A Broken Past

by Cara L. Silver

  Casey bursts into tears. “What are we going to do?”

  This is all my fault. He is in there because of me. What am I going to do? “Did you call your parents, yet?”

  “I couldn’t get up the courage to call them. I have no clue what I’m going to say. If I show up without him, they are going to know something is up.”

  “Ok. Call them and ask them if you can stay until tomorrow. I will personally bring you home if we can’t figure something out.” I have to find a way to fix this.

  I immediately pull out my phone and dial the phone number that the receptionist gave me. I get out of the car, so I don’t disrupt Casey’s call to her parents.

  I pace behind the parked car, as I call the jail and find out that the receptionist was right, and he did have his bail hearing. What I can’t believe is that his bail is set for one hundred thousand dollars with the condition that he is not allowed to leave the state until his trial. “Fuck!” Where am I going to get that kind of money? I end the call feeling thoroughly discouraged.

  I walk back to the driver’s side door and look at Casey to see if she had better luck than I did. “How did it go?”

  “I think they may have bought it.” A half smile claims her face.

  “My call didn’t go as well. His bail is set for one hundred grand. I only have about twenty thousand in my bank account.” I run my fingers through my hair trying to discover what options I have. I open the door and get into the car.

  “I have thirty-five thousand that I’ve been saving for college. But it’s Saturday night so there is no way I can get any of it.” The devastated look on her face sends my hopes farther out of reach.

  I tap on the steering wheel wishing for some sort of brilliant idea, but only one person comes to my mind. Maybe he will have some insight on what I need to do. I reach for my phone again and dial Gary’s number. He answers after the first ring and I ask if I can come by his house because I don’t find it appropriate to talk about any of this over the phone. Of course, he says yes without hesitation.

  I drive out of the police station parking lot and proceed over to Gary’s house. Casey doesn’t say anything for the entire ride. The silence is soothing because I am internally trying to think of ways to explain this whole ridiculous situation. I’m ashamed to tell him that any of this even happened.

  When we arrive at Gary’s house, it takes me a moment to gain my composure to go inside and talk to him. I glance over at Casey and I see the turmoil all of her face.

  “Do you want to come in with me?”

  “I’d rather not. I can’t deal with any more bad news.” Tears are beginning to flood her eyes again. I don’t think I can handle her crying again. My own emotions aren’t exactly stable. I might lose it. I’m really trying to be strong for the both of us, but she has so much more at stake.

  “I know. We will figure something out. I will not let your brother spend another night in jail. I promise.” I try to reassure her and myself because I really don’t know if my plan will have a good outcome.

  I walk to Gary’s door and ring the doorbell. He answers the door and lets me in. His house fits his personality completely. It’s very minimalist, but it’s exactly what I would expect walking into his house. It has white walls, and everything is neutral in color.

  “Is everything okay?” His face is concerned.

  I’m in disbelief that I’m doing this to a man who was just released from the hospital. “Not really.”

  I explain the whole situation to him and search his face for pity or anger but there is none. He is silent. The guilt overtakes me.

  “You don’t have many options when it comes to this type of situation. You have to get to the jail with that money so he can get out of there.” He taps his fingers on the armrest of his chair, as if he is considering something.

  “Maybe I should leave. This wasn’t a good idea. I’m sorry for coming over here and burdening you with this.” I’m angry with myself for stressing him with anything else especially after what he has just been through.

  “Don’t you dare move.” He gets up and walks away. He’s gone for several minutes before he returns with a thick envelope. “Here. This exactly what you need. It’s a good thing I don’t like to keep my money in a bank. I don’t trust those bastards.”

  I’m stunned. But in the back of my mind, I almost knew that he would come through like this because Gary is just that good of a person. He hates to see anyone in trouble. I didn’t expect him to actually and give me that kind of money, but I knew he would help me somehow. “Gary, are you sure? This is a lot of money.”

  “I couldn’t be more sure. Let me do this for you. I hate that this has happened to you. That Professor of yours needs to pay for what he did. Camden should not. I don’t know him very well, but Camden seems like a good boy and from what I have seen, he seems to care about you.” He hands me the envelope. “Now go get that boy out of jail and make sure you come back if you need anything else. I don’t have a lot of money, but I will give you my entire retirement savings if I have to. Anything to make this easier for you.”

  My eyes sting. “How can I ever repay you for this? Thank you so much. You have no idea how grateful I am for all of this.”

  “You don’t have to thank me. I can’t imagine how much pain this has caused you. I know you would never ask me for anything like this. I can see that all of this isn’t easy for you to be dealing with. You are a great person, and you don’t deserve what you are going through.” The normally light-hearted Gary is so deep with empathy. “Now get out of here so Camden doesn’t have to spend another minute in that dump.” And just like that his upbeat personality is back. He nudges me out the door with a smile on his face.

  I turn back as I walk to the car. “Thank you again, Gary.”

  He just waves me off as I get into the car. I look over at Casey and smile. “That old man is a saint. He gave me the money.”

  “Really?” I can hear some hope return to her voice.

  “Now, let’s get your brother out of that shithole.” I open my phone and search for the address of the jail and enter it into the GPS. I follow the instructions and get to the jail in about thirty minutes. I park and touch Casey’s shoulder. “You should probably wait here. I would hate to have to explain to your brother that I took you into the jail with me.” I grab the envelope and walk into the old, outdated brick building. Hoping there will be no further hiccups, and this goes smoothly.

  I walk to the reception area that is enclosed by a wall and a glass partition. The lady behind the counter has thick glasses and reminds me of a female version of the stapler guy from Office Space. I half expect her to ask me for her stapler, but obviously she doesn’t because this is far from a movie scene. She slides the glass over so I can talk to her. I explain what I’m here for and she looks at me curiously telling me the amount of the bail. I slide her the envelope and she tears it open. She gasps, surprise overcoming her at the amount of money in her hand and she looks back at me in disbelief. “Young lady, how did you get this money?”

  “I had to borrow it from my boss.” I’m aware that I’m standing in a jail with an absurd amount of cash and I try my darndest not to sound like a criminal.

  It’s evident that she doesn’t believe me. “And who, may I ask, is your boss?” She probably thinks that I work for some mobster.

  This can’t be happening. I never thought I would be arrested trying to bail someone out of jail. Then again, I never could have envisioned me being in this predicament in all my life. Honesty is my best bet, so I run with it. I try to keep my emotions in check as the words come out of my mouth.

  “He owns the Bistro over by USC. His name is Gary. Here is his phone number. You can call him.” I grab a piece of paper, scribble down his phone number on it and hand it to her so she can verify my story.

  “I’ll be back in a minute.” She rips the little paper out of my hand and proceeds to an unseen area.

  Since I can no longer see her, I
just wait and pray that Gary answered the phone. The anxiousness is overwhelming me, and I bite at the skin by my fingernails hoping to get some answers soon. After what feels like an eternity, she returns to the glass partition. Her tone is unfriendly. “Please have a seat.”

  What does that even mean? I don’t want to be rude, but I want to know what is happening. “Can you please just tell me what is going on? I just need an answer.”

  “Young lady, please have a seat.” She has an odd smirk on her face that I can’t seem to figure out. I swear she is trying to torment me.

  If this woman calls me “Young lady” one more time, I may lose my shit. I take a seat because I’m not sure if I’m in trouble and I’m not about to push my luck. My “nervous” knee bounces wildly as I wait. Several minutes pass before the door opens and I see a large Correctional Officer. So large that he barely fits through the doorway. “Are you here to post bail for Camden Carter?” His voice is deeper than anything I have ever heard. He looks and sounds like he should be sitting next to Zeus in some mythological story.

  “Yes, Sir.” I stand and slowly walk toward him, not knowing how else to react.

  Behind the massive man, Camden is following with an envelope of his things. It’s unreal how small Cam’s six foot plus, muscular build appears next to this monster of a man near him. The Officer reminds him that he is not to leave the state until the trial.

  I can’t contain my anticipation to talk to him, touch him and simply be near him. I run over to Cam and throw my arms around his neck. I smack my lips against his, instantly feeling the passion. We, both welcome the kiss and our tongues dual with each other, not caring that we are standing in the middle of a jail lobby.

  He slightly pulls away so he can speak. “What are you doing?”

  “You need a refresher in physical attraction? I’m kissing you, silly.” I can’t contain my amusement.

  His body shakes with laughter. Damn, it is so good to hear that amazing sound. “I may need more of a refresher, but I don’t want to spend one more second in this place.”

  His comment sends a current through my entire body. I didn’t realize how much I need him until I saw him walk out the door. I’m in so much trouble. I’m falling for him and I’m not sure I can trust myself. I grab his hand and yank him towards the door.

  As we walk into the parking lot, his eyes focus on his car. “It looks like you got to drive my car.” He smiles and then notices Casey in the passenger seat. “Wait! Is that my sister?”

  “Yes. It’s a long story. I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow, but you should probably go home and get some sleep.” The disappointment that he’s not coming home with me hits my chest. “She called your parents and told her that you would bring her home tomorrow. We didn’t want to worry them unless we absolutely had to.”

  We walk over to the car and as soon as Casey spots Cam, she jumps out of the car and runs to give him a hug, just about tackling him to the ground. The sight of them might just be the most adorable thing I have ever seen and makes my heart turn into a big pile of mush.

  Casey gets in the back seat since she is the smallest and I get into the passenger seat. Cam drives me home. None of us want to bring up what happened so the car ride is almost silent other than the soft music and the sound of the wind blowing since the convertible top is down. It feels so good to have the fresh air hitting my face and not have to worry about anything right now.

  When we arrive at Trojan Hall, Cam pulls into an open spot and puts the car in park. Casey smiles and looks at me with her lovely brown eyes. “Thank you for helping me today. Will you come with Cam to drop me off tomorrow?”

  I debate my decision because I feel like if I agree I will need to essentially accept my feelings for Cam and my gut is telling me that it will likely be disastrous. I look over at Cam for a confirmation that he wants me to go, but he doesn’t give me much to work with. “I don’t know. You guys don’t need me tagging along.”

  Cam’s eyes become filled with want and need, not what I would expect from him in front of his sister. “I can’t imagine you not coming with us. Please don’t make me beg.” We are the only two people in the world as he speaks to me through his eyes.

  I’m all in now. I couldn’t say no, even if I wanted to. The words come out of my mouth before I even have a chance to argue with myself. My heart is clearly doing the thinking tonight. “No begging necessary. What time should I be ready?”

  “How about 8 o’clock?” The longing still hasn’t retreated. Oh… my… He’s killing me one intense eye gaze at a time.

  “Sounds good.” I get out of the car. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  Cam turns to his sister. “I’ll be back.” He jumps out of the car and follows me to my dorm.

  I struggle to grasp my keys because my hands apparently don’t want to work since Cam’s eyes made sweet love to mine. Not to mention that he is standing right behind me and I can feel his breath on my neck. I fumble with the keys again but finally get the damn thing into the keyhole. I open the door and feel a sense of relief when I notice the room is empty. I have the sensation that I need to be alone with this man.

  Cam closes the door behind him, and I know that he feels the same thing I do just by the way his eyes are still filled with passion and lust. “Thank you for bailing me out. I want to hear the entire story about how you came up with that kind of money. But not right now. Right now, I just want to kiss you. I have to kiss you.”

  Who turned up the heat? Holy hell. There isn’t time to react before he grabs my hands and glides them around his neck and slams his lips on mine. The urgency is apparent when he opens his mouth and my mouth willingly follows. I’ve never wanted a man so badly in my life. He stops kissing me for a moment. “You are amazing.” His breathing is heavy, but I can feel his restraint as if he is still hesitant to touch me because of last night.

  I’m not ready for him to leave, so I take the lead. I grab his hands and put them on my ass and place small kisses on his neck and jaw. He grabs my ass and lifts me up. I wrap my legs around his waist and knot my ankles together for support. We continue to kiss fervently but we are both aware of the fact that his sister is waiting for him in the car. We both pull away from each other, both struggling to deal with the heat and sexual energy in the room. He puts me down on the bed and gives me a peck on the forehead before heading to the door.

  As he turns the knob, he looks back. “This is killing me. You are going to be the death of me, Dani McKinley.” He smiles and walks out the door.

  I close the door, lock it, and make my way back to my bed; wishing he hadn’t just left me alone all hot and bothered. Wishing we were in each other’s arms again; I abruptly realize that I haven’t showered since I got home from work. Crap. I must be gross. In disgust, I grab my shower caddy and make my way to the showers. It’s late on a Saturday night so no one is in the bathroom. I take a quick shower, trying not to think about Cam’s lips on mine. Yeah right. Like that’s even possible. I finish up the shower, get dressed and walk back to my dorm. My adrenaline tells me I’m not tired, but my mind has other plans. I fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow.

  Chapter 9

  Since today would normally be an early shift at the Bistro, my alarm is set for 6 o’clock, as with every Sunday. It awakens me from a deep slumber, probably better than I have slept in a long time. I slowly get out of bed, still groggy, when I realize that I slept the entire night without a nightmare. Come to think of it, I didn’t have a nightmare the night before either. What is that about? Are they finally gone? I don’t want to get my hopes up since it’s only been a couple of nights free from them. But can I finally live a normal life? Maybe being wrapped up in other, more important things is the reason. Maybe finally talking about it is helping. Maybe finally letting someone into my life and being happy for once is why. I could play this question and answer game all day trying to understand or find a good explanation, but I have to get ready for our mini road trip to San Dieg
o. I look through my closet and try to find something to wear but then the realization slaps me hard in the face. I’m going to meet his parents. I refuse to let my panic overcome me. I quickly grab a pair of light wash jeans, an off the shoulder black sweater and my black boots. Temperature wise, I should be comfortable because the weather is warmer today. I keep my hair down and run my straightener through it. I put some makeup on and look in the mirror for a final glimpse. I’m impressed. I don’t look half bad.

  Since it’s already a few minutes until 8 o’clock, I leave my dorm and lock the door to go wait outside. I turn around to walk down the hall and my hand lands on pure muscle, yep hard, fit muscle. Holy Hell. My breathing slows and my heart races. “Oh, dear Lord, are you trying to give me a heart attack?” My hand apparently has a mind of its own because I can’t seem to make myself move it off of him. I unintentionally giggle and start pulling my hand away when he grabs it and our fingers interlock.

  “You are the one that’s going to give me a heart attack. God, you are breathtaking.” Yes. Please keep saying those things.

  We walk out to the car hand in hand. Normally, this kind of display would gross me out, but everything seems so right with him. And I really don’t give a shit what everyone else thinks.

  Casey is already in the back seat and she has a big smile on her face. “I’m so happy you came.”

  “Me too.” I’m not even saying it just to be polite. I really am happy to be here with Cam and his sister. I’ve pushed people away for so long that I forgot how nice it is to be around people. Casey is a sweetheart and well Cam, there are no words to describe Cam. He opens the passenger door for me, moves to the driver’s side and jumps in. That move gets me every time. I don’t even try to hide my cheesy grin.

  Cam stops at Starbucks and picks up breakfast for everyone. Back home, we have Dunkin on every corner, but here it’s the same with Starbucks. We continue driving and talk for the entire trip. Casey tells us about how excited she is to go to USC and how she is hoping that a certain boy asks her to the prom. Before we know it, well two hours later, we arrive in San Diego. We arrive at his parents’ house just before eleven. I shake off the anxiety as we park in front of their house.