gently in my head. Sitting here replaying that night isn't helping us heal.
I know, I replied, curling onto my side. I just... I need to prove to myself I'm still here. That he didn't break me completely.
The door opened with a soft click, and my body tensed automatically—a new reflex I hated. Casper appeared in the doorway, his amber eyes brightening when he saw me awake. The sight of him—safe, familiar—loosened something tight in my chest.
"Hey," his voice was gentle, careful. "How are you feeling today?"
I sat up slowly, pulling the blanket around me like armor. "I need to do something besides stare at these walls and think about... everything." My voice sounded stronger than I felt. "I'm tired of feeling like a victim."
Understanding flashed in his eyes. He'd been walking on eggshells around me, and I appreciated the care, but it was also a constant reminder of what happened.
"I might have something to help with that," he said, crossing the room with deliberate slowness. He pulled out a gaming console from the TV stand. "Ever played?"
I shook my head. "Never had time for games."
"Then today's your lucky day." He hesitated before sitting beside me, leaving space between us. The mattress dipped under his weight, and I felt myself tense again, then consciously relax. This was Casper, not Drake. I needed to remember the difference.
"I'll teach you," he offered, holding out a controller.
I took it, our fingers brushing briefly. The contact sent a small jolt through me—part anxiety, part something else I wasn't ready to examine. The familiar pine and smoke scent of him offered comfort rather than threat, and I found myself leaning slightly toward him before catching myself.
"There are so many buttons," I complained, studying the controller.
Casper chuckled, the sound warming the cold places inside me. "You'll get the hang of it. Mind if I show you?"
I nodded, appreciating that he asked. He shifted closer, still maintaining a respectful distance, and pointed to different buttons. "This one to run, this to jump, and this to attack."
I tried to focus on his instructions, but found myself distracted by his presence. Not just in the attracted way I'd always been, but in how safe it felt. How different from Drake's threatening proximity.
He's good for us, Juno observed. Careful. Respectful. But we need to stay vigilant until we're stronger.
I silently agreed with her. The healing would take time.
In the corner of the room, Cassian sat in an armchair with a laptop, occasionally glancing up at us. His face was unreadable as always, but his steady presence was another anchor in the room.
"What are you working on?" I asked him, needing more normal conversation, more reminders of everyday life.
"Pack business," he replied without looking up. "Someone has to do it while my brother plays games."
Casper rolled his eyes. "You could use a break too, you know."
I turned my attention back to the game, trying to make my character run without crashing into walls. After my fifth death, I groaned in frustration. "I suck at this."
"You're doing fine for a beginner," Casper assured me. He hesitated, then slowly placed his hand on the blanket covering my knee—a careful, gentle touch that asked permission. I didn't flinch away, which felt like its own small victory.
During a loading screen, I gathered courage to ask the question that had been haunting me. "What happened with Drake? After... you know."
The room temperature seemed to drop. Casper's hand stilled on my knee, and Cassian's typing stopped.
"Don't worry about that right now," Casper said, his voice suddenly tight.
"What does that mean?" I pressed, needing to know, needing some closure.
Casper's eyes flicked to Cassian before returning to me. "It means he won't bother you again." His thumb moved in a small circle on my knee, grounding me in the present. "Focus on healing, okay?"
He's hiding something, Juno whispered in my mind.
I know, I agreed, watching Casper's face carefully. But for now, maybe that's okay. I'm not sure I could handle all the details yet.
The game resumed, and Casper guided me through a battle scene with deliberate enthusiasm. "Press X! Now dodge! No, the other way!"
I died again, and Casper laughed. The sound eased some tension from the room, and I found myself smiling—a small, fragile thing, but real.
Cassian suddenly closed his laptop and moved to join us, sitting at a careful distance on my other side. "This is painful to watch," he said, reaching for the controller but pausing before taking it from me. "May I?"
The request for permission—so unlike Drake's entitled demands—made something in my chest ache with gratitude. I nodded and handed him the controller.
"You're too gentle with the controls," Cassian explained. "You need to be firm. Decisive."
He demonstrated, then handed the controller back without crowding my space. I tried again, focusing intensely on the game, finding something healing in controlling this small digital world when my real one had spiraled so chaotically.
We continued playing, the twins taking turns guiding me. Their teaching styles couldn't have been more different—Casper was enthusiastic and encouraging, while Cassian was precise and demanding. Neither pushed physical boundaries, and I found myself slowly, cautiously relaxing between them.
During my tenth attempt at the level, something clicked. I dodged an attack, countered with a combo move Cassian had shown me, and defeated the boss that had been killing me repeatedly.
"I did it!" I exclaimed, surprising myself with the genuine excitement in my voice—the first real positive emotion I'd felt since the attack. "Did you see that?"
"Beginner's luck," Casper teased, but his eyes sparkled with something like pride.
Cassian's lips quirked in what might have been a smile. "Not bad."
I settled back against the headboard, controller still clutched in my hands. For a brief moment, I'd forgotten everything—Drake, my mother, the debt. It felt like a glimpse of the person I could be again someday.
But as we continued playing, I noticed something. The twins kept exchanging glances over my head, subtle nods and raised eyebrows. Silent communications that excluded me.
They're hiding something bigger than Drake, Juno observed.
After catching their third meaningful look, I paused the game and set the controller aside. "Okay, what's going on? You two keep doing that eye thing."