Following Your Heart (Love Conquers All) (5 page)

“You have the perfect reason.  Courtney wants you home and you have no more plans.  Take her up on it.”

Cassie laughed, “I'm not going to Texas for my vacation.”

“Why not?”  Cassie cocked her head and then shrugged her shoulders.  “Yeah, I get it.”

“You get what?”

“Cassie, you're afraid.”  The statement was said matter-of-factly and Cassie still didn't know what she was getting at.

“Afraid?  I'm not afraid of anything.”

“You're afraid of running into...what's his name?  Shawn?  Steve?”

“Seth,” Cassie replied quietly.

“Right, Seth.”  Tiffany chuckled, “You're afraid of running into him.

“I wouldn't be afraid of running into him, he's getting married and I am sure that I don't cross his mind anymore than he crosses mine.”

Tiffany laughed, “Cassie you can lie to yourself, but you can't lie to me.  You think about him, probably more than you wish you do.  Whether he's getting married, or single...it doesn't change how you feel.  I mean, you've been in a relationship and yet you still have these feelings for him.”

“You're crazy, you know that?”

Tiffany winked at her and nodded, “I may be crazy, but you're not really denying it.”

Cassie couldn't argue the fact, as much as she didn't want to admit it.  There was always a thought nagging at her. 
What if she hadn't left Avery?  What if Seth would have followed her?
  It was two questions that she would never know the answer to, but it would be good to bump into Seth.  They used to be best friends and the day she left she lost that.  Maybe Tiffany was right, she was afraid.  Afraid to find out that she was wrong ten years ago and she left the life that she needed to have behind.  Fear was something Cassie was going to have to get past, because she had to face him someday and that someday had arrived.  “Okay, I'll tell them that I'll go home with them.”

Tiffany smiled, “Okay, here it's late...stay in my guestroom.”

“Thanks, Tiff I really needed this talk.”

“Actually, so did I.”  She replied with a smirk as they headed to the bedrooms.  “It makes me so thankful that I am free and not tied down to one man, relationships...they complicate everything.”

“Night Tiffany.”

“Night Cassie, sweet dreams.”

Cassie closed the door behind her and kicked her shoes off.  She just hoped it wasn't too late to make amends with her sister.  She was happy for Courtney and it was time for her to show it.

The next morning Cassie left the house before Tiffany woke up.  She wanted to get to her house and let Courtney know that she was going to be there to support her.  When she pulled into her driveway, she sat there for a moment.  Letting it sink in that the rental Courtney had borrowed wasn't in front of the house.  She couldn't believe they would have left without settling things, but apparently she didn't know her family as well as she thought she did.  When she got in the house, she looked around the rooms and realized that she never realized how lonely it could be, until that moment.  She saw a note lying on the kitchen table and recognized her mother's handwriting immediately.  She quietly read the words to herself.

Dear Cassie

When we woke up this morning, I was surprised to see that you were gone.  I had hoped that we would have been able to talk things through, but that obviously didn't happen.  I don't know what happened between you and Courtney last night, but you have to understand where she's coming from.  She was hoping you would be happy for her.  She looks up to you Cassie and she looks like she lost her best friend.  I am guessing that you went off to see Chad last night and decided that making things right with him were more important than what your sister was going through.  You could have at least been here to reconcile with her and not off with Chad doing things that are less than appropriate.  I have to go before Courtney and Brad take off without me, just remember what I said.  Courtney loves you and your blessing means the world to her, please don't disappoint.

Love, Mom

Cassie read the note twice, before it fell to the table.  She couldn't believe her mother actually thought she was with Chad the whole night.  True it wasn't so foreign that it couldn't have happened; it just pained her that her mom sounded so disappointed in her.  She picked up her phone and dialed Courtney's number.  It quickly went to her voice-mail and so Cassie dialed up her mother.  She didn't even know what time their flight was going to leave.  When her mom didn't pick up the phone either, Cassie made a phone call to the airport.  “Hi, I was wondering when your next flight is to Dallas?”

“I'm sorry
Miss; the plane just took off about 15 minutes ago.  We have a plane leaving at 6:15 this evening.”

“I'll take it,” Cassie urgently replied.  She gave her credit card information, thanked the clerk, and hung up the phone.  She was relieved that she didn't have to pack, because her bags were ready for the trip she was supposed to be leaving on the next day.  She would make Courtney see that she wasn't a heartless
person; she would definitely make it up to her.

____________________

Chad was parked in Cassie's driveway.  He knew that to the average person he would appear as a stalker, but he had to find a way into her house and back into her heart.  He looked at the clock on his dashboard, it was going on 3:00 and he couldn't begin to guess how long he had been stationed outside.  He was relieved to see that Cassie's was the only car parked in front of the house.  He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed her number.  “Cassie, please pick up.”  He replied quietly into the phone.

“Hi, you have reached Cassie...leave your name and number and I will get back to you as soon as I can.  Have a great day!”

He moaned as he disconnected the call.  They had the trip planned and he wanted it to go as planned.  There was no other way if he was going to get through to her.  He opened his car door and took a deep breath as he headed to her front door.  He softly tapped on the door and waited for Cassie to answer.  When the door opened, Cassie stared at him.  “Hello Cassie.”  He replied timidly, trying to not back down from the glare that she was giving him.

“You need to leave.”  She replied abruptly as she went to shut the door.

Chad reached out and stopped the door from slamming in his face.  “I'm not going anywhere, we have to talk.  His eyes fell to the floor where a couple of suitcases were perched by her feet.  “Going somewhere?”

“Not that I have to explain myself, I'm going on vacation.”

“Cassie, you don't have to do this.  We can still take our trip, it will give us a chance to get reacquainted and I will make it up to you.  Please, say you'll still come.”

Cassie stepped back and looked at him like he had grown a head.  “Are you kidding me?  Do you really believe that I would want to spend two weeks with someone I can't even trust?  Chad, I wouldn't go on this trip
if it would be my last vacation ever.”

Chad stepped further into her foyer and he saw the anguish in her eyes.  “Cassie, I am sorry that I hurt you and I know that you have every right to never trust me again.  I am begging you to just give me another chance.  I love you and I can't imagine my life without you.”  He pulled the engagement ring from his pocket and looked at it for a second.  “I was going to give you this ring, once we were out to sea.  We belong together and I was going to propose to you.”

Cassie looked down at the ring and then looked at him.  “When were you going to tell me?  Were you going to keep this charade going in the hopes that you would never get caught?  Surprise...you were caught.”

“Cassie, I was going to tell you last night.  That's why I was so distant and I stopped things before they got too far.  Yesterday when you met Monica at the restaurant, I had told her it was over.”

“Really?  It sure didn't look like it was over Chad, far from it.”

“Last night was a huge mistake and I tried to push her away.”

“Chad, you obviously don't have self control when it comes to her.  How could I let you back into my life knowing that it could happen again?” 

“I have seen what pain last night has caused you and I would die before I would ever let that happen again.”  Chad moved closer to her and touched her arm.  To his satisfaction she didn't pull away.  He thought that it was possible he was getting through to her.  “Where are you going?”

Cassie looked down at the floor, “I'm going home.”

“Home?  I thought this was your home?”

“I'm going to Avery, I need to make things up to Courtney and if that means helping her plan her wedding, so be it.”

“So, you're going back to Texas...I wonder what Seth is up to.”  When the anger returned to her face, he regretted speaking his name.  The day Cassie told him about her past relationships, he could tell that she was still in turmoil about things ending between them.  It took him awhile before he made her realize that she needed to move on.  Now, seeing her face and the hurt he caused...made him feel so small.

Cassie looked at him, any hope that she might forgive him was instantly gone.  “What's that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing, I just meant the last time we went to Texas you were in a constant state of worry that you would run into him, made me start to believe that it was because you still had feelings for him.  Now, you would have no reason to worry about that, seeing that you're not exactly ecstatic about a future with me.”

“Not that it's any of your concern, but Seth is happily engaged and it wouldn't matter if we did see each other.”

Chad nodded, “I see, I didn't know that.”  He couldn't judge whether she was upset that he was no longer available or not.  He had a feeling it would cause him a nervous breakdown to worry about it too.

“Yeah, there's a lot you don't know.”

It was like a slap across his face, but he knew he deserved it.  “Cassie, I am deeply sorry.  How many times do I have to say that?  Please just understand that what happened between Monica and me wasn't out of love.”

“Sadly I know that Chad.  I realize that you are not in love with her, but it makes me question your love for me.  I have to get going.  I can't miss this flight.”

“Please think about what I have said to you.  I will be here when you get back.”  He turned to leave and as he reached the door he peered back at her. “Bye Cassie.”

She didn't say anything, just nodded as he left her doorway.  He was going to win her back, he had to.  He didn't know how, but soon she would be back where she belonged.

Cassie hurried through the halls of the
airport; she was worried that she was going to be late.  She couldn't stop thinking about Chad's visit and she was angry with herself that if he would have kept talking about the cruise, she easily could have agreed to go with him.  Now she only had 10 minutes to make her plane, she decided not to call her sister or mom.  They would be surprised to see her and it might just be what was needed to mend the hard feelings.  She hurried to the desk to get her boarding pass, “My name is Cassie Jamison.  I called to get a ticket for the 6:15 Dallas flight.”

“Yes, Miss Jamison,” she handed the pass to her and pointed to the end of the hall.  “Go to gate 240, they will be departing soon.”

“Thank you.”  Cassie ran to the end of the long corridor and was out of breath as she handed the pass to the worker.

She scanned the pass a
nd smiled, “Have a good trip.”

“Thanks.”  She hesitated for a second before walking through the doors and heading to the plane. She was thankful she had an inside seat and could look out the window.  It was only a few minutes before the stewardess came on and explained the safety instructions and they took off.  In less than 3 hours she would land in Dallas and have to consider what she was going to tell her family.  It wasn't going to be an easy conversation, but one that she would have to consider.  She closed her eyes and tried to get some rest.  The next two weeks were going to be hard to get through, but Cassie was prepared for the challenges.  She dozed off in her seat, just 15 minutes into the flight.  It felt good to get the sleep and not only that...it would make the flight go faster.

____________________

Cassie got in the SUV that she rented and familiarized herself with the features.  Once she was certain she knew where everything was, she pulled out of the parking lot.  She thought of Dallas and what it had once meant to her.  Her heart swelled with emotion that it was one of the best places she visited when she was growing up.  When she stopped at a light she looked off to the side of the road and stared for a moment.  She thought her eyes were playing tricks on her, but then she was certain she wasn't wrong.  Standing in front of a restaurant was Seth, he was faced away from her, but she could tell from his movements that it was him.  She watched as a tall, thin woman walked up to him, they kissed and he wrapped his arms around her.  As they walked into the restaurant, there was no denying this woman was his
fiancée.  She was lost in watching them through the windows that she didn't notice that the light had changed to green.  The car behind her honked and she hurriedly moved forward.

Their interactions were romantic and Cassie couldn't help but feel a sense of sorrow, sorrow that Seth had truly moved on.  She quickly scolded
herself; it was only a day ago that she thought she had moved on.  She had no right to be irritated with Seth; she was the one that had left him.  It was only right that he would find someone else, but it didn't make her feel any better. 

She was determined that while she was in town she would remain close to her family, but avoid any talk about Seth, it would be easier that way.

___________________

She waited on the porch, anxious for someone to answer the door.  When the door opened, she stood facing her 15 year old brother.  “Hey little brother, how's it going?”

Christopher stared at her for a second before giving her a hug, “Cassie?”

Cassie laughed, “Who else?  I have missed you Christopher.”

“I've missed you too sis.  Mom...Dad...Cassie's here.”

It was only a few seconds before they both ran around the corner.  “Cassie,” her dad replied enthusiastically as they hugged.

When Cassie pulled away she turned to her mom and saw the tears in her eyes.  “Mom?”

Her mother ran to her and gave her a hug.  “I am so happy to see you.  After we left, it killed me that things were left so tense between all of us.”

Cassie nodded, “I know and I'm sorry.”

“What happened?  I thought you had vacation plans?”

“I did, but it's more important for me to be here with you guys.  There's plenty of time to go on vacation.”

“How does Chad feel about that?”  Her mother asked with inquisition.

“He understands,” Cassie lied but couldn't face the truth.  “So, is Courtney here?”

“
They just stepped out.  She'll be back soon.  You must be exhausted.”

Cassie couldn't deny it, it was going on 11:00 and even though he slept on the plane, she felt she could sleep another 24 hours.  “I am...in fact,” she turned to Christopher and placed her hands on her
waist.  “Mister, why aren't you in bed?”

“Cassie, I'm 15 and it's a weekend...come on.”

Everyone laughed at that remark and Cassie felt relieved to have some of the stress off of her.  “You're right, but I think that I'm going to head upstairs and get some shut eye.  Will you ask Courtney to stop by my room when she gets back?”

“Of course,” her mom replied with a smile.

As Cassie reached down for her bags, her brother cleared his throat.  “Um, I've got this.”

She chuckled, “Such a gentleman.”

“Cassie,” her Mom spoke as she started to climb the stairs.

“Yeah mom?”

“It's good to have you home, even it is for just a little while.”

Cassie grinned, “It's good to be home.  I'll see you guys tomorrow morning.”

When she reached the top of the stairs she saw Christopher coming out of her room.  “That will be $10.00,” he laughed letting Cassie know he was teasing.

“Bill me,” she smiled. 

“See you tomorrow Cass.”

“Night!”

When she walked in the room she saw that everything was as she left it all those years ago, down to the last stuffed animal on the bed.  She grabbed her bag and began to unpack.  She was just about to put her last outfit away when she heard a light tap on her door.  After glancing at the clock she saw that it was almost midnight.  She just hoped her sister could forgive her.  When she opened the door she saw Courtney standing there, her head downward to the floor. 

“Courtney, I...” she began, that's when Courtney looked up and she saw the smile on her face.  “I am so sorry.”

“It's forgotten, I'm so glad you're here.”  They hugged, tightly before Courtney slowly pulled away.  “Why are you here?”

“Let's just say...
there are more important things than going on a cruise.”

Courtney cocked her head, “Really...um, I'm not buying it.”

“Let's not talk about it, come in and sit down.  We have a lot to get caught up on.”

Courtney walked into the room and jumped on the corner of Cassie's bed.  “Staying two weeks?”  She asked with hope in her eyes.

Cassie nodded, “If you can stand me that long.”

Courtney laughed, “I think I can manage.”

“Good, so...I know that I really haven't had a chance to talk with Brad, but he seems like a great guy.  Where did you guys meet?”

“Just in the normal places two people meet.”

“What does that mean?”  Cassie asked with a laugh.  “I mean if you don't want to tell me, that's fine.  I just don't understand why so secretive.”

Courtney bit her lower lip.  “Cassie, I really wasn't supposed to tell you.”

“What?  Why not?  That makes no sense, Courtney...what are you...”

“Cassie, just forget about it.  Just know that I met Brad, I love him, and I have never been happier.”

“Courtney, I understand that you're in love and that's great.  I don't understand why it needs to be a secret.  Someone doesn't want me to know where you met?  Is it Brad?  I mean, if he wants it to just between the two of you fine, that's sweet, but...”

Courtney looked down, “Seth.”

“Seth?”

Courtney looked up and shrugged, “Seth asked me to keep it quiet.”

“Why?  What does Seth have to do with any of this?”

“Seth is marrying Brad's sister.  I think that he thought if you knew who Brad was, then you would think he was just trying to meddle in the life of your family.  I don't feel that way and I know that what we have is real and it just so happens that we're all going to be related.”

“I see and does Bradley know that Seth and I once was a couple?”

“He does and he is mindful to not talk about Seth around you.”

Cassie laughed, “I'm not going to fall apart just hearing Seth's name, in fact I saw him today.”

“You did?”

“Yes...but he didn't see me and I'm assuming it was Rebecca he was with.  I could tell he was happy and that's all that matters.”

“Cassie, I'm so sorry.”

“It doesn't matter, I'm happy and maybe I'll soon be getting married myself.  I have moved on, just like he has.  So, everything's fine.”

“Is it?”  Courtney asked and Cassie knew that look, Courtney wasn't buying the whole story.

“I know what you're thinking Court, don't go there.”

“Cassie, it's just that I'm worried about you.  You were going to take this trip with Chad and don't get me wrong...I love that you're here, but it makes me wonder why?”

“Courtney, its fine.  I'm fine, there's no need to think about anything else.”  Cassie looked down at her phone as it began to ring.  She chuckled, “Speaking of...”

“You can answer the phone.  I'll leave.” 

Courtney went to leave, but Cassie grabbed her and stopped her from going.  “You can stay.”  She pressed the button to ignore the call and threw the phone to the side.  “It doesn't look like my fairytale is going to be coming true, anytime soon.”  When Courtney's eyes got big, she held up her hand.  “I don't want anyone to know.”

“What happened?” She sat back down and her eyes never left Cassie's.  “I mean, Friday night...everything looked like it was going so well.  I thought we were interrupting something between the two of you.  Then when we woke up this morning, you were gone.  I just figured you both were beginning your vacation early.”

“Friday night wasn't really everything it seemed.  Looks can be deceiving.  We were talking and I got the impression that he had something important to tell me.  When we argued, I knew I wouldn't get any sleep so I went to his house.  I really just wanted to get the conversation over with so, maybe something special could happen that night.  However, my hopes were short-lived and when I got to Chad's house I discovered that I am not the only woman in his life.”  Courtney's eyes got big and Cassie nodded.  “Yeah, he wasn't alone.”

“Did you catch them?”

“Not exactly.  She was coming out of his room when I saw her.  She wasn't wearing a whole lot and he said it was over.  I don't know it wasn't my best moments.”

“Cassie, this can't be easy for you.  Coming here to help with wedding plans, hearing about Seth and Rebecca, all along knowing that Chad is a jerk.”

“Gee, thanks...I feel so much better.”

“I just mean that I will totally understand if you don't want to do this right now.”

“I'm fine.  This will give me a chance to see what I want out of life and if it's not Chad, I can talk to him when I get back to New York.  I know that it is going to be hard to understand, but I don't know what I'm going to do.”

“You could forgive him?”

“The fact is it isn't entirely out of the question.  I mean we have been dating for 2 years, I truly felt that I loved him.”

“Yeah, but he cheated on you.”

“You don't have to keep me reminding me.  I get that, it's just I don't know how I'll feel once we are away from each other.  I'll have to see.”

“I get that, but...”

“Please, let's drop it.”

“Okay, consider it dropped.”  Courtney yawned, “I better let you get some sleep.”  She leaned over and gave Cassie another hug.  “I'll see you in the morning.”

Cassie watched as her sister left.  She did have to be the one to figure out what she was going to do and she knew that no one would understand that she could even consider giving Chad another chance.  It just wasn't that simple and either way it had to be up to her.