The Forgotten Night

by Becky Andrews

  “Daniel, it’s good to hear back from you,” Andrew said, shaking the man’s hand. “I thought you would just call.”

  “I decided to come in person. Mr. Ames said that Cassidy would be over here,” he said, looking over at Cassidy, who had taken a seat next to Andrew with Rachel on her other side.

  “So what’s happened?” Cassidy asked.

  “Well, it took a few weeks, but I finally got this Robert Stokes to accept a plea bargain.”

  “What’s he going to get?” Andrew asked.

  “With the threat of the Ames family and the Winbright family fighting against him, he finally accepted my terms. Five years, no chance of probation and after that two years of psychiatric evaluation and therapy. There is a restraining order against him that should be effective for seven years.”

  Andrew looked over at Cassidy and took her hand in his. “Are you okay with that, baby?”

  Cassidy nodded and smiled up at Andrew.

  “Thank you, Mr. Sinclair,” Cassidy said.

  “Please call me Daniel, only your father calls me Mr. Sinclair,” he said with a quick grin down at Cassidy.

  “Well, thank you, Daniel. There’s nothing I have to do, right?” she asked.

  “No, I can pretty much handle it from here since we’re not taking this to court,” Daniel said.

  They stood up and walked him to the door. “Thanks, Daniel,” Andrew said, shaking the man’s hand.

  “I’m glad that’s over,” Cassidy said, hugging Andrew after they shut the front door.

  “Me too,” Andrew said, kissing the top of her head.

  Chapter Nine

  “I’m glad we decided to do this,” Rachel said as she cuddled into the covers on Cassidy’s bed.

  “Even though we live together in the city?” Cassidy asked as she too burrowed into the covers.

  “Well, you are always off in the library, and you’re too busy for me. The only time I ever see you is in the mornings just as you’re about to leave.”

  “Fine, you were right, it was a good idea. Now shut up so I can get some sleep. I’m tired from all the night’s activities and staying up talking to you.”

  “You’re just annoyed because you couldn’t spend your last night at home in Drew’s bed.”

  “Rach! I can’t believe you would—”

  “I know you were thinking it. It’s okay, you two love each other and it’s only been your third week together. And now you’ll be separated by a very long drive and not just around the corner from each other. You’re wondering when you’ll see him again, when you’ll sleep with him again—”

  “All right, enough, let’s just go to bed,” she yawned. “I’ll see Andy in the morning before we leave.”

  Rachel smiled. “Good night, sis.”

  Cassidy sniggered. “Night, sis.”

  It wasn’t long before Cassidy heard Rachel’s soft snores next to her. They had decided to have a girl’s night at Cassidy’s. They had gone over earlier to pack her things and chose to stay the night.

  Cassidy couldn’t sleep, because she was already so used to being with Andrew. She wasn’t sure what she would do when they left the following day. She would be alone in Manhattan with Rachel while Andrew would be in his Yale graduate apartment. It had been three wonderful weeks and still they couldn’t get enough of each other.

  As Cassidy lay in her bed thinking about Andrew, she heard soft taps on her window every so often. Slowly she climbed out of bed and walked over to the window. She pulled back the curtains and saw Andrew standing in the yard below.

  She held up her hands for him to wait. She slipped on her shoes and quietly made her way out of her room and down the stairs. She disarmed the alarm and walked outside.

  “Andy!” she whispered, walking around the corner. Her arm was yanked and she fell into Andrew’s arms.

  He found her lips and kissed her ardently. “I can’t believe my sister roped you into a ‘girl’s’ night,” he breathed as he held her in a tight embrace. “Does she realize that we part tomorrow?”

  “I tried to tell her, but she told me to get over it.” Cassidy smiled. “I’m going to miss you.”

  “Me too, baby. I’m going to call and every chance I get I’ll come visit,” he said, looking down at her.

  “You’re a second-year law student, Andy. You’ll be busy. I don’t want you to fall behind because of me.”

  “Cassie, I would fall behind if I didn’t get to see you. You’re my rock, I need you. You’ll keep me going. I love you, Cassie.”

  “I love you too, Andy,” she said and kissed him softly.

  “Come back over and stay with me tonight,” he urged.

  “I can’t, Andy, it would look a little weird if only Rachel came downstairs tomorrow morning,” she said.

  “You still haven’t told your dad?” Andrew asked.

  Cassidy looked down at her feet. “He’s really protective. He likes you, don’t get me wrong, but we just got through the whole Robert thing. He’s pretty much against me dating anyone for the next century.”

  Andrew lifted her face up. “It’s okay, baby. I understand. We can keep it a secret for now, but you have to know we’re going to tell him someday,” he said, kissing her. “Before I forget and get lost in kissing you, I got you something,” he said, reaching into his pocket.

  “What is it?” Cassidy asked.

  Andrew opened his palm and pulled out a necklace. “I thought it was time I bought you a new necklace, something that means more than just something I gave you our first Christmas.”

  “I like that necklace, it meant something to me,” Cassidy said.

  “It meant something to me too, but I figured this time when you wear this one you will know how much I love you.”

  “It’s beautiful,” she said. “Though a bit obvious, don’t you think?” she asked as she looked down at the white gold necklace with a simple letter ‘A’ dangling from the chain with a simple sapphire embedded in it.

  “‘A’ is for Ames.”

  “Or Andy.” Cassidy smiled.

  “And the sapphire is your birthstone, however it also symbolizes trust and loyalty.”

  “I love it, Andy.” She kissed him softly before turning around and lifting her hair. He brought the necklace around and fastened the clip. Cassidy turned back to him and grabbed his shirtfront, bringing him closer and placed her lips on his, tasting him and kissing him hungrily.

  * * *

  Rachel stirred in her sleep and felt Cassidy slip out of the bed and walk out of the room. She got up and walked over to the window and looked out to see her brother standing in the yard waiting for Cassidy.

  “So much for girl’s night,” she said, smiling.

  She didn’t mind. Andrew and Cassidy were completely head over heels in love with each other and Rachel could see that. She loved them both and wanted the best for them. Rachel sighed and climbed back into bed, wrapping the blankets around her protectively.

  As she began to drift off to sleep, Cassidy’s phone went off, and Rachel bolted out of bed. She grabbed the cell phone off the table and looked down at the number. Private.

  Rachel silenced the phone call and rolled over. The phone beeped a couple seconds later, alerting her of a new voicemail. Rachel looked over at the clock by the lamp. Who would be calling at two o’clock?

  Cassidy’s bedroom door opened slowly and Rachel looked at the silhouette who entered the room, too large to be Cassidy, but too small to be Andrew or Cassidy’s father. Rachel had a sinking feeling suddenly as the silhouette began to advance toward her.

  With the curtains pulled back, she could make out the person’s features as he neared her. She gasped as she realized it was Robert who had entered the room. What was he doing here? She thought he was in jail?

  As Robert walked next to the bed, Rachel kicked back the covers, hitting Robert in the process. He grunted and fell to the floor as Rachel clambered out of bed. Robert stood up and lunged at Rachel, but she dodged him and
punched him in the face. He staggered backward and Rachel didn’t stop, she couldn’t, the fucker had to die. He tried to hurt her friend once, he would have done it again had she not been there instead.

  * * *

  “Do you hear that?” Cassidy asked, breaking away from Andrew.

  “Hear what?” Andrew asked, kissing down her neck.

  “Andy, stop, listen,” she said, pushing Andrew away slightly.

  Andrew looked up and strained his ears to hear. “It’s just your house phone,” he said.

  “Wait, listen, it’s going to voicemail,” she said.

  “It’s two in the morning, who would be calling your house?”

  “Someone for my dad, maybe?” she said, but suddenly heard the answering machine beep.

  “Cassidy Ames this is Detective Coulter. Robert Stokes has escaped from prison not more than an hour ago. We have reason to believe he is coming after you and might possibly be there already.”

  Cassidy froze and looked up at Andrew. He had the same scared look in his eyes. He turned around and shielded Cassidy as he looked around, afraid Robert would jump out any second. In the distance, they heard sirens faintly coming toward the house.

  Andrew turned back around and cupped her face. “He is not going to hurt you. I won’t let it happen.”

  “I know.” She nodded slightly just as they heard a crash from inside the house. “Rachel, she’s in there!” Cassidy said frantically and with no further thought ran inside the house and up the stairs.

  “Cassie!” Andrew yelled after her.

  Cassidy threw her bedroom door open just as her father and mother came out of their own. She flipped the light on and saw Rachel jumping up and down, kicking and yelling at Robert.

  “Come on, fucker! Try and hit me!” Rachel yelled and threw a punch at his already bloody face. Robert fell to the floor and Rachel kicked him a few times.

  “Rach!” Cassidy yelled and Rachel looked up, breathing heavily.

  Cassidy’s parents had run downstairs to open the door for the police to enter. Andrew and Cassidy parted and let Detective Coulter and Detective Rice pass. They looked at Rachel then to Robert who was still lying on the ground, moaning. They nodded at Rachel then pulled Robert up from the floor and began reading him his rights.

  “Are you okay, Rach?” Andrew asked, taking his sister in his arms.

  “Get off me,” she said, pushing him away. “He didn’t touch me, I got the upper hand. I whooped his sorry ass.”

  Cassidy smiled slightly and Andrew wrapped his arms around her shoulder. “You okay, baby?”

  “I thought it was over. I mean I thought I wouldn’t have to see him again, deal with this shit again.”

  “It’s okay Cassie, no one was hurt. Rach is fine. You’re fine. You have me, I will never let anything happen to you.”

  “I know, Andy, and I feel safe knowing that you will protect me and that if I’m in any trouble you will always save me. I’m not scared, just angry that he came here, angry that he thinks he can hurt me again.”

  “He won’t get away with this, Cassidy,” Detective Coulter said softly from the doorway. They all turned to face her.

  “How did this happen?” Cassidy asked.

  “We’re getting to the bottom of it as we speak. Do you know how he could have gotten inside the house? Your father told us the alarm was on. Do you think he could be working with someone inside?”

  “I disarmed it,” Cassidy said guiltily. “I disarmed it when I went outside.”

  “It’s my fault then, I convinced her to come downstairs. She disarmed it to come and talk to me,” Andrew groaned.

  “It probably saved us though,” Rachel supplied. “Had you not convinced her to go downstairs I wouldn’t have woken up, we would have been asleep, and he would’ve hurt us.”

  “Your father is on the phone right now with your lawyer, I think,” Detective Coulter said. “If I have any further questions, I’ll call you. I have your number.”

  “That was you who called Cassie’s cell phone earlier?” Rachel asked and she nodded.

  “Don’t hesitate to call if you need anything,” Cassidy said and they watched Detective Coulter walk out of the room.

  “Princess,” her father said as he entered the room. “Are you all right, princess?”

  “I’m fine, Daddy, he didn’t touch me. Rachel kicked his ass.”

  “I know, I saw him. Good job, I always was happy you and Cassidy became friends.” He gave Rachel an approving look.

  “Daddy,” Cassidy said in embarrassment.

  “Sorry, princess,” he said, taking her in his arms. “Andrew,” he said when he noticed him standing close by, “what are you doing here?”

  “I—uh…”

  “He got a call from Detective Coulter too and came over.”

  “Oh, I didn’t even see you come in. It was pretty busy down there. Well, it was good of you to come. Cassidy, do you think you can get back to sleep?”

  Cassidy looked over at Andrew. “I don’t know, Daddy. It’s all been so scary. I didn’t think that I’d see him again, and he could have hurt us.”

  “Do you think staying over with Rachel would help you? I mean, if that is all right with her,” he said.

  Rachel narrowed her eyes, knowing exactly what she was trying to do, “Don’t worry, Mr. Ames, I would be fine with her staying over at our house, it’s not too much trouble.”

  “What do you think, princess?”

  “I think I would feel safer. I would be able to sleep better too,” she said with her perfected puppy-dog look.

  “All right, princess, go get some sleep, but make sure you come back here before you head back to the city. I want to say goodbye,” he said, kissing her forehead.

  Cassidy nodded and watched her father walk out of her room. She and Rachel gathered what they needed and walked downstairs with Andrew.

  Cassidy set the alarm and locked the door behind her. “Cassidy Ames, I never would have thought you would play your father like that,” Rachel said. “I thought you were daddy’s perfect princess.”

  “Ha ha, very funny,” she said then paused. “Thanks, Rach.”

  “What are best friends for if not to help bail their friend out of sleeping in her own house to come over and sleep with her brother?”

  “Aw, I love you too, Rach,” Cassidy said, stopping and pulling her into a hug.

  “God, stop it,” she said, pulling away. “Besides you would have done the same for me, not the whole ‘to sleep with your brother thing’ but something similar.”

  “I don’t even want to know,” Andrew said.

  Cassidy smiled and wrapped her arm around his. “Don’t complain. I did this for you, now you can stop whining. You have me for the whole night.”

  “I’m not complaining. You might be in the morning, with only a few hours of sleep after I keep you up all night, but we’ll make some good memories—”

  “God, I don’t need to hear this, la la la!” Rachel said, covering her ears and humming to drown out their voices.

  Cassidy smiled at her friend. “Yeah, Rach, because we’re going to be making sweet, sweet love.” She laughed as her friend grew louder. “Okay, we’re stopping.”

  Rachel uncovered her ears and hit Cassidy playfully on the arm.

  “Hey now, the only one going to be doing the hitting around here will be me,” Andrew said.

  “Oh. My. God,” Rachel said, opening their front door. “Good night, love birds, please try to remember the rest of us will be sleeping. The house will be quiet and your room is not soundproof.”

  “Maybe Mom and Dad should work on that,” he joked, spanking Cassidy impishly.

  “All right, I’m glad my room is on the complete opposite of yours,” she said, climbing up the stairs followed by Cassidy and Andrew. “Good night, you two, you know I still love you both, even if you are disgustingly cute together.” Andrew gave Rachel a big loving hug,

  “Are you sure you’re okay?” Andrew
asked holding her tight to his body once they were safely in his room.

  “I’m fine, Andy, stop asking. Nothing happened. Well, okay, Rachel beat up his sorry ass, but I’m happy about that. I’m glad he got a taste of what it’s like. But really, I’m not scared. I was at first, but now, now I know there’s nothing to fear, not when you’re with me. Not when I know you’ll protect me.”

  “What will happen when I’m not there with you? I can’t leave you, now,” he said, rubbing her arm. “I want you to feel safe.”

  “That feeling won’t leave just because we aren’t together. Yes, I always feel safer in your arms, but you can’t be with me every second of every day. We both have school to think about. You are in your second year, only one more to go. You can’t put your life on hold just because you think I’ll be scared. I’m a big girl, I can live my life without constant adult supervision, you know.”

  Andrew laughed softly. “I know, baby. I just, I want you to be safe.”

  “I will, Andy. I’ll be fine. I’m living with Rachel. I’m not scared of him, he’s locked up and the way my dad looked tonight, I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s locked up the rest of his life,” she said, shifting around to face him. “I love you Andy, so much that for you to put your life on hold would make me feel guilty. I want you to be happy and before you say it, I know you’d be happy with me, but I don’t want that burden of you having to settle for something less then completing law school at one of the top law schools in the country. I know that’s your dream, and it’s mine too, for you. I want you to finish. I want to see your dream come true.”

  “Baby, my dream already has come true, I have you. You were my dream, not to graduate from some top university. Well okay, it is another one of my dreams, but you were my top wish. And I know that you would feel guilty if I didn’t go back to Yale. Even though I wouldn’t feel like I missed out on something I know you’ll think I have, so I’m going back there to finish, but don’t think I won’t call you, not to keep tabs on you, but to genuinely know how you’re feeling. And like I said, if I have time in my schedule, I will take those long drives to see you. I love you and nothing will ever change that,” he said, bestowing a soft kiss on her lips. She opened her mouth slightly and he deepened the kiss, but he pulled back before they could get too heavily into it. “Not tonight, baby. Tonight I just want to enjoy sleeping with you in my arms.”