Finding Forgiveness: Second Chance Romance/Enemies to Lovers, page 19
“Is what she saying true?”
“I’m afraid so, sir.”
He falls silent for a moment before saying, “I can’t believe Amanda would do something so despicable and heartless … to her own daughter no less.”
“It’s all true,” I state with conviction because I know the real Cassandra, the person she is deep down, and I believe every word she wrote in that letter. That sweet and vulnerable girl would do anything her parents asked of her because she was so desperate for their love. Her mother took advantage of that in the worst possible way. “I probably should warn you; I won’t be letting this slide. I’m coming after her with the full force of the law for what she’s done.”
Cassie draws back and looks up at me with wide eyes. The shock on her face is evident. This isn’t how I planned on broaching the subject with her, but I can’t let this go. I will seek retribution for both Cassandra and our child. I won’t rest until that evil woman is behind bars where she belongs.
He clears his throat. “You’ll have my full co-operation.”
“Thank you.” I hope Cassie is on board too because I can’t let this go.
“I need some time to digest this,” he confesses. “Can you please tell my daughter that I love her and I’ll be in touch?”
“I will.”
“For what it’s worth, Connor, I’m sorry. I’m sorry for the both of you. I knew my wife had control issues, but this …”
Once the call has ended, I drop the phone on the bed and slide my hands under Cassie’s arms, lifting her to her feet, where I wrap her up tightly. “I hope you can understand why I need to do this, Cass.”
“I hate her for what she’s done, Con, but I’m scared … so scared. That woman terrifies me.”
I draw back and cup her pretty face in my hands. “You’re safe now … I’ll never let her hurt you again. I promise.”
I’ll move heaven and earth to see that happen.
Chapter 23
Cassie
I’ve had two more calls from my father today, the first being early this morning. Once the initial shock of my conversation with him last night wore off, the anger set in. He’s even gone as far as asking my mother for a divorce and moving himself out of the house. My family has a second residence in Canberra, where he stays when he’s doing his parliamentary duties, which is often, but Melbourne is still the place he’s always called home.
Both my dad and Connor have been constantly reassuring me that things will be okay, but I’m still sick with worry, to the point it’s almost crippling me. My mother’s world is crumbling and there is no way she’s going to just sit back and let it happen. These two don’t know the real side of Amanda Lewis like I do. Her reputation and the perception others have of her mean everything.
“You’re shaking,” Connor says when he re-enters the bedroom after showering.
“I have a sick feeling inside.”
“Princess,” he says, coming to sit beside me. When he slides his arm around my waist and leans in to place a soft kiss on my hair, I feel a smidge better. Having him here has been amazing, but he’s returning to Sydney today, and I’m not sure how I’m going to cope once he’s gone. “I wish you’d reconsider coming with me. I don’t like the idea of you being here on your own. Besides, I’ll miss you.”
I glance over at him and smile. “I’m going to miss you too.” Tears are burning the back of my eyes, but I’m trying hard to keep it together. I’ll let it all out once he’s gone.
“I know physically you’re safe here—if you disregard all the wild animals that lurk around at night—it’s your mental state that concerns me. You need to be around people who care for you, Cass. You have Martha, but she’s at work most days.”
My heart was set on this journey of discovery, and I was determined to see it through to the end, but he’s right. I can always revisit it when the storm settles. I need to be around Connor and Jacinta … the people that really matter to me.
“Okay.”
“Okay, what?”
“I’ll come back with you.”
“You will?”
“Yes.”
After a tearful goodbye to my sweet baby piglets and their parents—whom I’ve become completely attached to—Delilah, Dingbat, and Martha, I climb into the passenger seat of Connor’s vehicle. He didn’t want me driving home on my own, so we’re leaving the Mercedes here. It’s been moved into one of the big sheds, out of the weather, until I return for it.
Connor has promised he’ll fly back with me so I can pick it up soon. It’s going to suck being without a car, but at least I know I’ll be returning to Mudgee. This farm will always hold a special place in my heart. It came along when I needed it most, and I’ll never forget my time here, or Martha.
Speaking of Martha, she bends down, poking her head through the passenger side window. “Drive carefully.”
“We will,” Connor assures her. “And thank you again for your hospitality … and for looking after my girl.”
As heartbroken as I feel about leaving here, I bow my face in an attempt to hide the joy those two words bring. My girl.
I reach for Martha’s hand, wrapping it in mine. “Thank you for everything. I’m going to miss you.”
When my eyes well with tears, she straightens and sniffles. “These damn allergies get me every time,” she mumbles.
This time, I don’t try to hide my smile, because this tough old broad is getting emotional and she’s trying to blame it on the pollen. “It’s spring … it’s to be expected,” I say, taking pity on her. She’s been through a lot, but she soldiers on regardless. I admire her for that. It can’t be easy working every day and running this place all on her own, especially at her age. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“Make sure you do. In the meantime, I’m going to be driving around town with the roof down in your flashy sports car.”
“Please do,” I say, rummaging around in my handbag for the keys.
She pushes my hand away when I try to pass them to her. “I was kidding.”
“Take them, please. Just in case the Effie doesn’t start.” That’s her nickname for the F100. I’ve had to give her a jumpstart a couple of times, so it’s a possibility. Can you believe I even did that? Who am I?
“Okay.” She leans back through the window and places a chaste kiss on my cheek. “I’m going to miss having you around, Cassie. You’ve brightened a little old lady’s world. Don’t ever lose your sparkle, you hear.”
Why couldn’t I have been born to the fruit of her loins? Instead, I got the polar opposite … Lucifer. “You’ve brightened mine too,” I say, choking on my words, because it’s the truth. My short stay here has done more for me than she’ll ever know.
Our four-hour trip home seems to go pretty fast. We talked a little here and there, and went through long bouts of silence, but it never felt awkward. Connor held my hand the entire way, which was sweet of him.
I’m not sure where we’re going from here. Are we even a couple? It would feel weird to straight out ask him that question, so I’ll go with the flow until I know otherwise.
Connor pulls into his spot in the underground car park of our building, and after turning off the engine, he looks over at me and smiles. “Are you okay?” he asks, pulling our conjoined hands up to his mouth and placing a soft kiss on my knuckles.
“Yeah.” I never planned on staying away indefinitely, but I didn’t expect to be back here so soon.
He unbuckles his belt and exits the car before rounding the front of the vehicle to open my door. He extends his hand and I take it. “It’s nice to have you back,” he says, collecting both our suitcases from the boot.
“It’s nice to be back,” I reply, but for some reason, the words taste bitter in my mouth.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy to be here with him, but I’m wary about thrusting myself back into the real world so soon. I wasn’t left with much of a choice, because I couldn’t willingly stay in Mudgee considering the shit is about to hit the fan. I’m safer here, and I can’t expect Connor to take this all on by himself. That wouldn’t be fair. It’s something we need to do together. My mother’s poor decisions have impacted us both.
Like the gentleman he is, he rolls our suitcases across the smooth, polished concrete towards the lifts. It’s quiet down here so the small heels on my cowboy boots echo loudly in the enclosed space with each step I take.
Neither of us speak as we travel up to our floor. I think we’re both emotionally drained. Personally, I could do with a long hot shower and a lie down.
I stand back while Connor opens the door and the last thing either of us expects to see is a house full of people. Jim, Grace, Jacinta, Mason, and Blake … the whole family is here. In our apartment.
The moment we step over the threshold, we are inundated. Grace is the first to approach me. As soon as she wraps me in her arms, she starts to weep. “My sweet, sweet girl. I’m so sorry.”
At first, I’m confused, wondering what’s happened, but when Jacinta squishes in between us, and says, “You should’ve talked to me, Cass. You’re like my sister … I love you; I would’ve been here for you. I can’t believe you suffered for all these years in silence.”
And then it hits me. The letter. These beautiful, loving people are banding together in solidarity for me and Connor. This is why I love the Maloneys, and the reason I’ve always yearned to be one of them … part of this strong bond and unity. All for one and one for all. I didn’t know families like this existed until I became friends with Jacinta.
I thought my dysfunctional family was the norm. My mother was always controlling and would not relent until she got her way, even with my dad. I’m sure she’s the reason he stayed away as much as he did. I rarely got to see her maternal side. She always made me feel like more of a hindrance than a blessing. There were no family dinners where we’d sit around the dining table and discuss our day, no board game nights, or movie marathons. Deep down I know my father loves me, but he was absent so often, and for such long periods, we never got to form the kind of connection this family shares.
When the girls finally release me, Jim moves in to cocoon me in his big strong arms before placing a soft kiss on the top of my head. “We’ll get through this together, Cass … as a family.”
Those words have tears stinging the back of my eyes. As a family.
Coming home to a house full of people and having to relive all the horrors of those few days, while Connor and his father took extensive notes and formalised a game plan—as Jacinta and her mother cooked up a storm for us in the kitchen—may have not been what I wanted, but it turned out to be exactly what I needed.
I had reservations about coming home so soon, but as I sit here at the dining table surrounded by people I love, and who clearly love me back, I realise I don’t need to go it alone anymore. I’ve had many meals with these people over the years but there’s something about this one that starts to choke me up inside.
Pushing back my chair, I suddenly stand. “Excuse me,” I say, my voice cracking as I speak.
I quickly turn to leave the room, and as I do, I see Connor begin to rise. “I’ve got this,” Jacinta murmurs, suddenly hot on my heels. As I enter the bathroom, she pushes her way in, closing and locking the door behind us. “Cass.”
I swipe my hand under my eyes, trying to hide my tears. “I’m okay.”
“No, you’re not,” she says, wrapping her arms around me from behind and resting her cheek on my back.
“They are happy tears, Jaz. I’m just a little overwhelmed. I love your family so much.”
“And we love you.” I turn to face her and see her own eyes glistening. “I wish you would’ve told me what was going on back then … I could’ve been there.”
“I couldn’t tell you.”
“I would’ve kept your secret.”
“I know you would’ve, but I couldn’t do that to you. I couldn’t put something so heavy on your tiny little shoulders.”
“Hey,” she growls as her eyes narrow. “My shoulders aren’t that tiny.”
A smile tugs at my lips as I turn her in my arms to face the mirror. “They’re itty-bitty, Jaz, we both know it.”
“Oh, God,” she groans.
“How am I going to carry Mason’s giant-arse baby around inside me for nine months?”
“I’d be more concerned about popping out that giant baby if I was you.”
She sighs. “My vagina’s going to be ruined, isn’t it? What was I thinking getting engaged to—”
“An enormous hunk of man meat,” I say, finishing her sentence for her. “You love him, that’s why. You two are perfect together … and yes, your poor lady bits are going to get mutilated, but it will be worth it. We can always find a good plastic surgeon to piece you back together.”
“They do vagina reconstructions?”
I lift one shoulder because I have no clue, but I don’t see why they couldn’t. “So, you took the test?”
“Not yet, I bought one though.” She bends, opening the doors below the basin and reaching into the back of the cupboard. “I hid it at your apartment so Mason didn’t find it.”
As soon as she straightens, I snatch the box out of her hand. “We have to do it now.”
“My entire family is sitting out there.”
Ignoring her, I rip the box open and start laying the contents out on the countertop. I hand her the stick. “Pee on this.”
“Right now? In front of you?”
I roll my eyes. “How many times have we shared a bathroom stall when we’ve been out clubbing?”
“We were drunk … it doesn’t count.”
“Just do it, biatch. I’ll keep my back turned if it makes you feel more comfortable.”
“It would.”
“Although, it may be my last chance to see your vag intact before it resembles mincemeat.”
I giggle when she extends her leg from where she’s sitting on the toilet and kicks my calf.
“For that comment, I’m banning you from the hospital when I go into labour.”
“Your loss,” I say unaffected by her threat, because I know that will never happen. “I could’ve assisted the doctor since I’m an expert on birthing now.”
“You do realise I’ll be popping out a giant human and not a piglet, right?”
“Same, same,” I say with a flick of my hand.
“Okay, I’m done. What do we do now?”
“We wait.”
After Jacinta washes her hands, we both take a seat on the edge of the bathtub. I reach for her and she laces our fingers together. The thumb on my free hand is in my mouth as I nervously chew on my nail. I get a flashback of myself doing exactly this six years ago. The one big difference being the way I’m feeling. Back then I was petrified of what a positive test would bring, this time my anxiety is coming from a place of excitement. I’m going to be a kick-arse aunt.
Chapter 24
Connor
My eyes keep flicking towards the hallway where Cass and my sister recently disappeared. They’ve been gone for ages, and every fibre of my being wants to get up from this table and find out what’s going on, but I somehow manage to quell that impulsion. I love the friendship the girls have, but I’m already missing having Cassie all to myself. Selfish, but true. I want to be the one she turns to when she’s happy or upset.
The battle is lost the moment I hear a loud squeal. I stand so quickly my chair topples over, hitting the floor with a thud. I’m across the room and heading in their direction in a few lengthy strides.
The bathroom door is the only one closed, so I raise my fist and knock. “Is everything okay in there?” I ask.
A few seconds later, I hear the click of the lock. The door opens a fraction and Cassandra pops her head out. The tears in her eyes are evident, but the smile on her face is contradictory. “All is fine, Con. We’ll be out in a minute.”
“Then why did I hear a scream.”
“Oh, that was nothing.”
“Who screamed, Cass, and why?”
“Umm … a spider. Yes, that’s it, we saw a spider and we kind of freaked out. It was big with beady eyes and eight hairy legs … absolutely hideous.” She does a little shiver to try and bring home her point, but she’s a shit liar … always has been.
My eyes narrow. “I don’t believe you.”
“Excuse me,” Cassie retorts, completely offended. “I didn’t realise you were the spider police, Maloney.”
“It’s okay, Cass,” Jacinta says from somewhere inside the bathroom. “You can let him in.”
When Cassie sighs and opens the door the rest of the way, I see my sister quickly hide something behind her back. The girls share a look, and then Cassie dashes towards the basin and starts shoving the contents lining the countertop under her shirt.
When they both turn to face me, they look guilty as sin. “What the fuck is going on?” I grumble.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Cassie says, pulling back her shoulders and raising her chin in the air.
“Nothing is going on,” my sister adds.
“Then what is under your shirt?”
“Rude much,” Cassandra says as her hand skims over her stomach. “I just ate, I’m bloated.”
“You must’ve eaten a box? Because your stomach looks awfully … rectangular.”
“Hah,” she scoffs, but when she can’t think of a believable comeback, Jacinta steps in.
“I can’t tell you until I’ve spoken with Mason.”
“Mason,” I call out over my shoulder.
A minute later, he appears in the doorway. “You called?”
“Your fiancée has something she wants to tell you.”
“Red?” he asks, confused.
Jacinta’s eyes are everywhere but him as she opens and closes her mouth a few times. “Oh, for God’s sake,” Cassie says. “You knocked her up.”
