Under the night sky filled with stars.
“Wait. Was that the first time Amelia saw Jack so badly injured?”
Cassidy’s voice rang out, prompting Rachel to stop her punch midway and turn her head with a frown.
“Why are you asking this, Cassie?” she asked as she lowered her hand and fixed her sleeve.
Thomas saw that Rachel had no intention of dealing with him anymore and shrugged, totally unbothered. He turned toward Samuel and gave him a smug smile, to which the latter didn’t respond. As if agreed beforehand, both then turned their heads toward Cassidy in unison, wanting to know what she had to say.
Cassidy wasn’t sure what she had just thought about, but she went on anyway and said, “Don’t take what I’m about to say as truth. This is just a conjecture I’ve been thinking about, and I myself am finding it hard to believe, so I won’t blame you if you think I’m reading too much into it, but…”
Her words were filled with so many disclaimers that the three beside her couldn’t help but perk up their ears.
Cassidy stopped herself from continuing and instead said, “No. Before I explain my theory, it’s best if we’re all on the same page, so please answer a question I have.”
Rachel crossed her arms in front of her and tapped her fingers against her elbow. “You’re making this sound like something serious, but isn’t it just Amelia being overly emotional? What else could there be?”
In her opinion, despite Amelia looking too distraught for what had happened, it could still be chalked up to her character and her deep feelings for Jack. After all, who would want to see the person they loved bedridden and unconscious?
It would’ve been even stranger if she were emotionless to it.
“It might not be serious, but if what I’m thinking is even partly true, then there’s a chance that her relationship with Jack won’t be the same after he recovers.” Cassidy shook her head slightly.
Her words stunned not only Rachel but even Thomas and Samuel.
The perfect couple they knew, two people who had been together for more than a decade without any problems and whose relationship was so happy it had been the envy of many, were about to face serious issues?
If not for Cassidy’s deadly serious expression, they would have thought she was joking to lighten the tense situation.
Cassidy took a deep breath and said, “Am I the only one who thinks that Amelia has idealized Jack too much, always putting him on a pedestal, seeing him as infallible and invincible while failing to see him as a normal person?”
She could vividly remember many episodes in which Amelia had shown blind faith in Jack, believing he could do anything, surpass anyone, and have everything. At the time, she had thought nothing of it, maybe even sighed at how sweet it was, but looking at Amelia’s current reaction and reflecting on the past, she realized it wasn’t so simple.
While those actions could’ve looked sweet and harmless in certain situations, they could also come from a twisted perspective. The former was safe while the latter was dangerous.
“Isn’t that just who Amelia is?” Rachel asked rhetorically. “Ever since we met her and Jack at Greenwood Park, she’s always acted the same, pining over him with star-filled eyes that could’ve blinded any person. What problems could there be with that?”
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Her eyes glinted as a teasing smile spread across her face. “We could say the same about you and N—”
Cassidy moved like a ghost, appearing beside Rachel in an instant. Her hand shot up to cover Rachel’s mouth, cutting off her words so that only incomprehensible muffled sounds escaped.
It had happened so suddenly and so quickly that Thomas and Samuel couldn’t even react. They only came to their senses when they saw Rachel trying to speak, but Cassidy’s hand seemed glued to her mouth.
“We aren’t here to talk about me.” Cassidy’s soft whisper sent a shiver down Rachel’s spine. “We’re here because we’re worried about two of our friends, and I’m trying to confirm if what’s happening is just a scare or a deeply rooted problem. Let’s focus on them, alright?”
By the time she finished speaking, she had already lowered her hand and returned to her previous spot.
Rachel gasped for breath and threw her hands up in defeat. “Fine! Let’s play your game now, but next time…” She smirked, giving Cassidy a knowing look, but Cassidy ignored her entirely and turned to Thomas and Samuel, who wore very strange expressions.
“What’s your opinion?”
Samuel recalled all his interactions with Amelia and said, “I’ve never thought about it that way, but I can see your point. I admit I would’ve found it hard to accept if I hadn’t seen her current state just a few minutes ago.”
“I’m of the same opinion! If I hadn’t seen Amelia today, I wouldn’t have believed you so easily.” Thomas added. “Now, can you tell us what your thoughts are?”
“Here’s what I think, and I hope I’m wrong, because if I’m not, then this is a very serious problem.” Cassidy nodded before continuing. “What if seeing Jack injured so badly, unconscious, no less, has shattered Amelia’s perception of him, leaving her unsure of her choices and how to process the situation? This could also explain why she overreacted so much over an injury that will fully heal in just two weeks.”
“Her beliefs about Jack have crumbled, and now she has nothing?” Thomas muttered to himself before asking, “What do you think will happen if this is true?”
“She will no longer see Jack with the same starry eyes as before and might even distance herself from him altogether.” This time, it wasn’t Cassidy who answered but Rachel.
Samuel solemnly added, “If that’s true, it would be enough to devastate Jack. By the time he wakes up, he’ll be in a completely different situation from the one he was in before falling unconscious and he wouldn’t even know why. I don’t even want to imagine the mental blow something like that could deal him.”
Thomas sucked in a cold breath. He hadn’t thought that far, he had assumed it was only Amelia’s problem, but now it seemed that was a na?ve thought. Things were far more complicated. Whatever Amelia decided to do would both directly and greatly affect Jack.
“Then… how do we fix this situation? Can we even do anything about it? Do we try to help Amelia rebuild her old perception of Jack?” Thomas asked quickly, uncertain of the best course of action.
“I don’t know for sure,” Cassidy sighed. “The best we can do is keep talking to her and try to soothe her feelings as much as possible before Jack wakes up. That way, we give him a chance to fix the problem himself instead of waking up to a situation that’s completely broken.”
“I hope Amelia will be able to let go of her former beliefs and accept Jack for who he is, instead of the idea she’s built of him. That would be the best-case scenario.”
“Mhm. I’ll stay in contact with her and try to calm her down,” Rachel said firmly. Ever since Cassidy had started taking care of not only Nemesis but the entirety of Quarath and stopped joining them in their small gatherings due to her busy schedule, Amelia and Rachel had spent the majority of their time together, bonding and becoming good friends. Now that her friend was going through serious issues, it was only right for her to help as much as she could.
Thomas threw his arm around Samuel and said to Rachel, “We’re also here if you need anything.”
“You’d best save your energy for when Jack wakes up. Leave Amelia to me,” she said, casting him a sidelong glance without missing a beat.
Thomas stiffened and Samuel took the opportunity to slip out from under his arm.
“It’s decided then. Rachel will talk to Amelia, while Thomas and Samuel will wait for Jack to wake up before informing him of what happened. If any of you need help, you can call me and I’ll try to find some time.”
Cassidy smiled slightly and continued, “We haven’t seen each other much recently, and despite the situation, I’m happy to see you.”
The three’s expressions softened into smiles, sharing in the happiness of seeing her.
They took their time and exchanged a few more words before each returned to what they were doing prior to Amelia’s call.
It was a happy meeting, despite the sad circumstances that had brought them together.
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