“What’s his name?” Erica looked worried now, and it only caused Cass to wonder what was really going on here. “How old is he?”
“Fifteen. He told me his name is Kyle.” Cass watched as Erica’s facial features morphed from confusion to concern in less than a few seconds.
“Son of a bitch,” Erica said as she pushed past Cass and walked quickly to the passenger door of Cass’s car. She didn’t hesitate to whip the door open and grab Kyle by the collar, pulling him out of the passenger seat. “What the hell are you doing here? Do Mom and Dad know you’re gone?”
“I ran away.”
“You what?” she asked. This was so not a good situation. Now she was going to have to call them, and she doubted they wanted to speak to her any more than she wanted to talk to them. She took him by the arm and led him into the house, almost running into Cass along the way. She met her eyes after she shoved Kyle inside. “I’m sorry. Please come in. Kyle’s my little brother.”
“I should go,” Cass answered. “I’ll talk to you later, okay?”
“Please? I want you to come inside. You said you saved him from being beat up, but he’s bleeding.” Erica looked in the house and saw Kyle sitting on the couch, dried blood all over his face. And he kept placing a hand over his ribs. “I could use your help cleaning him up while I call our parents.”
“Sure,” Cass said, sounding reluctant but following her in.
Erica directed them to the bathroom and let out an exasperated breath before grabbing her cell phone from the coffee table and dialing the number she still knew by heart. She felt her pulse speed up when her mother answered the phone.
“Hi, Mom,” she said, trying to force herself to sound cheery when in reality her guts were in an uproar. She’d honestly thought she’d never speak to either of them again. “It’s Erica.”
“I thought we made it clear we had nothing to say to you.”
“Wait, please don’t hang up. Kyle’s here.”
“What do you mean he’s there?”
“He said he ran away. I figured you’d probably be worried about him.”
“I didn’t even know he was gone. I thought he was upstairs in his room,” her mother said, sounding anything but worried, and Erica’s heart dropped. He’d told them. “But you know what? You can keep him for all I care. You two deserve each other.”
Erica closed her eyes and continued holding the phone to her ear even though her mother had disconnected the call. She knew this was going to happen when he came out to them, but knowing it didn’t stop the gut-wrenching pain she experienced. It had been one thing for them to turn their backs on her; she’d been twenty-eight when she told them. But Kyle was still a minor. She shuddered to think what might have happened to him if he’d stayed in Syracuse and ended up living on the streets.
“You didn’t call them, did you?” he asked when he and Cass emerged from the bathroom. “I should have told you they wouldn’t care. I heard them talking about sending me to some gay conversion camp their church supports.”
“I’m glad you came here, Kyle,” Erica said, taking a seat next to him on the couch. She put her arm around him and hugged him. She saw Cass watching them and looking a little uncomfortable with the situation so she forced a smile. She pulled back and looked him in the eye. “You know you can always come to me, right?”
“Yeah, that’s why I’m here,” he said with a nod. She saw the tears welling up, so in an attempt to not embarrass him, she stood and went to Cass.
“I should go. His ribs are bruised, but I don’t think anything’s broken.” Cass watched him for a moment then looked at Erica, the discomfort in her eyes now replaced with what looked like genuine concern. “Are you guys going to be all right?”
“We’ll be fine as soon as we can figure things out,” Erica answered with a quick glance over her shoulder. “As I’m sure you’ve surmised, our parents aren’t the unconditional love type of people. They were when I was growing up, but things change, I guess. People change.”
Cass handed her a business card.
“Call me if you need anything. I spent less than an hour with him, but I got the impression he’s a good kid. If I can help, I’d like to.”
“Thank you.” Erica felt like she might cry now. “I thought you didn’t like kids.”
“I don’t like young kids,” Cass said with a smile. “Give me a room full of unruly teenagers any day.”
“I’m going to bed,” Kyle said as he stood from the couch. “If it’s okay with you.”
“I’ll talk to you later,” Cass said to Erica.
“No, don’t go. Just let me get him settled and we can talk, all right?”
Cass seemed reluctant, but she finally took the television remote Erica handed to her and made herself comfortable on the couch. After a moment, she put the remote on the coffee table without having turned on the TV.
“Thank you for what you did, Cass,” Kyle said, his voice soft.
“You’re welcome.” Cass smiled at him, and Erica felt some of the gloom recede at the sight. “Just don’t get into trouble again, because I might not be around next time.”
“I’ll see you again, right?”
Erica glanced at Cass who seemed to be having trouble coming up with a response. She let her struggle for a bit before taking mercy on her.
“Of course you will,” she said. “Cass is a friend.”
CHAPTER SIX
Cass sat on the couch for a few minutes, but then she got to her feet. She really should just go home. Family stuff wasn’t her thing. Especially when it was someone else’s family. She hadn’t been blessed with a father of the year candidate by any means, but at least she was fairly sure he would have cared if she’d run away.
“Or not,” she said under her breath. Who knew how he might have reacted? Other than the occasional kiss on the cheek when her mother was getting her ready for bed, he’d never shown any affection toward her. In fact, he’d made sure to tell her how worthless she was whenever he had the opportunity. The adult Cass knew it had been his way of trying to control her, just as he did everyone else, especially women. That didn’t lessen the pain and emotional scars that developed when she was little though, and were still a source of pain now. She wondered now if he would have even noticed had she run away from home.
“Thank you for waiting,” Erica said as she came through the living room and went straight to the kitchen. “Can I get you something to drink? I have water, Coke, milk, beer. I could make coffee if you’d like some.”
“Water’s fine,” Cass said. A beer would hit the spot right about now, but she thought she should keep her wits about her if she was going to be alone with Erica. The attraction was definitely still there, but getting involved with someone who had familial obligations like this wasn’t something she was interested in.
She took the glass from Erica before Erica took a seat at the other end of the couch. Cass watched her for a moment until Erica caught her looking.
“I think you’re his new hero.”
“Yeah, right.”
“I’m serious. He didn’t stop talking about you while I was making up the bed for him. The way he tells it, you’re a superhero.”
Cass smiled as the comment sunk in. It felt nice. She didn’t know why, but she liked Kyle. It was almost as though they shared some kind of connection.
“Anybody would have done the same thing,” Cass said, but she didn’t really believe the statement. Society for the most part had evolved into a self-centered state. If it didn’t affect you, then why get involved? She knew everyone wasn’t so callous, but in her experience, the vast majority of people were.
“No. Not true, and you know it,” Erica said. “And a lot of people around here would have turned their backs on him simply because he’s gay.”
“I’ll admit it’s probably easier to be gay in a big city, but I’d like to believe there are some good people left, even out here in the sticks.”
“Obviously, there are,
because you helped him.”
Cass felt her cheeks flush. What the hell? She’d never reacted this way to a compliment before. She made the quick decision to just go with it.
“Thank you for that,” Erica said. “Helping him, I mean.”
“Where are you from, if you don’t mind my asking?” Cass felt a change of subject was called for, because if things kept going in that vein, she may not be able to ignore the urge to kiss Erica for much longer.
“Syracuse, born and raised.”
“How did Kyle get to Elba, which is where I rescued him, by the way.”
“He borrowed money from a friend and bought a bus ticket to Batavia. His reasoning was that looking at a map, it was closer than either Rochester or Buffalo.”
“Smart kid.”
“Yes, he is.”
“Are you going to send him back home?”
Erica was silent for a few moments, and Cass watched the emotions take over her features. She really was beautiful when she was concentrating on something. Hell, she was beautiful no matter what she was doing. When she let her head fall back against the couch, exposing her neck, it took everything in Cass to resist running her fingers along the skin.
“I don’t think I can. My mother told me to keep him here, for all she cared. They don’t want him, and hearing her say that breaks my heart.”
“I’m sorry, but what a bitch. It should be a crime to treat your kids like that.”
Erica laughed, and the sound sent a shiver through Cass’s body. She wanted to hear the wonderful sound forever.
“She is a bitch, so don’t be sorry for saying it out loud. My fantasy is to someday tell her exactly that to her face.”
“Those aren’t the kinds of things I fantasize about.” The words were out of her mouth before she had the opportunity to stop them. Her cheeks flushed again.
“Are you flirting with me?” Erica smiled, and Cass noticed the dimples she hadn’t seen before. They were adorable and only added to the overall sexiness Erica possessed.
“I’m not sure how to answer,” Cass said honestly. She didn’t want to scare her away, but then again, why not? Because I like her, that’s why not. The thought should have had Cass running for the proverbial hills, but instead, a sense of calm washed over her. “I really need to get home.”
“Oh, okay.”
Cass thought she sounded disappointed. They both stood, and Erica walked her to the door, which was only a few feet away from where they’d been sitting. Before she opened the door, Cass turned to face her and found herself to be only a couple of inches from Erica. She glanced down to Erica’s lips before sucking in a breath and meeting her eyes. She was almost certain she saw desire in those blue depths.
“I really want to kiss you right now,” she said, and Erica’s eyes darkened at the words. “Would that be okay?”
“I think it might be a bad idea.” Erica looked as though she were struggling with the words, but Cass nodded and took a step back. “But if the invitation is still open, I’d love to have dinner with you sometime.”
“Absolutely. How’s Friday?”
“Perfect.”
“Then it’s a date. I’ll pick you up at six.”
Cass was almost to her car when the words she said finally hit home.
A date? She didn’t date. And she’d be sure to set the record straight on Friday night. But there was a part of her that was feeling giddy about it. Really? Giddy? Cass shook her head.
“God help me.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
“I can’t go with you tomorrow,” Danny said, referring to the storage auction in Batavia they’d planned on attending. There were only a handful of units available, but they’d both been looking forward to it. Danny, especially, since he hadn’t been able to go yet this year.
“Why? What’s up?” Cass asked before taking a bite of the toast he’d made for her.
“Barb’s mother is coming to see the baby.” The look on his face told her all she needed to know about how he felt about his mother-in-law visiting. Since she lived in Virginia, it was pretty obvious it wasn’t going to be a quick trip either. “She’ll be here tonight.”
“All the more reason for you to get out of the house.”
“I wish,” he said with a sad smile and a shake of his head. “Barb wants me here. You know they don’t really get along well, and she wants me to run interference if things get too crazy.”
“How long is she planning on being here?”
“A week.”
Cass nodded, but she knew what he wasn’t telling her. If she bought a unit in Batavia, she wouldn’t be able to count on him to help clean it out. Her mind raced, trying to think of who she might be able to talk into going with her. She was coming up blank.
“Maybe I won’t go either,” she finally said.
“Why not?”
“If I buy a unit, who’s going to help me with it? If there’s anything big I won’t be able to move it by myself.”
“What about the kid you told me about? Lyle?”
“His name is Kyle, and I don’t know if it would be such a good idea.”
“You’re having dinner with Erica tonight, right?” he asked. She nodded so he continued. “Talk to her about it. He’s only been here a few days, so I doubt he’d have other plans. Just talk to her. What could it hurt?”
Cass thought about it. The only reason she was hesitating was because she figured if she involved Kyle in her work, she’d end up spending more time with Erica, and she wasn’t sure that was a good idea. There was definitely a mutual attraction there, which was perfectly fine for a bit of fun, but what if Erica wanted more? Cass couldn’t give her more.
“I’ll talk to her,” she said after a moment, but Danny gave her one of his looks. “What?”
“You like her. I can tell because you talk about her. You’ve never done that before.”
“Yes, I have.”
“No, you haven’t. I assume you’re not celibate, but you’ve never once talked about a woman before. I think you might finally be maturing.”
“Fuck you,” she said, barely resisting the impulse to throw the last bite of her toast at him. “I told you before I don’t want a relationship. I like having the freedom to do as I please and not answer to anyone.”
“It’s not so bad, you know, having someone to come home to at night.” He talked while he washed the few dishes they’d used for their breakfast. He looked over his shoulder at her. “Maybe you should give it a try. I just want you to be happy, Cass.”
“I am happy,” she said, knowing she sounded anything but. She stood and took her coffee cup to him.
“Bullshit,” he replied. “I know why you avoid relationships, you know.”
“Then enlighten me, little bro.”
He shut the water off and dried his hands on the towel he always had flipped over his shoulder whenever he was doing dishes. She watched him in silence as he was obviously working out in his head how to put into words what he wanted to say without pissing her off. She knew this look. It was his trying to be diplomatic look. She was about to leave when he met her eyes and leaned back against the counter.
“You’re worried you’ll end up in a relationship like Mom and Dad’s. I know she was never truly happy, and she felt trapped in her marriage. But you need to understand, times were different back then.”
“Really, Danny? It was the eighties, not the fifties,” she said. “It’s not like women were still expected to be barefoot and pregnant all the time.”
Cass saw what he was trying to do. He’d known she’d react to his statement the way she did. He was going to try to force her to look at the situation in a different way. It wasn’t as though she’d never done it on her own, but it always ended up the same. It was because of their overbearing and abusive father that her mother had never been happy. There was nothing he could say to change history.
“You’re right,” he said with a quick nod. “Which only means she was somewhat to blame
for staying with him, don’t you think?”
“He didn’t give her a choice, Danny. Did you know she was going to leave him once? I was thirteen at the time, and you were eleven,” she said, silently cursing him for making her remember the day she’d tried for years to forget. “She’d packed a bag for the three of us. She was getting ready to walk out the door when he came home early. It was the only time I ever saw him hit her, but I’m sure there were other incidents.”
“Her black eye?” Danny asked. It was apparent he hadn’t known what really happened that day. Their mother explained the black eye on a clumsy accident, and she knew Danny believed it. Cass knew differently, but she was forced to act like she believed her mother’s explanation.
“Yeah. He told her she’d regret it if she left him. He’d make sure she’d never see her kids again.” Cass wiped her eyes of the tears she’d shed because of the memory.
“He said it while you were there with her?”
“He didn’t know I was there. When she saw him pull into the driveway, she sent me to the kitchen. I was listening just inside the doorway. He threatened to kill her, Danny. He said he would hunt her down like a dog and make sure she never took another breath.”
“I didn’t know,” he said, his voice quiet. Cass noticed his eyes filling with tears as well.
“I know you didn’t. So don’t assume you know anything about my private life. I will not get trapped in a relationship with someone who wants me to conform to the person they want me to be.”
“But have you ever even let anyone close enough to find that out about them?” Danny crossed his arms over his chest as he spoke. “Not everyone is a control freak like he was.”
“I did once.”
“And what happened?”
“She tried to force me to be someone I wasn’t. She claimed she wanted to be with me, but she didn’t want her friends or family to know she was gay. She wanted me to look and act like I was heterosexual, and to tell everyone we were friends.”
Taking a Gamble Page 4
