Real Challenge (Atlanta #2) (25 page)

Chapter Thirteen

The rest of his weekend was just as sweet as Thursday night was. He looked for happiness all day at work, and even though he didn’t really find any, he noticed a small difference from the effort. Cassie surprised him Friday by cleaning nearly his entire apartment and cooking a seafood stir-fry.

Cassie had a shift at the clinic on Saturday, but all day Sunday was more fun than he expected. After his workout at the pool, she took him to the zoo. Without a doubt, the whole day was playing, straight down to the cotton candy on the carousel. And he was happy.
 

But still, Monday found Scott again at work, back to his corporate self. Just like every week, he dropped his free, easy-going life with Cassie and picked up where he left off Friday afternoon. Even with his renewed efforts toward a focus on happiness, he fell back into his old routine. The system was obviously flawed but at least working to some extent…for now, anyway. Hopefully his time and efforts toward understanding Cassie’s philosophy would help him figure things out soon.
 

He caught lunch with Erin that afternoon and left the office to be home by six. He wasn’t in the mood to work extra that day, in spite of his corporate drive. He pulled up to his apartment and saw Cassie’s car there. He smiled at her wanting to be there with him again. The more time with her the better, as far as Scott was concerned.

He walked down the hall and up to his door. He turned the handle to go in, but the door was locked. Strange for her to have locked it, but whatever. He dug for his key and stepped in, expecting to see her sassy grin and some crazy outfit. Instead, Cassie was both teary-eyed and throwing herself against him.

“Cassie? What happened? Cass?”

Scott was taken even more aback when Cassie tried to kiss him — passionately. She grasped at him, still with tears streaming down her face, and tried to pull his hand to her breast. He held her back, trying to figure out the situation.

“Cassie, stop — what’s going on?” he tried to look at her, but she kept going after him, trying to wrap herself up and trying to get him to do the same. All the while she cried silently. Suddenly she stopped and sobbed completely. She pushed Scott against the door, closing it, and tried to get him to kiss her again.

“Whoa, Cass. Stop! Cassie…what’s wrong? Will you please stop?”

“I need you,” she cried. “Just be with me!” Her sobs and her actions were desperate and Scott had no idea how to react.

He grabbed her wrists firmly and pushed her a step away from him so she had to stop. “I can’t be with you like this,” he said gently, trying to calm her down. “Not with you crying. Please tell me what’s going on…”

Cassie sank to the floor and leaned sideways against the wall. “I’m sorry,” she sobbed. “I’m so sorry…”

Scott had no idea what was happening, but Cassie was an obvious mess. He took his suit jacket off and wrapped it around her shoulders. Cassie got very quiet. She didn’t move or acknowledge him at all. His heart broke to see her like that. A sense of panic hit him, too.

“Cassie, talk to me,” he said as gently as he could, trying not to give away how completely scared he was.

“He called,” she said in a barely-whisper. “He knows my number.”

“Who called?” Scott asked, stroking her hair gently, trying to comfort her. She obviously didn’t want to be held. She almost flinched at his hand moving softly on her head. She had gone from desperate for a connection to terrified of one.
 

“My dad.”

Scott’s stomach dropped. He hadn’t forgotten the story about her dad, and about how she dealt with the hurt throughout her teens. She fell back into the same old pattern, but this time with Scott. Thank God he had the common sense to hold her back. She didn’t need to go down that road again, even with someone who loved her.

He saw her cell phone sitting on the coffee table. He left her side only long enough to dial her brother’s number. He did that for two reasons. One, Marcus would want to know right away that their abusive father had reached out to Cassie. Two, Scott genuinely had no idea how to help her. All he wanted was to make her feel better, and he figured Marcus was the best way to make that happen.
 

Marcus picked up after the third ring. “Hey, Cass.”

“This is Scott. Cassie’s not doing well…your…uh…dad called her.” Scott could hear background noises from the gym.

“Son of a BITCH!” Marcus yelled. “Where is she? Is she ok?”

“My place, and not really. I’ll text you the address.”

“Damn it! I’m on my way. Don’t let her go anywhere. Keep your door locked and don’t let anything happen to her. Text Erin and get her over there. Now. Don’t take no for an answer.”

“I got it covered.” Scott ended the call and looked back over to Cassie. “Marcus is on his way. You’re going to be ok.”

She remained silent and staring glassy-eyed at the floor while Scott texted Erin. Cassie hugged her knees tighter.
 

“It’s going to be alright,” Scott said to her gently.

She shook her head. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to do that. I shouldn’t have come, but I couldn’t be home. And I needed you…and I was scared he would show up at my house. I’m
so
sorry.” Her tears started falling again.

“Don’t apologize, Cass. I’m glad you knew you could come here. You can stay as long as you want to. Do you want to go sit on the couch?”

She shook her head again, still staring at the floor.
 

“Ok. I’ll stay right here with you. Give me just a minute,” he said. Scott stepped back to the door and slid the deadbolt in place. He pulled his white shirt off and grabbed a pair of sweats that was hanging over the arm of the couch. He changed his clothes right there in the living room so he could keep an eye on her while they waited for Marcus and Erin.

Scott sat beside her on the floor, wishing there was something he could do. At one point Cassie leaned over and rested her head on his shoulder. What a sweet, sad moment. She was letting herself rely on him, even if just a little. Still, knowing she was sad enough to need to was heart-breaking. At least she wasn’t throwing herself at him again.
 

Just a few minutes later, there was a knock at the door. Scott kissed Cassie gently on the head and then walked over to look through the peep hole just as Marcus announced it was him. Scott hadn’t even opened the door all the way when Marcus pushed his way in. “Where is she?”

He saw her near the door before Scott could answer. He swiftly took one step over to her and picked her right up. “Come here, Bug,” Marcus said gently. He walked her straight to Scott’s couch and cradled her like a child. “I got you. Don’t be scared.”

Scott stood there watching, wondering if he should say anything while Cassie broke down sobbing in Marcus’s arms. Scott was at a total loss. Nothing in his own life could have prepared him for the gut-wrenching scene in front of him. All he could think to do was get a box of tissues. Cassie was the strongest woman he’d ever known, but not at all when her father was involved.

Marcus looked down at Cassie again. “It’s ok, Bug. I promise. I’ll take care of this. He’s not going to bother you again.”

Cassie nodded as she stared at the floor. Scott assured Marcus that Erin was on her way. Marcus motioned him over to the couch to sit down. He passed Cassie over to Scott’s arms to cradle her the same way.

“Cassie,” Marcus started. “Scott’s going to take care of you while I deal with this. I’m going to wait here for Erin, and then I’m going to make sure that bastard leaves you alone. He’s not getting anywhere near you. I promise. Can you tell me what he said?”

Cassie nodded and wrapped her arms tightly around Scott. “He said ‘Hi, it’s Dad’, but he didn’t have to tell me that. I knew as soon as I heard his voice,” she said quietly. She sounded like a victim and Scott’s heart broke. “He asked how I was doing like it was just another Monday phone call.”

“What did you say?”

“Nothing. Not a word. I tried to hang up but it took me three tries. My hands were shaking too hard.” She started crying again. “I could hear him still trying to talk to me, but I didn’t listen at all. I just wanted it to stop. Then I ran to the car and drove over here to get away. I didn’t know where he was or if he knew where I lived…”

Scott held her close and kissed her head lovingly while he rubbed her back. He glanced up to see Marcus looking at the two of them. Marcus gave him a small thank-you nod. Scott nodded in return then starting whispering to Cassie like Marcus had. “I’m not going anywhere. I’ll stay right here with you. I’ll make sure you’re ok while your brother’s gone.”

Marcus paced the length of the apartment. He had just come from the gym and was still wearing his workout clothes. Tape still circled his knuckles. He kept looking over at Scott holding Cassie. Scott was glad Marcus allowed him to take care of his girl. He would have backed off if necessary, but he didn’t want to at all. Even though he hadn’t told her yet, Scott loved Cassie, and the need to take care of her nearly vibrated in his arms.
 

A few minutes later, Erin knocked at the door. Marcus let her in and held her strongly for a few moments. Marcus was shaking. Scott could barely hear them talking, but the few snippets he heard were something along the lines of “don’t know why the hell he called”, “kill the bastard”, and “not coming near either of you”.

Scott was worried about all of them, but he saw the look on Erin’s face. She looked terrified. At first, Scott thought she was afraid of their dad. When she started talking, he knew her fear stemmed from something else entirely.

“Marcus, don’t go yet, please,” she said, sounding determined in spite of her tension. “Calm down first, ok? Don’t let him suck you back down.”

“Baby, I have to take care of this. He’s not going to do this to us again. But I won’t lose control. I promise. There’s nothing he can do that will make me give up what I have now. Ok?”

Erin nodded. “Do you want me to go with you? To keep you calm?”

“I don’t want you anywhere near him. I don’t even like that he’s in the same city with you and Cassie.” Marcus turned to Scott with his hardened game face on. Marcus stared him down and pointed at his face. “Keep the door locked and don’t let either of them go anywhere. I’m trusting you with this. Don’t fuck up.”

Scott nodded. He wasn’t even insulted. Everything that Marcus loved in the entire world was right there in the room with him; Marcus was fierce about what he loved. Scott was actually a little surprised Marcus trusted him at all.
 

Marcus walked out the door and Erin went to sit with Scott and Cassie on the couch. Erin reached for Cassie’s hand while she rested her head on Scott’s shoulder.

“He’s going to be ok,” Scott said. “All of you are.”

Marcus drove his tank-of-a-car across town to a suburb that looked lovely. Lots of family homes dotted the street where kids played happily on the front lawn. What a crock. He wondered how many pretty houses on this street fronted a hellish environment like his own.
 

He parked in the short driveway barely big enough to fit his car. The door was only a few short strides away, and Marcus cleared the distance in no time. He knocked and waited just a moment.
 

“Marcus,” the man said smiling when he answered the door. Looking like an older version of Marcus, albeit a few inches shorter and graying at the temples, Gary Walker tried to greet his son warmly. Marcus, however, had a different goal than a happy family reunion. He pushed his father into the house with his forearm at Gary Walker’s throat. He turned him and pinned him to the side wall of the entrance way.
 

“What the hell do you think you’re doing? You sick, selfish bastard! Eighteen years wasn’t enough? Thought you’d come back for more? Leave. Her. Alone. Don’t even think about trying to see her or I’ll put you down like a rabid dog. Do you understand me?”

“Marcus, please,” the man wheezed through what little breath he could let escape past Marcus’s forearm. “Let me explain.”

“Why the fuck would I do that? How could you possibly explain? Just stay the hell away from us.” Marcus let his dad drop to the floor and stood over him menacingly. “I’m not leaving until I’m satisfied that you’re done. Convince me that neither of us will hear from you again and I’ll let you be.
I’m
in charge now. Believe that.”

Gary took a moment to catch his breath, staring sadly at his son. Marcus stood over him the entire time, ready to strike if the man on the floor so much as flinched.
 

He remained standing over his father, almost hoping he would make a move. Marcus kept his control, but truthfully he wanted an excuse for some eye-for-an-eye retribution. Gary Walker, however, looked sad when he started talking again. “I’m sober,” he said. “Three years today.”

Marcus glared at him, unimpressed.

“I’ve been working the twelve steps, Marc. I’m on step nine. Making amends.”

“I’m familiar. Do you remember the second half of that?
Unless it would injure others
or something like that? Well you hurt the hell out of Cassie with your dumb-ass phone call. Anything else?”

Gary Walker sighed and stared at the floor. “No, that’s it. I won’t call again. But I want you to know that I’m sorry for everything. Words can’t even begin…”

Marcus cut him off short. “You’re right. They can’t. If you want to talk to Cassie again, you come through me…and I suggest you don’t. Understood?”

“Yeah. I’ll leave you alone,” he said sadly.

“Keep it that way.” Marcus turned and left, not even bothering to close the door behind him. He drove straight back to Scott’s apartment, no matter how badly he wanted to go to the gym and imagine his father’s face on the speed bag.
 

The whole time across town, Scott, Erin and Cassie sat together on the couch of the apartment in total silence. None of them knew what to say; all of them were simply waiting for Marcus. There wasn’t much else they could do.

Erin and Scott focused on taking care of Cassie. Scott cradled her against him while Erin held her hand. Cassie finally relaxed into the embrace. Scott knew that at least for the moment, Cassie felt safe and warm in his arms.