Forever Yours, Casey
Page 7
The phone ringing on the desk distracts me, Monica’s smiling face is staring up at me from the screen. Other than a few texts, I haven’t really talked to her. I really don’t want to break the news of a secret child over the phone.
“Hello?”
“Hey, sweetie, how’s it going?”
“Everything's good here, the case is tougher than I thought it would be so I’m not sure how long this is going to take. The lawyer I’m working with seems like a good guy though and we’re working on getting the case moved out of the area so hopefully we’ll catch a break.”
“It sounds like your friend is lucky to have you there helping. Do you need me to send anything out there, some more clothes maybe?”
Of course she would be the ever loving and helpful fiancé. It actually makes me feel guilty. “More clothes would be great, and thanks for understanding.”
“Hey, I get it, but you may want to call your mom, she’s been acting kind of weird. She keeps asking if we’ve talked and how you are doing.”
“I’m starting to think she doesn’t realize the umbilical cord was cut many years ago.”
“You can’t fault a mom for worrying. I’ll let you go, I miss you and I love you.”
“I love you too, and I’ll talk to you soon. Bye.”
With a guilt laden sigh, I toss the phone on the bed. Out of the corner of my eye I see someone in the doorway. Brittany’s head is poking around the door; she gives me a shy smile.
“Sorry to intrude, the kids are getting their PJs on and we’re ready to start the movies.” Nibbling on her bottom lip, she glances at the phone. I assume she heard me say I love you, this couldn’t get more awkward.
“Sounds good, I’ll be there in a minute.”
Changing out of my suit, I put on a t-shirt and sweatpants before joining them on the couches. “This is exciting; I feel like we should have popcorn or something.” Austin’s cheer of agreement has everyone laughing.
“Good idea, we’re not going to get through all the movies tonight so we’ll remember that for next time.”
Brittany hits play then cuddles up with Austin. The first image to come up is a sixteen-year-old Brittany with messy hair who’s trying to smile while she’s grimacing. I recognize Maria’s voice as she laughs and narrates what is happening.
“Well, it’s after one a.m. and Brittany is having pretty intense back labor. Grandma is grabbing her bags because we’re on our way to the hospital, baby Kacee is ready to come out. How are you feeling, Britt?”
“Like I want to punch Casey in his balls.”
The camera spins around to a smiling Maria, “That’s just the contractions talking, no harm will come to anyone's balls tonight.”
Austin giggles and I turn a horrified face to Brittany. “What can I say, I was in pain.”
“Car’s ready, let’s go have a baby.”
I glance back at the T.V. and recognize Britt’s grandmother from pictures that were up around her apartment. This smiling woman is the person who has been hiding my letters all these years. The anger bubbling up surprises me.
The video cuts over to Brittany relaxing in a hospital bed looking much better than she did before.
“We’re all settled in and as you can tell, the epidural has been administered. I’m happy to say no one’s genitals were harmed in the process.”
“Ha-ha, very funny.”
Everything around me disappears as I’m sucked in by her smiling face. It’s exactly the way I remember her. This is my love, the girl who has haunted me all these years. I stare enthralled as the video progresses through labor, and I feel the tear slide down my cheek when they lay our daughter on Britt’s exhausted chest. The next hour is various clips of firsts - her first bath, first time sitting up, first time eating from a spoon. All the while Brittany is growing up, too, her beauty continuing to evolve as she grows into motherhood.
The tape ends and the spell is broken. As the blood rushing in my ears quiets down, I hear Brittany whisper to Kacee to take Austin to bed with her. At some point during the movie I had leaned forward, elbows on my knees, my chin resting on fisted hands. The softest touch on my shoulder causes me to jump up, pain constricting my breathing.
“Are you okay?”
“I...I don’t know what to say.” Emotions I hadn’t felt in a long time were threatening to explode out of me. Before I do anything rash, I take off for my room and go out on the balcony; maybe fresh air can calm me down.
After a few minutes, the ache in my chest starts easing and I’m mortified at my reaction. I asked to watch those tapes and then I freak out on them. The balcony door sliding open draws my attention. A nervous looking Brittany walks out with two glasses of wine.
“I thought we could both use this.” She hands me the wine then sits on the chair across from me.
“I hope I didn’t scare the kids?”
“Austin is oblivious and Kacee gets it. You were the last one to find out about all this, it can’t be easy.”
“I thought I had come to terms with this, I didn’t expect to react that way. Seeing you exactly how I remember you but swollen with our child was the most intense pain I have ever felt. Well, that’s not true, it’s second to the day I found you gone.” The more I talked, the angrier I felt. Turning anguished eyes to her, I can tell she’s shocked at my words. “I spent years trying to get over you. Do you know people tried to get me to believe you were dead? I was a kid, no one would help me, the police wouldn’t listen to me. You left me. You came here, started a new life and cut me out of it. How could you do that, how could you look that happy in those videos? You were stuck in my soul, I suffered without you. No one else loved me like you did. You...left...me.”
“Saying I’m sorry isn’t enough but it’s all I have. We did what we thought was best and look, it all worked out. You are here now, with us.”
“It all worked out? Really? You are on trial and our daughter was almost raped. If I had been in her life, she would have never even been allowed to go to that club. You did what you thought was best but maybe your best wasn’t good enough.”
I regret the words as soon as they are out but I can’t take them back. I wanted her to hurt, to feel an ounce of the pain I was in. I can see I have crushed her and I can’t add that guilt right now. Setting down my wine glass, I head inside. I need to get away.
As soon as the valet gets my car, I peel out and leave them all behind me. Driving through the city with no destination in mind gives me time to calm down. As fate would have it, I stumble upon the Haunt, the nightclub that started all this drama. I can’t hide the smile when I see Dirk’s SUV parked in front. I have a pretty good idea of how to get rid of some of this excess rage.
The music blaring out the open door doesn’t dim the noise from the crowd obviously having a good time inside. Lucky for me, it doesn’t take long to find Dirk. It’s no surprise to see him sitting on a couch with a girl on his lap and thugs all around him. I grab a beer from the bar and find the nearest high top in his sight and wait for him to spot me.
Maybe he can feel my anger pulsating toward him because it doesn’t take long for him to see me. The smile drops from his face, he shoves the girl off him and stomps toward me. Not wanting him to get the upper hand, I sip on my drink with a bored look on my face.
“I’ll give you credit, you have balls coming in here.”
“I was curious to see the place where you tried to rape Kacee.” I can tell he’s shocked by my candid accusation.
“I don’t know what you are referring to. I have never seen Kacee in here.” His friends chuckle at his obvious lie. “Isn’t it kind of late for you to be out, don’t you have a whore to defend?”
“I know you think you are tough, hiding behind your daddy like you are untouchable, but I promise you I will get you. Leave them alone or I will bury you and your entire family. I will make it my life’s mission to uncover everything your family does and take it public. I’ll laugh in your face as I watch your enti
re world collapse around you. Now be a good little boy and let your daddy know I’m not afraid of any of you.”
The rage in his eyes is a soothing balm to my soul. With a smile and a wink, I walk out of the bar and drive back to my family.
Chapter Eighteen
Brittany
The alarm beeping on my phone drills through my brain. I never heard Casey come back last night. I tried to stay awake but I finally passed out around two a.m.
“Mom, go back to sleep for a while. Dad is going to drop me at school then come back for you guys.”
My mind races with this information. He’s here and he’s not ignoring Kacee, that’s a good sign. I get his anger; he has every right to feel betrayed. I was the only person who showed him any love and affection and I took off without warning. Those home movies were supposed to bring us closer, instead I forced him to bare his soul and it was painful for both of us. I hope we can get past this.
“It’s okay, sweetie, I’ll take my time getting ready. Can you let him know Austin and I will be in the restaurant downstairs when he gets back?”
“Sure thing, love you, bye!” With a quick kiss on the cheek, she hurries out of the room. Glancing over I see Austin’s tiny body still curled into a ball, blissfully unaware of the early hour. With a groan, I drag my tired butt off to shower, leaving the door cracked in case he wakes up.
The hot water seeping into my bones washes away my gloominess and helps energize me. I swear I’m part water goddess or something, water really does make me feel better. I definitely feel more confident to see Casey again.
Only a little bit of grumbling from Austin before he finally wakes up, it only takes bribing him with eating downstairs to have him finally pop up.
We grab our usual table and order waffles. As soon as the waiter is gone, I take advantage of our alone time to see how he is taking all these changes.
“So Casey seems pretty cool, what do you think of him?”
“He’s awesome! He’s just like I thought a daddy would be.” The excitement in his eyes dulls, “Is he really going to leave soon?”
“Well, he has a job back home, he never meant to stay here forever.”
“But if you tell him how much you are going to miss him, he’ll stay.” Am I that transparent that my child can tell I still love him? “Me and Kacee will miss him, too!” His tear-filled eyes break my heart. Before I can say more, I see the object of our discussion baring down on us. He ruffles Austin’s hair before sitting down and noticing how miserable he looks.
“Hey buddy, what’s going on? Why the sad face?”
Austin’s eyes drop to his lap, “I don’t want you to go home,” he mumbles.
Great, now Casey knows we were talking about him. He looks to me and I shrug, what can I possibly say to that?
“Why are we worrying about that? I’ve already told you guys that you are going with me to meet your grandparents. Your mom and I will work something out. I’m not going anywhere kiddo, you’re stuck with me.”
Austin’s wide toothy grin is a sign that the crisis has been averted.
“Now finish your food so we can get you to school.”
It doesn’t take long to scarf down our food and get on the road. I’m actually dreading dropping Austin off first, that means I’ll be alone with Casey and that means we’ll have to talk about last night.
After a quick kiss and a hug, Austin is in the school and the silence in the car is deafening. The car pulls out; I’m relaxed instantly, thinking we’ll have a quiet ride to work. Instead he pulls over into a shady parking spot. The soft leather of his seats makes a rubbing noise as I see him turn toward me. Here we go.
“I want to apologize for my outburst last night. I had no right to say the things I did. I obviously am not as okay with this as much as I thought I was. I promise to keep my emotions in better check from now on. Please forgive me for the terrible things I said.”
I don’t realize my jaw has dropped until I try to swallow and realize my entire mouth has gone dry. Is he seriously apologizing to me? He really is a saint, isn’t he?
“This is an incredibly stressful time for both of us. I have turned your life upside down and didn’t take into account how you are handling this. I think we both have a long way to go before everything is okay again.”
There, that sounded very grown up. What I really wanted to say was that we were stupid and wrong to leave him, I still love him and I want him back in my bed. Somehow I don’t think that would have been the appropriate response though.
“I would like to keep watching those movies,” I think he sees the panic in my eyes, “but don’t worry, I’m better prepared this time and promise not to freak out again. I need to see them; I need to know everything I’ve missed. So many scenarios have played in my head since you left, watching these tapes will help me come to terms with everything I have worried about for the last sixteen years.”
A puzzled look crosses his face before turning into laughter. I stare questioningly at him, waiting for an explanation. “I’m sorry, I just realized it’s over. All the therapy, shutting myself in for letter day, mourning your loss, it’s all over. I actually feel free.” The utter look of relief mixed with happiness lifts a weight off my shoulders I didn’t realize was there till now. Maybe he’s right, maybe we can both move on and be okay again.
“That’s enough of the heavy stuff for today. Let’s get you to work so I can meet with Carter. I’ll pick up the kids again from school then come back for you, if you’d like?”
“Are you sure you want to take that much time away from work?”
“I’ve got the next five hours to get leg work in. Once I have the kids, we’ll go back to the hotel for a while so I can work on research and paperwork. A lot of my job is spent sitting at a desk and I can do that from almost anywhere.”
Tears unexpectedly spring up in my eyes, “Thank you for everything, I know I would still be in that jail cell if you hadn’t shown up. I know you didn’t have to bail me out and spend your time chauffeuring the kids around. I will always be grateful to you.”
His hand cups my cheek. God, how I have missed being touched.
“You and I are bonded for life. If you need me ten years from now, I will always come for you.”
Shit, there goes another pair of panties. At this point I need to start packing extra to just get through the day. He knows exactly what to say to get my juices flowing. With one last smile, he turns back to the road and we enjoy the comfortably quiet ride to work.
Chapter Nineteen
Casey
“Morning, Carter.” I hand him a coffee and take a look around the street we’re on.
“Hey, Casey, ready to see how screwed we really are?”
I chuckle at his attempt to make light of the uphill situation ahead of us. We had been told the security footage from the club was missing from that night but there is no mention of other camera’s in the area. I made the suggestion that we canvas the local businesses around the club and see if anyone has camera’s pointed in that direction. If we can find even one that shows Kacee there that night, we can put a huge dent in the prosecution’s case.
“Let’s start with the closest stores and work our way out.”
I grab a pen and notepad, lock up the car and follow Carter to the boutique directly across from the club. I don’t see any cameras on the outside but maybe we’ll get lucky. The woman behind the counter smiles warmly before going back to her inventory list.
“Good morning, ma’am. My name is Casey Sanders and this is my colleague, Carter Jepson. We are lawyers working on a case involving the nightclub across the street.”
“Oh, I think I heard about that. Some woman attacked a guy in there, right?”
Of course she would only have one side of the story. “I’m afraid we can’t go into detail but we were wondering if you have any surveillance cameras that point in that area? We’re trying to corroborate statements regarding who was at the club that night.”
“Why do you hate the club?”
“I learned my lesson a few years ago. I mind my business and everything is fine.” Her body language and tone make it clear she is done talking to us. I give her my card and ask her to call if she hears anything else about that evening. Carter heaves a weary a sigh as he stomps back out on the street.
“I was afraid of this; I think we’re going to be hard pressed to find anyone willing to speak out against the Montgomery family.”
“You’re probably right but I have to try. Come on, let’s get this over with.”
An hour later, we’ve struck out with every business on the street. No one has any information to share and doesn’t want to get involved either. Frustrated with this whole chicken shit town, I call off the search and head back to our cars.
“Hey, look over there, that store might have cameras.”
Glancing across the parking lot, I see a convenience store on the street behind the club. They don’t have a view of the front of the club but they are directly across from the parking lot.
“It’s worth a try, let’s go check it out.”
As we enter the store, I notice the sign saying it’s open twenty-four hours and there are a few cameras outside. I give the clerk the same spiel as I did the rest of the businesses and hold my breath, praying he has something for us.
“I heard about the incident, can’t say I’m surprised with all the crap that goes on in there. Too bad our police department is too scared to do anything about those assholes.”
His candor is refreshing and renews my hope, “I noticed some cameras out front, any chance they are pointed toward the parking lot?”
“Yeah, they are, I had to put them in because of that place. I was constantly getting drunks in here in the middle of the night harassing my staff. For the most part, knowing they are being videotaped keeps the creeps away.”