Forever Yours, Casey Read online

  “Why the hell not?” What could she possibly have done to make her case untouchable?

  “She pissed off the Montgomery family and they run things around here. Nobody wants to get on their bad side.”

  I can’t help but chuckle, “Of course that wouldn’t stop Britt from standing up to them.”

  “I promise you she did it for the right reasons. If you can forgive us for taking off on you all those years ago, we would be grateful for your help.”

  “It’s not even a question, I’ll be there by tonight. As soon as I have my flight information, I will text it to you. Is this your cell phone number?”

  “Yes, let me know when you get in and I’ll meet you at the jail.”

  “Sounds good, and Maria, thank you for calling.”

  I slam the phone down and run out the door.

  “Sarah, I have a family emergency and need to take off for a few days. I am going home to pack. I need you to book me the next flight out to Salt Lake City and get me a car and a hotel near the courthouse. Check what the state law is to let me practice out there. Also look up Carter Jepsen, he’s a lawyer out there. Text me his address and phone number.”

  I wait long enough to see she has written all my instructions down before I bolt out the door. On the drive home, I call Monica. I vaguely tell her an old family friend from high school is in trouble and I need to leave. Like the perfect fiancé she is, she tells me she loves me and says she will miss me.

  Forty-five minutes later, I have an email with a detailed travel itinerary, and Mr. Jepsen’s number. Best of all, Utah practices Pro Hac Vice so all I need besides some paperwork is a lawyer to sponsor me. Thank god for Sarah and her exceptional organizational skills. I grab my bags and head for the door. Waiting outside is a car service; I really need to give Sarah a raise. The ride gives me time to leave a message for Mr. Jepsen asking him to meet me at the jail tonight. Emotions flood my brain. Leaning against the headrest, I let my mind drift back to the last time I saw her.

  Chapter Three

  Brittany

  July 1990

  “Have you told your parents about our plan yet?”

  My stomach clenches when I feel him tense against me, that’s not a good sign.

  “I’m sorry, Britt, I will soon. Turning down Harvard so I can go to State with you is going to be hard for them to accept. Add to that us moving in together and they will explode.”

  I close my eyes so he can’t see the pain I’m trying to hide. I feel his hand grab my chin and turn my face toward him.

  “You are perfect, don’t take it personally. They are elitists and in a few months, I will be free of their control. My scholarship means I don’t need any of their money. We’ll both get jobs and manage just fine.”

  Shaking my head, I pull away. “This is crazy. Your parents are right, you should be at Harvard.”

  His arms envelop me; I can’t resist leaning back against his warm chest.

  “What’s really going on? You have been all over the place lately.”

  “I’m sorry, I’m scared you are going to wake up six months after we’re living together and regret it.” I can’t help the tingle running down my body when he kisses my neck.

  “You are the only good thing in my life; I wish we were already living together. Senior year starts in a few weeks, let me hold off telling them as long as possible. We’ll have a lot more fun if I’m not grounded the entire time.”

  Before I can respond, the alarm next to my bed blares reminding us we have to get dressed before my mom comes home.

  We scramble to get ready and sit down in front of the TV in the living room when I hear her keys jingle at the door. I give him one more quick kiss as the door opens revealing my exhausted mother.

  “Hey, Mom, how was work?”

  She collapses into the recliner; her head immediately falls backward.

  “It must be a full moon since every crazy in the city was in the café tonight. Joe had to kick a guy out who kept grabbing my butt.” She peeks one eye at us, “If he was a prince I might have let him, but this guy was a total frog.”

  “I wish you would quit that place, it’s so gross.”

  Casey jumps up and heads for the kitchen and comes back with the plate of dinner we had saved for her. I love that he can see exactly what my mom needs.

  “Here you go, ma’am.”

  “Casey Sanders, I have known you for a year now. We are way past the ma’am stage, aren’t we? And please lord tell me this is your cooking and not hers.”

  I feign shock and hurt that quickly turns to laughter. It’s no secret I can’t even boil water well.

  “This is my concoction but she supervised.”

  She takes a bite and moans. “Oh my god, Casey, I am sure going to miss your food when you leave for Harvard.”

  She’s so involved in her food she doesn’t even notice the look he gives me. His eyes bulge and I can read the accusation in them. An hour ago I was yelling at him for keeping it a secret and now he knows I have been, too. Honestly, I haven’t told her yet for the same reasons. Everyone knows he is the smartest guy in our town and he deserves to get out of here. She wants him to go and make something of himself. I hate myself for keeping him here, I’ve tried convincing him we can date long distance but he won’t hear it. I could go to a community college near Harvard but the out of state tuition would be ridiculous and I can’t leave my mom here alone.

  I get up to grab a drink for her and he follows me into the kitchen. Out of the corner of my eye, I see him leaning against the counter with his arms crossed. Stalling long enough, I grab a Coke and turn to give him my most angelic look possible. He has one eyebrow up, just staring at me.

  “What? I’m going to tell her eventually. I don’t want to listen to her bitch at me for keeping you here.”

  He’s still not melting, so I kiss him softly all around his face till I feel him relax and take a deep breath.

  “You’re lucky you’re so cute.”

  I smile and spin on my heel, as I get to the door he smacks my butt playfully. The snores coming from the couch stop us both. I hate seeing her so rundown all the time.

  “I wish she would let me get a job so she can quit one of hers.”

  “She wants you focusing on school, not worrying about money.” He turns me around and wipes a tear from the corner of my eye, “You are going to get that scholarship and she won’t have to worry about saving up anymore. Keep volunteering and doing everything they want. It will be over soon and she can finally relax.”

  I nod and let him hug me till I get my tears under control.

  “Do you need help getting her in bed before I go?”

  “No, I’m okay. I’ll see you on Saturday?”

  “Of course, nothing could keep me from you.”

  Chapter Four

  Casey

  “Britt, Mrs. Celdonio, anyone home?”

  I bang on the door again. Where are they? We were supposed to hang out on Saturday but I haven’t heard from her in two days.

  Frustrated, I head to the free clinic where Britt’s been volunteering. The waiting room is packed with screaming babies and tired looking parents. I head to the counter where I usually see Britt sitting and wait to be acknowledged. The woman is busy typing, talking on the phone and trying to move files from pile to pile. She finally hangs up and gives me a weary look.

  “Can I help you, Son?”

  “Hi, I’m Brittany Celdonio’s boyfriend. I haven’t been able to reach her in a few days; I was hoping I could talk to her for a minute?”

  “You and me both, sweetie. She didn’t show up this morning,” the phone rings, grabbing her attention. “I gotta go but when you find her, can you remind her she needs to call in if she’s sick?”

  “I’ll let her know, thanks.”

  That little nagging feeling I’ve been ignoring in the pit of my stomach grows ten times bigger. Desperate to find her, I head for her mom’s night job at the café.

  I supp
ress the shiver going down my back when I arrive. This place is a dump; I don’t blame Britt for wanting her mom out of here. We’ve been here a few times to keep an eye on her so Joe knows me well enough. I find him sitting behind the cash register reading a magazine.

  “I’m surprised to see you here. I figured with the girls being gone you wouldn’t step back into this place.”

  That lump in my stomach is now suffocating me.

  “What do you mean they’re gone?”

  He smiles big, showing off the gaps between his teeth.

  “Oh, they didn’t tell you they were leaving.”

  Pain radiates up my arm as I slam my fist on the counter.

  “What do you mean they’re gone?”

  “Okay, okay, relax, kid. Maria came in Saturday morning and asked for her pay, said she was sorry to leave me high and dry but she needed to take care of her family. I’m real sorry to see her go, she was a hard worker. Hey, man, you okay? You need some water?”

  I shake my head and stumble out of the restaurant and back to my car. I don’t even remember driving back to their apartment. I stare at the door to their building, willing one of them to walk out. After a few hours, I give up and go home.

  I go back every day, knock and wait. I sit against their door and wait. Finally, on Saturday, I see the superintendent coming up the stairs.

  “Excuse me, I was wondering if you could tell me where the Celdonio’s from 3b went?”

  “Yeah, you must be the boyfriend. I heard you’ve been hanging around here. Listen, kid, I’m sorry to tell you this but they are gone. They took off over the weekend and gave up their security and everything. Something got them spooked to leave that quick.”

  “Did they tell you where they were going?”

  “I didn’t ask.” He shrugs and I fight to stay calm.

  “Do you think you could let me in for a minute? I want to see if Britt left anything for me.”

  I think he could see the desperation on my face. He squeezed my shoulder and walked over to their door. I watched him swing it open, then he stood back to let me in but I froze. I didn’t know what I was going to find and that scared me more than anything.

  “They aren’t in there, go ahead.”

  I walk in like I have a hundred times before, but this time there is barren furniture. The photo frames with our prom pictures are gone, the blanket her grandmother had crocheted for her isn’t hanging over the back of the couch.

  My feet shuffle across the wood floor toward her room. My eyes fill with tears seeing the barren room. Her furniture is there but like the rest of the house, everything personal is gone. My heart starts racing and bile rises in my throat as I run to the desk and tear open the drawers. Empty, everything is empty. Falling on to the bed, I hear a noise when my head hits the heart pillow I had given her. Why would she leave that? Eagerly I reach under and find a partial piece of paper, the edges torn raggedly, and I want to throw up when I read her beautiful cursive handwriting.

  I’m sorry I didn’t say goodbye. It’s better for you this way. I wish all the best for you. I know you will do awesome at Harvard. All my love, B

  Tear drops land on the paper before I realize they are coming from me. I don’t understand, none of this makes sense. We had a plan, what changed?

  Chapter Five

  Brittany

  Current Day 2005

  My new blue cast is large and bulky; it’s bad enough I am in jail but to now be down one hand will be almost intolerable. I tried to get a plain white one but Kacee wouldn’t hear of it. She made them give me my favorite color. I know she feels horrible about my broken fingers. If only she understood I would sacrifice my whole arm before letting something happen to her.

  “You’re all set, ma’am. I’m going to get your discharge paperwork and you’ll be on your way.”

  I nod, still numb to the idea of going back to my cell. I paste on my best smile and turn to Kacee.

  “At dinner tonight, I’m going to have Mama tell Austin what is happening. I know it’s going to upset him but I don’t believe in lying either. I need you to be positive and help him through this. I see the judge tomorrow morning, I’m sure I’ll be home before school gets out.”

  It’s not technically lying if I choose to believe it too, right?

  Officer Freeman comes back with the nurse. He cuffs my good hand to the chair and lays the blanket over it. I smile as he stands back and waits for us to get ahead before he leaves the room. I kiss Kacee goodbye as Mama comes walking down the hall. The smile on her face is so hopeful my heart squeezes, maybe this nightmare is over?

  “I found another lawyer to help out Mr. Jepson. We’re going to meet tonight at six o’clock.”

  “Oh, well that’s good, I guess.”

  “Don’t look so crestfallen, everything is going to be all right.”

  I nod so I don’t look ungrateful, so much for thinking she performed a miracle and got me out.

  “I’ll get the kids situated for dinner then I’ll be back with some clothes for tomorrow.”

  “Thank you for everything. I really am sorry to put you through this.”

  She waves off my apology and takes Kacee out the front entrance of the hall.

  On the short ride back to the station, I contemplate my new lawyer. If she found someone to be excited about, she must have gone outside the city. I know everyone is scared of the Montgomery’s, I should be grateful I got anyone to even listen to me.

  As I’m placed back in my cell, an officer comes by with a tray of food. My stomach growls at the sandwich and potato chips on a paper plate and a paperback of one of those steamy romance books. I smile at the cop who winks and heads out. I am lucky to have them on my side if no one else.

  Wearily, I drop down onto my cot and eat quickly. With little else to do till my meeting tonight, I lie down and get lost reading Lady Marshman and the Swashbuckling Pirate Deveroux. It sounds cheesy and exciting all at once, a perfect story to kill time with.

  Eight chapters in, the pirate is about to take Lady Marshman for his own when I hear keys rattle and my door open. It’s the same officer who lent me the book.

  “Thank you for letting me read this. I’d probably be losing my mind in here without it.”

  “Not a problem, my wife always says a good book can make any problem seem insignificant. I figured you could use the distraction and it looks like it worked, your lawyers are here to meet with you.”

  I stand and smooth my hair as I follow him down the hall to the same room from this morning. The door is open; my mother is standing in the doorway looking anxious.

  “I’m sorry to surprise you like this but it’s for the best.”

  My look of confusion turns to shock as I look inside and see the most beautiful sight in the world. My love is standing next to the table, holding his breath and staring at me. I didn’t think I’d ever see him again and now he’s here. My knees buckle and I lean against my mom, my questioning eyes turning to her.

  “I kept tabs on him, he’s a big shot lawyer now. If anyone can get you out of this, it’s him. I’m sorry I didn’t say something earlier but I wasn’t sure you would want his help.”

  Every day for the last fifteen years he has been my last thought before going to sleep. There has always been a part of me that has wanted to run back to him. Of course she’s talking about the other part of me, the part that knows he will hate me when he finds out why we left. This thought turns my insides cold; a moment ago I was going to crush him in a hug and likely blubber all over his expensive looking suit but now I don’t know how to act.

  “Britt?”

  I hear the hesitation in his voice; he looks as confused as I feel. He takes a step toward me. I circle quickly so I can sit across the table. If I touch him, I might shatter and what kind of self-respecting woman would I look like then?

  Mr. Jepson recognizes the awkwardness of the situation and clears his throat.

  “How about we have a seat and get everyone caught u
p?”

  I stare at the table, not able to make eye contact with him yet. I watch both lawyers uncap their pens. Casey clears his throat and out of the corner of my eye I can see he’s confused by my behavior.

  “On the plane ride up here I got a basic report. It says you assaulted a young man in a place called ‘The Haunt.’ The report says nothing as to what prompted the incident. What caused the altercation?”

  I look over at Mama who nods her head sadly, she knows what I’m about to tell him is going to crush him. I straighten my spine and look him square in the eye.

  “I had been at work when I got some messages from my daughter saying she had been attacked by that scum bag. I went over to get her and my rage took over. I punched him and threatened him if he went near her again.”

  I can see the wheels spinning in his head.

  “You have a daughter…how old is she?”

  I swallowed the bile rising up my throat.

  “Her name is Kacee and she is fifteen.”

  I look down and see his knuckles have turned white around the pen. Mr. Jepson continues on for me, bless him and his ignorance of the undercurrents swarming around us.

  “Ms. Celdonio did not file a report about her daughter’s attack. I’m afraid we have a pretty tough case against us.”

  I glance over, surprise written on my face. The way he had acted this morning, I figured there was no way he was going to take my case. He picked up on my questioning look.

  “I’m retiring in a couple of months and moving to Florida, I figure they can’t do much to me if I’m not around anymore. Plus, from what I hear, Mr. Sanders here is a shoo-in for District Attorney back in South Carolina. If anyone has a shot at beating them, it’s him.”

  I can’t help the huge smile on my face, momentarily I forget the bomb I just dropped on him.

  “You did it? You went to Harvard?”

  He hasn’t moved a muscle.

  “Mr. Jepson, how about you and I step outside for a few minutes. I think they have some talking to do.” Mama squeezes my shoulder and leads the way out. The tiny room actually feels smaller now that we’re alone.