New Beginnings (41 page)

“What the hell is that supposed to mean? I walked in there and saw them in bed together. How could I have misunderstood that?”

“If that’s the way you feel, there’s no point going after her, is there?”

Not going after her wasn’t an option. He loved her. But he didn’t know if he could ever forget what happened between Cassidy and Lee. The love hadn’t died that night, but the trust certainly had. He just hoped they could rebuild that in time.

Cassidy was physically and emotionally exhausted and she’d only been sitting by her mother’s bedside since yesterday. The stroke had impacted Elizabeth’s speech. She didn’t have full use of her limbs yet, but the doctor suggested that may come with time and patience. So much remained a mystery.

Elizabeth opened her eyes and looked at her daughter. “Still… here?” she whispered.

Cassidy couldn’t help but remember her own hospital stay not so long ago. She’d never even thought to call her mother. Having her there would have likely hindered her recovery.

Taking a deep breath, Cassidy gave herself a pep talk about staying positive, for her sake and her mother’s. “I told you I wasn’t going anywhere,” she said, repositioning the blanket. “I’ll stay as long as you need me to.”

“You…” She hesitated, as though it required great effort to get the words out. “Have life.”

“To tell you the truth, my career wasn’t really going anywhere. I tried to make it work in Nashville, but—” She shrugged. She’d never told her mother about her relationship with Drake. Not even when they were engaged. She was afraid she would show up on their doorstep looking for a handout if she found out her daughter was marrying a wealthy man.

“Can’t… afford…get…sick.”

Cassidy didn’t even want to think about how they were going to pay for her mother’s hospital stay. If she required constant care, which she would, at least in the beginning, that would limit Cassidy’s job prospects. Maybe she could sell her songs…

“Let me worry about that, Mama.”

“Don’t… deserve… you.”

Tears sprang to Cassidy’s eyes. Her mother had never once told her she appreciated her or was proud of her talent or accomplishments.

When Cassidy told her she was going to Nashville to realize her dream of becoming a singer, her mother told her to bring a box of condoms because the only way she’d get a record deal is if she slept with the right person. Of course, she’d been drunk at the time and bitter because the boyfriend she’d been expecting a proposal from left her for a younger woman.

“I’m your daughter,” Cassidy said, patting her cold hand. “Where else would I be?”

“I… deserve… to be… alone.”

“Don’t say that,” she said, feeling the heaviness of regret filling the room. They’d both made so many mistakes, but if she could change, maybe her mother could too. “Everyone deserves to have someone they can count on.”

“I’m a… bad… mother,” she whispered as a tear slid down her wrinkled cheek. “Sorry.”

The years of drinking and smoking had taken their toll on Elizabeth’s body. Chronologically, she was only fifty-six, but she looked much older.

“You did the best you could,” Cassidy said, fighting back her own tears. She never expected her mother to express remorse for her actions. Perhaps her brush with death had given her a new perspective.

“Thank… you.”

Cassidy leaned over to brush her lips against her mother’s forehead. “You get some rest. I’m just going to go down to the cafeteria to get another cup of coffee. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

Her eyes were closed, her breathing shallow, before Cassidy even reached the door. There was no doubt about it, her mother’s recovery was going to be long and taxing on both of them.

Stepping out into the hall, Cassidy glanced at the reception desk. She gasped when she saw the profile of the man and woman speaking to the nurse. It couldn’t be. Paralyzed by a myriad of emotions, disbelief, anger, and fear, she waited for them to turn around and spot her.

Katie was the first one to notice her. “Sis,” she said, taking a step toward her, arms outstretched. “I came as soon as I heard what happened to Mama.”

Cassidy stared at her, unable to believe she had the audacity to pretend the last night they’d seen each other Katie hadn’t been plotting to ruin her life. Holding her hand up, she said, “Stay right there.” Glaring at the man falling in to step behind her sister, she asked, “What the hell are you doing here, Lee?”

Even though they were identical twins, there was no way she could mistake Lee for his brother a second time. The differences were subtle, but recognizable when she wasn’t under the influence of that poison. Lee was leaner, paler, the lines around his eyes more pronounced. His hair was shaggier, as though it was in need of a trim. His clothes were tired and worn. In the bright light of day, he and his brother were as different as two men could be.

“I came because I knew my
wife
would need me.”

Cassidy tried to contain her shock as she saw the tell-tale gold wedding band on her sister’s left hand. “You two? When? I mean… how?” As far as Cassidy knew, her sister and Drake’s brother despised each other.

Katie pointed to a small room behind Cassidy. “That says family lounge. Do you think they’d mind if we used it for a minute? I’d rather discuss this in private.”

“I’ll ask the nurse,” Lee said, walking back to the reception desk.

“How could you marry that man after what he did to me?” Cassidy asked, shocked that her sister’s betrayal ran even deeper than she suspected.

Katie took a step closer, as though she was moving slowly trying to gauge her sister’s reaction. “Look, we were all in a bad place that night…”

Cassidy was too stunned to respond. She’d been in a bad place because of what her own sister had done to her. How could Katie make it sound as though they shared the blame for what happened that night? Before she could call her out on her abhorrent behavior, she saw Drake step off the elevator.

“Oh my God,” Cassidy whispered, gripping the door handle behind her when she feared her legs may give out.

“Shit,” Katie whispered when Drake spotted her husband.

Cassidy felt like she was having an out-of-body experience as she watched the man she loved close in on his nemesis… a man who would look like his mirror image to a bystander. She wanted to step in between them, but her feet were rooted to the ground. Thankfully, Katie didn’t seem to have the same problem.

“Drake, don’t,” Katie said, rushing to Lee’s defence. “Violence isn’t going to change what happened.”

The nurse sitting behind the desk seemed alarmed and confused with one eye on the two men and the other on the security call button.

As though he’d just spotted her, Drake closed the distance between them, reaching out for Cassidy. “Are you okay, baby?”

Weak with relief that he was here and would give her the strength to face the demonic duo, she sagged against him. “I am now that you’re here.”

“The question is, what the hell are they doing here?” Drake asked.

“I don’t know,” she said, trying to draw enough air into her lungs. “They just got here.”

“You want me to get rid of them?” he asked, framing her face with his hands.

“I guess she has a right to be here. So does Lee, since he’s her husband.”

“Her what?” Drake shouted, turning to look at his brother.

“Sssh,” Cassidy said, reaching for his hand. “Not here.”

“Cassidy’s right,” Lee said, stepping forward. “The nurse said we could use the lounge. Why don’t we talk in there?”

“I don’t trust myself to be in the same room with you,” Drake growled.

Cassidy grabbed Drake’s arm. “Please, sweetheart, we need to hear them out.” Cassidy didn’t know why Katie and Lee felt compelled to come, but one thing was a given. The truth had to come out. If Drake cared about her enough to put his whole life on hold to be there to support her through a difficult time, he deserved to know the truth about what happened that night.

“Fine,” Drake said, between clenched teeth. Glaring at Lee, he said, “But I sure as hell hope you have health insurance ’cause you’re gonna need it.”

Reaching for his hand, Cassidy led him into the small, sterile lounge area. She waited for her sister and Lee to enter before closing the door behind them. “Why are you here, Katie?”

“Isn’t it obvious? I came as soon as I heard about Mama.”

Drake put his arm around Cassidy’s waist, pulling her close. “You tryin’ to tell us you’re clean now?”

Katie reached into her purse and withdrew a chip. “I have been for a whole year, Drake. We both have. After what we did to Cassidy…” She winced, as though she could barely stand to recall her actions.

“What the hell are you talking about?” Drake demanded. “If you’re feeling guilty about bringing that shit in to our home, you should.”

Cassidy knew this was the moment of truth. Drake could go ballistic, blaming her for lying to protect him and blaming both her sister and his brother for taking advantage of his fiancée’s vulnerability.

Katie looked at her sister. “You didn’t tell him what happened… what we did?”

Lee sank down in a chair at the round table. Dropping his head into his hands, he muttered, “Shit, this is gonna be bad.”

“What did you do?” Drake braced his fists on the table and leaned forward. Getting in Lee’s face, he said, “Be a real man for once in your miserable goddamn life, Lee. I want you to tell me what happened.”

Lee drew a shaky breath before steadying his hands on the table and looking his brother in the eye. “I just want you to know I was in a real bad place then, man. The drugs had a death grip on me. I wasn’t thinking straight.”

Drake leaned in closer. “Quit making excuses, asshole.”

Cassidy placed her hand on Drake’s back, hoping a reminder of her presence would help calm him down.

“You know I was pissed when you cut me off.” He held his hands up when Drake clenched his fists, looking ready to take the first swing. “Not that you didn’t have the right to. I get that now.”

“Go on,” Drake said, a muscle in his jaw twitching with the effort to restrain himself.

Cassidy held her breath, knowing the worst was still to come.

“Me and Katie hatched this plan, to… uh, stop by when you weren’t home and lift a few things. We were out of money and we needed a fix. I know it was a really shitty thing to do, but we were desperate. It was the disease…”

“Shut up! I’m sick of your excuses,” Drake snarled. “You make me sick.” He looked at Katie. “You were in cahoots with this loser all along? So the plan was to rip me and your sister off, huh? It didn’t matter to you that she sunk every dime she made in to that goddamn rehab facility so you could get clean and have a chance at a better life?”

“I hated myself for what I did,” Katie said, a tear slipping down her cheek. “As soon as I put that stuff in her drink, I wanted to take it back, but it was too late. She’d already drank it and—”

“Hold on just a minute,” Drake said, raising his hand. “You wanna run that past me again?” When everyone in the room remained silent, Drake turned to Cassidy for confirmation. “Is what she’s saying true? You didn’t take that shit voluntarily?”

Cassidy didn’t want him to feel guilty or let her off the hook for her part in this. She had been stupid enough to let her sister into their home that night, which set the whole thing in motion. “I’m so sorry, Drake. I—”

He held his hand up to silence her before turning his attention back to his brother. “I want to know how the hell you ended up in bed with my fiancée, and I want every last detail.”

Looking like he’d rather be anywhere else, Lee began squirming in his seat. “When Cassidy was down for the count, Katie helped her in to bed.” He looked up at his wife.

“That’s when I took the jewelry out of her jewelry box and a few other things that looked valuable,” Katie said quietly, refusing to look Drake in the eye.

“You took that stuff?” Drake muttered a curse. “I assumed Cassidy took it when she left.” Scraping his hands over his face, he said, “Go on. I need to hear the rest.”

“When Katie met me in the lobby,” Lee said, clearing his throat, “I told her about your wall safe. I was there one day when you opened it and was pretty sure I remembered the combination. I headed up and told Katie not to wait around for me.” He cast a glance at Cassidy. “I thought sleeping with Cassidy would be the best way to get back at you.”

“You sick bastard,” Drake shouted, lunging across the table. He grabbed the front of Lee’s shirt. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t kill you right now.”

Lee looked Cassidy in the eye. “’Cause I can give you back something you lost that night.”

“I don’t give a shit about any of the stuff you took that night,” Drake said, letting go of Lee’s shirt with enough force to cause his chair to wobble.

“That’s not what I’m talking about. I meant I can give you back the trust you lost that night.”

“How the hell are you gonna do that?”

Lee glanced at Cassidy. “I’m so sorry for what I did to you that night. I hate myself for it.”

Cassidy didn’t know how to respond. If he was expecting absolution, he would be waiting a long time.

Drake stood up and reached for Cassidy’s hand. “What you did to her? What the hell does that mean?”

Lee released a shuddering breath and Katie set her hand on his shoulder. “She didn’t know it was me,” he said, covering his wife’s hand with his own. “She was out of it and called out your name when we were… uh…”

The color drained from Drake’s face and he reached for the back of the chair in front of him, gripping it until his knuckles turned white. “Wait a minute, are you telling me you raped her? ’Cause if you are, the only way you’re leaving this room is in a body bag.”

Lee met his brother’s eye. The fear was evident in spite of the fact he was trying to act brave. “It wasn’t like that. I got into bed and she reached for me. At first, I didn’t realize she thought I was you. Hell, I didn’t even think it would matter to her at that point. But then she started saying all this shit about how much she loved you and how she never meant to take that stuff. She was sorry, she’d never trust Katie again…”