Broken (3 page)

One day Nicco gently suggested she call every other week. A little hurt, she’d agreed. After all, Nicco had his own life and hadn’t asked to be put into the middle of her and Max’s romance. And there was Phillip, who had become paranoid, demanding to see her phone and checking her text messages as though
she
were the one who couldn’t be trusted.

By the third month, Nicco was acting distant on the occasions when he bothered to answer her call. When she’d finally confronted him about his attitude, Nicco admitted Max had decided that with distance had come the realization his and Cassidy’s relationship had been a mistake. One caused by shared heartbreak. Nicco hadn’t known how to break the news to her, knowing it would devastate her. He’d said Max sincerely wished her the best life had to offer and hoped she would find happiness, but it was time for him to move on.

Given Max’s mother and sisters’ negative opinion of her, she hadn’t believed Nicco. She’d broken the terms of her and Phillip’s contract and called Max directly only to find his cell phone disconnected. Cassidy had gone to his home only to find it empty. From Phillip, she knew Max no longer worked at the law firm. Nicco was telling the truth. The proof was before her.

It destroyed Cassidy, the pain worse than discovering her husband had been unfaithful. It was her greatest fear realized. Deep in her heart she’d been afraid she was Max’s rebound relationship while his heart healed from Amber. Because of those fears, she’d promised him if at any time during their separation he realized he’d made a mistake, she’d let him go and wouldn’t harbor any hard feelings.

At that point, she’d almost given up and given in to Phillip’s pressure to repair their marriage and stay with him. What did it matter? What did anything matter now that she no longer had Max in her life?

Thank God for her best friend Erika. She’d given Cassidy the kick in the butt she needed. Erika reminded her of the very valid reasons for which she’d filed for divorce. The courts may have dismissed her case, but that didn’t mean Cassidy could throw in the towel. With Erika’s help, Cassidy had found the strength she needed to stay on course with her plan, even though Max was no longer a vital component of it.

 She’d continued to keep her end of the bargain—weekly marriage counseling sessions, no Max, and bi-weekly dates with Phillip so they’d have “couple” time together. Phillip seemed to be keeping his end—no porn, no other women, individual counseling to deal with his porn addiction in addition to the couples’ counseling sessions they attended together. However, Phillip still didn’t seem any closer to acknowledging their marriage was over.

Suddenly it didn’t matter what Phillip believed because he was dead.

Cassidy exhaled deeply and massaged her throbbing leg before starting the engine. Her mother-in-law, Nell, would complain she was home too early. Nell had badgered her into, as she’d put it, “going out and living a little.” Her mother-in-law, like her parents, was concerned the accident and the lengthy recovery had changed her.

Yes, she’d changed, Cassidy admitted to herself. However, the accident that had killed her husband and almost taken her life was only partially responsible. She’d learned, as she sat there, pinned in the vehicle while Phillip bled out in her arms, what truly mattered in life. Despite her training and medical degrees, she hadn’t been able to save Phillip, for whom she’d discovered she still felt tendrils of love. However, she had hung on long enough for her daughter Zoe to have a fighting chance.

Zoe was why she hadn’t given up and let death take her, despite coding twice on the operating table. It’s because of Zoe that Cassidy walked with a limp when the doctors feared she’d never walk again. Her sweet, precious Zoe was her reason for being.

Thoughts of her daughter calmed her. Max was in the past. He’d made his choice and Cassidy wished him well. She had Zoe, her family, Nell, Erika, Dave, and their daughter Macey to love and support her. She was alive. Tonight, it was enough.

Philadelphia was a large metropolitan area. Odds were she wouldn’t see Max or his wife again, but if by chance she did, she’d be better prepared.

Max jerked awake, a cold sweat bathing his body. The echo of Cassidy screaming his name lingered in the still air. “Shit!”

He rubbed the remnants of the nightmare from his face. And to think, he’d thought the other dream was bad. Dreams of holding Cassidy and making love to her only to wake up empty armed, the feel and scent of her still strong in his mind.

Max scooted to the edge of the bed and sat there a minute, giving his system a chance to stabilize. His heart pounded and his breath came in jerky gasps.

“
When she needed you, you weren’t here.
”

Apparently, Erika’s words had made more of an impact than he’d believed. Or maybe it was the graphic pictures of the crushed vehicle he’d viewed. It was a wonder anyone survived.

Hurt and bitter as he was at Cassidy’s betrayal, he hadn’t wanted her dead. While he didn’t agree with her decision to remain with Phillip, in a way he could
almost
understand it. However, understanding didn’t change his resentment. He’d warned Cassidy if she changed her mind and decided to stay with her husband, he wouldn’t empathize, and he wouldn’t forgive.

So why the hell was he still so consumed with thoughts of her? She’d made her choice. At first he hadn’t believed she’d chosen Phillip over him. She’d been so adamant about wanting a divorce; so impatient to be free. When the year they’d agreed upon had passed with no word from her, he’d gone hunting.

She’d left her apartment and the manager wouldn’t provide any information. A property search showed only the home she shared with Phillip. Her phone was out of service, and there was no divorce filed on record. Added up, he’d come to the obvious conclusion—she’d changed her mind about the divorce.

In the month after they’d first separated, he’d worried over the infrequency of her messages. Then they’d ceased altogether. Nicco had explained she was worried about Phillip discovering their duplicity and wouldn’t be calling anymore until they could safely be together.

Phillip had known about their affair and terms of the bargain she’d made was no contact with him. Max hadn’t liked it, but there wasn’t much he could do. Besides, he’d understood her caution. The consequence for breaking her side of their agreement was a nasty divorce, including a custody battle for their unborn child neither Cassidy nor her lawyer was sure she could win.

As a lawyer, Phillip had the knowledge and the tenacity to make things as difficulty for Cassidy as possible and had already shown a willingness to do so. In fact, Phillip had threatened her with the actions he’d take if she proceeded with the divorce.

Cassidy had to have known he would never stand by and allow Phillip to take her child. He would have used all the funds at his disposal to hire a team of lawyers to make mincemeat of the other man and enjoyed doing so. He’d suggested as much to her, but Cassidy was independent minded. She’d wanted to handle everything herself.

In fact, Cassidy had been so determined to keep Max out of the middle of her divorce, it became a source of conflict between them. He’d wanted to know what was going on and she’d only given him the bare minimum, especially once it had been determined Phillip was indeed the father. Max hadn’t known about the threats Phillip had been making until the end when the courts had dismissed her case and Cassidy had fallen apart at the news. She’d gone to confront Phillip—alone—in the house she’d once shared with her husband. That meeting had caused all the jealous insecurity he’d been suppressing to explode.

When the dust had finally settled, Max and Cassidy had a long talk, and it had all come out. He feared Phillip would convince her to give her marriage another chance, as she had the last time he’d cheated. Her concerns were that Max was unconsciously using her to get over Amber, his ex whom he barely thought about, even then, despite living with her for two years before she’d shown her true colors. What it all boiled down to was neither had been sure of the other.

Part of it was how fast the relationship had developed. They hadn’t had time to go through all the stages of testing each other out before falling in love. One minute they were acquaintances tied together by their bond with Phillip. The next they were lovers and he was thinking marriage, babies, and happily ever after with the woman of his dreams. Still, he’d gone along with her plan, despite his misgivings. Reservations ultimately proved justified for him to have.

He rose and slid on jeans. After buttoning the fly, he left the room to roam the condo. No way he was getting any more sleep. In the living room, he tugged a chair over to the window, opened the blinds, and sat looking out at the night. He thought briefly about the bourbon in his room but reminded himself he was cutting back on the booze.

Cassidy is free
.

The insidious thought crept into his consciousness. Max scowled. Did he want a woman who’d chosen her unfaithful, porn-addicted husband over him?

Phillip, the only real obstacle standing between you and Cassidy, is dead
.

Max slowly lowered his feet, which were propped on the window sill, to the floor. He could have Cassidy, if she’d have him, and why wouldn’t she? Even though she’d dumped him, Cassidy had loved him once and the sexual chemistry between them had been volatile.

Maybe he should track her down. Test the waters.

The part of him who’d already been devastatingly rejected by this woman once, protested. What if she told him to get lost? What if she said their relationship had been a mistake?

What did he have to lose, his more practical side asked? His pride, self-respect? Some comfort they’d been to him this last two years, it sneered.

But still he hesitated, weighing the pros and cons. Cassidy had admired and respected the man he’d been, but what about the man he’d become during their separation? Would she give this incarnation of him a second glance?

He needed a plan. He couldn’t just walk up to her and say, “Hey, now that your husband’s dead, how ’bout giving me another shot?” Cassidy would slam the door in his face.