When Cassidy’s eyes opened again, Sandy was there, sitting on the edge of the bed having pulled away from him just staring at him. Her eyes were wide, shining slightly -and Sandy had always worked hard to never let them see her cry if she could help it, she always wanted to be strong and together so she could protect them the way they helped her when her powers were too much. She looked hurt, more than that, she looked betrayed. She wasn’t an empath, but memories held emotions and she felt them like a punch to the gut, but the overriding emotion on her face was betrayal, betrayal and a desperate sense of hurt.
But following that came anger, a defensive reaction she’d never felt towards any of her fellow Outsiders before, a need to protect herself against something that she felt was a threat. Cassidy had kissed Syreni. Because he was feeling lonely. Because she’d turned up. She might not have known who he was, but he knew. He knew who she was and he did it anyway. She wouldn’t have cared if it was anyone else, some random that just happened to be there when Cassidy needed a moment of connection with another human being, she got that, she understood the need for contact. She understood that completely.
The echo of his emotions was still tugging at her but it didn’t matter. It didn’t matter because this person, Syreni, once again was coming into her family. And Cassidy, knowing that she didn’t like Syreni, that Syreni had resulted in her being put in solitary, that Syreni-
He knew and he still kissed her anyway? Because what, he didn’t feel like he could reach out to his actual family?
Her expression shifted, a cold anger crossing her face the likes of which had never been directed at Cassidy before.
“So you thought that the best way to deal with feeling like you weren’t needed, or like you weren’t a part of your own family anymore was to make out with her?” She lifted a hand, “I get it, she was there. She was convenient. It doesn’t fucking matter. You know who she is. You knew,” her voice broke a little and she stood up off the bed, hands balled into fists. “You-“
God, it was really happening.
She was losing everything. She pushed her hands through her hair and set her jaw.
“Nice to know that we’re not good enough for you anymore.”