You should be twenty-four by now and now a graduate from The University of Phoenix. As you read this think about the past and that you were twenty-one when you wrote this for a school project in your first writing class ever and they told you to put this somewhere safe and to open it years down the road. Well, now that you have opened it, what did you all accomplish in such a long time frame? Did you change your major or did you stick with it? Are you still working part-time at Devil and Urban or did you finally leave that in the past? What about Rhys? Are you two still together with children or are you married? Writing this sounds so crazy and so stupid but anything can happen in four years down the road. I know right now as being twenty-one there is just so much to do and I have no clue how to even accomplish it all.
I can’t believe it! I wrote this my freshmen year of college and now I’m sitting on the cold hardwood floor of my room with it in my hands. She thought to herself. Looking around in her room she imagines her past self as a ghost walking around her room day in and day out getting ready for school, work and dates she had with Rhys. Finding this letter she had put under her floorboard the day she wrote it. Cassanova had completely forgotten about it until she stepped on the wood plank remembering the day she first moved in she needed to fix it and just never got around to doing so. But once she stepped on it, just a few minutes ago she remembered that letter as she was packing up to move. This letter meant so much to her back then and why all of a sudden she just now remembered it, but she kept reading.
But you’re Cassanova Anna Freakin’ Ryder nothing will ever hold you back and you’ll never let anything slow you down, not now and not ever! Just remember that the past is the past and you grow and move on. With people by your side like Reyes, Chase, Wynter and even Rhys just remember they will always be there for you and nothing will change that. Don’t be scared to turn to them when things get tough they are family and will be there by your side don’t push them away open up and speak up. So let’s start on why each one of them is important to you, shall we. Reyes the oldest Ryder brother who is overprotective but he has his reasons and no matter what he loves you and is always thinking what is best for you. You two may not be as close as you like because of the age difference and you both have different views on life but he is always here to protect you and to make sure his baby sister is okay. Hopefully when you do read this letter your relationship with each other is a lot better between you too.
As Cassanova looked up tears started to flow in her eyes she tilted her head back to fight the tears away. Younger Cassanova was right about Reyes he was only protecting her, thinking back on it she was here in the first place to get to know her older siblings a lot better, besides just going to school. But with her being in dark times she was slowly pushing them away because they didn’t understand her because she wouldn’t let them in. She was hiding her true self from them for so long because she was known as the perfect child who could do no wrong. She had kept so much away from them that it ended making herself distant from them and she only had herself to blame. Looking back she was right to keep some things hidden but not her whole life making her a stranger to them. She stood up and walked to her now bare dresser, luckily there was a box of tissues sitting there and she grabbed a few as she was sniffling her nose. Looking in the mirror after whipping her face she smirked at herself laughing in her head because she didn’t know her younger self could bring so many memories and tears to her eyes, but she stood there for a moment before looking back down at the letter in her hands.
I’m probably making you cry aren’t I? Not going to lie, I’m crying myself as I’m writing this too you while listening to your current favorite song on our phone in class. Do you remember it? Probably not it was four years ago and you went through new songs like every month. As I let you think about it let’s move on down the list to good ol’ second oldest brother Chase. Now you know how much you hate and love Chase but let’s get straight to the point. You two are a lot closer in age than Reyes let’s face it Chase and you are like always fifty-fifty with each other. Jekyll and Hyde never ever agreeing with each other because let’s face it secretly you too are too much alike too probably ever get along.
Cassanova laughed at herself thinking about her past self and how much she was right about Chase and her, even before continuing to read she thought about her and Chase were a lot alike. Cassanova hated that her and Chase were a lot alike and even after her dark secrets had come out nothing really much changed between them at all. Sure Chase was upset at her for doing what she had all done and they did indeed stop talking for a short period but that was family it wasn’t going to last long though it felt like forever for her. Cassanova ended up being the one to fix the feud between them before mentioning his flaws and how much they needed each other and that she wasn’t that little girl anymore that he once protected or spent time with. Cassanova thought about the past as she made it now to her closet making sure she cleared it all out before heading to the bathroom with an empty box. Picking out her most important things first before going further in depth with the later she thought about her and Chase forgiving each other and how it changed everything between them and how Zoey and him ended up made her see how crazy life was. As she collected everything from her bathroom she closed up the box and headed back to her room thinking about their wedding and how soon something like that was in store for her. Setting the bathroom box down on top of another she pulled out the marker in her pocket and wrote. ’BATHROOM’ on it in all caps so she didn’t have to look through boxes to find the right one and then shoved the maker back in her pocket before sitting on the end of her bed to continue reading.
But Chase is your brother and with no doubt you won’t ever get another one like him so whatever happens be the one to step up and forgive him because neither one of you are perfect or ever be perfect to be honest you two may always but heads but in the end you are family. But don’t forget out of all the siblings you have you two sisters and one just so happens to be your only half-sister and her name is lovely Wynter can you imagine that you two just met at Clarke’s burlesque club not too far from the university. How you two met was pretty crazy am I right the funny thing was Clarke knew you two were related and it took you like an hour to figure it out once you both brought up that you had older siblings and a younger one at that. From then on you two both live separate lives but somehow you two where irrespirable with each other. Finding out you have a sister that is only four months older than you it was something you always wanted and it happen at such a random time and yet I bet you to are still close telling each other everything. I bet as you are reading this you looking down at your phone or felt your phone vibrate from a text message from her, because you told her about the letter you found under the floorboard. Yeah, I know myself pretty well to know what your reaction might be like at the moment. Take a breather trust me you have one more person I have to mention and this will be a tear jerker believe me because I know you two are still together.
As Cassanova looked up and out her bedroom door she laughed as her throat tighten making it hard to swallow. Her younger self was right at that moment about the text message Cassanova had received a text from Wynter asking her if she needed help moving or if she could come over to help out. This letter did indeed scare Cassanova a little because even though the note was written four years ago it could have been written as if it was yesterday. As she looked beside her she knew she couldn’t carry the boxes downstairs they were just too heavy for her at the moment. “Rhys, I need help with these boxes they are a little too heavy.” She yelled from where she was sitting to hearing Rhys and her brother’s downstairs moving things. She then looked around her room one more time filled with so much emotion about leaving her first home in Phoenix to a place a lot bigger. Turning back down to the paper she let go of one side and played with her engagement ring on her finger thinking of just how much things have changed for the better and she smiled before continuing to read on.
So I bet you are now wanting to know what I wrote about Rhys, your Reese Cup you used to call him or if you still even do that’s if you lasted this long. But I’m sure you did since you two have this kind of connection people would die for. So even though you and Rhys have your ups and downs like any other couple I bet you didn’t think you two would have lasted this long dealing with the obstacles you’ve face along the way. How long did you keep you two a secrete because I know you two didn’t last long and writing this now I feel the urge to just come out after school today and just tell everyone and forget who cares, I mean it’s your love life no one else is going to change the way you feel about him unless something happens. So you might have to kick some or go all out to prove your worth. Rhys’s is a difficult one but trust me he is well worth keeping, he even promised your brothers to do right by you so he wouldn’t get his own ass kicked. And if you two aren’t together as you are reading this then you need a slap back into reality because what the hell were you thinking because I know in myself that I ended it all and you need to put down this letter right now and go fix it! But if you had a reason than it better have been a good one because neither one of you are perfect and both of you keep each other sane. So just remember he is the best thing in your life that has happen and if you two are still together than damn you made it through everything and you probably have everything you ever wanted with him.
As Cassanova finished reading she touched her stomach feeling her little one move inside her as Rhys was coming up the steps to help her carry the boxes downstairs. As she stood up she kissed him intertwining each other’s hands together before she pulled away and half whispered. “Wynter texted me I think she is already to give her up.” She spoke breathing in his lingering smell she craved. “Well, she acts just like you I wouldn’t be surprised.” Rhys half smiled with his classic grin on his face. “What is that supposed to mean?” Cassanova questioned him giving him the ‘Oh Really.’ Look. “This little guy here acts way more like me, than what you think.” Rhys spoke rubbing her stomach with their future son. She bit her bottom lip and followed his hands on her stomach before looking back up at him. “I think we need to get going before it gets too dark.” Cassanova spoke again but as she did so Rhys reached behind her and grabbed the letter that was sitting on her old bed and read out loud ‘Dear Future Cassanova….’ Looking up at him she wondered if it was going to surprise him too on what she wrote as if she predicted the whole future.
