You Belong With Me (9 page)

"Thank you Carter. For everything. I love you." His heart ached and he felt tears stinging his eyes. He shut them firmly. Carter held her a little tighter and wished that when she finally said the words, they would be because she felt the same way he did about her. That hurt the most. Knowing that wasn't the case.

CHAPTER 5

Meet Mr. Perfect

Carter felt the chunks of his earlier dinner rise up to meet his throat as the image of Jordan Reid's arms around Casey played out in front of him. Carter was singing one of Casey's favorite songs,
Santeria
and he thought his dedication of the song to her would maybe somehow show her what Carter was feeling. No such luck. He knew meeting him was inevitable so when he finished this song he put on his game face and meet his match. A match he so desperately wanted to win. Carter gazed at the two of them. Casey ran her hands through Jordan's hair, his hands dangerously close to her ass, soft, little sweet kisses he was planting on her face, on her sweet face. He thought about her face being his sweet face. He prayed that Jordan wasn't going to the reunion in a few weeks. This was their time. He had a month to convince Casey that he was good enough, strong enough, and loved her enough for her to be his. Jordan Reid was an obstacle he needed to get passed. Carter thought of ways to make Casey his, but all in all, the realization was that like Bo Adler, maybe Casey needed to see things for herself. When the song ended and the crowd went wild, Carter noticed Casey and Jordan had made their way back to the bar area to see Lyla and a few other people they graduated with from Bayshore. Carter began packing up his guitar when Tommy leaned over his shoulder and said,

"So that must be Mr. Perfect, huh Lond." He chuckled. "Lond he is Godiva and you're a fucking M & M. Don't do it to yourself kid. Just accept it. Be satisfied with what you have with her."

Carter didn't even acknowledge what Tommy said because he knew the truth and because Tommy was right on all points. Carter went about his business. He looked up in Casey's direction and she motioned for him to come and join them. Let the fun begin. Tommy and Jake both shook their heads. Jake noticed his girlfriend Chloe had joined the group at the bar so he made his way down with Carter. Tommy did not follow for fear of the wrath of Lyla. He saw a few people he knew who looked a bit shady but made his way over to them regardless.

Carter began to sweat and his stomach suddenly went into knots. Ulcer maybe? Love...definitely. Jake put his hand on his shoulder and said, " Lond I know this is going to be hard but wouldn't you rather see Casey be happy than not? Give this guy a chance. Maybe all rich guys aren't douches."

Jake calmed Carter's nerves down a bit and he nodded in agreement.

"There you are, Car!" Casey wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him. She rocked his body back and forth in a friendly embrace. She turned back to Jordan who was perched on a bar stool. "Jordan, this is my very best friend in the world Carter." He didn't even give her enough time to finish her sentence when he jumped off the stool and took Carter's hand in his and began to shake it rigorously.

"Carter London, it is such a pleasure to meet you. Casey has of course told me everything there is to know about you."

Carter shook his hand as he mentally proclaimed his desire to take his girl away from him and make her his forever.

"Well, Jordan you say you know everything there is to know about me, but the unfortunate thing is our girl here kept you her dirty little secret for the last six months." Carter looked at Casey disapprovingly and made a tsk-tsk noise. Jordan looked at her confused.

"Jordan, I'm sorry but I wanted to wait till he got home. I wanted to see where this was going." She motioned her hand between her and Jordan. He grinned at her and bent down to place an understanding kiss on her nose. Carter felt his stomach clench at the scene unfolding in front of him.

"He was home when he called me at my house. He was here the whole time he just wanted to surprise me. Wasn't that sweet?"

Carter nodded his head and clenched his fists a few times to calm himself down. Jordan began to speak again.

"I was in California for business about four months ago and I saw you guys and you were unbelievable!" Casey smiled up at him while he spoke.

"Car, he saw you at the Ford Amphitheater in LA. I told him to go to your show when he was out there and he did. How cool is that?"

Carter could do this. He could act. He could pretend that all was right with the world, that Jordan Reid didn't affect him. He wanted to pretend he didn't see the way Casey looked at him adoringly.

"That is very cool man and glad you enjoyed the show." Carter stuck his hand out again to shake Jordan's.

"Look at my two favorite men in the world shaking hands. I'm a lucky girl."

Casey introduced Jordan to Jake and Chloe, and Jordan suggested they move to an area a little less busy, so they could all talk without yelling out their conversations. They strolled over to the cabana area at Beach Bums. They were usually reserved for private parties but there was one that just happened to be available. When they reached it they were all shocked to find the inside illuminated by cream colored candles and white twinkle lights. It gave off an alluring ambiance. The table was large enough to hold at least fifteen to twenty people. In the center of the table was a a tray with a square ice block inside it. It must have stood a foot tall and in the center of the ice were bottles of all kinds of rum, vodka, tequila, long with all types of mixers to accompany the liquor. Garnishes surrounded the ice square. Bob Marley sang out of the private speakers.

"Jordan, did you do all this?" Casey questioned.

"Anything for you, baby." He replied. A waitress approach the party and spoke to Jordan.

"Nice to see you, Mr. Reid. Glad we you could join us this evening. Can I get you and your guests anything from the bar?"

"Would anyone care for anything besides what's here? Beer? Casey I know what you would like already. Katherine, my love here will have a Corona, regular, with two lime wedges, squeezed into the bottle. No glass either please, Katherine. " Beer. Always Casey's beverage of choice. "Carter? Beer?"

"Sure. Thanks." He called her love. He wanted to call her love. He wanted her to be his love.

"Wait. The sign on the front of the cabana says, Reserved for the Reid Family? Do you own this cabana, Jordan? " Lyla asked.

"Yes. Actually my father owns the land Beach Bums is on and he bought this cabana for my brother and I when we graduated college. He wanted to rent it out for private parties. Kind of like an investment."

"Jordan, I had no idea. You never told me that." Casey looked hurt that he didn't tell her. Carter took note that he was keeping secrets already from her. Deduct a point for Mr. Reid. What a shame.

"Baby, you know how I feel about my families money. I'm not one to flaunt their wealth. I hate for people to think I'm like my father. I actually do care what people think and that's what I hate more than anything."

Still Carter knew what Casey's reaction would be. She hated secrets. This would piss her off to no end.

"What I'm most concerned about is how people at your reunion are going to accept me. Unfortunately, my last name is synonymous with money so I am afraid they won't accept me just on my personality alone." He turned to Casey and grabbed both her hands in his and gently ran his thumb across her knuckles.

"And what I worry about most, baby, is that if your friends don't accept me, then how you could deal with that."

Carter smelled the bullshit from Jordan from a mile away. There was no way Casey was going to fall for this. She wasn't one for this sappy crap. She looked up at Jordan with adoring eyes and smiled broadly at him. Lyla looked at Carter and just shook her head, eating up every word after she saw the look of disappointment on his face.

"Oh God, Jordan. If my friends don't accept you for the loving, caring, special man that you are, then they were never my friends in the first place." She grabbed his face with both her hands and placed a feverish kiss on his lips. She slipped her tongue into his mouth and their lips danced continuously as though there were no one else around. Jordan wrapped his strong arms around Casey's waist and she slipped hers around his neck. The make out session continued as the nausea in Carter's stomach began to worsen. If he didn't get up and excuse himself, he was going to throw up all over the sea of lit candles that sat in front of him. He cleared his throat and rose out of his seat. "Guys excuse me for one second. I'm going to the head."

Jordan and Casey broke their lips apart and giggled.

"Sorry, Car. We just haven't seen each other in a few weeks. We got carried away."

"Hey, no sweat. I'll be back in a little. I'm going to look for Tommy as well. I haven't seen him since we got done our set."

Carter walked away feeling defeated. It was total bullshit that Casey fell for that story. Carter mumbled to himself on his way to the bathroom.

"Oh baby, I'm just so nervous, oh baby, wah, what if they don't like me, wah, oh baby, I'm so fucking rich, wah, daddy hates me. Cry me a fucking river. What a pussy." When he was done with his little tyrant, he pushed open the restroom door to see Tommy and two guys he had never seen before snorting a line off the counter near the sinks.

"What the fuck, Tommy!" Carter yelled and leaped in front of Tommy, interrupting his attempt to do another line.

"Yo, Lond! How's it going man?" Tommy said wiping his nose with the back of his hand. Carter grabbed a handful of his shirt and threw him up against one of the walls.

"You dumb mother fucker. You haven't even hit your one year mark and your pulling this shit again? Who are these clowns?" The two men who stood in front of Tommy and Carter were tall and thin. They looked at him with hollowed eyes, dingy clothes, and worn out shoes. Did Tommy even know their names? Carter guessed not.

"Who the fuck are you calling clowns, asshole?"

The one man got into Carter's face. Carter still had a hold of Tommy's shirt. He released it and stood nose to nose with one of the clowns. Carter easily outweighed the guy by 75 pounds of lean muscle. He stood about an inch or two taller than him.

"I'm calling you a clown, fuck nut. I know the owner of this place and if I go out there right now and tell him what you and your little fuck buddy are doing in here, he will most likely get your ass thrown in the slammer for the night, where you are sure to get nice ass pounding from a guy named Diesel. Now, I strongly suggest you haul your ugly ass out of here before I fuck your face up so bad they will only identify you from whatever remaining teeth you still have in your crack head." The clown looked Carter up and down, chuckled and backed away from him.

"OK, man. Relax. Tommy, you know where we are if you want another taste." Carter lunged for the clown but Tommy grabbed him in time before he threw his fist into the guy's face.

"Get the fuck out of here, now!" Carter screamed. The two clowns left and Tommy stood against the wall, shrugged and lit a cigarette. Carter turned to him and pulled it out of his mouth and stomped it on the ground. He grabbed Tommy's shirt again and threw him back against the wall. His blue eyes searing into Tommy's and his ragged breath in his face.

"You listen right here you fuck up. I will not go through this again with you. I will not go through you missing for days, or not eating or sleeping cause of an all-night coke binge, or you missing rehearsals, or me changing your sheets from your bloody noses or you pissing yourself. I sat with you for 4 days straight while you detoxed in Casey's house, throwing up and destroying things in your path. I didn't sleep for all those days so I could keep an eye on your sorry ass. You fuck up this time don't come crying to me. I can only babysit for so long. Your my brother but I need to focus on other things in my life, Lingetti. I've been your babysitter since the 9th grade. I'm fucking over it."

"Christ Lond, it was just one line. Don't have a coronary man."

"I'm ok with the weed Tommy cause I'm guilty of smoking it too, but this?" He motioned to the counter near the sink and the rolled up dollar bill that sat on top of it.

"This here is bullshit. I'm not going to stand by and watch you kill yourself this time. Got me?"

He let go of his shirt and stormed out of the bathroom. He started to make his way back to the cabana area when he saw Jordan and Casey slow dancing on the sandy dance floor. They were wrapped in each others arms and their foreheads were pressed together. Both of their eyes were closed and their bodies swayed slower than the tempo of the music. They looked like they were in love and the sight of made Carter's eyes sting. He needed to walk away. He turned and went to the bar behind the cabana. He needed a distraction.

He ordered a beer and while he was waiting for it a blast from his past came to his side.

"Well hello there, Mr. London? Back in town, I see."

Carter looked to his side and there stood Ashby Evans. Tall, tan, blonde, and built. Her tight white corset top left little to the imagination and her big pouty red lips looked ready to be sucked on. She was Carter's go-to girl when Luminosity was just starting out. She was kind of his groupie without actually being on the road with him. She started following the band back during their senior year and was always there at Carter's beck and call. She was his distraction but that's all she was. A warm body to put Casey out of his mind temporarily. It was just a fix. An itch she could scratch. That was all. A good lay. It was just fucking although Ashby always hoped for more. Carter shot her a sideways grin and turned to face her.

"Hello there, Ashby Evans. Been a long time." He licked his lips seductively.

She stroked her fingers down his muscular arm and moved slightly closer to him. Her voice was deep and breathy.

"Yes, it has been. You look good enough to eat there, rock star." She darted the tip of her tongue out to tease him and it grazed her top lip. "Want to get out of here and go some place where we can catch up?" She reached behind him and cupped his ass. He stared down at her. More focused on her breasts spilling out of her shirt. He looked back up from her chest and gave her a slight smile.