The things we do for love. (7 page)

“Trouncing?” Luke asked raising an eyebrow and his face softened into the slightest hint of a smile. Luke decided it was better to get her off her tangent.

Little red riding hood? An apt description for Cassie that was for sure. Granny? Luke knew when to leave well enough alone. He wasn’t sure if he liked the idea of being likened to a wolf though. Then again maybe he did. He brushed it aside.

“It’s a word.” She assured, “Anyway we’re not talking about my vocabulary we’re talking about the twins, or at least one half of them. The nice half.”

“I think I’ve heard enough about this for one day.” Luke tried to sound firm but didn’t quite make it. Vera’s heart was in the right place she just didn’t know when she was working on a lost cause and, this was definitely a lost cause. Luke felt that painful stab in his chest again. If only.

“Oh no you don’t, buddy.” Luke stared at Vera for a moment. She had that stern look on her face again. The one that said I am a dog with a bone and I’m not giving up, if you try and take the bone from me I will savage your hand.

“It could never be...” Luke began but was abruptly cut off.

“I know she’s got a ratty sister but that shouldn’t put you off.” She gave him a wink and she turned to walk from the room. Her ample frame swaying as she went.

“I told her that her sister was a nutter.” Luke said.

“Yes that you did.” Vera agreed.

“And I told her she should have her sister committed.” Luke reminded her quietly.

“Yes you did that too, and I bet she probably agrees with you, but she is going to stick up for her sister. Because she is her sister and that’s what sister’s do.” Vera smiled at him.

“I told her that she couldn’t stand up to her and make her do as she was told.” Luke continued unrelentingly.

“She most likely agrees with that too, although it probably rubbed her up the wrong way. No one likes to be reminded of their failures.”

“I told her there are special places for a sister like that.” Luke continued to drive his point home.

“But she probably already knew those places existed anyway.” Vera pointed out and despite his best efforts Luke laughed.

“I told her that her sister’s behaviour was her fault.” he said quietly.

“You didn’t.” Vera exclaimed as she threw up her hand in exasperation and then dropped them back to her sides. “What on earth possessed you to say that.”

“You saw my car.” He pointed out.

“And you have a point. But…”

“But, now that I have alienated her there’s no way forward.” Luke told Vera with a sense of satisfaction that he had been right all along and that Vera was flogging a dead horse.

“There is always a way.” Vera told him sharply refusing to be defeated just yet.

“No there isn’t. Not only did I tell her that it was her fault, I also told her that she was enabling her sister and that if it wasn’t for her then perhaps her sister would have turned out better.”

“Wow, you really enjoy committing suicide don’t you?” Vera stated.

“So then, that is that.” Luke told her triumphantly.

“Not necessarily.”

“Yes necessarily. Are you not listening. I told her that Faye’s behaviour was her fault. That she had created monster Faye. That she enabled her bad behaviour.” Luke relentlessly continued.

“But that doesn’t mean all is lost. Like I said there is always a way, if it was meant to be.”

“Perhaps that’s true in fluffy, nonsense romantic fiction that you so enjoy reading. But, this is real life and Cassie hates my guts.” Luke responded despondently. “And I don’t blame her. After the way I spoke to her, I hate my guts.”

“We’ll see.” Vera told him and she left the room. A kind soul Vera may have been but she was also quite naive for someone approaching sixty.

Luke wished that things could have been as easy as Vera thought they were. Life just wasn’t like that and neither had been his luck, especially since his encounter with Faye.

He sighed again as he put his papers away. He couldn’t concentrate anyway so there was little point in continuing to stare blankly at it.

His stomach growled at him reminding him that he had eaten very little today. That settled it. He would go out for dinner and stop thinking of Cassie or her sister.

Perhaps he could finish the paperwork after his surgery tomorrow if he had time. He should be back by two thirty as he only had three minor surgery’s scheduled for the morning.

Luke left the room and went to find Vera in the kitchen to tell her he was going out to dinner.

Chapter 9.

“So where is your dreaded Frankenstein twin tonight?” Adam contorted his face and closed one eye at Cassie and she grimaced as a reluctant laugh escaped her.

Her friend was either trying to do an impression of an evil sidekick or an ugly one. Cassie wasn’t sure which one but he sure did look funny and Cassie really needed the cheering up that it provided.

Adam and Cassie had met when they had attended university together. They had hit it off straight away and had remained firm friends ever since.

He was the only friend from uni that she spoke to these days and she was grateful for his friendship. He, of course, knew all the exploits of Faye mainly because Cassie confided in him every time Faye had wreaked havoc.

Thank god she had Adam otherwise she probably would have gone quite mad by now. He had a knack for listening and giving advice without being too judgmental and with a certain degree of humour. He was a good friend to have, not to mention a funny one. Well, sometimes anyway.

Having her mind taken off the events of the last few months was a welcomed relief in an otherwise chaotic and stressful life.

“She’s probably out causing trouble.” Cassie joked and Adam raised an eyebrow.

“Are you sure you should have let her out?”

“I can’t stop her.”

“What, you don’t have a chair you could tie her too.” Adam asked her. “I have one I could lend you.”

“She is a grown woman. At least I think she is.” She shrugged. “Who knows.”

“I feel I should warn you that it is dark and you know there’s more trouble to get into in the dark...” He let his voice trail off suggestively and she giggled.

“I don’t think she was planning on going out. She had stuff to do before tomorrow.” Cassie replied, her mind wandering to the prospect of Faye leaving.

After their argument and Cassie’s sudden burst of violence they had both sat down and had had a long talk about Faye’s sudden need to go see their father.

A father, Cassie kept reminding Faye, that had had nothing to do with them all these years even though he had known where they were as they had not moved home after he had left.

Mum had never wanted to sell and move away just in case he had come back. In the end though Cassie had reluctantly agreed that this was a good idea.

Faye had thought of every counter argument to Cassie’s arguments and in the end there had been no point in trying to fight something that Faye had already made up her mind to do.

Cassie didn’t want to alienate herself from her sister even though her sister seemed to spend most of her time being a thorn in her side.

“What stuff?” Adam asked

“As far as I know she’s packing.” Cassie told her friend as she watched him scoop up some of his fish onto his fork and popped it into his mouth. “She may be... you know... but I refuse to hold her to account for every single second. That would be way too exhausting for me.”

“You’d never keep up with her dear.” Adam pulled a face and she smiled in spite of her bad mood. He was right too. Cassie would never be able to keep up with her.

“Yeah, I know.” Cassie sighed jadedly. It had been a very long and emotionally fraught day and Cassie couldn’t wait for it to be over.

“So, you’re really going to let her go? To your Dad’s I mean.” Adam asked.

Cassie shrugged and looked at her friend of many years. He had a dark olive complexion, as all men from Italian stock had. His eyes the darkest of browns but if you looked closely there were flecks of gold and green.

His dark hair curled loosely and Adam kept it short so the curls didn’t become too unruly. Not that that was bad, Cassie was reminded of a young Italian with wild hair. It had suited him. Perhaps not the impression he wanted to make these days but there was nothing untidy about his disobedient hair.

He was a very handsome man and he knew it and never let anybody else forget it either. Cassie had witnessed many women trying to snap him up since the start of their friendship.

But Adam already had a partner. They had also been together since their university days. His name was Joe and there was never any doubting that they were very happy together.

“I can’t stop her.” Cassie told him as she took a sip of her water. They were both sitting in their favourite restaurant, Cassie didn’t eat here very often as it was expensive but Adam was paying tonight so she had finally reluctantly agreed.

Besides, Cassie had needed to get out of the house for a while. There was a very gloomy atmosphere hanging around and Cassie needed a break from it. “I don’t want her to go... but...” she shrugged her shoulders. “But then I wouldn’t mind the peace and quiet for a while, you know? I’m in two minds.”

“I suppose she will be out of your hair for a while. It’ll give you a chance to concentrate on you. When was the last time you did that?” Cassie honestly did not know and she shook her head.

“I think it was when I was seven.” She quipped.

“I know you are joking but I would honestly believe you.”

“It has been a while.” She agreed on a heavy sigh.

“If she was my sister...” his voice trailed and he looked up at her guiltily.

“You would have her locked up? You would disown her? Don’t worry Adam.” She patted the back of his hand. “I have thought of those things and a few others in the past few years. I would murder her if I thought I could get away with it. But then, it all gets so messy after that. Where to hide the body? Etcetera and so on. You need money for that and I’m flat broke.”

“Thank god you’re broke.” Adam laughed heartily. “Joking aside though, you do look like you need the break.” She was told ruefully.

“Thanks. Are you telling me I look awful?” she asked feigning disbelief.

“Yes, but only because I am your friend and I worry about you. As someone should. It’s not like you have anyone else to worry about you.”

“...Not even a cat.” Cassie agreed and she was rewarded with Adam throwing a napkin at her playfully.

“It is high time you started thinking about catching yourself a man.” Adam told her sternly.

“With Faye around?” Cassie scoffed.

“You need to get laid.”

“Adam.” She complained.

“What? It is a perfectly natural biological function. We all need it and you more than need it.”

“Gee thanks.”

“You know I am right. Come on when was the last time?” Adam asked her and Cassie squirmed in her chair.

“A while.” She reluctantly agreed.

“Mathew.”

“What.” She looked up and gasped.

“That was the last time, his name was Mathew. The year after uni. And that was what eight years or so ago. God Cassie if you don’t use it soon it might just shrivel up on you.” Charming Cassie decided but she did not say anything.

“You’re keeping tabs.” Cassie said.

“It was hard to forget poor Mathew. Not after Faye had finished with him.” Adam said. Yes, that was true. It had been awful. How Faye had not ended up being arrested for that god alone only knew.

“So then there is no hope. No man would stay long with her in the mix.” 

“If she is going away you know what they say.” he waited a moment and took a sip of his wine before telling her in a conspiratorial voice. “While the cat’s away the mice will play. Now is the best time to try and find someone. With any luck he’ll fall madly in love with you long before Faye comes back.”

“Huh.” Cassie replied. It was an unlikely scenario, and she knew it. Even if she did find someone and that was a big if... He wouldn’t stick around once Faye was back and up to her old tricks. Now that, Cassie agreed with herself, was a very depressing thought.

“What about Dr Luke Pearson?” Adam asked her.

“What about him?” Cassie asked. Adam’s eyes narrowed as he regarded her.

“I have to meet this man.” Adam told her gleefully.

“Adam.” She warned.

“Adam nothing. There might be some hope. After all he has stuck it out all these months. And he can certainly stand up to Faye.”

“He stuck it out because he took her to court and nothing more.” Cassie reminded. “Now she is going away hopefully it will all be over and our paths will never cross again.” How sad was that?

Damn she had a really sad horrible life, she decided, she had nothing more than a sister to show for all her efforts.

The waiter came over at that moment stopping any further discussion on the subject which was just as well because Cassie didn’t want to talk about it anymore.

The waiter discreetly asked them if they wanted to see the dessert menu and Adam politely informed the waiter that they didn’t need a menu because he knew what to order. That’s how often Adam ate here, he didn’t even need to see any of the menus

“I shouldn’t really.” Cassie began but Adam was already waving a dismissive hand at her.

“Of course you should. You’ve had a really bad emotionally charged day and that always calls for alcohol and chocolate.” He told her and then added. “Better still alcoholic chocolate. I wander why no one has come up with that?”

“It’s probably out there somewhere.” She told him.

“Probably.” He said to her and then he turned to the waiter. “Two hot chocolate brownies with ice-cream and two cream liqueurs, make hers a really large one. Thank you.”  The waiter nodded and left their table again.

“I hit her.” Cassie suddenly blabbed. She had promised herself that she wasn’t going to tell anyone, she still felt so bad about it. Adam stopped what he was doing and looked at her.

“As in, you hit her.” He asked her to clarify.

“Yes.”

“As in. you actually physically hit her.” Adam tried again. He had never known Cassie to be violent, not even mildly.

It shocked him, but pleased him too. She needed to stand up to that sister of her. If he had thought that it would have helped he would have slapped her, and carried on slapping her. But it wasn’t his place.

“Full on swing slap right across the cheek.” She admitted.

“Did it hurt?” he asked her.

“It hurt my hand so yeah probably.”

“Did it hurt her?”

“I took a good swing, nearly knocked her off her feet it was so hard.”

“Good.”

“Adam.” She exclaimed.

“Adam… nothing. I am surprised you held out this long. Though, it’s not like you.” He reached out and grabbed her hand. “Are you sure you are okay?” he looked worried.

“I’m fine. I just.” She sighed. “Am I turning into a bad person?” she asked him.

“Of course not. You have more patience than I would have. But then if she were my sister I would not be en…” Adam stopped and it was Cassie’s turned to look up sharply.

“Enabling her.” She said and Adam shrugged a shoulder.

“Honey you know you do.”

“Great. You are the second person to say that to me today.”

“Who else accused you?”

“Luke Pearson.” She pulled her face.

“The dishy doc.” Adam smiled. “When am I going to meet him properly? I have seen him once from afar. When are you going to introduce us? Are you ashamed of me?”

“I’m not friends with the guy.” She told him.

“Heaven forbid. I was hoping for better things than just friends.”

“Adam.” Cassie gasped in shock at her friend. Though, why she should be shocked she had no idea. He had always been forth right.

“We’ll have to work on it.” He promised. “I wasn’t getting at you, you know that. But, Faye needs to stand on her own two feet and you need to cut those apron strings and let her flounder for a while.” Adam told her.

“It’s hard. She’s vulnerable you know.”

“She is many things darling, I am not sure vulnerable is one of them. Luke is right, she needs help. Proper help.”

“She has promised when she gets back she will see the doctor.” Cassie told him. “And that’s a start.”

“That’s only a start if she makes good on her promise.”

“Yeah, you are right.”

“So…” Adam began. “Dramatically changing the subject completely, what words did she write on his car again?” he leaned closer across the table and lowered his tone.

“I couldn’t repeat them even if I wanted to.” Cassie blushed and Adam laughed. “There were words there that I had to go look up.” And she blushed even more profusely at the memory.

“Well, at least you know she learnt something at school.” Cassie scoffed and Adam laughed again.

“I wish there had been other things that she had learned at school.” Cassie fumed.

“Faye will always be Faye.” Adam shrugged carelessly.

“Well I wish she could be someone else.”

“I will remember to cast a spell to make it happen darling. I am not promising anything though. I’m afraid you’re just going to have to deal with her as she is.”

“I know you would if you could.” Cassie was grateful to Adam and to the friendship that he had offered for many years.

Suddenly Adam looked away and then looked back at Cassie. She watched in fascination as a smile spread across his face and merriment sparkled and gleamed in his eyes. What had he thought of? She wondered. “What’s up?” She asked him.