Doubt
Cassie Jordan was an overthinker.
She could stare down a Red Lantern, fight hand-to-hand with assassins, and stand her ground against Gotham’s worst criminals—
But she couldn’t shut off her own damn thoughts.
And lately?
All of them revolved around Damian Wayne.
She knew what he showed her—he let her in, let her push his buttons, let her tease him without retaliation. He let her see glimpses of emotion that no one else got to see.
But then there were the other moments.
The moments where he was distant, unreadable, cold.
The moments where he was so damn composed, so emotionless, that she started wondering if he actually cared at all.
She never said anything.
Never let it show.
Until tonight.
They were at a League event, nothing major, just an excuse for heroes to socialize. Cassie and Damian had been standing near the back, as usual, when she noticed a girl approaching him.
Cassie instantly tensed.
She wasn’t the jealous type.
(Okay, maybe she was, just a little.)
But it wasn’t jealousy that made her feel like her stomach was twisting itself into knots. It was that awful, nagging doubt whispering in her ear—
"What if he doesn’t actually want you?"
The girl smiled at Damian, twirling a lock of her perfect blonde hair between her fingers.
"You’re Robin, right?" she asked, tilting her head.
Damian didn’t respond, but the girl kept talking.
"I heard you were single." She giggled. "Maybe I could change that."
Cassie stayed quiet.
She didn’t interrupt. Didn’t say a word.
She just stood there, forcing herself to breathe evenly—because who was she to be upset?
They weren’t official.
He didn’t owe her anything.
If he wanted someone else, he—
"No."
Damian’s voice was flat, sharp, and left no room for argument.
The girl blinked, caught off guard. "No?"
"No," he repeated. Then, as if the conversation was already beneath his attention, he turned away.
The girl huffed and walked off.
Cassie should’ve felt relieved.
She didn’t.
Because it still didn’t answer anything.
Back at Wayne Manor
Damian noticed something was wrong immediately.
Cassie was too quiet.
Too lost in her head.
She had been fine before the event, but now?
Now she was distant, like she had built a wall between them.
"What’s wrong?" he asked as they entered the Manor.
"Nothing." Cassie lied.
He narrowed his eyes. "Jordan."
"I said nothing, Wayne."
She turned on her heel, walking off before he could press further.
She wasn’t about to dump her insecurities on him.
If he wanted her, he’d show it. If he didn’t—then maybe she was just setting herself up for disappointment.
She needed to talk to someone.
And there was only one person who would understand.
Cassie pushed open a door and found Stella Wayne sitting on her bed, scrolling through her phone.
Stella barely glanced up. "Took you long enough."
Cassie sighed, running a hand through her hair.
"I think I’m losing my mind."
Stella smirked. "Oh, honey. That happened a long time ago."
Cassie flopped onto the bed beside her.
"Yeah, well. This time, it’s about your brother."
Stella immediately groaned.
"I hate everything about this conversation already."
Cassie laughed weakly.
But deep down?
She wasn’t sure if she was actually joking this time.