Midnight Shadows

Cassie woke up to a soft, rhythmic knock on her heavy bedroom door, the muffled sound pulling her out of a dark, dreamless sleep. She sat up slowly on the edge of the mattress, her body feeling heavy and exhausted. She had spent the entire late afternoon curled up in the dark, crying until her head throbbed and her eyes burned.

"Miss Cassie?" the polite voice of the estate chef called out from the hallway. "Dinner is served in the main dining room."

"Thank you, I will be right down," Cassie called back, her voice sounding raspy and weak even to her own ears.

She waited until the chef's footsteps faded down the hall before pulling herself up from the bed. She walked into the adjacent bathroom and stared at her reflection in the mirror. Her face was pale, her nose was slightly pink, and dark shadows rested under her eyes. She splashed icy water over her face three times, pressing a cool towel against her skin to reduce the swelling. She combed through her hair, pulled on a simple long sleeve sweater, and took a deep, steadying breath. She had to put on a brave face. She had to keep her mother from suspecting a single thing.

When Cassie walked into the grand dining room, the rest of the family was already seated around the long, table. Veronica sat near the head of the table, smiling as she talked softly with Garrett. Alex sat directly across from her empty chair, dressed in a plain dark shirt, his face an emotionless mask as he cut into his food.

Cassie quietly pulled out her chair and took a seat, keeping her eyes lowered toward her cloth napkin.

"There you are, sweetie," Veronica said, her eyebrows pulling together in immediate concern as she looked across the table at her daughter. "You look so pale, Cassie. Are you feeling alright? You disappeared right after afternoon drinks."

"I am fine, Mom," Cassie said, forcing a tight, convincing smile onto her face as she picked up her fork. "I just had a mild headache and felt really tired. I ended up falling asleep in my room."

"You should get some proper rest tonight," Garrett added kindly, offering her a warm, fatherly smile. "The change of environment can take a toll on you."

"I will, thank you, Garrett," she replied softly.

Throughout the meal, Cassie barely touched her food. She moved her vegetables around her plate, taking tiny, forced bites just to make it look like she was eating. Every time the heavy silence of the room settled, the terrifying words of the text message echoed through her mind like thunder. I am right down the road. The thought of her abusive ex stepfather standing anywhere near this estate made her stomach twist in painful knots.

Across the table, Alex did not say a single word. He acted as though Cassie were completely invisible, focusing entirely on his plate or looking out the dark dining room window. He did not ask how she was feeling, nor did he offer a single word of comfort. Yet, every time Cassie raised her glass to take a sip of water, she could feel the heavy, intense weight of his dark eyes scanning her face, taking in her red eyes, her pale skin, and the subtle tremble in her small hands.

When dinner finally ended, Veronica and Garrett stood up from the table, stretching after the long day.

"Do not stay up too late, Cassie," Veronica said, leaning down to kiss the top of her daughter's head. "Make sure you drink plenty of water for that headache."

"I will, Mom. Goodnight," Cassie said softly.

One by one, the household cleared out. Garrett and Veronica walked hand in hand up the grand staircase toward their master suite. Alex stood up from his seat, pushed his chair back without making a sound, and vanished down the dark hallway without turning back to look at her once.

Within twenty minutes, the entire estate fell into deep, heavy silence. The staff had finished cleaning the kitchen and retired to their quarters, leaving the grand ground floor completely dark, saved only by the pale moonlight spilling through the floor to ceiling glass windows.

Cassie remained seated at the long, empty dining table, completely unable to move.

The silence of the massive house did not bring her peace. Instead, it allowed the dark panic to wrap its sharp claws around her chest. She rested her elbows against the cold wood of the table, burying her face in her hands as silent, hot tears leaked past her eyelashes. She was so tired of being afraid. She was terrified of what her ex stepfather would do if she did not reply to his message, but she was even more terrified of bringing danger to her mother's doorstep. She felt entirely alone, trapped inside a nightmare with no escape route in sight.

A tiny, quiet sob escaped her throat, breaking the absolute quiet of the empty room.

She quickly wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand, scolding herself for breaking down, when a faint shadow shifted near the tall archway leading into the dining room.

Cassie froze, her heart instantly leaping into her throat. She snapped her head up, her breath catching as she stared toward the darkness near the doorway.

A tall figure stepped slowly out of the shadows, his long silhouette cutting through the pale moonlight streaming across the floor.

It was Alex.

He had not gone to sleep at all. He stood a few feet away from the table, his hands tucked deep into the pockets of his dark trousers, his broad shoulders blocking out the dim light behind him. His cold, distant mask from dinner was completely gone, replaced by a dark, dangerous intensity that made the air in the room feel instantly thick and heavy. His sharp eyes locked directly onto her teardrop stained cheeks, staring at her with an overwhelming focus that made her skin prickle with heat.

He spent all dinner acting like she did not exist, so why was he standing in the dark watching her cry?