The door flew open and a frantic Abby burst into the room. Brent dropped his queue and ran to comfort her. “Baby, what’s wrong?”
“It’s Casey.”
“What about Casey?” Nick rounded the table and leaned against it.
“She wasn’t in class this morning and when I went up to her room, she wasn’t there. And some of her stuff is gone.”
Nick’s legs gave out from underneath him and he collapsed. “Nick.” Brent ran to Nick’s side. “Are you ok?”
Nick nodded weakly. “I’m just going to go lie down for a bit.” Brent nodded and helped Nick to his feet. He left the room.
Brent watched Nick’s retreating back. “Abby?”
“Yeah?”
“Do you get the impression that Nick loves Casey?”
Abby looked up at Brent in disbelief. “Are you JUST noticing this?”
“I don’t want Casey to hurt him. He’s been through enough. I don’t think he’d be able to handle Casey not loving him.”
“Casey does love him. She’s just in denial.”
Nick reached the top of the stairs and passed Casey’s room on the way to his. He stopped in his tracks and entered her room. He looked around the room, trying to find any evidence of where she could be. There was nothing. He sat on her bed fighting tears. He refused to cry. With a strangled sob he fell back on her bed. That’s where he fell asleep.
*He woke up to a baby crying. With a slight groan, he climbed out of bed and headed to the baby’s room. He changed his little girl and then carried her downstairs. He entered the kitchen and placed the baby in her playpen. He smiled at his wedding band as he put her down.
He walked up to his beautiful wife, wrapped his arms around her pregnant belly and kissed her neck. “Nicky, I’m cooking.”
Nick reached over and shut the stove off. “Not now you aren’t.”
She turned around and playfully pushed him away from her. “We need to eat.”
“But Katie.”
“No buts Nick.” She gave him a small kiss. “If I don’t eat, then neither does your baby.”
Nick gave her a confused look. She looked like Katie, but that last sentence was Casey’s voice. “What?”
“Why are you looking at me like that?” Nick didn’t respond. “Nick?” It was still Casey’s voice. She stepped up to Nick and kissed him. When they pulled back, the left side of her face looked like Katie, while the right side looked like Casey. He screamed. “What is it Nick.” He was still screaming so she came up to kiss him. He opened his eyes in time to see the face in front of him completely disappear and reappear. Now Katie was gone and in her place was a pregnant Casey.
“Ca…Casey?”
“I love you Nicky.”*
Nick woke up in Casey’s room. He looked around while his breathing normalized. The door to Casey’s room opened. Nick sat up hoping that it was Casey. He was completely confused when Katie walked in the door. “Katie?”
“That’s right.”
“I thought you were dead.”
She giggled. “I am dead.”
“Am I dreaming or am I seeing things?”
“You’re not seeing things. I’m here. Although when you think back to this, you’ll remember it as a dream but you are more awake then you realize.”
“I’ve missed you.”
“I know. I’ve missed you too.”
She walked over to the bed and sat down next to him and pulled him into a hug. He gasped. “You…You’re real.”
“For now. I needed to talk to you so that’s why I’m here.”
“Talk to me about what?”
“You moving on.”
Nick looked away. “I’m sorry.”
She turned his face back to hers. “What are you sorry for?”
“Betraying you.”
“Nicky, you wouldn’t be betraying me. I want you to move on. I want you happy. Casey can make you happy.”
“Casey doesn’t want me.”
“Sure she does. She’s just confused. I have to go now.”
“Katie no.”
“I have somewhere else I have to be.”
“Can’t you stay a little longer?”
“I’m sorry Nicky. I’m always with you, even when you can’t see me. Now I need you to do something for me.”
“Anything.”
“Go to my grave.” Nick nodded. She stood up and kissed him. Then she disappeared.
Nick opened his eyes to find himself lying back on the bed as if he just woke from a dream. He could feel Katie’s presence. In his head he heard. “Go to my grave.”
He flew off the bed and down the stairs. He grabbed his keys and headed out the door.
Casey was sitting on the grass in front of the grave crying. She looked up when she heard footsteps approach her. “Casey?”
“Yes. Do I know you?”
“No. But I know you.”
“I don’t understand.”
“I’m Katie Kielson.”
Casey looked at the grave in front of her then back to Katie. Casey was confused. “Am I crazy?”
“No, why do you ask?”
“Because I’m talking to a dead person. And not just any dead person, but one of my best friend’s dead fiancée.”
“I’m here to help you.”
“Help me?”
“Yes. Casey, why did you run away?”
“Because all I’m doing is causing Nick pain.”
“Nick loves you.”
“You don’t see him walking around the house with that lost expression. An expression that I put there.”
“Actually, Casey. I do. But I also see you walking around with the same expression.” Katie sat down on the grass beside Casey. “I will admit that Nick is hurt every time you turn away from him, and I don’t like to see him hurting, but I know that if you stop running from him, you can help heal him. You can heal the pain he felt when he lost me. You can help him get over the pain he felt when he was raped, and you can heal all the pain you caused him by turning away.”
“I can?”
“Of course you can. All you have to do is love him.”
Nick pulled into the cemetery. He killed his engine and ran to Katie’s grave. He stopped when he saw Casey at Katie’s grave. He sent a silent thank you to Katie. He approached the grave slowly noticing that Casey was talking. He got close enough to hear what she was saying without her knowing that he was behind her.
“Help me?...Because all I’m doing is causing Nick pain.…You don’t see him walking around the house with that lost expression. An expression that I put there….I can?...I’m sorry I hurt Nick. From now on I will take good care of him…Because I love him…” She heard sniffling behind her and she turned abruptly. She stood up and brushed the grass off of her pants. She ran up to Nick and pulled him into a tight hug. “I’m so sorry Nicky.” She was babbling so Nick silenced her the only way he knew how. He kissed her.
It started as a gentle kiss but it grew more passionate as they slowly and silently revealed their feelings for each other, neither of them needing words, just the soft yet passionate touch of the other. When they pulled away, they were both breathless and any on looker could see the love shining from their eyes.
When Nick finally found his voice he said, “I love you too.” They left the cemetery hand in hand, not noticing the person watching them from the bushes.
In the car Casey was leaning up against Nick while he drove with one hand. His other arm was wrapped around Casey. Nick pulled into his driveway. He gave Casey a small kiss before they got out of the car.
They walked in the house together. As soon as the door opened Brent was there. “Nick, where did you go? Are you ok?”
Casey stepped up from behind Nick. “Brent back off.”
“Excuse me for caring about my best friend.”
“Caring is one thing Brent. You are smothering him.”
“Yeah, I know. I’m smothering him, I don’t let him breathe.” Brent said sarcastically. “Abby already gave me the whole spiel.”
“Well apparently it didn’t stick, because you are still doing it.”
“I just don’t want him to hurt himself.”
“Well then BACK OFF.”
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me. I said back off. If he does hurt himself it will be because of your constant hovering.”
“Who are you to tell me how to treat my best friend?”
“I’m not telling you how to treat your best friend. I’m just telling you to let him breathe. You can’t fight all his battles for him.”
“He’s weak. He can’t do it.”
“Ok, that’s enough.”
Casey and Brent turned to Nick. “Nick?”
“You obviously don’t know me as well as you think.”
“Don’t be ridiculous Nick.”
“If I was as weak as you are making me out to be, I would’ve been long dead by now…”
“That’s not true Nick.”
“Brent will you shut up and listen for a minute. God, why are you making everything about you?”
“Nick, I…”
“I said shut up.” Nick’s outburst shocked the room into silence. “You’re my best friend, not my goddamn father. If I’m having a bad day that doesn’t mean I’m going to slit my wrist the first second I get. Lighten up. I don’t need you smothering me. With a best friend like you, who needs parents?”
“Nick.”
Nick gave Brent a stern look and Brent shut up. “You’re so obsessed with me that you don’t even notice your girlfriend.”
“I’m not obsessed with you Nick.”
“Bullshit.”
“I care, I didn’t know that was such a crime.”
“It’s not a crime, but your caring has turned to obsession. I could have a headache and then you start looking at me like I’m going to OD on pills and you completely ignore Abby. If I didn’t know any better I would think you were gay, because you sure do act like you have a crush on me.”
The room fell silent. Abby looked at Brent. “You, know, he has a point. Call me when you figured out where your true feelings lie. Until then, don’t consider me your girlfriend.” Abby went to leave the room. Casey went to follow her. “No, stay here. Nick will need you more.” She said so only Casey could hear. Casey nodded and stayed in the room while Abby left.
Nick turned back to Brent. “I want you out of this house.”
“Nick, you don’t mean that.”
“I wouldn’t have said it if I didn’t. Until you can learn to treat me and the girls with the respect we deserve, you are not welcome to live here.”
“Well, where the hell am I supposed to live then?”
“That’s not my problem, now get out of my house.”
“Nick.”
“NOW.” Brent looked at Nick one final time before going upstairs to pack his stuff.
About an hour later, Brent came downstairs. He saw Nick lying on the couch with his eyes closed. Casey was lying with him talking quietly. “Nick.”
“Get out.”
Brent looked at Nick one last time and headed out the door closing it softly behind him.
Once the door closed, Casey looked Nick in the eyes. “Are you ok?”
“I guess. I’m going to go upstairs and rest for a bit. Come with me?”
She smiled then got off the couch. They walked upstairs together and entered Nick’s room, where Nick fell asleep almost immediately.
Meanwhile
He entered the apartment. “Where are they?”
“Where are who Jim?”
“Lindsay and Abby. They were supposed to still be living here.”
“They moved out when we wanted the apartment.”
“I wanted them to still be living here.” He lifted up his gun and shot the guy who didn’t obey his wishes. “I will get her. And I will do it without you.”
There was a knock on the door. Jim opened the door in anger. “What do you want?”
“I can help you.” Jamie said.
