The Forgotten Night (8 page)

“Whoa, calm down. Last night, before the guys showed up, Ashley told me they told her they could set her up with you. You don’t want to kill them.”

“No, I really do—”

“Well, save it for later, focus on what you’ll say to Cass first. Get her back then you can pummel those idiot guys.”

Chapter Five

C
assidy stepped out of the entertainment room with her cereal bowl still in hand. Her mother had asked to see her, apparently she had some important news. “Mom?” Cassidy called out as she walked into the entrance hall.

“In here, dear!” her mother called from her father’s study.

Cassidy placed the bowl on a side table before she entered the room. “Yes?” she asked, closing the door behind her.

“Good morning, dear, your father and I have to talk to you about something.”

“You’re not getting a divorce, are you?” she joked. She knew her parents were in love even after their twenty-five years together.

“Heavens no, princess,” her father said.

“So what’s this about?”

“One of your father’s mergers has decided they won’t merge unless they meet with your father again.” Cassidy’s father owned a large corporation in New York City that acquired other companies around the states and other countries around the world.

“Where’s this one?” she asked.

Her father paused a moment. “It’s in Paris.”

“As in Paris, France?”

“Yes, princess.”

“When do you have to leave?” She sighed, used to her parents traveling and leaving her behind.

“I’m on the next available flight tonight.” Cassidy knew what was coming next. Her mother had always wanted to go to Paris, and she usually went with her father on his important business trips for emotional support. “Your mother is coming too, Cass.”

“So what about your New Year’s Eve Party?” She turned to her mother.

“That’s the thing, dear. It’s too late to cancel it. I could never do that. I need you to be here and sort everything out.”

“I don’t know the first thing about planning a party,” she protested.

“Everything is already arranged, you just have to show the people where to put everything and where things are to be set up. You’ve seen them do this time and time again, it shouldn’t be too difficult.”

There was no use in trying to argue with her mother, she did know where things went and what to do. Her mother had taught her well and even if Cassidy’s choice would have been to cancel the party, she knew her mother didn’t want that. This party had been an annual tradition for the past twenty-three years. Her mother wouldn’t let the tradition die, not even if she was out of town.

“Fine, I’ll do it. Only because I love you,” Cassidy said and was immediately embraced by her mother.

“Oh thank you, dear. You know how much this means to me?”

“Don’t sweat it, Mom, I’m happy to do this for you. You’ve taught me well.”

Besides, it will give me one more reason not to be with Robert.
No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t make herself love Robert. They had been dating for six months and he was crazy about her—at least it seemed that way to her. But seeing Andrew again last night had just proven what she knew. She wasn’t over him yet.

With a sigh, she went up to her room and called Robert to tell him that she wouldn’t be able to see him much over the next few days because she had to prepare for the part. She felt a bit guilty for having invited him down here. She honestly didn’t know why she had, unless it was just a subconscious wish to show Andrew she’d moved on. Now she was so glad her parents had made him stay at a hotel instead of at her house.

“I’m sorry, Robert,” Cassidy said into her cell phone. “I’m going to be busy all day. I promised my mother I would help with the party.”

“Cassidy, I was going to take you out to a nice dinner and celebrate.”

“Celebrate what?” she asked, confused.

“Just us,” he said sternly.

Cassidy grabbed a nearby throw pillow and gave an exasperated scream into it.

“Cassidy, are you all right? I thought I heard—”

“I’m fine, Robert,” she said dully. She had to break up with him. He was becoming too attached and something about him didn’t settle right with her. He was always clinging to her and never failed to call her twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening, ‘just to check on her’ he would say, but Cassidy couldn’t shake the strange feeling he was becoming a little too obsessive over her. “Listen, I have to go, but I’ll see you at the New Year’s Eve party. I have a lot to do before then.”

“Fine, I love you, Cassidy,” he said and hung up.

She was glad he had hung up. The last time he had said those words to her, she was too surprised not to say them back to him. She hated saying them, especially when she knew it wasn’t true. Cassidy put her cell phone down.

“Trouble in paradise?”

Cassidy turned to see Rachel standing in her doorway.

“No, just a little misunderstanding.” Cassidy stood up and embraced her friend. “How are you?”

“I’m fine, but I don’t think that’s what you really wanted to ask me,” Rachel said, sitting on Cassidy’s bed.

“Um…I…how’s…how’s Andy?” she asked.

Rachel smiled. “My brother is fine, I think he’s sitting on the couch eating a bowl of Lucky Charms and watching the Disney Channel.”

Cassidy’s lips curved into a smile, and she couldn’t help but let out a laugh. She had slept over at their house several times and every Saturday it was the same. She and Rachel would grab a bowl of cereal, usually Lucky Charms or some other sugary cereal, and watch the Disney Channel. Andrew would meander in a few minutes after and grumble about the television station but secretly Cassidy knew he didn’t mind. She had even caught him watching it a couple of times.

“So anyway,” Rachel continued. “Your mom told me they were leaving. What’s going to happen with the party?”

“Nothing, same ol’ routine, except I will be the one behind the scenes.”

“Need any help?”

“No, I pretty much know where everything is supposed to go, just promise me you’ll be there?”

“Have I ever missed the New Year’s Eve party? I think not. So what’s going to happen?”

Cassidy knew what she was referring to. This would be the first year they hadn’t stuck with their normal routine, watching a movie or playing a game in her room until midnight. “I…I’m not sure, Robert will be here, and I have to make sure everything is running smoothly. It’s not like I don’t want to…”

“It’s fine, Cass. I understand, so will Drew,” Rachel said.

Cassidy wanted to hit herself when her heart leapt at the mention of his name.

* * *

Cassidy spent the next few days telling the staff what to do and where to put the incoming party supplies. They had everything set up just in time for the arrival of the first few guests. Cassidy greeted them and extended her apologies for the absence of her parents. As more people showed up, she didn’t worry too much about keeping the party going. The DJ was doing a pretty good job with the music and the bartender was supplying the guests with a supply of drinks.

“Hey, Cassidy,” Robert said from behind her.

She tried not to cringe at his voice and instead plastered a fake smile on her face. “Robert, you made it,” she said sweetly.

“Of course I did. I’ve been looking for you for a while.”

“Sorry, I’ve been busy looking around, checking on things,” she said absentmindedly as she continued to look around at the food platters, making sure they didn’t need to be refilled.

“It’s almost midnight, stop working so hard and come with me. I have to ask you something.”

Cassidy sighed softly and decided not to argue. He’d come all this way to be with her, and she’d only spent a couple of hours with him all week. “Fine, all the guests are gathering in the living room.”

Cassidy held Robert’s hand and when they reached the living room, he whispered in her ear. She couldn’t quite make it out, but nodded in agreement anyway. Seconds later, he dropped her hand and walked in front of the crowd and cleared his throat loudly.

Cassidy wasn’t sure what was going on, but she knew when someone addressed a large crowd it was never a good thing. From all the movies she watched, she had a bad feeling something she didn’t want to happen was about happen anyway. She cringed and waited for the crowd to quiet down.

“Hello, everyone,” Robert said to the crowd. “Sorry to interrupt. I know some of you don’t know me, but most of you should know Cassidy Ames.”

Cassidy cringed at what he was about to say. Her mind began carrying on a frantic monologue.
Why does he always call me Cassidy anyway?

“I know we’ve only been dating five months—”

Five long months.

“But I feel like we’ve known each other forever.”

Really? How sweet…not.

“I love you, Cassidy, with all my heart, and I know you feel the same.”

How can he say that? How does he not see that I don’t love him? I have to break up with him.

“So I’m asking you, in front of all your family and friends—”

I don’t even know half these people. And please, I know what you’re going to ask, but please don’t. Please. Please. Please.

He got down on one knee. “Will you marry me?”

Oh. My. God. Everyone’s staring, what do I do? I can’t leave him hanging out to dry. I can’t embarrass him.

“Cassidy?” he asked as he pulled out a ring from his pocket.

“Uh….um….” Cassidy looked around at the crowd and saw their smiling faces and couldn’t disappoint them. “Yes,” she said simply, no tears, no smile just a simple ‘yes’.

Robert forced the ring on her finger and kissed her just as the clock struck midnight. Cheers rang out from all around the room, party poppers were popped and confetti was thrown about as couples and friends wished each other a ‘Happy New Year’ with kisses.

Andrew stood in the corner and watched the whole thing unravel. His stomach was twisted in knots and it didn’t even register that it was midnight. He stood watching Cassidy, watching her face. There was no happiness, no joy, nothing in her eyes to say she was in love, but she had said yes. She had told the bastard she would marry him. He watched her pull away from him and drag him behind her into her father’s study, the only place off limits to guests and parties.

“Drew, I know what you’re thinking, but don’t. Did you see her face?” Rachel said, walking up to him.

Andrew snapped out of his thoughts and looked down at his sister. “How could she do that, Rach? She doesn’t love him. What do you think is happening in there?” he asked, pointing to the study.

“I don’t know, but you know as well as I do that she does not love—”

“Her eyes weren’t sparkling. They normally do when she’s really happy. They weren’t though.”

“See, you know, Drew. Besides, I think she’s in there kicking his ass for being a complete idiot.”

Drew smiled slightly and hugged his sister. “Thanks, sis, you know I’d go crazy without you.”

“I know.” She laughed and bumped fists with him before heading off in the direction of the bar.

* * *

“How could you do that?” Cassidy yelled when she shut her father’s study door behind Robert.

“Do what?” he asked blankly.

“You asked me to marry you in front of all those people. You didn’t even give me a chance to—”

“To what? Why are you getting upset with me? I love you, Cassidy. I know you love me.”

Cassidy huffed at this statement. “Robert, I don’t—”

“It’s all right, Cassidy, we can take this slow, I know this is fast. I mean we’ve only been going out for five months. We’ll have a long engagement. We don’t have to rush into anything. You can learn to love me.”

All she wanted was to tell him was she didn’t love him, that she wanted to break up, but looking at his sincerely happy face, she decided to hold off for tonight. She would speak to him when both their emotions had settled.

“Fine, Robert. I’m sorry I made a big deal out of this,” she said.

“Good, I’m going to go back out, do you want to join me?” he asked, kissing her cheek.

Cassidy shook her head. “I think I’m going to stay in here for a little bit. I’m a little bit tired of the party scene right now.”

Robert nodded then kissed her on the lips and walked out of the study.

Cassidy wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and walked over to her father’s desk. She searched in the top drawer for the key to the liquor cabinet and found it under the pad of sticky notes.

“Gotcha,” she said to herself. She straightened and walked over to the locked cabinet door and opened it with the key. She pulled out the whiskey bottle and a small shot glass and poured herself a little. She took the glass in her hand and downed the strong liquor. Setting the glass on the table, she rubbed her face with her hands, wondering what she’d gotten herself into.

* * *

“Am I interrupting the pity party?” Andrew asked as he shut and locked the door behind him. Cassidy bolted up and turned around. She willed her mouth not to smile and for once in her life her body cooperated.