483 Breaking Point
(Cass)
"Winona!" I scream into the phone again, but there's only silence. The screen is dark, it's silent. She isn't answering.
"Goddammit, Winona!" I shout, "answer me! Be okay. Answer me..."
I don't want to end the call, she could be... But I have to. I need to call Jayden.
My breath is ragged gasps as I stumble to the kitchen counter, gripping the edge for support. My shaking fingers scroll to Jayden's number.
"Pick up, pick up!" My voice cracks as I pace in a tight circle, clutching the phone to my ear. It rings, and then-voicemail.
"Are you fucking kidding me?" I scream, slamming the phone onto the counter so hard it bounces off and hits the floor.
Fuck! It's totaled now.
My chest tightens, panic squeezing my throat. How can I call him, how can I contact Jayden? I grab my jacket and bolt out the door, running as fast as my legs will carry me to the estate. Viktor. He has a another number, one that always gets answered. My lungs are bursting as I run full tilt for the estate, but I don't care. I smash through the estate doors, the staff stop and stare. I hit the office doors, startling Viktor, who is seated at the desk, his head buried in paperwork.
"Cass?" he says sharply, his eyes narrowing in alarm.
"Get Jayden on the phone!" I shout, my voice raw and trembling. "I know you can. Now!"
"What happened?" Viktor is already on his feet, moving toward me.
"Winona fell! She was on a call with me, showing me the attic-she fell down the stairs, Viktor! The call was connected but she didn't answer me!" My voice cracks, and I clutch at my chest, trying to keep the panic from swallowing me whole. "Jayden went to voicemail and I smashed my phone. You have some secret fucking squirrel number to him, don't you?"Belongs © to NôvelDrama.Org.
Viktor doesn't hesitate. He grabs his phone and hits it.
"Jayden, Cass is with me. She was on a call with Winona, showing her an attic? Winona's fallen down the attic stairs. Cass says she didn't answer but the call was still connected. You need to get there now."
He listens for a moment, nodding tightly. "We'll wait to hear from you."
As he disconnects, I pace the room, my mind racing. "I should be there!" I shout. "I shouldn't be here I should be with her!" "Jayden's close, ten minutes away," Viktor says firmly. "He was already on his way there, and he's calling 911. He'll handle it." But his calm, steady tone only fuels my frustration.
"No, I should be there!" I scream, turning on him and pounding my fists against his chest. "She's my sister, Viktor! I should've been there for her, not here wasting time on a stupid fucking canape, not-"My words dissolve into sobs as keep and
hitting him, my fists we keep
frantic.
Viktor grabs my wrists, his grip firm but not harsh. "Cass, stop," he says, his voice steady but commanding.
"I can't stop!" cry, yanking my arms
away and turning toward the desk. I grab a stack of papers and fling them across the room. "I need to stop feeling this way! I can't-"grab a small glass paperweight and hurl it at the wall.
I continue on my path of destruction around the room. I can't stop smashing up everything I can.
"Cass!" Viktor shouts, stepping in front of me as I reach for another object. He grabs me by the shoulders, holding me steady as I try to thrash against him. "Stop it!"
"I can't stop!" I scream, tears
streaming down my face. "This is
why I need the drugs, Viktor! To stop the feelings, to stop my mind from doing this! I'm a failure! I ruin everything! The world is better off without me! I hate it here. Lance is the lucky one. He's free at last. I want to go there too."
"Enough!" Viktor roars, crushing me in his arms with a force that leaves no room for resistance. He holds me tightly as I fight against him which is useless.
"The world is not better off without you!" he says fiercely, his voice shaking with emotion. "My world was dull without you, Cass. You made it brighter. You matter. To me."
His words cut through the storm in my head, and my body goes limp against him. I bury my face in his chest, sobbing and shaking uncontrollably.
"If I lose her..." I choke out between sobs. "If I lose Winona, I lose my whole family. I'll be alone, Viktor. I can't do it. I can't lose her."
"You're not alone," he says firmly, his hand stroking my hair. "You have me. You have those kids. Winona is strong-Jayden will get to her in time. We have to believe that."
I nod weakly against him, clutching his shirt.
"Why did I have to be such a burden to her? She only ever wanted to help me, support me. But I had to be a bitch. I had to continue to be a failure."
"Cass," Viktor says softly, his voice losing some of its edge. "You're not a failure. You're not a burden. And you're not alone. Do you hear me?"
I nod again, my sobs quieting but my chest still heaves with the remnants of panic.
Viktor's arms wrap around me protectively. For the first time, I let myself lean into the strength of someone else, trusting him to hold me together when I'm falling apart. Not drugs. A person. Please, Sis. Be okay. Just be okay.