You Belong With Me (7 page)

Yep Tommy Lingetti had once had a serious drug problem. Pills and coke was Tommy's choices in the drug world. Pills helped him sleep and the coke helped him stay awake. His parents had died in a car accident when they were in college and Carter and his mom took him in without blinking an eye. He was an only child and he had some cousin he didn't really see. Carter was all he had. They were brothers. Carter put Tommy in rehab before they went on tour after Carter had to rush him to the hospital after he almost overdosed on Percocet's. Two days later Carter put him in a sixty day program and then a few weeks later they went on tour. Casey stood by Carter's side during Tommy's hospital stay and went to the rehab center every week once Tommy was aloud visitors. Lyla couldn't bring herself to see Tommy. She still had feelings for him but he hurt her. Bad. She called Casey everyday about his progress. The last time she saw him was at Beach Bums the night before they left on tour. Carter yelled up to Casey that he had to go. He was using her car and Lyla was driving her and Casey. He stood waiting at the bottom of the steps and as she made her appearance at the top of the stairs, his heart stopped. It literally stopped at the sight of her. She was an angel in turquoise. Hair down in her infamous blonde waves and a little more makeup on her than he was used to seeing on her. She wasn't wearing her converse which threw him for a loop. But she always wore them. She smiled down at him and he felt the air rush from his lungs. Lyla looked at him funny and quickly said something to tear Carter's gaze away from Casey.

"Get your ass down here now, Casey Leigh. I need a drink." Carter had a hard time speaking because of her mesmerizing beauty. He wanted to tell her she looked heavenly but all that came out was " Why aren't you wearing your converse?"

"Well, I just wanted to wear a more feminine pair of shoes tonight." She was simple and to the point. He rolled his eyes, grabbed Casey's car keys and told them he would see them in a bit. Just as he was getting ready to walk out the door Casey's phone rang. The ringtone was Jason Mraz's " I'm Yours." Carter looked at Lyla and mouthed " Who is that?" She mouthed, " Jordan." Fuck me, he thought.

Casey practically floated over to the phone and answered it. " Hi Baby! How are you? What... wait I can't hear you. Ho.. Hold on Jor." She went into the kitchen. As she did Lyla grabbed Carter and pulled him in the corner of the living room with force.

"Carter London, what the fuck was that!"

"What are you talking about Lyla? What?"

"I saw the way you looked at her. You are still in love with her. After all this time. It's true isn't it? Answer me, Carter." He stared at Lyla and she saw right through him. He let out a sigh and looked to the ceiling.

"Damn it, Carter. What the hell are you thinking?"

"I can't lie about it. It's all over my face isn't it?"

"Um, yea. It's more noticeable than a seagull shitting on your head."

"How did you know anyway Ly?"

"Tommy told me years ago. He said you were in love with her but she thought you were a shit so she just rather had been friends with you rather than have you cheat on her and break her heart. Like he ironically did to me."

"Shit Lyla. I can't help it." He ran his fingers through his hair. "I've always loved her. She's my whole heart and now she's with Reid. My chance has passed. I didn't say what I needed to say."

"You got that right asshole. Jordan is the best thing that has happened to her in a very long time. She was sad because you left on tour and her pain in the ass mother is all over her shit as usual. He loves her Car and he is really good to her. He is a good guy. I'm sorry sweetie but I'm pretty sure she's in love with him too. She hasn't told me but I see how happy she is with him." She touched his cheek as Casey made her way back into the room. Her head down and the phone in her hand. She looked forlorn.

"He's not coming. He is stuck in France till Tuesday." The look on her face broke Carter's heart.

"What! Oh Case I'm so sorry honey. He will be back. Don't worry." Lyla went over to hug her. " Hey let's just go to Beach Bums and have some fun tonight and we can enjoy this handsome man right here's voice. We will do a pre-reunion Reunion." She looked up at Lyla with a sad expression and grabbed her purse and stuck her phone back in it. Carter just stood there and said nothing. How could he comfort her? He felt like he just won the lottery! No Jordan Reid to deal with tonight. He had Casey to himself. Before they left Casey ran upstairs. Lyla smacked Carter on the arm. " What the fuck Car! You stood there like an idiot."

"What did you want me to do Ly, comfort her about her boyfriend not coming? This is like Christmas Day for me. I'm going to get her to fall in love with me Lyla. By the Reunion in two weeks she will be mine."

Casey came down sans girly shoes and sported a pair of gray Converse. He smiled at her and she back at him. That was his girl. The one who never had to try to impress him. She could have been wearing a burlap sack and she would still own his heart.

When they got to Beach Bums, Carter went with the band to set up and Casey and Lyla made their way to the bar to meet a few more of their friends. Luminosity set up and made their way to the bar for a quick beer. The place was at capacity and tons of people were congratulating them on their album and on the tour. When showtime was slowly approaching Carter noticed Casey was quiet and as she downed her fourth beer in a little over an hour he knew she was upset. She never drank like that. He left her alone and made his way onto the stage. The lights dimmed and when they came back up Carter stood at the microphone and began to address the cheering audience.

"Hello, Beach Bums. It's been an amazing six months being on tour but it's even more amazing to be home at last." The crowd's cheering increased and Carter laughed. " We are going to play something from our debut album then one that you all know and love." They began to play and the crowd went nuts. They were bonafide rock stars!

When they got done they were about to start their next song. A cover of Sublime's " Santeria."

Before they began Carter addressed the crowd again.

"This next one is one of our favorites from one of our most influential bands. I'd like to send this out to someone special. My best friend and muse. Case this ones for you." Casey held up her beer to them from the bar area and gave him a slight smile. Lyla raised her fist up at Carter and shook her head. They sounded incredible and everyone was moving along to the music. Carter played his guitar like it was a part of him. He moved towards Tommy and they sang into the mic together then they made their way back towards Jake on the drums. When Carter came back to his microphone at the front of the stage she saw Casey focusing at something other than him and before he knew it she was running towards something. He wasn't aware of what it was until she saw her jump into a man's arms. The man was tall, blonde hair, wearing a suit with no tie and they started making out in front of everyone like crazy. Carter's eyes went to Lyla and she mouthed " Jordan." He was there? What the fuck! They made their way up towards the front of the stage. Arm in arm. She smiled up at Carter and pointed to the man she was linked with and said "Jordan's here!" He looked rich. Distinguished. Regal. Polished. Nothing Carter was. He then knew that Jordan Reid was a yacht and well Carter London was nothing more than a tugboat.

CHAPTER 4

2005

Carter hated Casey's boyfriend Bo Adler. They began dating the middle of Sophomore year, and now they were into the Spring semester of their Junior year. He was an arrogant, stuck up son of a bitch who treated her like garbage, and Carter suspected he was cheating on her. He didn't like watching their public displays of affection nor did he like watching him high five his buddies after him and Casey came to a party late looking a bit disheveled. He was entirely too disrespectful and it bothered the shit out of him. If he could string him up from his balls and leave him sterile so there would be no procreating of little Bo Adler's, he would do so gladly. Carter knew he was in love with Casey from day one but he thought it was more of a lustful, sexual kind of thing. The kind that left a bulge in his pants sort of love when he saw her in a bikini but the closer they became and the more time they spent together, he realized this was so much more than that. It was real life true love. The kind you read about in trashy romance novels. The kind you see in Lifetime movies. She was everything to him. Bo Adler was a douche. Plain and simple. No to ways around it and Casey was unfortunately too blind to see it. In the beginning of Junior year, Lyla and Casey moved out of the dorms and into an off campus apartment. It was small. Two bedroom and a tiny kitchen/living room area. There was privacy although the walls were thin and the proof of that was Lyla and Tommy's never ending bang fests which Carter and Casey had to tolerate until Bo came along. Carter and Tommy had gotten an apartment as well not too far from the girls' place.

When Casey began dating Bo, their little foursome dissipated over the year. Carter felt like a third wheel and he just couldn't stand the sight of someone else touching the woman he loved. So he went out to the bar after a night out with the four of them in search of some female companionship. What he usually got was a blow job or a quick fuck in the bathroom of the bar. All the while seeing Casey's face as some random drunk chick sucked him off. Yes, he got off and he always wanted it to be enjoyable but it never completely was. It was just pleasurable and there was a difference. To Carter there was anyway. Bo always made Carter feel like he didn't belong, like he was bothersome because Casey was always worried about why he never got into a relationship with anyone if her and Bo, Tommy and Lyla had made plans to go the movies or something, Casey always made it a point to ask Carter if he wanted to join them. That infuriated Bo. He was jealous of their friendship. He knew that Carter was very special to Casey and that they were best friends. It angered him when Casey practiced all of her first aid and phlebotomy on Carter and not on him. She asked Carter to help her study for her exams and he was always readily available for all of it. Yes, Carter would have dropped a puppy to run to Casey's side to help her with whatever she needed. Carter hated blood and guts and all things.... medical, but if Casey needed to use him as a dummy for practice for her nursing skills, he bit the bullet, put the fear in the back of his mind and did what ever she wished. Always telling her the line from The Princess Bride. "As you Wish." And it was a done deal.

Casey talked openly with Carter about her sex life with Bo. He didn't want her to think that it bothered him so he went along with it and bit his tongue, his lips, and the insides of his cheeks. Anything he could bite in his mouth so he wouldn't tell her to stop it and crash his lips to hers in a panty-wetting kiss. Casey had opened up one night when they were studying at her apartment.

"So the other night, Bo and I were getting hot and heavy in my room after we knew Tommy and Ly were all banged out. He did something to me that no other person has ever done." Casey looked at Carter over top of the slew of nursing books that sat between them at her kitchen table. He was highlighting something in his Econ book and tried not to pay much attention to what she was saying. He so badly wanted to know nothing about what she was going to say. He knew where it was headed.

Without looking up from his book he said, " Ah, um. So what was that?"

"He well, he went down on me." Carter instantly tasted the blood from the inside of his bitten cheek and balled up his fist under the table. His heart dropped into his stomach and he knew if he moved his facial expressions would give him away and she would be suspicious. She knew his moods and his facial expressions continually gave him away.

"Oh yeah? And how did that work out for the both of you?" he silently prayed.
Please hate it, please hate it, oh pretty pretty please tell me his tongue was like a dog eating an ice cream cone and that he slobbers. Tell me it was awful for the love of God.

"Well um, at first it was ok, then he started getting a little too, let's just say, vocal about the whole thing."

OK, so now Carter was curious. What did the douche say to her?

"OK, well what did he say? Did it make you feel uncomfortable?"

"Kind of yes. He had never spoken to me like that before. Not even during sex. It was like he was someone else and I was someone else to him."

"So? Get on with it. It's me Case. Don't be embarrassed." Secretly Carter had wanted to vomit right there in her kitchen. The thoughts of another man's hands on Casey made him physically ill. She shut her eyes and placed her hands on them and curled her knees up to her chest as she spoke.

"OK. Here it goes. He told me how wet and hot my pussy was and that I was his dirty little whore and that my pussy was all his and how he needed to get his cock in my tight hole. OK. That's all. I can't even talk about it anymore." Carter looked up at her and saw how red her cheeks were and he was furious that she was spoken to in that way.

"Case, did you like the way he spoke to you cause frankly, honey, that's the shit Tommy says to random sluts he screws at Beach Bums after a show. You on the other hand are no whore or slut and he in no way shape or form should be talking to you like that. No fucking way. You are too sweet and gentle and loving to have someone speak to you in such a way. I don't mean to get all Jane Austen on your ass but that's how I see it." Her expression was unreadable at first then she got up from her chair and made her way over to him. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders while her chest touched his back and kissed his cheek and whispered in his ear,

"Carter London I think that is the sweetest thing you have ever said to me, and I thank you for not making me feel uncomfortable about telling you what I told you. I could not ask for a better best friend." Her breath was on his neck and he smelled her scent. Magnolias. He closed his eyes and relished in the moment that her arms were around him, trying to commit it to memory. He wanted it for always but he knew that it would never be. Now it was time to confront Bo Adler and his filthy mouth.