Everything was a blur. How could time go so fast? She had managed to put her past behind her, but now… it would soon be in her face again.
Cassie tossed and turned in her bed. There was a crack of light shining from underneath her window shade, which hadn’t been pulled down all the way last night. Dawn was slowly breaking, and Cassie did not feel well rested.
Climbing into her soft, fresh, laundered fushia sheets last night had felt heavenly. She had been exhausted last night and was sound asleep within seconds.
But then the haunting dreams had come. Not a fun way to get tangled in the sheets.
In her dream, she had tried to get out of the house, but when she opened her front door, it was like she had stepped into the deep jungle! Her front porch was shadowed by tall, large, leafy plants. She couldn’t see through them. If she stepped off the porch to go down the walk, there was a giant spider in a web blocking her path.
When she tried to go out her back door, it wasn’t a simple step outside. Instead, Cassie found herself looking up at a towering mountain that she would have to climb. Closing the door, she had sank to the floor in frustration and confusion. What was going on?
She woke up, relieved that it was only a dream, but it wasn’t long before reality sunk in, and she knew what had inspired her bad dream.
All the memories of her past that she had tried to bury were back full force, now that Griffin would be back in town.
Cassie stepped out of her bed onto her cool hardwood floor. Staying in bed wasn’t going to slow down time so she may as well face the day.
Not being able to help herself, she peeked out her front door. Phew! There wasn’t any overgrown jungle with a huge spider blocking her path.
She got dressed in a tank top and shorts. Put on her new, Nike running shoes, grabbed some Gatorade and walked out the door to greet the day.
Feeling determined to chase her worries away, she took off running.
Five miles later, she stopped at the park. This was the perfect place to end her run. She sat down on the bench in front of the lake and admired the swans.
The park was quiet. There were only a few people in it this early in the morning.
“Excuse me, Is this seat taken?”
Cassie turned her head and drew in a sharp breath. It was him!
“What are you doing here already? I didn’t expect to see you for another week.” Her peace from her run was evaporating quickly.
“I managed to come a week early. By the look on your face I can tell that you aren’t pleased by that.”
Cassie stood up. “Did you really expect me to be happy to see you ? I don’t have anything to say to you.”
Griffin looked down at the ground. “I am only asking for a chance.”
Shaking her head in disbelief, Cassie’s voice dripped with sarcasm, “A chance? Sure, why not give you a chance to ruin my life again!” She threw her hands in the air.
“You are unbelievable! Stay away from me!”
She glared. The fire in her eyes boring into him. Then she turned around and took off running.
Griffin stood there wth his hands in his pocket, wearing a solemn expression. This was going to be harder than he thought. He knew he messed up before, but after all this time, he thought she would have cooled off.
He wasn’t always the greatest judge of what women were thinking, but judging by the lasers that shot from Cassie’s eyes, he wouldn’t say that she cooled off.
Griffin shook his head. At least she didn’t have to serve as long of sentence as he did. He had been the one that had stolen the money. Cassie had only been his getaway driver. Even if she hadn’t realized that until the cops pulled them over.
Oh well, she may come around. She couldn’t hold a grudge forever, could she?
The Hallmark romance would have Cassie eventually forgiving Griffin, giving him a second chance, falling in love and living happily ever after. While I like romance, this is one of those instances where I would like to see Cassie be strong and confident enough to stand on her own and not cave into Griffin’s excuses and charms. She can forgive him, but he needs to remain nothing more than an acquaintance in her life! When she dreamed of the big spider and web, that represented Griffin, who wanted to catch her in his trap again!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well done! I agree. Forgiving is one thing. Reconciling is another, and yeah, I don’t think a Hallmark ending works here. 🙂 Cassie can find Mr Right somewhere else or maybe she doesn’t need a Mr Right.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Well, bad things happen when you try to sleep on fuschia colored sheets. I mean, I’d rather face the spider than fuschia sheets. Give the sheets to that bozo so his sleep will be wrecked forever and be done with him once and for all. 🤪
LikeLiked by 1 person
LOL! Oh gosh! I see you aren’t a fan of the fushia color. 😂 No problem, my sheets aren’t fushia. But I do like that color. The bozo doesn’t deserve fushia sheets!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Not on sheets! Good grief…that color could wake up the dead. I think the bozo deserves the sheets so that restless sleep will be his BFF forever so he can mull what an idiot he is!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I have to come up with different colors to entertain myself. LOL! Gets boring using the same colors. 😅
LikeLiked by 1 person
Whatever color you chose, it helps the main character if it’s a restful color, otherwise the story can get very. very. dark. 😆
LikeLiked by 1 person
🤣I will try to remember that.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Cassie came to regret her decision to leave Griffin. The man straightened out his life and became a successful singer. Then he moved to television where he became a famous talk show host. He also created a lot of television game shows, which made him fabulously wealthy. But once in awhile he’d send her a little card to let her know he was thinking about her, and would sign it, “Love, Merv.”
LikeLiked by 3 people
Oh gosh! 😶✋️!!
No, this was not a history lesson about Merv, PUN-ster!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh, I thought you were playing games with your readers.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Me?? Nooo…..Well, not this time. 😇
LikeLiked by 1 person
If you were, that could put you in Jeopardy.
LikeLiked by 2 people
🤦♀️! Oh help!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Early parole?
I’d have to consider how much money he stole, and where he hid it… top of a mountain, perhaps. Though it might not be there anymore.
Perhaps that jungle view was just a premonition about a tropical vacation. 😉
LikeLiked by 2 people
Yes, maybe Cassie is supposed to go on a tropical vacation. She will find the stolen money and an island guy and never come back! 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
Most grudges are good to forgive but Cassie should be allowed to hold on to this one!
LikeLiked by 1 person
You are right, but I think she will forgive him, but that won’t mean wanting to be around him ever again!
LikeLiked by 1 person