Chapter 24
Emmy
We spent all night at the work site and by 5am my eyes were practically bleeding, so much so that none of us today were going to be in work. Cas’s dad ordered Cole to take 2 weeks off to rest and recuperate and Lacey ordered Cole to move in with her ‘temporarily’ so she could look after him. Cas brought us home not long after and we were greeted by a very excitable Scruff so we decided to take him on a walk, which is where we are now, strolling down the fields as the sun rises in the sky in front of us. We haven’t spoken in a while, both of us just comfortable in each other’s silence but I know I need to ask Cas something that has been bugging me.
“Can I ask you something?”
my voice shatters the silence and I cringe at how loud it sounded.
Cas stops walking and turns to me “of course you can”
I look away to the sunrise again and take a breath in, ready for whatever response he gives me.
“Do you blame me for everything that’s happening?”
He looks at me, slack-jawed, before shaking his head. “Emmy, absolutely not,”
he says. “None of this and I mean none of it is your fault. Just because someone has the crazy idea that they saw you first and you’re theirs and now they seem to be on some sort of rampage does not mean it is your fault. It’s their fault plain and simple and I can promise you that my brothers and I will get to the bottom of it, no matter what it takes. Okay?”
I nod my head “I’m still really sorry, none of this would have happened if…”
he cuts me off with a searing kiss and I melt into his arms as his tongue twines with my own. We stay like this until the sun has risen over the trees and Scruff starts barking madly at us for ignoring him. We break apart and put Scruff back on his lead before we make our way back home.
I think of the upcoming wedding, and that I’m going to have to walk down the aisle next to Count Dickless, Cas nudges my arm “Penny for your thoughts.”
I shrug my shoulders, “I was just thinking how I’d much rather be walking down the aisle with you…”
I tail off as I realise what I just said; I scramble, trying to recover. “Not that I plan on walking down the aisle with you…anytime soon…”
crap, that sounded even worse. “I mean, not that I wouldn’t not walk down the aisle with you, because I would, for definite I would, but I mean more on a level of…”
thank god for this man because I don’t have to scramble for anything to say, he takes hold of my chin and tilts my head back then places a soft kiss to my lips.
He whispers in my ear, “Emmy, there is no doubt in this world that you will be walking down the aisle with me.”
When he looks back into my eyes, I see the love that I know is reflected in my own, and suddenly, I don’t feel so foolish.
*********
We finally make it back home, and I do a double take when I see a surprise waiting for us on our steps. Hayleigh sits there, her leg bobbing up and down and chewing her nails. “Hayleigh?”
she turns around at my voice and her face fills with relief, she gets up and bounds over to us throwing an arm around each of us, pulling us into a hug.
“Oh, thank God you two are ok. I’ve been waiting ages, I tried calling you but it wouldn’t go through for some reason. How’s Cole?”
she’s fidgets nervously and I rest a hand on her arm.
“He’s fine, a little bruised, but…hang on, how did you even find out about Cole? I don’t remember texting you,”
she stills before slumping her shoulders.
Covering her face with her hands, her voice muffled as she says, “Don’t…I am the worst human to ever human. Nate told me”
Both Cas and I look at each other, our brows raising. I give him a look that tells him this is news to even me.
She peeks up out between her fingers and we both school our features but obviously not quick enough for her to not notice. “I know. I know what you’re going to say and you’re right, this is stupid building up some sort of…whatever it is. I get married next month! Our wedding rehearsal is in 2 weeks. 2 weeks!! Did I mention how this was stupid?”
Cas goes to say something, but I jump in “Why don’t we go have a coffee and talk about this inside?”
I put my arm around her and she rests her head on my shoulder as we walk in. I see Cas take his phone out and can guarantee he’s gossiping on the group chat.
I get to making our coffee’s whilst Hayleigh sits in the living room curled up on the sofa stroking Scruff. I look over and notice the dark patches under her eyes and how her hair isn’t as shiny; she seems sad and trapped.
Cas sneaks in so she doesn’t hear him and he whispers to me “I think Nate is in love with Hayleigh but she won’t leave Pete because she thinks what they have is real but she also told Nate she thinks what they have is real but she can’t leave on a hunch because she’s always used to people leaving and…”
I put my hands over his mouth and gave him a pointed look “Cas, stop. You need to take a breath, and I need to talk to my best friend about this, which means I cannot discuss this with you without hearing her side first. Okay?”
he slumps down, nods as he agrees. So I remove my hands as I tell him, “But that doesn't mean I don’t love you.”
I rise to my tiptoes and press a kiss to his lips before finishing the coffees and taking them over to Hayleigh.
She smiles up at me as I hand her the mug, “Thank you, friend”
I smile back at her and sit down; she looks at me. “I guess I should start at the beginning?”
I give her an encouraging smile, “Only if you want to.”
That’s all the permission she needs before she says, “Do you remember when Pete and I were kind of over and not over?”
I nod, so she carries on, “Well, I want to make it clear, Nate and I haven’t, you know, he’s just…been there, and for me, that’s what I’ve needed. Pete hasn’t been here, emotionally or physically. He’s been doing the exact same thing that Count Dickless did with you, the staying out late or all night, and Nate has been…a friend,”
she sighs and takes a sip of her coffee. “I could see something with him, you know? I chose Pete, though, and I have to believe it gets better, especially considering how everyone usually leaves and he hasn’t,”
she strokes Scruff, lost in her thoughts.
I don’t realise he’s there until Cas says, “How long has Pete been like this, Hayleigh? He hasn’t hurt you, has he?”
His voice drops a little, and he sounds almost menacing as he asks her.
She shakes her head. “No, he hasn’t hurt me…not physically, but it hurts when I can feel him pulling away”
he nods and crosses his arms, and I can’t figure out the look in his eyes as he stares at her.
I try to diffuse the weird atmosphere between us all. “Why don’t we all go out and get some brunch at Irene’s?”
Cas walks over to me and drops a kiss on my forehead. “I can’t; I promise I’d drop by Lacey’s place with some of Cole’s things, but you two go ahead and say hi to Irene for me.”
I nod okay at him and watch as he walks out of the room.
Hayleigh snap’s my attention back. “I’m sorry if I ruined your morning together.”
“Don’t be silly, he could use some time with his brother anyway. Let me get freshened up, and we can set off. Why don’t you curl up here with Scruff?”
She smiles at me, and I go upstairs.
I reach the top of the landing just as Cas is coming out of our room. “I won’t be gone long. Why don’t you and Hayleigh meet me at my parents’ house after your brunch? I’m dragging Cole and Lacey, and I’m sure she would like to meet up with Hayleigh again.”
I hug him, then say into his chest, “So you’re not mad at her?”
He leans back so he can get a good look at me before asking, “Who? Hayleigh?”
I nod “Absolutely not. I promise it isn’t you or Hayleigh…I just…I dunno, there’s just so much happening lately it’s…listen, don’t worry, ok?”
I search his eyes and can almost see the shutters come down, so I step out of his grasp before asking him, “Are you sure there isn’t anything else?”
he puts on that easy-going smile that I love…but it doesn’t reach his eyes.
“There isn’t anything else. I’ve gotta go, but I’ll see you later?”
he breezes off down the stairs before I ever get to say “sure”.
**********
Hayleigh and I walk through the door of Irene’s café, and we are hit with the sound of Elvis rocking his ‘Blue Suede Shoes’ and Irene doing the jive behind the counter. She catches us on her third spin around and throws her arms up in delight. “Oh, Emmy, my dear”
We head into the booth just as Irene reaches us. “How are you, my dear? I hope that waste of space hasn’t been bothering you since?”
I’m just about to say everything is good when Hayleigh blurts out, “Do you mean Count Dickless?”
I cringe because Irene is the quintessential grandma, and when I think she is going to cluck her tongue disapprovingly, she barks out the loudest laugh I have ever heard; both Hayleigh and I start to laugh along with her, and before we know it, the entire café is watching us all cackle in the corner.
Irene finally calms herself down before wiping her eyes. “Oh my. I haven’t laughed like that in a long time. Thank you. Who’s your friend?”
“Hayleigh, this is Irene and Irene, this is my best friend, Hayleigh.”
Irene gets out her pad and lifts a pencil from her ear. “Okay, best friend Hayleigh, what will it be?”
Hayleigh looks through the menu before saying, “We’ll both have the cinnamon bun French toast, please”
Irene raises her eyebrow at me, and I nod in agreement. “Ok. Coming right up, ladies.”
“How freaking cute is that lady?”
Hayleigh gushes over Irene as she walks away.
I nod my head. “Yeah, she was so sweet when Cas brought me here…before we…you know. She saw everything go down that day with Count Dickless. I think a couple of minutes more, and she would have waded in with her rolling pin”
We both look at each other and burst out laughing; as we settle down, I look at my friend and ask her something I’ve been wanting to ask for a while now.
“Hayleigh, do you love Pete enough to stay?”
My question takes her by surprise.
She thinks about it for a bit, “I honestly don’t know Em.”
I think…”
She stops short when the door to the café jingles, and she looks up; she says to me, “Hang on…why do I recognise her?”
I turn to see none other than Stephanie Walk in, and something makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. I quickly turn away, not wanting to get dragged into whatever scheme she has, before saying to Hayleigh, “That’s Stephanie. As in Cas’s ex-girlfriend Stephanie.”
Hayleigh scowls, but it doesn’t last long because Irene walks over with our cinnamon bun French toast. “Here you are, my dears. Enjoy.”
She ambles back to her kitchen but not before shooting a disapproving glare towards where Stephanie now sits, her back ramrod straight and staring ahead.
Hayleigh whispers to me, “I swear I know her from somewhere; I just can’t think where from”
I dig into my French toast, trying to ignore that curiosity swirling around inside my head. Hayleigh tries to grab my attention, but I’m too lost in thought until I see someone standing beside us. I don’t even need to look up to know who it is.
“So, you’re the new fling then?”
Stephanie’s voice drips with venom when she talks. I opt instead not to say anything, as I hate confrontation. Hayleigh, on the other hand, I can see is itching to tell her where to go.
“What, you don’t have anything to say to me?”
I continue ignoring her; she crosses her arms and huffs, “You know full well that CJ wrote that note. He wants me back, and whether you like it or not, we ARE going to be a family. Just like we always should have been…considering my child is his”
with that bombshell the cinnamon bun I was enjoying so much turned to ash in my mouth and my stomach roiled. I wouldn’t give her the satisfaction of a response, but something in my face must have given me away because she stood there with a smug smile on her face.
Hayleigh, my wonderfully foul-mouthed bestie, instead stood up to her full height of 5ft 2 inches. She said with as much dangerous calm as she could, “She won’t degrade herself by stooping to your level, but I have zero issues with that, and so I will only say this once, fuck you…and fuck off you skanky, trampy pile of literal horse shit”
Stephanie stands a good 6 inches taller than Hayleigh. Still, she must see that this girl will throw her hands if she has to, and instead, she huffs again and walks out of the café.
Irene, noticing the spectacle, hurries over. “Emmy darling, are you okay?”
she asks, but nothing comes out when I look at her. My head is swirling through everything I know. I know that Cas told me he broke up with Stephanie because she slept with his friend, but what if that wasn’t the right reason? What if she never told Cas who the baby's real father was? If he has a child, does that mean we end? Does he do the right thing and stick by her? I feel sick to my stomach.
I hear Hayleigh say, “I think she’s broken”
Hayleigh comes around to my side. “Come on, Emmy, let’s get out of here, ok?”
I nod and go to apologise to Irene, but she’s already gone; our plates have already cleared. The tears well in my eyes as Hayleigh gets us into the car; she tentatively asks me, “Do you want me to call Cas?”
I shake my head; no, I need to work out what I’m going to say, what I’m going to ask.
Instead, I say, “Can we go back to your place and drink shitty box wine?”
she nods her head and doesn’t say anymore as I rest my head next to the window and let the tears fall.
**********
I sit in my spare PJs, which I left the last time I stayed at Hayleigh’s house, and flick through the channels until I land on one of my comforts shows about a single mother and her daughter growing up in a picturesque small town. Hayleigh left about 15 minutes to go and get us some of that delicious shitty box wine.
I hear the door close and expect to see Hayleigh, but instead, I see Pete. He does a double take as he notices I’m here, and then a smile grows across his face. “Hey Em, how are you?”
he’s carrying two bags of what smells like Chinese food, and he holds them up. “I brought tea home; I take it you’re staying?”
he nods towards my PJs, and I go to tell him I can leave, but he senses this and instead says, “You’re always welcome, you know that”
I give him a small smile, grateful for not being turned out.
“Thanks, Pete, sorry for crashing your night,”
he waves me off and notices the TV.
“Ah, it’s one of those nights. Lorelai and co with Chinese and…I am guessing Hayleigh has gone to get shitty box wine?”
I smile, my first genuine smile of the day, and his smile widens in response.
“I’ll go get the food dished out,”
he says. Then he goes into the kitchen, and my phone rings for the millionth time today, but I do the same thing I’ve done all day and click it off. I see a message pop up and open it.
Cas
Emmy I’ve been going out of my fucking mind, this isn’t fair you can’t just go radio silent and not let me know you’re ok not when there is some deranged psychopath out there tormenting you!
Cas
I know you’re safe and with Hayleigh. When I say ok, I mean ok on the inside. Please just let me know you’re ok at least and if you don’t want my explanation then you don’t have to have it. Just, please Emmy
Tears burn at my eyes again; I know I’m being stupid and immature for not letting him explain himself, but there's a part of me that worries if what Stephanie is saying is true. She was his first love, and if it is true that he’s the father of her child, then where does that leave us?
My thoughts are interrupted by Pete handing me a plate of chicken chow-mein. “Thanks, Pete,”
I say. I start digging in; Hayleigh comes through the door with two boxes in her hands. “I’m back,”
she sings but then stops short when she sees Pete Walk in from the kitchen. I hastily slurp my noodles, trying and failing to be quiet, but neither of them notice.
Her smile is tight. “Didn’t realise you were in tonight; we kind of decided on an impromptu girls' night.”
Pete breezes over to her and kisses her cheek. “No problem, babe, I’ve plated up some food for you. I’ll get out of your hair and stay upstairs. Just shout if either of you needs anything,”
he says, his smile dazzling at her, and I notice the effect it has on her immediately.
She has a bounce in her step as she heads into the kitchen, and she comes back out smiling. It’s the exact way I was with Count Dickless, but then again, maybe that’s me being a cynic because I’m in a terrible mood.
When she sits down, she turns to me, “You can be mad all you want, but I know what is right for you and what isn’t, and let me tell you that Cas IS right for you, and so I told him you were spending the night here and he can come to collect you in the morning”
she turns that bedazzling smile on me. I can’t even muster the energy to be mad at her. Cas can get me in the morning, and he can deal with the hangover version of me, too.
**********
Someone is stroking my forehead; that’s the first thought that comes to mind.
The second thought is that I’m going to be sick.
I throw my head over the side of the bed before I empty what feels like my entire guts onto the floor, but when I open my eyes, I see a bucket has caught it all. I turn my head to see Cas sitting on the bed next to me, rubbing my back, and I groan and then start crying. He gathers me up in his arms and rocks me. “Get off, Cas, I smell”
I mumble into his shirt; I inhale his scent and immediately feel at home.
“Sorry, can’t; I haven’t seen you since yesterday, and I love you too much to let you go again”
I cry even harder, not knowing what to say. He continues, “I understand why you didn’t want to come talk to me, but if you had, I would have told you that I already had a DNA test years ago and that the child isn’t mine, and I definitely do not love Stephanie. You are my future Emmy,”
I wail even louder now as the words sink in, and I feel like an utter idiot. “You had every right to doubt me, but know Emmy, I won’t ever lie to you, so please don’t shut me out again,”
he holds me tighter and lets me get it out of my system.
When the last of my tears have fallen, I hug him closer and whisper into his chest, “I’m sorry, Cas, I love you.”
He kisses the top of my head, “I love you too, baby…but let’s get you into that shower because usually I don’t do sick, and you do smell…just a bit”
he makes me laugh, and I get up gingerly and walk to the bathroom to get cleaned up. I step into the shower spray and let it wash over me, washing away any doubts I had. My initial thought was not to trust Cas, but I can’t do that if I’m to move forward. I have to heal and let him in.
I finish up in the shower, and Cas is waiting for me on the bed, everything has been cleaned up. He holds his phone out for me, and I glance at him. “What’s that for?”
He smiles at me. “I don’t want there to be any lies between us. Please have a look through my phone and check what you need to check; I saved a copy of the DNA test results. You can see those, and you can also see the conversations I have been having with Vik; those are the important ones.”
I take the phone out of his hands and flick through; sure enough, the DNA test results are there, but I knew without looking at them he was telling the truth. I click on the messages between him and Vik and see they’ve both been discussing this unknown person who has been terrorising us.
I look up at Cas as I see the names he’s been looking into. “Cas, you can’t possibly think that Hayleigh and Pete have had anything to do with this?”
He shakes his head. “I don’t think Hayleigh has, but I don’t know enough about Pete; however, I do think it's Chad.”
He must see the hesitation on my face, but I shake it off. “Then, if that’s who you think it is, we’ll back off a bit with the wedding plans.”
I’ll tell Hayleigh I don’t want to be alone with him, okay?”
He nods, seemingly not pleased with the idea but knowing it’s better than nothing.
I get myself dressed, and when I’m done, Cas walks up behind me and wraps his arms around me, kissing the side of my neck. “Lacey has demanded that you both come to my parents' house today; she missed you yesterday,”
I’m just about to apologise again when he says, “Don’t apologise; you had every right; I’ve just had my marching orders to tell you to come over.”
I chuckle at that. “Okay, we’ll come over. I’m sure Hayleigh could use the downtime.”
Someone knocks at the door, and I walk over to open it. I see Hayleigh standing there, her hands clasped in front of her, bouncing from one foot to the other.
“Are you friends yet?”
she blurts out.
I turn to look back at Cas, and he shrugs “What can I say? She was rooting for us.”
I shake my head and say to her, “Yes, we’re friends… oof.”
She slams into me and hugs me tightly.
“I’m so happy”
I pull away and notice her eyes well with tears. Then she shakes it off and gives me the most obnoxious kiss on the lips she can muster. “Right enough, slushy stuff,”
she says. “I’ve heard that my presence is required at your parents’ house, Cas, so let’s vamoose!”
She runs down the hallway.
I hold my hand out to Cas. When his hand lands in mine, I know I’m exactly where I need to be.
Entry #79
How difficult is it to ruin someone’s relationship?
Turns out. Very difficult.
Either that or my little helper is stupid.
Scratch that, I KNOW she is stupid.
My instructions were clear. Drive a wedge between them and make it believable.
Entry #80
I’m running out of time.
I don’t have long left to fix this.
She is mine.
She is mine.
She is mine.
SHE IS MINE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!