By the time we got home, it was pitch black outside.

Clouds rolled in and blocked out the moon and stars and thickened the night air to the point where I could feel it clinging to me as Jared walked me to the door.

My stomach was bursting, and considering how hard I had worked and how much I had eaten , I should have been about ready to pass out. Instead, my heart was pounding and every inch of my body was awake and alert.

I was going to get my first kiss. I was sure of it. And could I ask for a better moment? Dinner alone at a nice restaurant. An incredible talk over candlelight. A leisurely drive home with no daredevil moves whatsoever. 

And Jared.

Jared Kent, who was far more exciting, far more interesting, far more gorgeous than any other guy I had met. No wonder my blood was rushing so fast.

"So, am I forgiven?" Jared asked as we paused by my front door. The light was on over the steps but there was no sign of my parents.

"Forgiven?" I asked, smiling in an admittedly loopy way.

I swear I felt drugged ir something. It made me wonder whether pasta had endorphins. More likely, it was just being around Jared -wondering what would happen next.

"For last night," he said.

"Oh! Right!" I exclaimed. I had completely forgotten that this night had started off as an apology. "Yes. You are definitely forgiven."

"Buy a girl some Italian food and you can get away with anything," Jared joked, taking a step closer to me. 

"You are a master of the female mind Jared Kent," I joked back.

"So," he said, reaching out and taking my hand.

I took one step closer to him. The hem of my dress brushed the front of his pants.

"So..."

He searched my eyes, smiled, and leaned slowly toward me. 

Exhilarated panic seized my heart. This was it! What should I do? Close my lips? Open them? Close my eyes? What? 

All these thoughts flew through my mind in about a quarter of a second and then one voice prevailed about all others.

You've imagined this a thousand times! Don't screw it up!

So I closed my eyes and hoped for the best.

And then the front door creaked. My eyes flew open, Jared jumped back a step, and my father cleared his throat. Loudly.

Oh God. Oh God. Oh God.

Everything inside of me deflated. One second I was feeling all warm and fuzzy with the scent of Jared's cologne enveloping me and the tingle of his lips just millimeters away. The next second I was staring into the angry eyes of my father.

Major buzz kill.

"Dad! We were just-"

"You must be Jared," my father interrupted me. His stare was colder than granite.

"Nice to meet you Mr. Grace," Jared said smoothly, offering his hand. My father hesitated for a second, then shook it.

"It's getting late, you should be heading home."

"Absolutely," Jared said, putting his hands into his pockets. "Gracie, I'll call you tomorrow?"

"Uh... sure," I told him.

"You have lessons tomorrow, Cassandra," my father said. "And you need to work out with Lola."

Could he be any more embarrassing? "I know," I said through my teeth. "But I'm sure that I'll have time for a phone call," I assured Jared.

"Good. I had a great time tonight," Jared said, all business. There was none of the warmth of attraction in his eyes anymore. Even though I understood why, it was like a knife to the heart. "Good night Mr. Grace."

"Night," my father replied, his voice gruff.

Jared squeezed my arm as he walked by me, and was off. The moment the door of his car slammed, all the adrenaline that had gone into getting almost kissed redirected itself at my father.

I had been on the verge of what was potentially the most romantic moment of my entire life, and he had purposely interrupted it. I whirled on him, my blood boiling. I had never been so angry.

"How could you do that to me?" I shouted.

"Cassandra-"

"Don't call me Cassandra like I'm some little five year old!" I yelled, storming past him into the house. "I'm eighteen, Dad. Can't I even get a little privacy around here? A little respect?"

My father closed the door and turned slowly. I could tell he was trying to hold in his temper. 

"Maybe I'll start treating you with respect when you start making some better choices."

"What? Are you kidding me?" I shouted, slamming my bag down on the counter in the kitchen. "I got into college. I got a scholarship. I work my butt off around here trying to earn my own money and I've never done one thing wrong. I've never gotten detention. Never rolled in here drunk or even had one cigarette, much less a vape. You really think that I'm making bad choices?!"

My mother appeared at the end of the hallway in her nightgown, arms wrapped around herself. She looked confused and a little scared. Not that I could blame her. There was hardly any yelling in this house. Ever.

"Yes, I do. I know I said that you could go tonight, but I did not appreciate the causal way in which you dismissed dinner with your mother and I," he said, pressing into the counter so hard that his knuckles turned white. "And I don't want you hanging out with that Kent kid anymore. Or any summer local for that matter. It never ends well."

My jaw dropped and I let out a high pitched sounds, somewhere between a squeal and a scoff.

"What do you mean it never end's well? I've never even hung out with them before."

"And I'd prefer to keep it that way." he said. "Every time a Lake Loganer has gotten mixed up with them, there's been trouble."

"Dad! I'm not just another Lake Loganer!" I shouted. "Do you not trust me at all?"

"Of course I do!" he snapped back. "It's those Kent's I don't trust."

"You don't even know Jared!" I replied, hot tears of frustration stinging my eyes.

"Well, I know his parents," he responded. "You are not to hang around that kind and that's final."

I took a deep breath and blinked back the torrent of tears that were threatening to overflow. I couldn't believe I was actually arguing with my father. I couldn't believe we were standing here screaming at each other in the middle of the night. But most of all I couldn't believe how unreasonable he was being.

I snatched my purse off the counter and slung it over my shoulder. "Well that's not up to you, is it?" I said stonily. "I'm not a little kid anymore, Dad. You can't tell me who I can and can't see."

My father blinked, taken aback by my tone.

I knew he was about to come up with a come back, so I turned and hustled down to my room as fast as possible. 

My mother called after me, but I simply slammed the door and burst into tears. I had never spoken like that to my father before. I had never seen him look that disappointed in me before. 

How had the greatest night of my life just turn into the absolute worst?

*   *   *   *

A bit of a heavy chapter, I know. But I really felt that it needed to be in here.

It was a bit shorter too, but sometimes a short chapter is what's best for scenes like these.

I know I said that y'all would find out more about Susan Kent this chapter, but I changed my mind at the last minute. 

But trust me, y'all will get to know more about her soon, I promise.

The tension between Cassie and her father finally snapped, how do y'all feel about that?

I hope you all had a lovely day!!!

Much love, Kylie < 3