Beyond the Breaking Point (46 page)

It wasn’t the baby. That had been an uncertain time for all of them. Max had been scared if the baby was Phillip’s, Cassidy would leave him and return to her husband for the sake of their child. Fortunately, that’s not what happened.

Cassidy had also been afraid for reasons she wouldn’t divulge. Part of it Max thought he could guess. While he’d been afraid she’d leave him, she’d also been afraid that he’d end their relationship once he discovered the baby wasn’t his. The only one who hadn’t seemed to be affected by the whole process was Phillip. Max knew it was because Phillip had his own agenda where the child’s paternity didn’t matter.

He raced through traffic, glad it was the tail end of rush hour traffic and not its height. It still took him too damn long to reach her. Max parked in his parking space next to her SUV, got out, and placed his hand on her hood. It was still warm but cooling fast. She hadn’t been here long.

Max took the stairs, too impatient to wait for the elevator. Once at her door, he quickly undid the locks and entered the dark apartment, almost stumbling over something on the floor just inside the entrance. He flipped the light switch and saw it was her purse and attaché she took to work. Alarmed, he called out, “Cassidy?” and got no response.

Following instinct, Max headed for the bedroom, turning on lights as he went. He found her in the bedroom, lying fully dressed on top of the covers. She still had on her shoes. Her face was twisted away from him so he couldn’t see her expression. He calmed a bit, now that he could see for himself she was physically unharmed. “Cassidy.”

She didn’t move. Didn’t speak. Didn’t so much as acknowledge his presence. Whatever had happened, it had to be pretty bad. He’d never seen her shut down like this. That night in Orlando, she’d been quiet, but so angry he’d sensed it even in the midst of his own fury, like a crouching beast, waiting to explode into action. The night she’d discovered she was pregnant she’d been panicked and off-balanced. This…
this
was something else.

Not knowing what else to do but needing to do something, he toed off his shoes and climbed up on the bed. Lying behind her, he snuggled close and put his arm around her waist. He wanted her to talk to him, share her problem so he could fix it. Since she wouldn’t, all he could do was let her know he was here for her if she needed him.

Cassidy lay unmoving beneath his arm for so long, he was beginning to think he’d made a mistake and should have given her the space she’d requested when suddenly she turned. She wrapped her arms around him, clutching him as though she’d be torn away from him if she loosened her grip. She buried her face in his neck and he felt the hot wash of tears on his skin.

“Hey!” he exclaimed, pulling her closer.

She didn’t say a word, but her body shuddered and shook as she cried as though her heart were being torn from her chest. The crying jag was so violent, he was afraid she’d somehow hurt herself or the baby. Nothing he said or did seemed to have an impact, so in the end he simply held her and let her weep.

While she wailed, he seethed. It frustrated him being so helpless. He wanted to do something. Fix whatever it was that caused Cassidy so much pain. Max wanted to go to Phillip’s house and beat the shit out of him. Whatever had happened, whatever caused this, Max had no doubt that Phillip was the source. But he couldn’t leave Cassidy, so he drew on all his reserves of patience and waited.

Cassidy cried herself to sleep. Max held her long after her breathing evened out and deepened into that of slumber, and the weight of her body on his grew heavy. When he was absolutely certain nothing he did would disturb her, he gently shifted her onto the mattress.

He stood and went down to the end of the bed and removed her shoes. Then he stripped her down to her underwear and tucked her under the covers. Through it all she slept the sleep of the truly exhausted. There were dark shadows under her eyes and he knew she hadn’t eaten. When she was upset, her appetite was the first thing affected.

Max left the room, pulling the door partially shut behind him. He went into the front and picked up his phone where he’d left it on the dining room table along with his keys. Dialing the number still imprinted on his brain, he called Phillip. As soon as Phillip answered, he said, “What the hell did you do to Cassidy?”

“I didn’t do anything to
my
wife.” Suddenly, Phillip’s voice sharpened. “It’s not the baby, is it?”

“It’s not the baby. You did something to her. I
know
you did. She won’t talk about it, but she just cried herself to sleep,” Max told him, wanting to reach through the phone and rip Phillip’s head off.

“Sorry to disappoint you, but I haven’t seen or spoken to Cassidy since her doctor’s appointment. It’s not me. Maybe you’re the problem,” Phillip suggested.

Max hung up on him. What infuriated Max the most was that he believed Phillip. He really didn’t know why Cassidy was upset. It surprised him to know Phillip and Cassidy hadn’t spoken since her doctor’s office. This didn’t necessarily mean Phillip wasn’t the source of Cassidy’s pain.

Maybe she had a death in her family. Someone she was really close to, Max mused. Grief affected people in different ways. But wouldn’t she have said so?

He didn’t know what was going on, but one thing he knew for sure. He wasn’t letting her out of the apartment in the morning until she told him what was going on. Max made it a vow.

Max flipped off the lights and made sure the apartment was secured before going into the room, stripping down, and climbing into bed beside Cassidy. Whatever the problem was, he’d find a way to make Cassidy smile again.

Phillip glanced down at the letter in his hand. He didn’t know what had caused Cassidy to be so upset, but he had a good idea. The courts had given him the time he’d requested to repair his marriage. He’d meant what he’d written. He was willing to do whatever it took—couple’s counseling, individual counseling—to salvage his marriage.

He hated to think she was so unhappy about being married to him that she’d cried herself to sleep. Cassidy wasn’t a crier. When she got angry, she became quiet. The more silent she became, the deeper the rage. This news unsettled him, but not enough to convince him he was wrong.

Seeing her with Max had shaken him. She appeared happy, content. Phillip could see, looking at them together, that for Cassidy this wasn’t just a fling. She wasn’t trying to get revenge. She genuinely cared for Max.

He’d been angry, yes. Furious, even, but under the rage was a bone-deep fear he’d lost his wife. That she was never coming back to him. The idea was intolerable. He loved her too much to let her go, and despite this thing with Max, Phillip knew Cassidy loved him too. She had to, they’d invested too much time into their marriage for her not.

If he just had enough time, if he could gain her undivided attention, Phillip knew he could win her over. With the help of counseling, he’d done it before. He needed Max out of the picture.

Phillip had a plan. A good one, he thought. He’d been waiting to see which way the court would rule before putting it into action. Now that the judge had ruled in his favor, maybe the tide was turning and things were looking up. His fortune was turning.

He’d been readying himself for weeks, just in case. Timing would be everything. He’d give Cassidy time for the reality to sink in that she couldn’t rid herself of him or their marriage so easily, and then he’d make his move.

Phillip prayed to God that this time, he’d handle things right.

Chapter Twenty-Five

The next morning when the alarm went off, Max was up and headed for the bathroom while she still fumbled for the off switch. After emptying his bladder and cleaning up, he went into the bedroom and slid on his jeans.

Cassidy mumbled, “Good morning,” and scurried out without actually looking at him.

Max narrowed his eyes as he watched her flee. He’d handle that later. For now he went into the kitchen to prepare a breakfast for the two of them. Neither of them had eaten dinner last night. Cassidy had been too upset and he’d been waiting for her to come home so they could eat together.

By the time she came out front dressed for work, the simple meal was done. He pointed at the table. “Sit. Eat.”

Gaze still lowered, she obediently sat and reached for her fork as he set a plate with an omelet and three slices of toast on it in front of her. Smart lady, he thought as he went to fetch the juice.

When he had his plate and cup and had settled in the seat next to her at the head of the table, he pinned her with a look. “Talk.”

She glanced up at him, noted his expression, and then sighed. “I’m sorry I wigged out on you. I had a shock and I’m afraid I didn’t handle it well.”

When she didn’t say anything else, he scowled. Did she think he’d let it go at that? “Cassidy,” he said, his tone warning her his patience was limited.

She fiddled with her fork and laid it down. Then she picked up her glass, took a sip, before pushing it and her plate of barely touched food aside. Max nudged it right back in front of her and commanded, “Eat every bit. You missed dinner last night.”

The look she shot him said she wasn’t happy with his order, but she picked up her fork. It hovered over her plate for a few seconds before she set it aside. “The judge dismissed the case. My lawyer explained there was a possibility it could happen, but I was certain once we got to mediation, I could successfully argue my case. Either the mediator would agree the marriage was irrevocably broken or Phillip would finally understand our marriage was over, give in, and sign the papers. Only, there will be no mediator. There won’t be anything because the judge dismissed the case.”

Max could tell from her tone she was still upset. “Did your lawyer say why the judge dismissed it?”

Cassidy nodded. “I didn’t have enough grounds. Without Phillip’s agreement, we didn’t meet the requirements.”

Something Phillip would have known, Max thought grimly. It was a definite blow. No wonder she’d been so distraught. “What happens now?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. After Chris gave me the news, I just sort of blanked. I didn’t hear half of what she was saying. I told her I’d have to call her later when I was in a better position to absorb the information.” Cassidy toyed with a piece of toast as she spoke.