Seduced by a SEAL

Chapter 24

"I'd be up early, voice blaring. My mother would be upstairs, 'putting her eyebrows on' as she used to say. Then she'd shush me and I'd complain of her reducing my rights to freedom of expression, only to hear her stock response, 'I'm not seeking to reduce your rights, love, just your volume." And that was only when Father was at home so that his peace was not disturbed when he was resting. Although he did not rest in the mornings…he went for jogging and most of the days he pulled her and Sergio out for jogging with his as well. It was a ridiculous notion that she would need anything but that but it built her stamina and her lung capacity and also it made him hate even more for taking her sleep away. But then she started enjoying running and did it anyway even when Father was out on duty.

Their home was just like it was, always, perfect and tip-top. The stone manor that they had shifted to when Mother’s parents had left it to her in the will. Father used to have a lot of arguments with her something about pride and honour and him being a man but then she would just say that this was where she lived her life and would like her children growing up as well. Then finally he had begrudgingly agreed and they did not have to speak of that any longer.

“Hello my baby, I have missed you a lot darling,” came her mother just gliding on the marble floors like she always did.

“Hello Mother,” replied Cassandra as Sergio squealed something about group hug and then enveloped both of them. Cassandra bit back her wince as her mother’s elbows pressed against the place where she had been hit.

“Come on…lunch is ready and your father is going to be so glad to see you,” said Margarita as she held her close and they all went in together to the living room where her father was sitting with some kind of old volume in his hand. He looked up at them and gave a nod at his children.

“Hello Father. Hope you are doing well,” said Cassandra as she spoke in a normal volume and then could not bite back the snarky comment,” Are you reading a book Father? Gearing up for retirement I see?”

And Sergio winced back imperceptibly knowing that she should not have said that.

“Well it has been on the cards for too long and now that it is almost at doorstep I am trying to be ready but you must tell me all about why you suddenly decided to come back here when you had planned on settling in New York with Darcy,” said her Father as Cassandra smiled at him coldly.

“Doris, his name was, Father. And you are correct, those were my plans but now it seems that we were not well suited for each other. So I broke off the engagement,” Cassandra said as she saw a fleeting look of surprise come and go from his face. And she heard some cutlery clang on the floor and knew that her mother had heard the news as well.

“Why didn’t you tell us baby? We would have come right to you,” said her mother as she came out and hugged her from the back and Cassandra steeled her nerves so that she did not have to wince at the pain.

“Well it was not your problem Mom, and I did not want to bother you at all,” said Cassandra as she pulled back and sat down on the couch and Sergio also placed himself and her father was still looking at her in a gaze which she could not understand the meaning of.

“Even if you are all grown up and independent now, young lady, that does not mean that we are going to stop being your parents. Whether you like it or not we are always going to care about your well being,” said her father as he peered at her and the growled,” Did that rate bastard hurt you? Is that why you are wearing make-up? To hide your scars?”

“Come on Father. I am a woman, I can wear make-up if I want to. It is not like you have to be so much paranoid about every single thing. No one hurt me and just like you said, I am a grown up woman and I can take care of myself. And with all this shifting and starting my new practice there is a lot that I have on my mind at the moment,” said Cassandra as her father nodded and then turned his gaze back to his son.

“And what about you? Still strutting off in front of the camera half-naked?” asked her father with gritted teeth and Sergio grinned.

“Of course Dad. You know I look good and I work out plenty to look good, so why not flaunt it…after all men and women want to gaze at me alike…I am sure that your soldiers would have smuggled copies of my pictures once the new issue of the magazine comes out…they still do smuggle right? But then again I am a huge hit on i********: as well, “said Sergio as he grinned at his father and their father growled out loud and Cassandra could help but snort at the altercation between her father and brother.

Everything was absolutely normal and just like she had hoped it would be. But there was something that her father was not telling her and she could feel that from his demeanour. But that thing was going to keep pressing on her mind unless he came out clean with it. For the first time in her life her father had not been mean and condescending towards her and that was something she should be happy about but it only made her wary. Just like the feeling of danger lurking around the corner just coming to attack you and pounce on you when you are at your weakest.

But the lunch went well and by the time the brother and sister duo went home they felt close enough to burst. And Cassandra had to decide what she was going to wear for her date.