Free Divided Souls by Gabriella Poole Page B

OK.’
    Cassie felt even worse, now that Isabella was being so sweet about it. ‘I don’t know …’
    ‘You’re to go to your drinks. Really. I’ll tell you all about the restaurant later.’ She gave Cassie a sly grin. ‘It’s very beautiful, though, apparently. Views right across the city and the sea, I hear …’
    ‘Don’t,’ groaned Cassie. ‘I’d rather be coming with you guys, honest.’
    ‘Next time, then.’ Isabella jumped up and began rummaging through her wardrobe. ‘Now let me see. For such a special place I should dress up. Maybe the Hussein Chalayan …?’
    ‘Stop it!’ Cassie flopped on to her bed, wishing heartily that she’d never accepted Ayeesha’s invitation, that she was going out on the town with her best friend and Alice instead. Then she jumped as she felt her phone vibrate.
    Cassie tugged it out of her jeans pocket and peered at the caller ID. Shocked, she snatched a quick glance at Isabella. The girl was still in a trance of indecision, holding a dress against herself and frowning into the mirror.
    Ranjit Singh, said the display.
    ‘Now what the hell do you want?’ Cassie murmured at the phone. She took a deep shaky breath, and then deliberately slid the phone back into her pocket. No way. Not when she was already feeling so bad about letting Isabella down. Not when she was so nervous about her visit to the common room, which was, oh yes , just the sort of occasion on which Ranjit would have found a way to let her down.
    She left the phone to continue vibrating, and gave a sigh of relief when it finally stopped.
    * * *
    She lasted remarkably well, Cassie told herself later. Showed amazing restraint, all things considered. It was a whole hour before she finally gave in and responded to that insistent bleep of the voicemail message. Even then it was only after Estelle’s insistence that she should prepare herself in case Ranjit had something planned when she got to the drinks.
    Closing the door of their room, pausing in the corridor, she shut her eyes and sighed. Of course she had to listen. Get it over with. She wouldn’t ever relax for her imminent common room ordeal otherwise …
    Flipping the phone open before she could change her mind, she punched in the number and pressed the phone to her ear.
    ‘ Cassie .’ Ranjit’s voice sounded breathless on the voicemail, desperate. ‘ Cassie, I know why you won’t answer, but hear me out. Please .’ A shaky breath. But there was more than nerves in his voice, she thought, frowning. There was high, repressed excitement.
    ‘ Meet me at seven, OK? My room. No pressure, I promise. I know—Listen, I know you don’t trust me any more. Fair enough. I let you down, but I want to make up for that, I really do.’ A bark of awkward laughter. ‘ God, it’s just so lucky we’re in Istanbul this year! Believe me, Cassie, I can fix this. I WILL fix this. I’m nearly there. Soon I’ll be able to … to heal old wounds, if you like .’ A pause, then another high ironic laugh. ‘ Or maybe I should say “break old ties”! ’
    He hesitated again, as if he wanted to say more, and she pressed the phone closer to her ear, so close that it hurt. But there was nothing else. After a few seconds, the line went dead.
    Heal old wounds? What was that supposed to mean? Apart from being melodramatic guff to get her to his room, she thought angrily. Break old ties? Arsehole!
    Then she thought about Estelle, about the broken state of her spirit, the part of it that remained outside Cassie, and shuddered …
    She didn’t know which was more powerful, the rage at his cheek, or the unbearable curiosity. Well, no, that wasn’t true. Of course the curiosity was going to win out. He knew that, didn’t he? Which, she thought as she stormed to his room in the upper corridor, made her even more furious.
    I’m not sure this is such a good idea, Cassandra …
    Cassie ignored Estelle’s cautious interjection. As she hesitated in front of his door, she