Strong & Wilde 2

by L. G. Castillo

SEVEN: Cassie

  I plopped a pillow against the washing machine in my tiny make shift bedroom, making myself comfortable as I listened to the soft hum of the dryer. Once in a while, Mama Flor had to throw in a load of clothes late at night. She did laundry for a couple of university professors for extra cash. I’d gotten used to the noise since I began living with the Ruiz’s. It was actually soothing. Tonight¸ though, I just couldn’t seem to fall asleep.

  It depressed me to think how things between Mandi and Nic could change so quickly. In the morning, Mandi and I were so happy. She was with Nic, and I was with Cody. It was like we were living a teen romance novel. Within hours, all of it was taken away.

  Stubborn, sweet Mandi. I knew she wouldn’t change her mind about Nic no matter how much I tried to convince her. Maybe she had the right idea. With graduation coming up soon, I’d be leaving too. Maybe it was better for Cody if I broke it off with him.

  A ball formed in my throat at the thought of telling Cody we should break up. I didn’t want to do it. I didn’t even know if I could.

  I sighed. The end of high school should be an exciting time. Instead, all I wanted to do was cry. I’d never thought I’d have to say goodbye to the people that meant the most to me in the world. I guess nothing stayed the same. But why did change have to hurt so much?

  The dryer came to a stop and I heard a strange noise. It sounded like someone playing a piano. I got up from my bed and padded into the kitchen.

  Mandi was at the table. She swirled a spoon around in a bowl of creamy vanilla ice cream. Three empty soda bottles, several candy wrappers, and an empty carton of Blue Bell ice cream littered the table.

  “Do you hear that?” I asked.

  She popped her head up for a moment then shrugged. “That’s Juan snoring.”

  “Not that.” I took the spoon and bowl of soupy ice cream away from her and placed it into the sink. “The music. It sounds like it’s coming from outside.”

  She furrowed her brow. “Hmm, that sounds like—”

  She suddenly shot from the table, dashing to her room. I sped after her. As I walked in, I looked nervously at Selena, who was sound asleep on the small bed they shared. Then I remembered Selena slept like a rock.

  “No way. It can’t be.” Mandi went to the window. She swept the faded blue curtain aside and threw the window open. “Ahhh! It is. It’s him! It’s Nic...and Cody!”

  Outside, near the tree swing, Cody held a jam box over his head. His muscles flexed underneath the weight of the large silver box. Nic was a few feet in front of him, singing the lyrics to Mandy, his sweet tenor voice could be heard over Barry Manilow’s.

  “Oh my god! He’s doing what that guy did in that Say Something movie we saw last week,” she said.

  “Anything,” I corrected.

  “Yeah, whatever.” She waved her hands, shushing me.

  With each word Nic sang, he took a step toward the open window, arms stretched wide as if calling her to him. His handsome face was filled with such a longing it brought tears to my eyes. He was singing his heart out to her, being as open and as vulnerable as anyone can get, in the hopes that she’d come back to him.

  Mandi’s hand gripped the windowsill. Her face was a mask but her eyes gazed at him with such love I could almost feel her internal struggle. I wanted to tell her to go to him. To take him back. If anyone deserved to be happy, it’s her.

  The music grew into a crescendo as the final chorus began. Nic flashed a lopsided grin, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

  “My Mandi, whenever you kiss me, you stop me from shaving.”

  Mandi squealed at the botched lyrics and flew out of the room. I scrambled after her, laughing so hard my stomach ached. With all the ruckus we made, Mandi’s parents rushed out of their bedroom, looking frantic.

  “Mandi!” Papa Manuel called after her as she tore the front door open, racing outside.

  From the couch, Juan groaned, sitting up on his elbows. He looked at me bleary-eyed. “Hey, what’s happening?”

  “It’s Nic. He’s serenading Mandi.”

  “Gringo loco,” he mumbled. He fell back to the couch, placing a pillow over his head.

  By the time, Mandi’s parents and I got outside, the song was over. Cody gave me a wink as he continued to hold the jam box over his head. Nic’s hazel eyes watched Mandi anxiously, waiting for her to make the first move.

  “Hey, man. This thing’s getting heavy,” Cody said.

  “We’re done with that. You can put it down,” Nic answered not taking his eyes off Mandi.

  Cody placed the jam box on the ground, rubbing his biceps. He gave me a slow smile. I took a step toward him and he shook his head, mouthing, “Not yet.”

  “Senor and Senora Ruiz, there’s something I need to say to you and Mandi.” Nic paused, taking a deep breath. Then in broken Spanish he apologized for his parents’ treatment of Mandi.

  Nic Marcelli learned Spanish!

  My jaw dropped as I listened to the words as he spoke carefully.

  It was obvious he was trying hard, and from the smiles and twitching lips coming from Mama Flor and Papa Manuel, not all his words were accurate. But the expression on Mandi’s face said it all. She was more in love with him than ever.

  In halting Spanish, Nic told Mama Flor and Papa Manuel how much he loved Mandi and would never do anything to hurt her. He swallowed thickly when he told them he didn’t want to be a part of a family that didn’t want Mandi in it. He asked for their permission to continue being with her and to be part of their family. He wanted to move with them to San Marcos.

  When he finished, he turned back to Cody giving him a nod. Cody went behind a tree and pulled out a guitar. He strummed a song that I’ve heard Mandi’s mother listen to frequently on their old record player. It was called Si Nos Dejan.

  Tears streamed down Mandi’s face as Nic sang of how they were going to live in a new world, a new life where they’d both be happy—if they, Mandi’s parents, let them. It was a beautiful song of hope and love. I wished with every fiber in my being that Mandi and Nic would be given a chance to live that dream.

  After the last note was sung, Nic turned to her father, waiting for his answer.

  “He holds much love in his heart for you,” Papa Manuel said to Mandi. Then he went to Nic and placed a hand on his shoulder. “It takes much courage to do what you see is right when your family sees it as wrong. Today, you are a man. Sí, you are welcome to come with us. You are família, Hijo.”

  Emotion flooded Nic’s face at Mandi’s father acknowledging him as a son. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. “Thank you.”

  Mandi’s mother went up to him and kissed his cheek. As she headed toward the house, she said to Mandi, “Don’t stay up too late.”

  When they were gone, Mandi turned to Nic. “The lyrics to Mandy, you got them wrong.”

  He grinned, his eyes flashing. “Only the best for you.”

  She squealed and ran to him, leaping into his arms, the momentum knocking them to the ground.

  Cody chuckled as he looked down at Mandi on to top Nic kissing him. “This looks familiar.”

  I elbowed him, laughing with him. “Don’t ruin the moment.”

  He smiled widely, his dimple turning me weak in the knees. “Come here,” he said, taking my hand. “I’ve got a little surprise for you myself.”

  Taking me behind the tree, he took the cassette out of the jam box and slipped in another. The deep melodic voice of Anne Murray sang softly through the speakers.

  “One of your favorites I believe?”

  I slid my hands up his muscular chest. “How did you know?”

  “Mandi told me. That is, after she gave me a list of songs that I should be listening to instead of country,” he said, sweeping me into his arms. “And it’s true you know.”

  “That you shouldn’t listen to country music?” I weaved my fingers into his soft hair.

  “Not that.” He laughed, his chest vibrating against mine. “The
words to the song. Ain’t nobody in this world loves me the way you love me.”

  “You’ve got that right,” I murmured as he drew closer, pressing his lips against mine. “Mmm, remind me to thank her for telling you.”

  “There’s something I’ve been wantin’ to ask you,” he said in between heated kisses.

  “What?”

  “Will you go to prom with me?”

  I pulled back, surprised. I’d been so busy I hadn’t even thought about prom. I assumed we wouldn’t go. It was so expensive and I knew he didn’t have much money.

  “We don’t have to. We could go to the drive-in and watch a movie or something.”

  “And have you miss seeing my smooth moves?” He twirled me around and then dipped me. Holding me in a dip, he pressed his lips against my neck. “So what do you say?”

  I gasped. His kiss sent shivers to places I didn’t know existed. “I want to but it’s so expensive.”

  “Don’t worry about that. I’ve been savin’.”

  I gazed into his blue eyes. How lucky was I to have someone like him in my life? Like the words to the song, I wondered what I’d be doing in this moment if I’d never met him or if my father had never invited him camping with us.

  “Okay, I’d love to.”

  “That’s my girl.” He lifted me up and took my hands, wrapping them around his waist. We stayed like that for a while as we swayed to the music.

  “Does this mean I’ll get to see you in a tux?”

  “Of course.” He kissed the top of my head. “Nic’s letting me borrow one of his. Though I still gotta figure out where to get a suit for graduation.”

  My chest constricted as I thought of graduation again. I placed my head against his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart. Time was going by way too fast. Was I meant to have only a small moment of happiness with Cody?

  I clung to him, not wanting to let go of the one person in my life that made me feel alive. Cody touched my heart in a way no other person ever could. I might only be eighteen, but I knew a love like ours was special. No one could ever love me the way Cody does.

  I held onto him as if the moment was our last. He didn’t bring up anything about our future. Maybe he knew just like I did that eventually we’d have to go our separate ways.

  Placing a finger under my chin, he lifted my head until worried eyes met mine. “You’re awfully quiet.”

  “I was just thinking how much I like my present.” I kept my voice light not wanting to ruin the short amount of time we had together.

  “Good. I was hoping you would ’cause I can’t sing worth a flip.”

  “You sure can kiss though.”

  “Hmm.” His blue eyes simmered as they drifted down to my lips. “I guess I’ll need to stick with what I’m good at.”

  “No complaints from me.”

  He ducked his head and warm lips pressed against mine. Electricity shot through me when his tongue coaxed my lips apart and slid into my mouth. My fingers clutched at his hair and he deepened his kiss. He moaned and I found myself being pressed against the tree. My right leg hitched up around his waist. I whimpered with pure pleasure when I felt his hardness pressed against me.

  My hands flew underneath his shirt, frantic to feel every inch of his toned body—desperate to push away the thought that my days with him were numbered. Instead, I focused on the feel of his hands as they skimmed under my blouse and over my breasts. And how his soft, lips gently sucked on mine sending a tingling sensation all over my body. We kissed and held each other under the starlit sky. I memorized the moment, searing it into my mind, knowing that after graduation, memories were the only things I’d have left to hold onto.

  EIGHT: Cody

  I wiped the sweat off my brow. How did the Ruiz’s manage to put so much stuff in a small house?

  Nic and I placed the last boxes into the U-Haul and Cassie’s belongings into the back of my truck. When we were done, we turned to each other in awkward silence.

  Over the past few months, I’d gotten to know Nic. He was a pretty cool guy. Sometimes I wished I could be more like him: confident and sure of myself. Despite being razzed by Seth, Dillon and their friends, he managed to take it all in stride. He even won over a few people to his side.

  I wished I could’ve done the same. I glanced over at Cassie. She was giving a tearful hug to Mandi and her family. If it wasn’t for the Wilde hot blood and Seth’s subtle threats, I could’ve been with Cassie a lot sooner rather than wasting time trying to stay away from her.

  We sure did make up for that lost time though. Prom, graduation, it all went by in a whirlwind. And in between, I worked my ass off to save up for Cassie’s real surprise. Dancing to her favorite song a few weeks ago and asking her to prom was just the beginning. Every spare dime I had, I squirreled away. Mike helped some by giving me ranch jobs that he’d usually do. It was hard giving up weekends when I could’ve been with Cassie. She didn’t ask why I had to work so much. I guess she assumed it was to pay for prom. She was partly right. The other part was a secret that I couldn’t wait to share with her.

  Paying for prom did put a little dent in my savings. Though it was totally worth it, seeing her when I picked her up. She looked like an angel, wearing a strapless pink dress with a big sash around her tiny waist. I couldn’t keep my lips off her bare shoulders as we danced. I’m surprised we didn’t get kicked out with all the necking we did in the high school gym.

  I’d wanted to make that night special for her and with Nic’s help I was able to. He hired a limo and took us to a fancy restaurant in College Station. He pretty much paid for everything but he did it in a way that it didn’t feel like I was mooching off him.

  The downer was Seth and Dillon. I didn’t think they’d be at the prom. Cassie didn’t seem to notice Seth staring at her. I kept my arm around her protectively the entire time, hoping that he wouldn’t bother us. His date, some sophomore with long brown hair like Cassie’s, was glued to his side so that might’ve helped.

  The day after graduation I woke up feeling like a new man, excited about a future without Seth and Dillon in it. Seth had finally graduated along with his brother. Dillon was leaving to attend a university in Austin in the fall and Seth was going with him. Rumor had it that the sheriff made a sizable contribution to the university and that Seth was entering with a conditional admission.

  “Thanks dude...for everything.” Nic held out his hand.

  “I should be thanking you,” I said. “You helped me a lot with prom. Not to mention the graduation celebration dinner with Cassie’s mom in Houston.”

  “Nah, that was nothing. Now learning that mariachi song on the guitar on short notice...that was something. I didn’t know at the time how perfectly the words of the song would fit after what happened with my family and Mandi. You’re a good friend, Cody.”

  “Thanks, man,” I said, slapping his shoulder. “And sorry ’bout your family.”

  He frowned, his eyes growing cold. “I don’t need them. Besides, I have my new family.” His eyes softened when he looked toward Mandi’s parents.

  “Cody!” Mandi suddenly flew at me almost knocking me over as she threw her arms around me.

  “Oof!” How could someone so tiny knock the wind out of me?

  “I’ll miss you so much,” she said, pressing her cheek against my chest. Her tears wet the front of my t-shirt.

  “I’ll miss you too, Mandi. Won’t be able to hear another Manilow song without thinking of you,” I teased.

  She laughed, pushing me playfully. “You take care of Cassie, okay? And her living in Houston doesn’t give you an excuse not to. And you better come to San Marcos to visit us too.”

  “You bet.” I glanced at Cassie. She looked miserable. I couldn’t wait to get her alone and erase the sadness from her pretty face. My stomach fluttered nervously.

  There was a series of honks followed by yelling from the U-Haul.

  “Come on, let’s go!” Juan yelled from the front seat.
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  “Ugh, Juan.” Mandi rolled her eyes. “We’re coming!”

  She gave Cassie and me one last hug. “You’ll make sure my Pinto gets a good home?”

  “Sure thing.” I chuckled. Mr. Ruiz had to leave the car. There was no way it was going to make it to San Marcos in one piece. I had offered to hold onto it until I found someone desperate enough to buy it. It was good to drive around locally and someone with good mechanical skills could keep it running.

  As the U-Haul and Nic’s BMW drove off, I placed an arm around Cassie, soothing her as she cried softly into my chest.

  “Hey, you’ll see her soon. Remember, she’s only a phone call away.”

  “I know. It’s just...it won’t be the same. And”—she pulled away, gazing up at me— “after you drop me off at my mom’s in Houston, I won’t be seeing you either.”

  “Well, maybe and maybe not.” I brushed away the fresh tears that streamed down her face.

  She blinked. “What do you mean?”

  “I have a surprise for you. But first”—I reached into the back of my jeans pocket and dangled a blue bandana—“you need to put this on.”

  “Why do I—Cody, what are you doing?” She squealed as I placed the blindfold over her eyes.

  “You’ll see.”

  ***

  I pulled the truck to a stop at a small yellow house sitting on the outskirts of the Koppe city limits. The house had definitely seen better days. The steps leading to the sun-faded front door needed fixing and the house needed a good coat or two of paint. Out back was an open field of wild flowers and huge oak trees. The moment I had seen it, I knew Cassie would love it.

  The owner of the rental lived in a large, white house a few yards away. Terracotta flowerpots lined the steps leading up to the large porch where a rocking chair sat in the corner. Wind chimes hung from the porch roof, jingling in the breeze. Other than the owner’s house, there were no other homes around.

  “Can I take the bandana off?”

  “Not yet.” I carefully positioned her in front of the house. “Okay, ready?”

  “Yes! Let me see already.” I chuckled as she bounced.