“I’m nervous,” I answer honestly.
“I’m scared, and I don’t want to go back to that woman. She did nothing but emotionally abuse me for years.” I see the tears well in Courtney’s eyes, and my heart breaks, but at the same time, it fills me with determination. I will not let that devil woman have her grasp on my sister ever again.
Moving forward, I gather her up in my arms, “I will fight my hardest to keep you, okay?” I whisper.
She nods her head, I pull back, and when I do, I see Mr. Cartel look in Tristan’s direction. “I’m so rude.” I keep my hold on Courtney while doing the introductions. “Mr. Cartel, this is Tristan.” Tristan holds out his hand in greeting. Mr. Cartel takes it, and they shake.
“Uh, I had a feeling that's who you were.” He smiles.
My eyebrows bunch. “I never mentioned Tristan in our conversations, how did you know about him?” I ask, confused.
His smile is genuine. “Your uncle George filled me in on a few extra details.”
“Can I ask what he said about me?” Tristan asks, curiosity written across his features.
“He told me with absolute confidence that you are a true gentleman, and that you are very supportive of Cassie and Courtney.” He waves his hand between us. “And that they are very lucky to have you.”
I see the pride in his features, pride, and relief. “I try. I want to be there for everything that comes their way, whether it be bad or good,” Tristan answers honestly.
“They’re very lucky to have you,” Mr. Cartel says as he picks up a pile of paperwork in one hand and his briefcase in the other.
Before Tristan can respond, the depositions clerk announces that the judge is approaching the bench. “Please be seated.”
As soon as the judge has adjusted the paperwork he has in front of him, he looks up towards our lawyer and begins to speak, “I have been looking over the case files for a few days now, and given the nature of the case, I did not take it light-heartedly. I have already made my decision, but before I hand down the verdict, I would like to give either party a chance to speak freely.” He looks over at Mr. Cartel who shakes his head. Then he looks in the direction of my mother’s lawyer, and sure enough, she has something to say. 'Shocking,' I sarcastically think.
I watch with disdain as my mother walks up to the front of the room. She is sworn in by one of the clerks, then stands in front of the microphone and begins, “I have been a mother to my girls, ages eighteen and fifteen, since their birth. Their father has poisoned their minds by telling them I am a horrible person. I have always put their needs and wants ahead on my own. I believe Cassie is not old enough or even smart enough to take care of Courtney on her own. Please let her come home with me.” She then begins to cry and faces the judge in a desperate bid to try to gain sympathy.
I roll my eyes and Tristan tightens his grip on my hand. Whenever my mother wanted sympathy from others, she’d cry. It’s caused her friends to back away from her. It was a constant poor me routine. There is only so much a person can take before they've had enough and remove you from their life.
Sobbing, she leaves the microphone and retakes her seat. The judge then begins to speak, “As I said before, I have already made my decision on the matter.” I feel my heartbeat run faster, and it's aching against my ribs as if it is ready to burst out of my chest. Again, Tristan squeezes my hand in a show of support. I reach over and take Courtney’s hand in my free one, as she takes a deep breath. I cannot believe my sister’s life is in this stranger’s hand.
I look up at him and silently pray that he makes the right decision. I hope that within all of that paperwork in front of him, he sees the type of person that our mother is. “I give legal custody of Miss Courtney O’Grady,” he pauses for what feels like forever, “to Miss Cassandra O’Grady,” he finally announces.
I know we should be quiet and continue to listen to what the judge is saying, but I can’t. I move in my seat with excitement and take Courtney in my arms. I can feel Tristan hug me from behind, so we make room for him to join us. “You did it, I am so proud of you girls. This is the beginning of forever,” he whispers.
“I am so glad it’s over,” Courtney says with a sigh of relief.
But we quieten again as the judge continues to speak. “Ms. Laucoln,” he angles himself so all of his focus is on my mother. “How you have managed to keep these lovely girls under your care for this long, without child services being involved, completely baffles me. You are not a fit parent, nor have you ever been a fit parent. In one of the sworn statements, one person claimed that there was never any food in the cupboards for your children to survive on. You continued to put all the money that should have been spent on those girls away for yourself. You continuously pampered yourself with overseas trips, but you never worried about the welfare of the children you gave birth to. In my opinion, you should have been sterilized at birth.”
The three of us look between one another, our mouths and eyes are wide with shock.
As soon as he’d finished berating our mother, he dismissed us. But before we leave, the judge wishes us luck and hopes we are now able to live happy lives. We give him our thanks and leave the room, bowing at the door in a show of respect.
Once out in the corridor, I stop to shake Mr. Cartel’s hand. “Thank you so much, I appreciate everything you have done to help us win. You have my contact details, when you get back to the office, send the bill, I’ll take care of it,” I tell him.
“No need.” He shakes his head, and I look at him with confusion. “Your uncle, George, has already taken care of everything. Congratulations to you all, it ended the way it ought to. Stick together, and I know you will be just fine.” He places the paperwork I've just signed into his briefcase and closes the latches. “If you ever have any more legal issues, do not ever hesitate to call. Good luck, girls. And Tristan, it was very nice to meet you.” He shakes hands with him.
“You too, and again, thank you.”
We then move out into the lobby, unfortunately for us, Rose is standing in the corner crying. The sight of her does not affect me anymore, but I can see it has upset Courtney. “Do you want to say goodbye to her?” I whisper in her ear. I desperately want her to say no, to not put herself through that, but that isn’t my sister. Her heart is enormous.
She nods. “Do whatever it is that you feel comfortable doing as a goodbye,” I tell her while playing with the ends of her hair.
Slowly, she etches her way over to Rose, but when she reaches out to hug her, the bitch turns and shoves Courtney away from her with full force.
I race to catch her, and once I have her safe in my arms, I face my mother with what I would consider being the look of death. “You couldn’t just hug her? A hug was all she wanted,” I yell. “Keep an eye out in the mail for your restraining order bitch!” I scream.
My heart is racing, and I am trying with every fiber of my being not to reach out and strangle the wench. I want to rip her throat out. How could she treat Courtney this way? I could handle it if she were directing all of her anger at me, but Courtney deserves better.
I look over to our lawyer, he’s already facing me, and before I can say a word, he holds up his hand, “Consider it done.” He pauses and looks over toward my mother. “And it’s at no cost.”
When he turns back towards me, he lightly nods his head in recognition. Tristan huddles Courtney to him and keeps his arms protectively wrapped around us until we’re safely in the car. He gets behind the wheel so I can sit in the back seat with Courtney and comfort her.
“I’m sorry, Cass,” she sniffs.
I sit up straight in my seat so that I can turn to face her. “What are you sorry about?” I ask, totally confused. What the hell does she have to be sorry for? She didn’t do anything wrong.
“I’m sorry I’m such a mess. I didn’t think she would push me away like that.” Her words slice through my heart, and I wrap her up in my arms.
I can’t believe she would blame her
self. “Just please try and concentrate on calming yourself down. You’ve done nothing to be sorry for. That woman deserves what she gets from now on.” I rub her back with my hand. “We’re going to be so much better off not having her in our lives.” I keep one arm around her, but I lean back into the seat. “Now, to keep everyone in the legal system happy, we’ll have to enroll you into school when we return home, is that okay with you?”
She nods her head, reaches up, and wipes away her tears. “I knew I would have to. I'm looking forward to it.” She’s smiling now. Sure, she’s had me around the house for company, but that isn’t any kind of existence for a girl that loves to socialize the way Courtney does. I know it will be hard for her to start in a new school, but I believe in her. I believe that she will be loved by her new peers.
“Good,” I answer. “Now, how about we get you some lunch? It’s your choice,” I sing the last word in a bid to cheer her up.
I see her think for a moment, and then she turns her attention back to me. “Can we just go to MacDonald’s? I want a double cheeseburger.”
“Of course, we can.” I look over to Tristan. “Hun,” I call, but he cuts me off.
“I’ve already changed course.” I can see a smile on his face through the rear vision mirror.
He pulls into a parking spot not five minutes later. After placing our orders, he asks us to go and find a booth while he waits for the food. So we do, and we manage to find a quiet spot in the back of the restaurant, and we sit. “So, you’ve had a few minutes to take a breath and regroup, and I just want to know how you’re feeling, now?”
She begins to play with the straws she picked up on the way to the booth. “I know I’ll be okay, and I know it was the right decision, leaving mum. As I look back at things now, I can’t believe I managed to stay with her for so long.” She shrugs. “But what’s done is done, and now I get to start again.”
I see a hint of a smile on her face and I can’t help but return it. Right now, at this very moment, my heart is telling me that everything will be okay. That us being where we are, living in dad’s house, together, is the right thing to be doing. I just hadn’t realized I needed it confirmed by Courtney.
I shake my head. “The whole thing has me so confused. I don’t know how you can carry a child in your belly for nine months, then treat that miracle the way she has. If I were pregnant, I would cherish that baby. I would cherish that baby the way it deserved to be loved and cared for.” As I say that specific sentence, Tristan places the tray down in front of us. I look up at him, and his smile is wide and filled with pride. I know he wants to have a big family, and I cannot wait until that chapter of our lives together begins, but at the same time, I want to enjoy being a couple for a while before we take that step.
Tristan drops into the spot beside me, he reaches up and cups my cheek with one of his hands before gently kisses me, but quickly turns his attention back to the trays of food that are in front of him. And thank fuck he did, because I am squirming with desire for him. I just want to lay naked in his arms.
When he began to speak, I was grateful, I needed a distraction, or I was going to be so wet I’d probably slide off of the leather in the booth.
“Okay ladies, I don’t know about you, but I’m planning on greasing the lining of my stomach so the shit load of alcohol I consume later, will just sit nicely on top of it,” he tells us as he bites down on his burger.
Courtney speaks first. “I won’t be drinking, and if the pair of you are planning on getting wasted, may I suggest that you get another room to stay in for the night.” She has an amused look about her.
“Why do we have to get another room?” I ask. I have a feeling I already know what her answer will be, but I want to hear it come out of her mouth. I need a good laugh.
“Because booze equals horny, and we share a room. You can’t tell me it hasn’t already crossed your mind? The two of you have been separated for over a week now, and honestly, I’d prefer some peace.” She smiles and takes a bite of her burger. She doesn’t know we were in the alley last night, and I’m sure as hell not going to willingly divulge that information.
I look over at Tristan and shrug. “She does have a point.” I laugh.
After arriving back at the hotel, Courtney and I head up to the room, while Tristan goes to the bottle shop a couple of doors down from where we’re staying.
While waiting, I slip into my black, silk, PJ shorts with the matching silk tank, and sit back on the bed and read a book. I can hear the Jersey Shore theme playing in the background, but I do my best to ignore it and continue reading on.
Not ten minutes later, Tristan walks through the door carrying a grocery bag with a bottle of Jim Beam and two huge bottles of Coke. I hop up off the bed, but before I can do anything, he calls out, “Think quick.” I throw my hands up in the air and catch a set of hotel keys.
“What’s this?” I ask.
“We can’t scar poor Courtney for life.” His smile is one of the devils.
“You seriously went and booked another room?” I ask.
“Of course, I did.” He looks over at Courtney. “It’s just next door, if you need anything, knock. Okay?”
Courtney leans forward so she can see him properly. “I won’t need anything, and I’m pretty sure that if I did, I still wouldn’t come to your room, even if the damn hotel was on fire.” She scrunches up her face in mock disgust. “Goodnight, and I’ll see you in the morning.” She waves us off as a dismissal.
“I take it that’s our cue to leave?” I turn and ask Tristan.
“I think it is. Come on, baby girl.” He takes my hand and leads me through to the room he’d paid for.
The room is the same as the one we were just in, the only difference, instead of two queen size beds, this has just one king-size bed, that rests in the middle of the room.
While Tristan pours our drinks, I take a seat on the edge of the bed and admire the view. I swear to all that is mighty that I could stare at that rock-hard ass all day long and never for one second, become bored. The damn thing is perfect, but I must tell you, it's so much better when there isn’t any stupid clothing covering it.
When he turns to face me, he’s holding two glasses, but his eyebrow raises slightly, and my insides feel as if they’ve been lit on fire. He turns around again, and I hear him place the glasses back down on the table, and within seconds, he has me on my back while he hovers over me, lust in his eyes. “I missed you so much,” I whisper.
“I know. I missed you, too.” He brushes his lips against mine. “I saw you were sitting here looking all sexy and shit, and I just wanted to kiss you. The drinks can wait.” He then presses his plump, soft lips to mine, my hand grazing his hip.
With my eyes on him, I ask. “Tell me that after Uni’s finished, we won’t ever have to be apart for a long period, ever again.” I then begin to kiss down his jawline to his neck.
He shifts his head so he can look at me. “If I ever have to travel for work, you’ll be coming with me. No questions asked.” His lips are back on mine once again. While my tongue teases him, I shuffle up the bed, letting my lips guide him until my head is resting on the comfort of the pillow. I wrap my legs around his waist in a bid to keep him as close as possible to me, but it’s not enough. I reach down and lift the hem of his shirt and pull it up and over his head then toss it to the side.
Tristan reaches down and does the same to mine. It doesn’t take long until we're both naked in each other’s arms. I have missed him so much, I’ve missed his lips, his hands, and the smell of his skin.
After a long make-out and my clothes now on the floor, he moves his lips and trails kisses down my neck, all the way to my breast. A moan escapes me when his tongue darts out and tastes the tip of my nipple, my chest heaves from the contact, "I love you."
"I love you, too."
I moan again from the vibration of his mouth on my nipple, and it feels amazing. I know that right now if I tried to stand, my legs would give out
from under me. I love how he makes me feel so wanted and loved. That in itself is a turn-on.
His mouth moves to the neglected peak, leaving the other wet and abandoned. His hand moves down my stomach, past my hip bone to my most sensitive area. “Fuck,” he moans, “You’re so fucking wet.” His fingers brush over me and my back arched from the raw pleasure of his touch. His fingers feel amazing, but I know what it is I really want.
Suddenly, his hands grab my hips, and he maneuvers us so I’m on top of him. I crash my mouth down onto his, he kisses me for a moment, but it isn’t long enough. Nothing turns me on more than his kisses, especially when his tongue runs along the length of mine.
“Get up,” he orders, so I do.
I look down at him, my legs positioned on either side of his hips, but before he can order me to do anything else, I rub my core along the length of his hard cock. “God, I want you,” I whisper, my eyes are closed. I know that if I continue to move on top of him the way I am, I’ll come and I don’t want to. I want to come while he’s inside me. I want to come at the same time he does. I reach down and take his long, thick, hard cock in my hand, ready to move him inside me, but his smile tells me he has other plans. “Not yet.” His hands are on my ass now, and he’s shimmying me up the bed. I have no fucking idea what the hell he’s doing, but I continue to do as I’m told and let his hands guide me to where he wants me until I’m practically sitting on his face.
The moment his tongue darts out and tastes me, I draw in a breath of raw pleasure, the kind that will leave you weak for two days. My head begins to spin, so I grab onto the headboard to help keep me upright.
He’s sucking and licking all the right spots, and I was already on edge, but when he runs his hands up my stomach and pinches my nipples, I begin fucking his face. I don’t want this to end. Ever. I can feel the build-up, it isn’t going to be long now. I keep moving my hips on him until the heat boils to the surface. I let my head fall forward, so it’s resting on the bed head, my hands gripping the wood. “Fuck, baby,” I cry as I come, but Tristan doesn’t stop, he keeps licking me until he knows that the waves have begun to subside.
The Beginning Page 28
