Xander and I continued our nightly walks for some time. I just told my parents that I enjoyed the spring air and I needed some exercise from all of the good food we ate (I needed an excuse, ok?!). Thankfully, I had been a truthful child until now, and so my parents believed me. However, I felt quite guilty.
My secret was shared with nobody until one day my Aunt Ellie noticed that something was up. "Cassie, I have noticed that you have been taking a walk most nights, and that is slightly unusual for you. Your parents may not notice anything different, but I know you better than that. You'd much rather play a game or watch a movie or even read a book than go on a walk. You used to loathe any time-consuming form of exercise. All right, what is it? Confess!" Aunty said, determined to find an answer. How could I lie to my aunt?! She knows me better than anybody else in the whole world! I finally confessed everything: how I met Xander, our walks, our love and how we didn't know if it could work, how I expected he would ask me to marry him one of these days, and that I didn't hate the Murrays anymore. I felt so good getting it all out. I just needed to talk. I had felt so guilty the last few weeks. Well, I guess I didn't tell everything. I left out anything about Phillip Parks. As I said before, I can't stand to talk about that disgusting little brat.
Good old Aunt Eleanor took it all calmly. She let me cry my heart out on her shoulder, and waited to speak until I was finished. When she did, she used her most soothing voice. "Oh, Cassie. This is a mess indeed. Don't cry, dearie. I will help you get untangled and find what is the best path to take."
Although this comforted me a great deal, I realized that I couldn't tell her about the plan I was about to tell Xander. I felt it was the only way we as a couple could work. Be patient - I will tell you about the plan later.
