Chapter 22
Emmy
“So, you mean to tell me you have been friends since you were kids and you haven’t boinked once…not even a drunken rumble in the tumble?”
Hayleigh’s blunt question makes Lacey spit her drink all over the table. It’s ladies' happy hour at the bar in town, and Lacey finally wanted to meet Hayleigh. It's safe to say they hit it off. Now we’ve promised to make this a weekly ritual of coming here and ordering the two for one pitchers of cocktails. Right now, we’re all drinking some slippery nipples or we were until Lacey spat hers back out.
She doesn’t look offended by the question. Still, she does look a little sad as she says “I rejected him back when we were teenagers because I was worried I would lose my best friend if we ended up together…but then something happened…an accident and Cole…he just…withdrew and when I tried to show him I liked him back he said we could only ever be friends and I had to decide if that was something I could deal with or not and so I decided yes and here we are”
her eyes are a little glossed over. I put my hand on hers and squeeze it lightly.
She waves me off “urgh sorry…Debs the Downer here”
Hayleigh pours her another drink and Lacey knocks it back.
I turn to Hayleigh, “How are things with Pete?”
She smiles, but it doesn’t reach her eyes, and I know it isn’t something she is ready to share with anyone else just yet.
So instead she says “It’s going”
before she pours herself another drink and knocks it back as fast as she can.
Lacey asks me, “Ok, now your turn Emmy. How are things with CJ?”
They both laugh at the look on my face.
Hayleigh points right at me and shouts “OH MY FUCKING GOD, YOU LOVE HIM!”
Lacey starts howling with laughter, and I look around to make sure he isn’t lurking in any corners. When I’m satisfied, he isn’t. I turn back to them and nod yes before they both start screaming and banging on the table like they’ve just won the lottery.
I bat their hands down before shushing them “Stop it, both of you, you’re making a scene”
but as I say it, I can’t help the smile that blooms across my face.
“Have you said it yet?”
Lacey asks, her hands under her chin like this is the most romantic thing she has ever heard.
I shake my head, “not yet, no…it just doesn’t feel right with everything going on. There have been a few times though…When I thought he was going to say it, but then he said something else,”
I shake my head as I say, “But I feel like he does…does that make sense?”
They both nod, then Lacey starts flapping her hands about, “Oh! I just remembered, you like planning events, don’t you?”
I begin to look around before she laughs at me and swats my arm “yes you! CJ was telling me you enjoyed planning Hayleigh’s bridal shower and I was wondering if you would mind throwing a surprise birthday party for Cole?”
my initial reaction is to shut it down and explain I’m no good at it. I hear Cas’s voice in my head telling me that I can do this.
So I smile and say “I’d be honoured. When is it, and what theme are you thinking of?”
Lacey goes into detail about what she wants for Cole’s birthday. I listen to her ideas and start jotting them down on my phone, I sneak a peek at Hayleigh.
She’s engrossed in her phone, I worry she’s getting stuck inside her own head, and so when Lacey finishes talking, I say to her, “Hayleigh, do you want to help me with this?”
It takes her a minute to realise I’m talking to her, but then her head snaps up.
“What? Yeah, sure…course”
I chuckle at her before I say “you’ve just helped volunteer to plan Cole’s surprise birthday party, obviously you and Pete have an invitation, it may do you both good to get out of the house and do something together?”
she nods her head in agreement, but she doesn’t look as thrilled about it as someone in love would be.
We stay for another few hours before Hayleigh announces she’s drunk enough to drown a sailor. She looks towards the door and in strolls Pete, she hasn’t noticed him yet, but I have, and his face is thunderous until he reaches our table. He schools his expression, and he finally notices me.
Then, he pastes on a big smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “Hey, Emily, how have you been?”
I go to answer him but Hayleigh beats me to it “Sheez fine but I thinks I need to go ome”
Lacey and I look at each other and a giggle bursts out of my throat. Pete gives us a tight smile and helps Hayleigh to her feet. Lacey turns to me and says “I’m going to have another drink and then call an Uber.”
I hugged her and said, “Are you sure you’ll be okay here alone?”
She smiles at me, points behind me, and says “I see some of my friends from work over there so I’ll join them for one, you make sure she gets home ok”
I give her a questioning look but she waves me off and moves towards her friends. I turn back towards Pete and Hayleigh, he’s holding her up with one arm and her bag in the other.
“Would you like a lift home, Emily?”
I check my phone but see Cas hasn’t messaged me yet, so he must still be at the club, I look back up towards Pete and smile “Please, if that’s ok?”
he nods yes and then I grab my bag and we set off towards his car.
We get outside, and I note that he opens the door to his new car. “When did you get a new car?”
I try to make conversation, seeing as he seems a bit standoffish.
He looks over to me and hesitates for a beat before he says “Oh it’s not mine…I’m just borrowing it from a friend till mine's fixed. Here, get Hayleigh in the back, can you open the door for me?”
I open the door while he deposits her in the back of the car. He shuts the door, then opens the front one for me, he gestures for me to get in and I tentatively get in the front. He walks around the back of the car, taking his time before climbing in. I fire off a text to Cas while I wait for him to start the car.
Me
Babe, we finished early. Lacey’s gone with some of her work friends and Pete and Hayleigh are giving me a lift home. Will let you know when I get in xx
Pete opens the door, settles in the car, and an uncomfortable silence surrounds us. Had I never noticed he was this awkward before? Hating the silence, I ask Pete, “Are you excited for the wedding?”
I don’t let on that Hayleigh has been telling me everything, he probably already knows she has, but I’m not going to say anything just in case she hasn’t.
He pastes on that too fake smile and nods “oh yeah, it’s going to be great. I hope you and my brother can work things out by then.”
I mull over what he’s just said before gently saying to him “Pete, I’ll be civil with Chad…but we aren’t ever going to be getting back together. I’m done. Completely”
a muscle ticks in his jaw before he nods once. I decided not to have any more conversations, not if this iciness is how it will be.
We aren’t driving long before Pete swears and the car starts to judder and feels different. It’s pitch black outside and we’re still about 15 minutes from home.
Pete pulls to one side before saying “I’m going to take a look at what’s happened, I think it might be a flat”
I grab his arm and his eyes flash to mine, they must see the fear in them because his soften a bit before he says “don’t worry, Hayleigh told me about what’s been going on with you, no one will hurt you while I’m around…ok?”
I nod and let him go, locking the car once he’s out. I recheck my phone, but my stomach twists when I realise Cas hasn’t messaged me back, I wallow a little in the disappointment before my phone pings. I opened it; however, it wasn’t Cas that messaged.
Unknown
Not a very safe place to break down…
My breath catches in my throat, and I look around wildly to see if anyone lurks outside. My eyes snag on the top of Pete’s head in the mirror as he’s bent down at the side of his car fixing the tyre. My phone beeps again…
Unknown
It wouldn’t take me very long to bash his brains in and come take you safely away with me
I swipe out of the message and open Cas’s contact and ring, but it just rings out and I hear the beep in my ear that tells me another message has come through.
Unknown
You need to understand Emily that he isn’t right for you and if you refuse to see it then I’ll just have to show you…
I close my eyes and try to breathe through the rising panic, but I can’t focus on anything, my hands start tingling and my breath feels like mud dragging through my lungs. I squeeze my eyes shut tighter and I’m just about to bang the side of my fist on the window before Pete is there knocking to be let in. I jump at the sound but unlock the car, allowing him to slide in.
He looks at my wild eyes and concern flashes across his face “Has something happened?”
I nod and show him my phone, he takes it and scrolls through.
His face is a picture of calm as he asks, “Do you have any idea who’s doing this?”
I shake my head before saying “I thought it might have been your brother, not able to let go…but now I’m not so sure”
he’s shaking his head before I finish saying anything.
“Emily, it definitely isn’t Chad…he doesn’t have the brains for this, but also he does still care about you”
I don’t bother responding to him, there’s no point.
Instead, I say “please can you take me home now?”
he hesitates as if wanting to say something else, but in the end, he nods and starts the car.
While Pete drives back, I fill Cas in via a message, so he knows what’s going on, but when I get back, I know there shouldn’t have been a reason to worry because there in front of the house is Cas and his brothers ready to go. We pull up, and I’m out of the car and in his arms before he blinks. He holds me at arm’s length, checking me over, and I say to him, “I’m fine, it was just another stupid few messages,”
but then he looks past me, and I turn to see him staring at Pete before he peels away in his car, speeding out of the street. I look back towards Cas “what is it between you two?”
but he shakes his head and presses a kiss to my forehead “when you didn’t come back on time…I thought…”
he sighs “never mind…I’m just glad you’re ok. Let’s get inside” his brothers all say goodnight and start leaving.
Back inside the house I heave myself up the stairs and go through my nightly routine of getting ready to wind down. Once I’m done, I walk back downstairs and find Cas sitting in the living room staring into space. I curl up next to him, “penny for your thoughts?”
he turns towards me and smiles, putting his arm around me. He doesn’t answer me, so I put my hands on his face and kiss him gently so he knows that I’m still here.
“I don’t know why this keeps happening to me, Cas, and I haven’t a clue who it could be, but I don’t want it to come between us”
he smiles against my lips and wraps his arms around me before pulling me to his lap. Scruff jumps up and wiggles his way into our sides and we sit like that until my eyes felt heavy and I drifted off.
I feel heavy. Every part of my body feels like it’s weighed down with something. I open my eyes but all I see is darkness…
but wait, that isn’t right. I can see a light, it’s blurred, almost like my eyes aren’t working properly, but it’s there and growing bigger.
Feet appear in the light and they’re walking towards me. I open my mouth to scream or swear or say anything but my tongue feels too big, it fills my mouth and my throat closes up and doesn’t let a sound out.
The feet are closing in, I will my fingers to move and then my hand.
I think about banging on the floor, trying to alert Cas, my hand starts knocking, getting more and more frantic and all of a sudden, my throat opens and a scream rips out of me.
I scream for Cas over and over, but he doesn’t hear me, and the feet are closer.
They look like men’s feet, his legs are now in view as well, but I don’t stop the banging or the crying, I don’t dare stop.
The banging gets louder and my head feels like it’s going to explode.
The legs drop to their knees and then hands drop down too.
I can feel his eyes on me, searching for me, they come into view and another scream rips from me, but this isn’t a scream for Cas this is a scream of pure terror because looking back at me is a man with a too wide grin and two gaping black holes where his eyes should be.
I’m helpless as he opens that too wide mouth…
I jolt awake and still hear someone screaming as Cas shakes me and then I realise that the screaming is coming from me and the banging is coming from the front door. I stop screaming when I realise I’m okay, but the banging continues.
Panic rises in me again, but Cas says, “don’t worry, it’s only Hayleigh. Are you going to be okay here while I go and let her in?”
I nod, words failing me.
He goes downstairs and I flop back in my bed.
My hair is sweaty and my heart is pounding wildly out of my chest.
I can’t get that image of those two gaping black holes out of my head but before I can think any more of it, Hayleigh comes bursting into the room and launches herself on the bed singing “guess who’s getting married next month”
her singing is off key and it eases that’s suffocating feeling in my chest.
“So, Pete finally unstuck his head from his backside?”
Hayleigh’s eyes bug out and then she bursts out laughing.
“Wow, what a way with words you have, Emmy, but yes, as a matter of fact, he has finally unstucketh his backside and the wedding is back on”
Her smile is so bright I can’t help but smile with her. Cas clears his throat from the doorway before walking over to us with two cups of coffee, he hands one to each of us before he drops a kiss on my head.
He says to Hayleigh, “I’m happy for you, Hayls”
She beams up at him, but I notice the shift in his eyes, the worry that creases there ever so quickly, but it's gone before she can pick up on it.
“Ok so what’s the next plan of action?”
I ask her.
She looks up at Cas before saying, “CJ, I need to borrow your lovely lady because today we are going dress shopping, that is, if you’re up for it? I heard about it last night, and you do look a little peaky. I’m just sorry I was out of it.”
I shake my head and say “Don’t worry about it, I’m fine, last night was just some stupid messages again and this…”
I swirl a hand around my face, “It's just a bad dream. Give me 30 to get ready and I’ll meet you downstairs”, she smiles and leaves, but Cas lingers.
“What is it?”
I ask him, and he shifts on his feet. When he looks up, he looks like he’s worried about what he is going to say next.
“I have something I need to tell you,”
my stomach drops and every negative thought runs through my head.
I steel myself for the worst and look up to him, “Ok. Out with it then”, he looks taken aback by my bluntness, but he moves towards me and sits on the edge of the bed, turning round, he grabs my hands.
“Last night. When you didn’t come home on time, I went out of my mind with worry. I thought…I thought something or someone had gotten to you and when I saw you, finally, it didn’t matter that you were ok, for me it could have gone either way and I sat there last night while you were asleep in my arms and realised that I was scared so much because you’re everything to me Emmy. You’re everything I have ever wanted and more and if I lost you…”
His voice cracked, and I reached for him.
Throwing my arms around his neck before I whisper “I know Cas…I know”
we hear Hayleigh shouting downstairs that I had better already be dressed. I move off the bed, but Cas drags me back, and we kiss long and slow, promising that this conversation isn’t over.
After saying goodbye to Cas while he went to work, Hayleigh and I set off to meet her mother, sisters and Tanya. I look over to her while she drives us and notice the light back in her eyes and a constant small smile on her face. It feels like such a relief that she’s happy. We arrive at the dress shop, and everyone is already waiting. Their smiles are so big as they take in Hayleigh; Tanya is the only person whose smile isn’t as big.
We take our seats inside while Hayleigh goes to try on her dress. Tanya nudges me, and I turn to her. She whispers, “What do you think about this situation with Pete?”
I glance at Hayleigh’s sister and mother, but they’re in deep conversation.
I turn back to Tanya and say to her, “I think it’s what Hayleigh wants, I just hope he doesn’t change his mind again and hurt her”
She nods at me in agreement.
“I don’t like him…never have. There’s just something about him; he’s as slimy as his brother,”
she said, giving me a pointed look.
I hold my hands up in front of me “Oh believe me you don’t have to tell me, plus I’m out of that now”
I smile thinking of Cas and Tanya looks like she’s going to say something else but a gasp cuts her off as Hayleigh steps out from behind the curtain.
She walks toward the raised platform in the middle of the room and steps up. Her eyes are shining and her smile is bright. We all stare at her, stunned into silence by how beautiful she looks. Her dress is stunning, a floor-length gown with a sweetheart neckline and a fitted bodice that flares out in a princess style skirt when it reaches her hips. The colour is pure white with an array of crystals that cover the entire dress in magical flower patterns, giving it an almost iridescent sheen.
Words fail me, and I sit there as tears fill my eyes. She looks happy, and her sister is the first to break the silence. Sniffing, she says, “Wow, H..H..Hayleigh, you look so beautiful.”
She breaks off and starts wailing as her mother gets up and bears hugs for Hayleigh. It doesn’t take us 30 seconds before Tanya and I are up there, all of us ugly crying and laughing.
Hayleigh starts batting us away before saying, “Right, ok, so now that’s done with, let’s get you all sorted with your dresses. Pete has given me his card and said we can all get our dresses today”, she gets that dreamy look in her eyes again. I look over to Tanya to make sure she’s schooling her features, but when we lock eyes she nods her head once, a silent assurance that she will keep her opinions about Pete to herself.
We spend another few hours in the shop choosing our dresses, Hayleigh very much leaving it in our hands, the only rule she had was, obviously, no white and she doesn’t want us matching, we have to choose what we feel beautiful in. Tanya decides on a stunning deep red that brings out the brown in her eyes and makes her brunette hair pop against it. Sophia, Hayleigh’s sister, opted for a pale blue sheer dress that looked painted on, and I picked a deep emerald green dress that cut across my shoulders. Hayleigh goes to pay for our dresses, and while she’s busy with her mother and sister, Tanya pulls me aside.
“Tanya, listen, if this is about Pete again then…”
she doesn’t let me finish before she shakes her head.
“Emily, I’ve only met you once before, but I can tell you love Hayleigh just as much as I do, and that’s why I need you to listen to me when I say that I don’t trust Pete. I certainly never trusted his brother, and I know that you know that better than anyone. All I am saying is that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”
I sneak a peek to make sure Hayleigh is still busy before turning back to Tanya, “Listen Tanya, I like you, I really do, but he makes her happy. They’ve been having a crap time recently but they seem to be getting back to normal and I can tell you that Pete is honestly nothing like Chad. I know you’re worried about her, but she’s perfectly fine. Look how happy she is,”
we both look at Hayleigh and see her laughing, her eyes sparkling. It hits me that she looks free.
Tanya sighs beside me “yeah, I guess you’re right, I just worry that something isn’t right.”
I nudge her and she smiles at me “sometimes we have to go with our gut and if you really don’t like him then you don’t have to, but you do have to be there for her. Now and if it didn’t work out, you would just have to be there”
she nods at me and we both smile. As I watch Hayleigh smile and laugh, I can’t help but think over Tanya’s words and whether or not she’s right or if she’s just paranoid, but every time I think about my interactions with Pete I’ve only ever seen him loving towards Hayleigh and kind towards me.
No, Tanya sees something in him that she doesn’t like, but that doesn’t mean he’s a bad guy, he’s nothing like his brother, and with that thought, we walk over to Hayleigh and finish up our day of dress shopping.