Chapter 11 First Tour Date #3
He didn’t even hear himself respond, “yes,” before she had her hands on both of his cheeks, drawing him in for yet another kiss.
“If you are trying to convince me that my heart belongs here,,,” he stood there, gazing into her eyes with her gazing right back.
“Then this is definitely the right process.” He put his arms back around her again, pulling her close.
“You really are my kryptonite,” he said in nearly a silent voice.
“What did you just say?” Veronica asked, nearly stunned. “Did you say something about kryptonite?”
“Thomas made an observation the other day when we were talking about relationships. He said that if I was superman, then both you and Carry are my kryptonite.” He looked deeply into her eyes.
“And you know what,” he smiled as she looked back into his eyes.
“I don’t think I mind that anymore. Be the very thing that weakens me, because I think you also give me strength in ways that I am not sure I can explain right now.
” He leaned in and kissed her deeply. “This is something that I don’t mind as a result of being struck by kryptonite. ”
Veronica let out a small laugh as she finally realized that Greg was opening up with her in a way he never had before. ‘Humor to deflect when he’s torn,’ she thought to herself. “I find that humorous, that I’m some hunk of rock that weakens the strongest man on planet earth.”
“Well, I wouldn’t say the strongest man,” Greg replied with light sarcasm. “I keep in shape, and I can still drain the deep three point shot when needed, but I’m not at all superman. Still, if it means you can be my kryptonite, I’ll be your superman.”
Veronica laughed genuinely at that. “I like that,” she said, smiling soft yet bright.
“I have my own personal superman.” She put her fingers on his lips before he could start to respond.
“Shush now, Greg. Just kiss me one more time, please.” He replied with a flash in his eyes that showed her he was now desiring her the way a predator desired its prey.
On the far side of the room, the girls were bringing Carry back into the dining room.
“Please,” was all she said, and Greg leaned in to kiss her deep and passionately.
Carry had barely stepped out of the restroom when she saw them kissing deeply again.
She spun around and forced past the girls back into the restroom, falling to the floor in a sobbing heap.
Cassie was there in an instant, trying to comfort and console her.
Wendy and Katie were stood outside the door of the restroom in shock.
Veronica cast them a glance after Greg finished kissing her.
She smiled brightly, then gave them a wink.
Cassie pushed the restroom door shut with her foot with Wendy and Katie still outside.
The moment the door latched, she positioned herself beside Carry who was balled up with her head toward the sinks.
Carry had both hands against the marble floor, head hanging low while ragged breaths shook through her body.
A series of broken sobs escaping from her throat.
“I can’t…” Carry gasped between breaths. “I can’t do this. Not again.”
Cassie moved immediately closer to her, placing both hands firmly on Carry’s shoulders. “Breathe first,” she ordered softly but firmly. “Carry, look at me.”
Carry shook her head violently. “No!” she cried. “Did you SEE that?!” She slammed her palm against the floor hard enough to echo through the restroom. “Right in front of me, Cassie!”
Wendy stood frozen, still eyeing Greg and Veronica across the room, with Katie beside her.
They looked like the Queen’s guards in London stationed outside the bathroom doors.
Cassie moved quickly, grabbing paper towels and wetting them.
She laid back down beside Carry, attempting to wipe her streaming mascara as it left black trails down her cheeks. “Easy, girl. Easy.”
Carry closed her eyes tightly, tears streaking down her face. “She KNOWS!” she muttered out between soft sobs. “Veronica knows exactly what she’s doing!”
“Keep your voice down,” Cassie warned immediately, glancing back toward the restroom door.
Carry covered her mouth with both hands, trying to suppress another sob.
Her knees pulled up toward her waist in the fetal position.
Cassie laid on the floor beside her, comforting her as best she could.
She looked at Carry as thoughts ran through her head.
‘Total devastation. This is exactly what mom does to everyone. This is what she’d do to you if she gets her hands on you.
’ Cassie had a moment of complete awareness now.
‘I can’t keep this up and try to bring you into the fold.
You won’t be safe and neither will I.’ She gently stroked Carry’s hair.
“I’ve got you,” Cassie whispered as she and Carry stayed lying down beside the sinks.
“Easy. Just breathe.” She gently placed the wet paper towels into Carry’s hands.
Carry pressed them against her face. “I thought I could handle it,” she whispered weakly.
“I thought if I stayed professional…” Her breathing hitched again.
“But then she kissed him.” Cassie looked away briefly.
Not because she didn’t care. Because she understood too well.
“She did it on purpose,” Carry whispered through trembling fingers. “She wanted me to see it.”
“No,” Cassie immediately cut in. “Veronica isn’t thinking about you right now. She’s marking territory.” Cassie’s eyes flicked toward door, wondering if Wendy was listening in sharply at the conversation. ‘Marking territory. Exactly the kind of language mom used,’ raced through her mind.
Carry shook harder now. “He kissed her back.” That one sentence hit differently. Not anger. Not jealousy. Devastation.
Cassie moved into a crouched position, lower but still in front of her now, forcing Carry to look at her.
“Carry,” she urged her gently. Carry’s red swollen eyes finally lifted.
“You listen to me very carefully.” Cassie’s voice softened.
“You survived the family civil war. You survived Penn Valley. You survived that ambush that claimed your Grandma Grace.” Carry’s lip trembled violently.
“You do not fall apart because a man kissed another woman.”
Carry squeezed her eyes shut. “It wasn’t just a kiss.
” Cassie knew immediately. It was the way Greg looked at Veronica.
That was what shattered her. Not lust. Not attraction.
Connection. Cassie exhaled slowly through her nose.
Then it hit her. The restroom was completely quiet.
Too quiet. Turning her head sharply, realizing they were alone.
Wendy and Katie weren’t there beside them; they hadn’t followed them in.
Cassie repositioned. Not visibly to Carry; internally, alert—guarded now.
“Stay calm, cousin,” she soothed her. The restroom door had never opened at any point without her noticing.
There was only she and Carry, completely alone in the restroom, lying near the sinks.
Cassie’s eyes narrowed slightly toward the door.
‘Why did Wendy not come in? Why leave me alone with Carry?’ The thought hit hard enough that Cassie immediately lowered her voice further.
“Carry,” she said carefully now. Carry wiped at her face weakly.
Cassie leaned closer. “You cannot keep living like this.” Carry stared at her blankly.
Cassie glanced once more toward the restroom entrance before speaking again. “I mean it.”
“Cassie…”
“No.” Her voice sharpened quietly. “Listen to me for once instead of protecting everybody else.” Carry’s breathing slowly began stabilizing.
Cassie lowered herself fully to the floor beside her now, knees drawn up slightly as she laid on her right side, facing Carry directly.
For the first time in years, Cassie looked tired.Not mafia-princess polished, socially perfect.
Not the daughter of the Matriarch Jenny Easthaus.
Just exhausted. “You know what your problem is?” Cassie asked softly.
Carry shook her head. “No, Cas, what is my problem?”
“You have a huge heart and you love unreserved. You didn’t lock things down, and now you have doubts about yourself. Do you know what you’d be if you were in the Family still?” There it was. No longer denying who Carry really was. “You’d be the heiress!”
“We’ve talked about this since you gave me that birth certificate. I never wanted to be the heiress.”
“It’s never been up to you,” Cassie said softly, seeing that this was taking Carry’s mind off the pain she was feeling in her heart.
“Do you think this Family can be survived?” The words settled heavily between them.
Carry stared. Cassie laughed once under her breath, no humor in it.
“My mother destroys everything she touches eventually.”
“Cassie…” Carry tried to respond, but her voice was failing.
“She will destroy you too.” Carry’s eyes widened slightly. And Cassie realized she had finally said aloud the truth she’d spent years hiding from herself.
“What are you talking about, Cassie?” Carry softly protested.
“I’m trying to keep you alive,” Cassie whispered.
“But staying close to the Family isn’t living, Carry.
It’s just dying slower.” Outside the restroom, faint laughter echoed from the banquet room.
Music, conversation, normal life. Inside the restroom, Cassie finally looked Carry directly in the eyes and for the first time, she stopped speaking like the Matriarch’s daughter. “We need to find a way out.”