The things we do for love. (2 page)

Cassie had had enough of this entanglement with Luke Pearson, not his fault, all her sisters. She just wished she could let it rest and be forgotten. But no, Faye had to keep it going.

“Then.” Faye went on as though Cassie had not even spoken. “He takes me to court to sue for damages. Me. He takes me to court, I ask you. The absolute cheek of the man.” Cassie sighed.

“He was entitled to take you to court. You ruined his property. You tried to ruin his reputation. But that wasn’t enough for you was it?”

“Oh that’s not fair.” Faye complained.

“Fair? Have you been fair. You almost took his eye out with a pencil.”

“I tripped, how many more times, it flew out of my hand.” Faye defended herself immediately.

“No Faye, you got angry with him and threw a pencil at him. The court bailiff had to escort you from the building.
the session had to be adjourned and we had to wait another three days before we could get on with it.
On top of all that you then threatened him right outside the court house in a very loud voice in front of police officers and you nearly found yourself arrested for breach of the peace.” Faye rolled her eyes dramatically.

“I did not mean that I would actually kill him.”

“It doesn’t matter whether you mean it or not, you said it.” Cassie pointed out.

“But, no one ever means it when they say that. Anyway he told you that you should send me away.”

“Yes he did. Do you blame him.”

“He told you to lock me up and throw away the key.” Faye huffed again. Yes, he had, he had also told Cassie that Faye was a crackpot. “There’s nothing wrong with me.” Faye defended herself.

“Yes… well… sometimes, even I wonder… anyway.” Cassie held up both hands to stop the approaching onslaught of words Faye would have thrown in her direction. “I think we are moving away from what’s important. Let’s just get back to what happened today in the car park, shall we?”

Cassie sighed loudly. She was tired. She wished all of this would just go away. It wouldn’t of course but Cassie still wished with everything she had.

“Well…” Faye began but was interrupted abruptly. Both women jumped at the sound of sudden, very loud banging on the front door, pounding would have been a better descript-tion. Whoever it was, they were very angry.

Faye looked at Cassie and the colour drained from her face. Cassie’s throat tightened and her mouth went dry. This so wasn’t going to be good. “Cassie.” Faye’s voice became small, like a child and Cassie could see the fear in her eyes. No, this really wasn’t going to be good.

“What did you do?” Cassie hissed angrily at her sister as she got up and went downstairs to answer the persistent irate banging on the door. Her heart pounding in her chest and her stomach flipping around like she had swallowed an eel. It was reminiscent of having to deal with the man in court. That had been two weeks ago…

Chapter 2.

Cassie nudged Faye to stop her fidgeting in her chair and Faye sighed but stopped her movements.

“Sorry.” Faye whispered, she kept her head bent.

“Just let me do all the talking. It will be okay, just don’t say a word. Not a single one.”

“Yes but.”

“No buts. Not one word. No matter what anyone says. You got that.” Cassie warned her sister.

“Okay sis, I’ll keep my mouth shut. I shouldn’t be here though.” She complained.

“Your right this is a civil matter. What you did was really a criminal matter. You could have been facing jail time rather than just being sued. You should consider yourself lucky.” Cassie told her sister in a stern motherly voice.”

“Fine.” She moaned.

“Which one is Dr Luke Pearson?” she asked Faye. She had heard about Luke Pearson for the last month or so but, as yet, she had not had the privilege of actually meeting him face to face.

Faye had constantly moaned about him and Cassie had dutifully listened. His name had become a regular occurrence in the house of late.

“He’s over there, sitting next to the older lady.” Faye told her with a flick of her head somewhere to Cassie’s left.

Cassie chanced a quick look in the direction Faye had indicated and Cassie’s heart stopped dead. Wow, he was a magnificent specimen of man.

Dark brown hair, tall, muscular, very muscular. Good looking. Great, just her luck. Cassie felt the butterflies in her stomach and she clenched her hands in her lap to stop anyone from seeing that they were shaking.

Luke stood up and addressed the Judge and Cassie listened to the long list of all the things that Faye had done. She listened to the deep raspy husky voice of his. It was warm like a fire on a cold day and smooth like chocolate. Wow.

Cassie willed herself to take a breath and steady her nerves, falling apart wasn’t going to help her sister.

Finally, when Luke had finished, it was Faye’s turn to address the judge. Cassie stood and asked the judge if it would be okay if she could represent her sister and after a consultation with Luke the judge had agreed.

Cassie tried to keep her wits about her as she dealt with each point in turn. Luke stood several times to ask questions and she, through the judge, had answered them.

After talking and negotiating extensively for a couple of hours the court adjourned until the following day. Which was just as well because Cassie was exhausted and not because of being in there. she had been painfully aware of Luke the whole time and it had slowly worn her down as the day had continued.

Faye clung to Cassie’s hand as they left the courtroom and stepped outside onto the street.

“I’m glad that’s over.” Faye breathed a sigh of relief.

“Faye this is just day one. We have at least another week. There’s a lot to get through.”

“Great.” Faye moaned. “I was hoping to go out with Craig and Olivia tonight.” Faye groaned as though she were two.

“No such luck. You want to keep your head clear.” She told her.

“Could I have a word.” A dark husky voice came from behind them and the two women turned to look at Luke. Luke stared at Cassie.

“Oh what do you want.” Faye snapped. “Haven’t got your money’s worth is that it?” she scoffed at him. In spite of Faye’s tirade Luke’s eyes never left Cassie’s face. Completely ignoring her sister at her side.

“Can we talk?” He asked her.

“Anything you have to say to my sister you can say with me standing here.” Faye told him.

“It won’t take long.” Luke tried again, still not acknowledging Faye.

“No.” Faye burst out. “She’s my sister.” Cassie turned to her sister then.

“Faye.” She pulled out her car keys from her bag. “Go wait in the car.” Faye turned to look at her sister with a shocked expression on her face.

“But…” Faye took the keys.

“Just go wait in the car.”

“But…”

“Please.”

“Fine.” Faye huffed and walked off. But, as she did so she used her shoulder to bash painfully into Cassie. Cassie had to take a step back and she winced. It was a deliberate act Cassie knew and she bit down on her lip to stop herself telling her sister off. “But don’t listen to anything he says. He’s a liar” She slung over her shoulder.

“Vera, why don’t you give us a minute.” Luke said to the woman at his side.

“Sure. Why don’t I stand over there pretending not to be eavesdropping?” She said as she walked off.

Cassie turned back to the tall man standing before her. She regarded him warily acutely aware of him.

“It’s Cassie right?” Luke smiled at her and she nodded mutely. “Perhaps you should let your sister speak for herself.” He told her.

“I… it is best I deal with it.”

“You have noticed that she is quite capable of speaking for herself?” he asked her and she noted the sardonic tone.

“I will handle things. In there you said that it was okay for me to speak on her behalf. Are you going back on that?” she asked him.

“No, I just think that you are not helping her by doing this for her.”

“You do not understand.” Cassie said.

“I probably understand more than you think.”

“No you don’t.” She stiffened.

“So, because I wanted to talk to you and you agreed that was your fault?” Luke persisted and she frowned.

“I don’t understand.”

“The way she walked past you. Do you put up with that behaviour or is it that you are in public and you don’t want to cause a scene.” He sounded angry, though he kept his voice low as he spoke.

“I was in the way.” She said instantly, defending her sister’s actions.

“Wow, you were in the way.” He regarded her face for several long moments. “Tell me do you also walk into doors a lot, perhaps fall down the occasional stair.”

“It has been a difficult day for her.”

“And what about you Cassie? Hasn’t it been a difficult day for you?” Luke asked her and she shifted uncomfortably.

“She doesn’t deal with these situations well.”

“There is help available for people like her.” Luke said.

“People like her?” Cassie raised her eyebrows. “And explain to me what kind of person she is?”

“She obviously has mental health issues.” Luke told her.

“There is nothing wrong with my sister.” Cassie instantly defended. But she knew that was not true.

“Doing what she has done is normal behaviour in your opinion?” It was Luke’s turn to raise eyebrows at her. “Is that your professional opinion?”

“Yes… no… I…” she huffed. “I will sort it. I have already told you. I will keep her away from you.”

“Like you have managed to do up until now? Your methods are not working.” He told her harshly.

“I will talk to her.”

“She needs a firm hand.”

“Is that your professional diagnosis Dr? she needs a firm hand. Why? Is that because she is a woman?” Cassie snapped back. Her eyes flashed angrily.

“I didn’t mean it like that.” Luke told her.

“If she had been my brother would you have said the same thing to me?” she asked him.

“Probably not, no.” Luke agreed on a sigh.

“Ah…” she said knowingly.

“Ah… what?” she watched Luke bristle.

“Ah… nothing.” She defended.

“Ah… something.” Luke accused.

“Thank you for your… professional… opinion.” She said. “I shall take it under advisement. Is that all?”

“I could petition the court for an order.” Luke told her.

“Order for what.”

“To have her committed.” Luke said.

“No please.” Cassie pleaded instantly becoming fearful.

“It is not normal for the type of behaviour that she displays. Why haven’t you gotten her help before now?”

“I have tried.” She defended herself.

“Really? What help have you tried getting her?” He asked her.

“I…”

“I… yes…” He waited.

“Well.” She stopped and huffed in defeat.

“Ah…” he said.

“Ah… what?” she bristled.

“Ah… nothing.”

“Ah… something.”

“As a sister you are doing a lousy job. You are failing her and you are enabling her to continue to act that way.”

“I will talk to her, I will make her stop.”

“No you won’t, no you can’t.” Luke told her and Cassie took a breath.

“Look, let’s just get this out of the way. I won’t contest anything in there. Let’s just get this case over and done with and then let’s hope our paths never cross again.”

Cassie turned to go. It wasn’t fair. The man was such a dish, a good looking guy, more than good looking. Worse than that her body responded to him. she felt giddy like a school girl when he was close. If only, she thought.

“You are doing her no favours.” Luke shouted at her departing back.

“Thanks for the advice.” Cassie called back without turning round. She just wanted to make it back to the car and go home. They were due back in court the next day.

“Stop enabling her.”

“Again thanks for the advice.” She said again.

“Cassie.” Luke called her again but she kept going. A second later she cried out in alarm as someone grabbed her upper arm and swirled her round. Luke stared down at her. She felt the heat of his hand on her arm and her mouth went dry.

“She is not worth it you know. She needs more than you can give her. Let her deal with this. She needs to stand on her own two feet.” Luke said firmly. His lips tightening into a thin line as he studied her face.

“I will keep her away from you.”

“If you can’t then I will press criminal charges. I will go to court and get an order and I will have her committed under the mental health act.”

“I will fight it.” Cassie straightened her spine as she jutted out her chin in defiance.

“I will bury her so deep in paper work it will take you years to find her.”

“Please. I promise I will talk to her. I will get her to stop.” Cassie tried again. Making a desperate plea to stop Luke from going down that line. If she lost Faye, she did not want to think about that.

“Last chance Cassie.” Luke warned her.

“Okay. I will. Please. She won’t be able to cope.”

“She won’t… or you won’t?” Luke asked her quietly. “It would seem that perhaps you are just as bad as she is. You make her like that, you know that right?”

Cassie wrenched her arm free and turned away from him fighting back tears. She wasn’t going to let him see her cry. “Last chance Cassie, do you hear. This is your last chance to make her toe the line before I do it for you.”

Cassie kept her head down as she turned the corner and headed for her car. She was going to have to have yet another serious talk with her sister.

Faye had always got herself into trouble. But she was in danger of being in real trouble now. She had to listen to her and stop this. She just had to…