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17.Athena?

Author: Babzie
last update Last Updated: 2024-11-17 16:09:31

--Cassie--

“Open the door,” came a soft knock and a voice from outside.

I stirred awake, blinking against the golden rays of sunlight streaming into the room. The warmth of the morning was comforting, but the voice tugged me back to reality.

Dragging myself out of bed, I padded over to the door and opened it to find Aunt Emily standing there with her ever-kind expression.

“Mrs. De Luca,” she greeted, her tone polite but concerned.

“Please, just call me Cassie,” I said quickly, the title feeling too foreign, too heavy.

She hesitated, then nodded with a small smile. “I wanted to check on you. It’s past noon, and I hadn’t heard anything from you.”

Noon? My heart skipped a beat. I hadn’t realized I’d slept so long. “I’m good, really. I’ll be downstairs soon,” I assured her, attempting a smile of my own.

Her shoulders relaxed, and a look of relief crossed her face. For a moment, I wondered if she thought I’d tried to escape or worse.

“Alright, Cassie,” she said softly, her smile warmer now
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