You Belong With Me (17 page)

"Casey, calm down. I'm sure he came home honey." Jordan said softly.

"Jordan, he would have called me if he wasn't coming home. I'm scared. He has always called."

" Your not his mom, honey.He's a grown man. Maybe he went out with the guys after rehearsal and he crashed at one of their places." He placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder which she shrugged away in disgust. He just didn't get it.

She walked past the living room and noticed the office door was closed. She closed her eyes and prayed that Carter was in there. She slowly opened the door with Jordan behind her. Carter was half hanging off the chair with one leg on the ottoman and the other hanging on the floor. His arms were sprayed above his head and his earphones were haphazardly hanging off his head. Jordan peered over her shoulder to look in.

"Why does he have earphones on? They're not attached to anything."

Casey bit down on her lip and backed out of the room and shut the door quietly. She didn't answer Jordan. She went into the kitchen to start a pot of coffee. Jordan turned to her.

"I got to go, baby, but the limo will pick you guys up at 6:30 ok?" He leaned in and kissed her forehead. He grabbed his briefcase and headed out the door.

"Earphones?" She asked herself. She poured two mugs of coffee and brought one to the office. She walked in and stuck the mug under Carter's nose. He slowly opened his eyes to see an angel with fresh coffee in front of him.

"Yo." He said as he yawned and stretched and proceeded to fall off the chair in the process.

"Oh, shit!" Casey laughed and he looked up at her and he laughed along with her. "I'm not even going to ask why you are sleeping in here. Take your coffee. I'm going to shower. What time do we have to pick up Haley?"

Carter sat up and took his coffee. "Nine-thirty. Thanks for the coffee." He took a sip, scratched his morning stubble, and smiled up at her. He never gave her a reason why he slept in the office. What did it matter anyway?Casey made her way upstairs to shower.

An hour later, they made their way to Clearwater to pick up Haley and take her to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. When they got to Domenic and Eva's house they saw Haley standing at the front door waiting for them. They noticed she began jumping up and down when she saw the car pull up. Carter and Casey looked at each other and laughed. Carter put the car in park and Casey jumped out and ran to the front door. Eva let Haley through the door and she flew right into Casey's arms. She twirled her and her blonde locks around.

"Auntie Case!" She yelled.

"I missed you, girlfriend! You ready to go see the fishes?"

"Yep. Mommy says I have to be a good girl for you and Uncky Car."

"That's right and if you are, Uncky Car will buy you a present. That means no potty accidents ok?" Carter put a hand on her head and winked at her.

"Ok, Uncky."

Casey released Haley and hugged Eva. She handed Carter Haley's little princess back pack with a change of clothes and a sippy cup.

Carter gave Eva a kiss on the cheek and told her they would have her back in time for her nap. They retrieved Haley's carseat and strapped it into Casey's car. They seated Haley in it and drove to the aquarium.

They parked and got Haley out and made their way in. Haley was in between Carter and Casey and they both held her hands and swung them back and forth. They walked around to all of the exhibits. Haley got to touch a stingray and pick up a star fish. She ran to each tank to see the beautiful fish and sea turtles. Carter bent down to her level when a sea turtle swam up to the viewing window. Carter pointed to it and Casey stood back and watched their interaction. Carter was terrific with Haley. He was loving and playful with her. He was crazy about her. She loved to watch them together. She thought Carter had a natural fatherly instinct about him. Casey admired that about Carter.

"Look, Hales. It's Crush from 'Nemo.' I bet he's really old. Let's blow him kisses."

The both of them began blowing kisses at the turtle and Haley started to wave at it.

"I wuv you, turtle. Bye, bye." It swam away.

"Where he going Uncky?" She asked

"He's swimming back to his wife, I think."

Haley turned around to Casey and grabbed her hand to put it into Carter's.

"Auntie is you wife, Uncky Car. You wuv her," Haley said smiling up at them. Carter and Casey looked at each other and their eyes locked. Trying to break away from the awkwardness of the moment Carter focused his eyes on the glass before him. Though most people were taking in the sights of the fish, Carter's eyes were intently focused on Casey's reflection in the glass.

"Excuse me sir," A sweet woman standing beside him said with a tap on his shoulder.

"I think your daughter needs to use the bathroom." Carter looked down at Haley wiggling around trying to contain her need.

"Oh, thank you. She isn't my daughter, she is my niece."

Casey pulled her hand out of Carter's and took a small step back. " Well you certainly look like a happy family." The woman smiled.

Casey felt her heart speed up and she looked down then back up to the lady. "We are just friends." She told the lady.

"I see. Well enjoy the rest of your day." She walked away from them. Carter and Casey made eye contact but Casey broke it almost immediately and pulled her lip into her mouth and sucked on it. Carter needed to break this uncomfortable silence so he suggested they go look at the Dolphins outside. They made their way out and he held up Haley so she could get a better look. Haley was so excited and kept waving to them. A man stood next to Carter and turned to say, "You are one lucky man."

"Excuse me?" Carter asked.

"You have two beautiful girls I must say. She looks like her mom." Carter shook his head and shut his eyes.

"I'm sorry but you are mistaken. This is my friend and my niece. They aren't mine."

Just saying those words squeezed Carter's heart. They are not mine. She is not mine. He subconsciously told the man he loved this woman and he wanted to spend his life with her. He wanted to have babies with her and they would be perfect like Haley. He just turned away and asked Casey if she was ready to go. Casey nodded yes.

Haley had fallen asleep on the way back. When they pulled up to his brother's house. They both turned to look at the golden haired sleeping angel and smiled.

"I'll be right back." He said and got out and lifted Haley out of her seat. He carried her sleeping body to the front door where Eva stood. Casey got the seat out and placed it back in Eva's car. She got back in and waited. A few moments later he got back in the car and they drove back to Casey's in almost complete silence.

"Good day," she said to him.

"Yep." That's all he could muster up. They pulled into the driveway and headed inside of the house. Carter started to make his way to his room. He seemed dismal and distant. Casey put her keys on the coffee table and looked at him going up the steps.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going to lay down for awhile. What time should I be ready?" he asked.

"The limo is coming at 6:30. Ly is coming to help me with my hair at 5:30."

"Limo." He mumbled and made his way upstairs.

Casey stood there and was perplexed at the events of the day. How could so many people mistake them for a family? For a married couple and in love? How did that happen? They were best friends. How did bystanders mistake them for being in love? It was a total case of mistaken identity.

CHAPTER 9

White Trash Nurses

Casey got a shower. She shaved, exfoliated, shampooed, conditioned, waxed. Whatever she could do to perfect herself, so she would feel comfortable amongst the millionaire guests with whom she would be in the company of this evening. She knew she wasn't worth a million bucks, but she wanted to look like it. She wiped the fog from the mirror and wrapped her head in a towel. She looked at herself and took a few cleansing breaths. She started to give herself a pep talk.

"You can do this Casey. You have been in their company before. You can't be nervous. Just be yourself. Carter will be... I mean Jordan will be by your side."She bit her lip. "Fuck me!" She said after speaking Carter's name first. Why had she done that? Why had she thought about him being beside her and not Jordan first? She exited to her room and blew her hair dry. Lyla was coming soon to do her hair so she needed to start her makeup before she got there.

Carter had showered when she was drying her hair, and made his way downstairs. He sat on the couch with his lounge pants on and flipped on the t.v. for the sports' scores. Lyla waltzed in a few minutes later.

"Hey, Lond. What's up?" She smiled and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"I guess I should be asking you the same thing."

She looked at him perturbed. She crossed her arms in front of her. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Ly, I saw you and Tommy last night go into your house. It was late and Jake gave me a ride home and we saw the both of you, together. What's the deal?"

She rolled her eyes and fell in the chair across from him.

"Nothing. He called me. He said you guys got into an argument about stuff and he stormed off. He called me and I picked him up not to far from Chloe's house."

"And?"

"And what?" Her voice slightly raised.

"Come on, Lyla. You've hated him for years after what happened back in college. I know you put up with him for me and Casey's sake but what's so different now?"

Tears began to form in her eyes and her lips shook. Carter got up and went over to her. He crouched down and took her hand and held it.

"Ly. Tell me? Please? I didn't mean to make you upset. Talk to me."

She wiped away tears.

"He called and begged me to talk to him and I gave in. He told me where he was, I picked him up and we went down to Beach Bums. We talked about everything, but I wasn't giving into his bullshit. It got noisy in there and we couldn't hear each other speak, so I suggested we go to my house and talk. When we got there we talked some more and then he..." She trailed off and began to cry again. Carter squeezed her hand and gave her a reassuring smile that it was ok to continue. "He said he still loved me after all this time and no matter where he was or what he was doing or doing it with, I was always on his mind.

Carter laughed. "I could have told you that, Ly. He carries your picture around and some nights after a show, I would find him asleep on his bunk clutching your picture. The one of you on the rocks near the pier. You know the one?"

She giggled and nodded yes. She took a cleansing breath in and looked up at Carter.

"You still love him, Ly?"

She nodded."I never stopped, Carter. I don't think I ever could."

"Then don't let anything get in the way. There are hurdles but you have to jump, get over them, and seize what's yours."

"As the wiseman once said." She grinned at him and kissed his cheek. She got up and made her way upstairs to help Casey get ready. She turned to him.

"Are you ever going to get over your hurdle and seize, Lond?" She flicked her head towards the upstairs. Carter gave her a knowing smile and winked at her.

Carter went up to his room and got ready. He put on his tux, tied the bow tie, spritzed some of his favorite cologne on and put just a bit of wax into his short, black hair. He packed some mints and put cash and his I.D. in his money clip. He went downstairs to wait for the girls. They seemed to be taking forever.

At 6:30 there was a knock at the door. Carter opened it to find a middle aged man dressed in a black suit and cap.

"Can I help you?" Carter asked.

"Mr. London, I presume," the man said.

"You presume correctly," Carter replied.

"I am Nelson. Mr. Reid sent me for you and Miss Colbert."

Then it dawned on him. He snapped his fingers and pointed at the man."Limo, right?"

Nelson nodded.

"I'll let Miss Colbert know that you are here. We'll be out in a few minutes."

"Very well, sir." Nelson turned on his heels and made his way back to the limo. Carter went to the bottom of the steps to call for Casey. Before he got a chance to do so, he saw an angelic vision that literally stopped his heart and sped it up all at the same time. His breath was taken out of his lungs and he thought if he went blind tomorrow, he wouldn't have cared because the face before him would forever be etched in his memory. Casey stood there in her dress. The color was that of the warm water of their favorite beach. Hues of turquoise and jade green were mixed together and it illuminated around her when she swayed her way down the stairs. Her makeup was done to perfection. Subtle on the cheeks and lips with nude pallets. Her eyes were a completely different story. Smoky gray with hints of blue to accentuate the sea colored sparkle of her eyes. Her hair was pulled back on the sides and the rest flowed down her back and shoulders in blonde, full tendrils. Lyla was a genius.

Casey watched his eyes as hers met his. He was an impeccable sight to behold. He was dressed in a black, straight cut Armani Tux. His crisp white shirt lain against his brooding shoulders and chest. His short, black as night hair was lightly spiked with a pomade and his dazzling blue eyes looked almost sapphire in color behind his dark, long, soft lashes. She felt her heart fluter manically when she saw the Rock God standing before her. This was an unfamiliar feeling to her. One that captivated her. It was a feeling that made her sad. Why this attraction now? He was the same Carter that had been her best friend for nine years. She cussed around him, belched in front of him, peed with the door open as he stood there waiting for her to finish. He knew all there was to know about her. Her love of chocolate cheesecake, horror movies, and Converse sneakers. So why was she nervous to see him standing there? What made her have a lump in her throat? It bemused her because of what was happening this evening. She had to make a good impression with Kingston Reid. She did love and care about Jordan and she was happy with him so being the attentive and regal girlfriend role was one she needed to play the right way.