The things we do for love.

by Anderson, Abigail

  Faye had constantly moaned about him and Cassie had dutifully listened. His name had become a regular occurrence in the house of late.

  “He’s over there, sitting next to the older lady.” Faye told her with a flick of her head somewhere to Cassie’s left.

  Cassie chanced a quick look in the direction Faye had indicated and Cassie’s heart stopped dead. Wow, he was a magnificent specimen of man.

  Dark brown hair, tall, muscular, very muscular. Good looking. Great, just her luck. Cassie felt the butterflies in her stomach and she clenched her hands in her lap to stop anyone from seeing that they were shaking.

  Luke stood up and addressed the Judge and Cassie listened to the long list of all the things that Faye had done. She listened to the deep raspy husky voice of his. It was warm like a fire on a cold day and smooth like chocolate. Wow.

  Cassie willed herself to take a breath and steady her nerves, falling apart wasn’t going to help her sister.

  Finally, when Luke had finished, it was Faye’s turn to address the judge. Cassie stood and asked the judge if it would be okay if she could represent her sister and after a consultation with Luke the judge had agreed.

  Cassie tried to keep her wits about her as she dealt with each point in turn. Luke stood several times to ask questions and she, through the judge, had answered them.

  After talking and negotiating extensively for a couple of hours the court adjourned until the following day. Which was just as well because Cassie was exhausted and not because of being in there. she had been painfully aware of Luke the whole time and it had slowly worn her down as the day had continued.

  Faye clung to Cassie’s hand as they left the courtroom and stepped outside onto the street.

  “I’m glad that’s over.” Faye breathed a sigh of relief.

  “Faye this is just day one. We have at least another week. There’s a lot to get through.”

  “Great.” Faye moaned. “I was hoping to go out with Craig and Olivia tonight.” Faye groaned as though she were two.

  “No such luck. You want to keep your head clear.” She told her.

  “Could I have a word.” A dark husky voice came from behind them and the two women turned to look at Luke. Luke stared at Cassie.

  “Oh what do you want.” Faye snapped. “Haven’t got your money’s worth is that it?” she scoffed at him. In spite of Faye’s tirade Luke’s eyes never left Cassie’s face. Completely ignoring her sister at her side.

  “Can we talk?” He asked her.

  “Anything you have to say to my sister you can say with me standing here.” Faye told him.

  “It won’t take long.” Luke tried again, still not acknowledging Faye.

  “No.” Faye burst out. “She’s my sister.” Cassie turned to her sister then.

  “Faye.” She pulled out her car keys from her bag. “Go wait in the car.” Faye turned to look at her sister with a shocked expression on her face.

  “But…” Faye took the keys.

  “Just go wait in the car.”

  “But…”

  “Please.”

  “Fine.” Faye huffed and walked off. But, as she did so she used her shoulder to bash painfully into Cassie. Cassie had to take a step back and she winced. It was a deliberate act Cassie knew and she bit down on her lip to stop herself telling her sister off. “But don’t listen to anything he says. He’s a liar” She slung over her shoulder.

  “Vera, why don’t you give us a minute.” Luke said to the woman at his side.

  “Sure. Why don’t I stand over there pretending not to be eavesdropping?” She said as she walked off.

  Cassie turned back to the tall man standing before her. She regarded him warily acutely aware of him.

  “It’s Cassie right?” Luke smiled at her and she nodded mutely. “Perhaps you should let your sister speak for herself.” He told her.

  “I… it is best I deal with it.”

  “You have noticed that she is quite capable of speaking for herself?” he asked her and she noted the sardonic tone.

  “I will handle things. In there you said that it was okay for me to speak on her behalf. Are you going back on that?” she asked him.

  “No, I just think that you are not helping her by doing this for her.”

  “You do not understand.” Cassie said.

  “I probably understand more than you think.”

  “No you don’t.” She stiffened.

  “So, because I wanted to talk to you and you agreed that was your fault?” Luke persisted and she frowned.

  “I don’t understand.”

  “The way she walked past you. Do you put up with that behaviour or is it that you are in public and you don’t want to cause a scene.” He sounded angry, though he kept his voice low as he spoke.

  “I was in the way.” She said instantly, defending her sister’s actions.

  “Wow, you were in the way.” He regarded her face for several long moments. “Tell me do you also walk into doors a lot, perhaps fall down the occasional stair.”

  “It has been a difficult day for her.”

  “And what about you Cassie? Hasn’t it been a difficult day for you?” Luke asked her and she shifted uncomfortably.

  “She doesn’t deal with these situations well.”

  “There is help available for people like her.” Luke said.

  “People like her?” Cassie raised her eyebrows. “And explain to me what kind of person she is?”

  “She obviously has mental health issues.” Luke told her.

  “There is nothing wrong with my sister.” Cassie instantly defended. But she knew that was not true.

  “Doing what she has done is normal behaviour in your opinion?” It was Luke’s turn to raise eyebrows at her. “Is that your professional opinion?”

  “Yes… no… I…” she huffed. “I will sort it. I have already told you. I will keep her away from you.”

  “Like you have managed to do up until now? Your methods are not working.” He told her harshly.

  “I will talk to her.”

  “She needs a firm hand.”

  “Is that your professional diagnosis Dr? she needs a firm hand. Why? Is that because she is a woman?” Cassie snapped back. Her eyes flashed angrily.

  “I didn’t mean it like that.” Luke told her.

  “If she had been my brother would you have said the same thing to me?” she asked him.

  “Probably not, no.” Luke agreed on a sigh.

  “Ah…” she said knowingly.

  “Ah… what?” she watched Luke bristle.

  “Ah… nothing.” She defended.

  “Ah… something.” Luke accused.

  “Thank you for your… professional… opinion.” She said. “I shall take it under advisement. Is that all?”

  “I could petition the court for an order.” Luke told her.

  “Order for what.”

  “To have her committed.” Luke said.

  “No please.” Cassie pleaded instantly becoming fearful.

  “It is not normal for the type of behaviour that she displays. Why haven’t you gotten her help before now?”

  “I have tried.” She defended herself.

  “Really? What help have you tried getting her?” He asked her.

  “I…”

  “I… yes…” He waited.

  “Well.” She stopped and huffed in defeat.

  “Ah…” he said.

  “Ah… what?” she bristled.

  “Ah… nothing.”

  “Ah… something.”

  “As a sister you are doing a lousy job. You are failing her and you are enabling her to continue to act that way.”

  “I will talk to her, I will make her stop.”

  “No you won’t, no you can’t.” Luke told her and Cassie took a breath.

  “Look, let’s just get this out of the way. I won’t contest anything in there. Let’s just get this case over and done with and then let’s hope our paths never cross again.”


  Cassie turned to go. It wasn’t fair. The man was such a dish, a good looking guy, more than good looking. Worse than that her body responded to him. she felt giddy like a school girl when he was close. If only, she thought.

  “You are doing her no favours.” Luke shouted at her departing back.

  “Thanks for the advice.” Cassie called back without turning round. She just wanted to make it back to the car and go home. They were due back in court the next day.

  “Stop enabling her.”

  “Again thanks for the advice.” She said again.

  “Cassie.” Luke called her again but she kept going. A second later she cried out in alarm as someone grabbed her upper arm and swirled her round. Luke stared down at her. She felt the heat of his hand on her arm and her mouth went dry.

  “She is not worth it you know. She needs more than you can give her. Let her deal with this. She needs to stand on her own two feet.” Luke said firmly. His lips tightening into a thin line as he studied her face.

  “I will keep her away from you.”

  “If you can’t then I will press criminal charges. I will go to court and get an order and I will have her committed under the mental health act.”

  “I will fight it.” Cassie straightened her spine as she jutted out her chin in defiance.

  “I will bury her so deep in paper work it will take you years to find her.”

  “Please. I promise I will talk to her. I will get her to stop.” Cassie tried again. Making a desperate plea to stop Luke from going down that line. If she lost Faye, she did not want to think about that.

  “Last chance Cassie.” Luke warned her.

  “Okay. I will. Please. She won’t be able to cope.”

  “She won’t… or you won’t?” Luke asked her quietly. “It would seem that perhaps you are just as bad as she is. You make her like that, you know that right?”

  Cassie wrenched her arm free and turned away from him fighting back tears. She wasn’t going to let him see her cry. “Last chance Cassie, do you hear. This is your last chance to make her toe the line before I do it for you.”

  Cassie kept her head down as she turned the corner and headed for her car. She was going to have to have yet another serious talk with her sister.

  Faye had always got herself into trouble. But she was in danger of being in real trouble now. She had to listen to her and stop this. She just had to…

  Chapter 3.

  Cassie reached the door, the same door that was being pounded on forcefully. she took a breath, that did nothing, and then reached for the handle with shaky hands as she reluctantly opened it.

  And there he was. Cassie’s heart skipped a beat. Luke Pearson. Tall, dark and handsome with a face like thunder. Jaw clenched tight, skin flushed and eyes spitting barbs. There was no denying that he was mad. No, not just mad but livid, he was fit to bust a gut.

  She had seen him mad a few times during the court case but this was way above all that. Cassie felt the weight of impending doom settle on her shoulder’s.

  Cassie swallowed hard as all the colour drained from her face. And she actually thought that she might faint. She stared up at him, eyes wide, mouth dry.

  “Where is she?” His voice was deep and low, menacing. His six-foot frame towered over her. Cassie took an involuntary step backward.

  “I…”

  He was far too close for comfort. She could hear her heart beating around under her ribcage like a frightened animal and the blood soared in her ears. Not that that had anything to do with fear and everything about how her body seemed to respond to him the minute he was close.

  “I know she’s there.” He told her and then shouted out, looking towards the stairs. “Are you going to come out and face me, or are you going to let your sister take the fall again.”

  “I…” Cassie tried again. Luke turned back to her. Something flashed in his eyes.

  “She should be the one coming here to face me not you. She’s a coward.” Luke accused.

  She felt the heat rise on her skin. She could smell his spicy aftershave and the natural musk of his own skin.

  “Um.” Cassie began.

  What could she say? She did not know what her sister had done yet and she was mesmerised by those deep glittering blue eyes. They were impressive, even when they were sparkling with menace and anger.

  “Are you going to get her down here or do I have to shout at you.” Luke asked her.

  Her own Hazel eyes stared up at his uncompromisingly hard face. Even this angry he was quite beautiful. It was just a shame that Faye had messed things up. Why was life so unfair?

  “What happened?” she asked now, ignoring the other comments. He was right after all and if she tried to defend Faye then he was pick on her again for it and tell her how wrong she was to do it. He had done that a few times.

  “Haven’t you had her committed yet?” He asked scathingly.

  “She doesn’t need…” She instantly bristled but Luke cut her off.

  “She doesn’t need you to give her permission to act the way she does.”

  “I do not.” Cassie straightened her spine defensively.

  “You clean up her mess. You sort everything out. That’s just like giving her permission. Stop bailing her out.” Luke demanded angrily.

  Why was how she dealt with her sister making him angry? Why should he care one way or the other? He had told her this before too. A couple of weeks ago outside the court house after he had won his case and was awarded damages from Faye. Damages that Cassie had had to pay.

  “Look, whatever has happened I am sure we can sort it out.”

  “You’ll deal with it like a good little nurse maid.” Luke scorned. She wanted to defend herself but Luke was right.

  “Please.” She sighed. She was tired. She wanted all this with Luke Pearson to be over. Not his fault, all Faye’s. she just couldn’t seem to leave well enough alone.

  Not content with waking up this particular tiger she kept creeping up behind him and pulling on his tail and then throwing Cassie into his path to deal with it.

  “Do you know what that insane nutter of a sister has done?” Luke asked her furiously. Cassie searched his face. This was bad, even for Faye this was bad.

  “I…” She stopped.

  “Well.” He demanded. “Where is the little psycho now?” He asked her. “Is she hiding in there?”

  “Please no name calling. Just tell me what she has done so I can sort it out and we can all move on.” Cassie crossed her arms over her chest in a protective gesture.

  “You want to know what she has done? She…” Luke raked a hand through brown hair and the pointed at her before huffing and shuffling whilst dropping his hand. Then with a shake of his head he said. “No, let me show you.” Luke reached out and grabbed her upper arm in a death like grip and pulled her from the doorway.

  She let out a cry in alarm at the sudden movement being thrust upon her. But Luke paid it no attention.

  Hard biting fingers dug into her flesh and she winced as she was marched out of her front garden and onto the quiet suburban street beyond her front gate.

  He abruptly let her go as if she were contaminated with something nasty and catching. She oddly felt bereft. She shook it off, in other circumstances, not that it mattered now, there really was no chance.

  “There was no need for –” Cassie stopped in her tracks. All thoughts seized and froze as her heart skipped dejectedly in her chest, and her mouth went dry.

  Oh Faye, How could you? It was the only thought that Cassie could formulate in her mind because all other thoughts emptied her head and jumped ship. In sick horror she took in the scene that met her eyes.

  Luke’s car, Luke’s very expensive car, had been repainted using spray paints. With words that should never be printed or spoken out loud. They were accusing him of being a… and a… and wishing his… would fall off.

  Cassie put her hands up to her cheeks as they grew warm and she felt her insides grow icy cold. S
he actually wanted to sit down and cry.

  “I…” she stopped. What could she say? What should she say?

  “She is quite the little artist, isn’t she?” Luke asked her in scathing tones.

  “I…”

  “The interesting use of colours is quite eye catching, Don’t you think? No one is in danger of missing it. And the handwriting is very legible. I particularly like that capital D at the start of that word.” He pointed in the direction of one of the words scrawled across his vandalized car.

  “I…”

  “How about the use of that word? The one beginning with P…” Luke stopped.

  “I…” She stopped again, completely lost for words as she took in the neon pink, yellow and green. The dark black and glow in the dark orange paint writing out words that were just awful and some that she had never even heard of but knew they probably did not have nice meanings.

  “The other side is just as artistic.” Luke assured her. “I think you would particularly like the word that begins with a W…”

  “I….” Cassie tried to shake the numbness that had invaded her brain.

  “Where is she?” He asked her. She couldn’t tell him. He would go into the house and probably kill her, of that she had no doubt. In fact, she was in danger of going into the house and killing her.

  “Out.” She lied and she heard Luke give a sneering scoff. She wasn’t fooling him. He knew that she was lying to protect her sister.

  “It will need to be stripped and repainted. It won’t be cheap.” Luke told her in clipped tones. Cassie turned to look at his angry face. She could see a pulse beating in his neck and she watched the tightening of his jaw. “This isn’t about the money.” He told her. “She needs to learn she cannot behave like this.”

  “I…” come on, she chastised herself, get your brain in gear.

  “This is not normal behaviour.” Luke tried again. Something else he had already told her. And she knew that he was right, but she was her sister and well… it’s what sister’s did. Wasn’t it?

  “How…?”

  “At least you look mortified at her behaviour. That’s something I suppose.” He stopped and stared at her for a moment.