Chasing Cassidy

by D. Kelly

  Within seconds, I have a reply.

  You foolish girl. I didn’t mean for you to leave him at the altar. What’s done is done. The pilots are already on standby. I’ll transfer money into your account immediately.

  Oh, hell no.

  NO! I don’t want your money. This was never about the money. This is about Zack getting what he deserves and so much more.

  After the text goes through, I power off my phone and toss it into my purse. I won’t be turning it on again. At least not anytime soon; I can’t handle knowing his heart is breaking worse than mine.

  The entire trip to the airport, I’m bawling my eyes out, knowing I’ve just made the biggest mistake of my life but it doesn’t matter now… Zack will never forgive me for leaving him at the altar.

  You should have talked to him, Cassidy, and told him what happened.

  When we get to the plane, Reginald takes my suitcases up for me. I need to change and can’t wait until I get to Hawaii to do it. Before he gets off the plane, he turns to me with an indecisive look on his face. Finally, he says what’s on his mind.

  “Ms. Cassidy, I’ve known Mrs. Stafford a very long time. I know she’s been trying to run you off for a while now. It goes without saying I could probably lose my job for talking to you, but I don’t care. I’m about to retire, anyway. After forty years of service, I think it’s time. And this is too important to keep quiet about.” He pauses and takes my hand in his. “Mr. Zack loves you and he’s loved you since he was a little boy. No one is going to change how he feels about you. And Mrs. Stafford… well, let’s just say she didn’t exactly come from the same social circle as Mr. Stafford did, either. She worked really hard to be as prissy as she is so she could feel like she fits in.”

  He smiles at me and I relax a little, even though I’m still crying. “But I’ll tell you a secret. Mr. Stafford… he loves his missus with all of his heart, but he loved her a whole lot better when she was young and feisty like you. And without all her priss. Do you love Mr. Zack?”

  I nod my head emphatically and he pats my hand. “Love has a way of coming back to you. Have faith this might not be the end. To forgive is to love,” Reginald says firmly as he exits the plane. I want to get in the air as soon as possible, so I shove myself into the seat and tug the seatbelt around the dress. After the plane is in the air and the pilot says I can take my seatbelt off, I have the onboard flight attendant unbutton the fifty or so buttons on the back of the dress for me.

  As the dress falls to the floor, she immediately picks it up and takes it to the bedroom in the back of the plane. I’m assuming she’s trying to figure out how to hang it up but honestly, I’m too emotionally spent to even care. All I want to do is cry myself to sleep and pretend today never happened. After pulling on a pair of yoga pants and a sweater, I recline the chair and continue crying.

  The enormity of what I’ve done hits me like a cold shower. I’m now living in a world where Zack and Cassidy are not a couple and that’s a world I don’t ever want to be a part of. Zachary Stafford owns my heart and always has.

  I’ve just made the biggest mistake of my life.

  Today is going to be the happiest day of my life. Of our lives. After years of trying to build up Cassidy’s confidence enough to marry me, she finally agreed and today is our big day. I know this isn’t the wedding of her dreams by any means. Cassidy wanted this day to be about us and our love for each other, not about who can out-do who in the high class wedding department.

  “Simplicity, Zack. Why can’t we have that?”

  I let out a sigh as her words reverberate in my mind and try to wash away the nagging feeling biting into me every time I think about how we got roped into this wedding. My mom isn’t Cassidy’s biggest fan so I thought by capitulating to her requests, she would lighten up on Cassidy. I’m not so sure that worked.

  Fuck, I know it didn’t work.

  Cassidy has been off the past few weeks, but especially the past few days. Rylee admitted to me she left her alone with my mom a few days ago. Rylee knows she isn’t supposed to leave them alone together but as usual, Mother had something she needed Rylee to do for her. When I asked Cassidy about it, she said it was nothing she couldn’t handle.

  That’s Cassidy, though—tough as nails. At least she is on the outside, but on the inside she’s as insecure as they come. I’m hoping once we’re married some of that insecurity will go away and she’ll truly realize my happiness begins and ends with her. We’ve known each other since we were little kids and my life is so much better because she’s in it.

  The first time I laid eyes on Cassidy, she was being beat with a belt in the back of her dad’s car. I heard her screams before I actually saw her. We were only six years old and I’ll never forget the feeling that crawled across my skin as I listened to her cry. I didn’t understand what was going on but I knew it was wrong. Her dad reminded me of a fairy tale ogre—he was big and burly and there was no way I could have gotten him to stop.

  When it was over, her mom took her inside the house and I waited. For what, I wasn’t sure, but when Rylee came to tell me it was time to go home, I didn’t want to leave. All I knew was I had to know she was going to be okay. The next day, I went back and sat across the street on the curb of my best friend, Nick’s, house. His family was on vacation so I was able to camp out in his yard and wait.

  I was only there for a little while before Rylee came and found me. The upside and the downfall to being a twin is we always have a sixth sense when something good or bad is happening to the other.

  “Watcha doin’?” Rylee asks as she plops down on the grass next to me.

  “Did you know there’s a little girl who lives there now?” I ask her, pointing across the street.

  She crinkles her nose like our mom does. “In that yucky old Pope house?”

  Her words make me angry; she sounds so snooty, just like my mom. “Rylee, that’s not nice,” I tell her firmly.

  “But that’s what Mother always calls it, Zack,” she rationalizes.

  “I know, but it’s mean,” I say honestly. “Besides, Dad says not to listen to Mother when she’s being snooty. He’s says it’s unbecoming. You don’t want to be unbecoming, do you?”

  Rylee’s eyes grow wide and she shakes her head no. “Uh-uh. I want to be nice like Daddy,” she says with a smile.

  “Why don’t you go knock on the door and see if she wants to play?” I ask her, hoping she’ll say yes.

  She jumps up and wipes off the back of her pants. “Okay, I will. Wait here, she might not want to play if I have a boy with me.”

  She’s got a point so I stay put. A few minutes pass and she comes skipping back over with the little girl smiling behind her. She looks a lot happier today than she did yesterday.

  “This is my brother, Zack” she says, pointing to me and then she points behind me. “His friend Nick lives here but he’s on vacation so I have to play with him until he gets back. We’re twins, though, so we’re usually together, anyway.”

  The little girl looks shyly at me. “I’m Cassidy and I’m six. How old are you guys?” she asks, looking at Rylee.

  “We’re six, too,” Rylee says. “We go to St. Mary’s private school. Where do you go?” Rylee is always asking people questions but Cassidy doesn’t seem to mind.

  “I’m supposed to start there, too, when summer is over. I’ll be in first grade.”

  “Us, too,” Rylee tells her excitedly.

  That was the beginning of our friendship, which was great timing because that was also the beginning of Cassidy’s beatings. I try and shake those negative thoughts from my head because Cassidy hasn’t been beaten in years and she won’t ever be again. I would give my life to make sure that never happens.

  “Zack, man, are you nervous or what? You know it’s not too late to back out and go get some last minute pussy. You’ll never know what you’re missing if you don’t get a last minute bachelor fuck,” Nick says, completely serious as he walks in and gives me
a quick hug. He can be so fucking annoying.

  “Nick, I love you like a brother but enough is enough. I’m marrying Cassidy and she is going to be the last woman I ever make love to.”

  He shakes his head and rolls his eyes.

  “You mean the only woman you’ll ever make love to,” he snaps. “Man, I just don’t get why she’s so special. Angelica Martin has been on your jock for years. She’s the hottest chick I’ve ever seen, and she has a trust fund bigger than anything I could make in a lifetime.”

  “How long have we been best friends?” I ask him in a controlled voice.

  “Since we were in designer diapers together,” he replies with a chuckle.

  “So it’s safe to say you know me better than anyone, correct?” He nods his head in affirmation.

  “Nick, I’m only going to ask you this one more time and then I’m going to look for a new best friend. Lay off of Cassidy. You don’t have to like her. I get that she’s not up to par with the girls in our circle in your mind but in my mind, she’s better than anyone in our circle. I love her and she’s going to be my wife. Wife trumps best friend, always. So I suggest you work on getting along with her if you want to stay in my life because I’m not going to let you say one more negative thing about her again. Got it?”

  I’m surprised he actually looks humbled by my words. “I’m just messing with you, Zack. I know you love her. I’ll try and do better. But I still think you should have sex with more than one person before you can’t anymore. I know you and Cassidy ‘make love,’ ” he says with a shudder. “But, damn, Angelica would fuck you until you couldn’t walk.” A sly smile creeps across his face as if he’s envisioning it.

  “Who says Cassidy and I don’t fuck?’ I ask him seriously and the confused look replacing his sly smile is priceless.

  “I…I don’t know. I just assumed…” he stutters.

  I laugh at him shaking my head. “Well, you know what they say about assuming. Look, man, Cassidy isn’t just some random chick. She is the love of my life and I’m not going to sit around with you and the guys and compare sex stories. That’s not for public consumption. But for the record, there’s no way Angelica could out fuck Cassidy.”

  After walking away from him, I begin to pace in the small office the church is letting us wait in. Rylee walks in and Nick chuckles as he walks out, still shaking his head as if he never thought Cassidy and I could have good sex.

  Rylee looks concerned. “What’s going on, Rylee? How’s my girl doing?” She’s grasping her hands and her knuckles are white. I’m officially as concerned as she looks.

  “She’s nervous, Zack. Honestly, I’m worried about her,” she replies without meeting my gaze.

  Damn it!

  “Why aren’t you with her?” I ask, trying to control my temper.

  “It couldn’t be helped, Zack. She sent everyone out of the room and said she needed some time to herself. I checked in on her and gave her a ten minute warning before coming here but she looked… I don’t know… sketchy?” Her voice hits a high note as she finishes her sentence. Rylee’s voice only does that when she’s scared. I stalk over to the door and fling it open. “Zack, wait! You can’t go, it’s bad luck,” she calls out from behind me.

  “Fuck luck, Rylee. You and I both know Cassidy is on pins and needles. Something is wrong, I can feel it. Ever since Mother had that talk with her the other day, something just isn’t right.”

  My mother is walking toward us now and the last thing I need is to get delayed by her. “Rylee, go back and get in that room. Stay with Cassidy until it’s time. Please.” I beg her with my eyes and she nods as she walks past. “Rylee, tell her I love her and I can’t wait to hear her say I do.”

  She smiles at me and shakes her head. “Always the romantic, Zack. Cassidy is a lucky girl.”

  “Zachary, darling, it’s almost time.” My mother greets me with a kiss on each cheek. I’ve never understood why she greets people that way, especially me and Rylee. She picks at invisible lint on my collar and hesitates slightly.

  “What’s wrong, Mother?” She’s hedging for a reason; I know her well.

  “Nothing is wrong per se, I just thought I would ask you one more time if you’re sure this is what you want. Getting married is a big step and you’re only twenty-seven. There’s plenty of time…” Her words are interrupted by her cell phone. I’m actually a bit shocked she’s trying to talk me out of marrying Cassidy right before the ceremony. I thought she had much more class than that.

  As I back away from her and lean against the desk, I watch her. My mother is an interesting creature; her facial expressions never reveal anything. It’s almost as if the woman is in a permanent state of Botox but I know she doesn’t touch the stuff. She’s just well trained, for lack of a better reference. Her eyes, however, are a different story. I can see her emotions in her eyes and something has made her very happy.

  “Mother, what is so important that you’re texting before your son’s wedding? If I recall correctly, you yourself said the use of cell phones during family occasions was ‘abhorrent.’ ”

  She continues to text, completely distracted, and I’ve had enough. I’m going to talk to Cassidy. Before I reach the door, Rylee comes running back in and she’s terrified.

  “Cassidy?” I ask, already knowing the answer.

  She shakes her head. “I’m so sorry, Zack, when I got back to the room she was gone.”

  I’m consumed with rage and stalk over to my mother, forgetting all the manners with which I was raised. Losing all control, I rip her cell phone from her hand. “What the fuck have you done now, Mother?!”

  “Zachary, that language is most unbecoming” she chastises me, and yet she doesn’t seem even the slightest bit ashamed as I scroll through her messages with Cassidy.

  “Unfuckingbelievable!” At this point, I don’t even care that we’re in a church and I’m cussing like a sailor for everyone to hear.

  “You’re being overly dramatic, Zachary. That girl was never right for you. She finally came to her senses and you need to do the same.”

  I pause, reading the last message Cassidy sent

  Cassidy:

  NO! I don’t want your money. This was never about the money. This is about Zack getting what he deserves and so much more.

  Priscilla:

  You foolish girl. This has always been about the money. Your parents were easily bought off already. Call it payment for services rendered. You broke him in, now a real woman with class can reap the benefits. The money will be in your account in the morning. Do with it what you wish.

  The only sound I hear is my blood pressure building in my ears. Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh. I’m clutching her phone so hard, I’m surprised it doesn’t crack in the palm of my hand. And she’s just staring at me as if I’m a petulant child. Deep down, I don’t think I ever realized she could be this diabolical.

  My vision is hazy as I push back from the desk so hard it flips over. Suddenly, I feel strong hands on my shoulders and I snap out of it.

  “Zack, what’s going on in here?” my dad asks with concern.

  “She finally did it, Dad,” I tell, him my voice cracking. I’m about to lose it so I hand him her cell phone. “Rylee, go get Nick for me, please. Tell him I need a ride to the airport.”

  My mother gasps. “Honestly, Zachary, tell me you are not going to go chasing after Cassidy.” The disdain dripping from her voice makes me sick.

  “Yes, Mother, that’s exactly what I’m going to do. I’m going to chase Cassidy down and beg for her forgiveness. I’ve got a feeling those text messages weren’t nearly as bad as whatever it was you said to her in person the other day. I strongly suggest you leave me and Cassidy alone from now on because if I’m lucky enough to win her back, she will be my one and only priority. Not you. Never again will it be you.”

  She flinches as if I’ve hit her and it makes me sick. She has no clue what it’s like to be hit but Cassidy does; she has taken physical and ver
bal beat downs her entire life. It sickens me that my own mother has been verbally abusing her behind my back and I never knew.

  “Priscilla, good god, woman, what have you done? Do you think this is a hazing? Some sick rite of passage? Where is the woman I married? How did the girl with enough gusto to stick up for herself to my mother turn into her? God dammit, woman, I didn’t want to marry my mother. I wanted you and you disappeared a long time ago.”

  What the hell?

  “Zack, go with Nick to the airport. Cassidy is in the family jet, so I’ll get the company jet ready for you. It will be a few hours, but you’ll still get there faster than booking and flying commercial. Get on the plane and have a drink. Hell, have ten drinks. Whatever you need to do to calm yourself.” I don’t think I’ve ever seen my dad this pissed off before. Even my mother is cowering, as she should be.

  “Zack, this is for you.” Rylee’s placing a note in my hand as Nick crosses the room. All the note says is ‘I’m Sorry’ but for Cassidy, even leaving a note is a big deal.

  “Come on, Zack, let’s get you out of here,” Nick says, placing his hand on my shoulder. Nick has been around long enough to know family tension when he sees it. He’s also known me long enough to wait for me to talk when I’m upset.

  In a daze, I let myself be ushered out to his car and leave my parents to deal with the non-wedding aftermath. Once we’re on the freeway and heading to the airport, I finally break my silence. “I can’t believe she finally did it. She finally scared Cassidy away.” I’m dumbfounded.

  Nick glances from me to the road before speaking up. “Are you sure you want to chase after her? I don’t mean that in a ‘shit on Cassidy’ way, but damn, she just left you at the altar. Maybe you both need some time to regroup and think things through.”

  Cassidy has a flight reflex and I’m not surprised she ran. Not really, anyway. I’m surprised she did it the day of the wedding, but I’ve always wondered deep down if she would flee before this wedding could happen. I promised her, though, and I’m not about to break my promise to her; it’s the only one I vowed to always honor. No matter what. Not that I would ever intentionally break a promise to her, but this one is especially important.