When he said that, I got an idea. “Well, if that’s the case, you can take me home and look after me there.”
Stephen bit his lip like he was unsure. I think I could tell it was what he wanted, too, but he worried about me. “What if something happens to you? You’re better off in the hospital where they can help you.”
“You already said that my vitals are good. I feel a lot better after my nap. I think I know my own body. I want to be at home. I don’t think I can relax here anyway.”
I could tell he was debating in his head what to do. Finally, after a few more seconds, he looked at me and smiled. “Okay, as long as you let me take care of you at home.”
I suddenly found myself grinning from ear-to-ear. “It’s a deal.”
He went to fetch the doctor and I was left feeling happy about the prospect of going home. The doctor agreed to it, but he told Stephen what signs to look out for overnight. I was just so glad to be leaving.
Gathering all my stuff, we set off, thanking all the hospital staff along the way. Stephen was the perfect gentleman, going at any pace I set, holding me every step of the way.
“I think I had better call my uncle,” I said as we got into Stephen’s car. He nodded and I went to work dialling Billy’s number.
“Cassie, so nice to hear from you,” he began. “I was starting to wonder if you had fallen out with me.” He chuckled and the sound seemed to radiate through the phone.
“A lot’s been happening.” I sighed, feeling the exhaustion setting in again.
“Cassie, you don’t sound too good. What’s happened?”
“Something and nothing.” Although that wasn’t really true. Thinking about it still made my head hurt and my eyes sting. “Something happened at work today. I was attacked.”
“Attacked at work?!” he shouts. “How on earth did that happen?! Are you okay?!”
“I’m fine. I’m actually just leaving the hospital.”
“Do you want me to pick you up?” His concern was evident. I could hear a slight panic as he waited for my answer.
“No, it’s fine. I have Stephen taking me home.”
“Stephen? Who’s Stephen?”
“A police officer and a very good friend.” I looked over at him and smiled. He grabbed my hand and squeezed it. Just that one little gesture set the tears flowing.
“I want to come and see you. I need to make sure you’re alright.”
“That’s fine. We should be home in about ten minutes if you want to pop over.”
My voice was a little shaky and I could tell my uncle knew I was crying. He was concerned, so I wasn’t going to stop him from seeing me.
The minute that call ended, I called Kali. I noticed that there had been several missed calls from her.
“Cassie! Oh, my fucking god! Are you okay?” She was practically screaming over the phone.
“I’m fine. Just leaving the hospital now.”
“Today’s been a major shit storm at work. That little fucker needs his dick cut off.” I heard the little hiss in her voice and it was so violent that it almost made me jump.
“I must admit, I have thought of that myself.”
“Are you alright, Cassie? Seriously?”
“Yes, I’m fine. I just want my bed. I’m so tired.”
“Do you want me to come over? I’m at home now, but I can come and look after you, if you want?”
“No, that’s fine. Stephen is taking me home.”
“Stephen, eh?” she asked, curiosity in her voice.
“Yes. He’s been my rock today.”
“I bet.” Kali chuckled a bit, then abruptly stopped. “Sorry. That was inappropriate of me. Sometimes my mouth runs before my brain engages.”
“That’s okay, Kali. I need a little bit of humour right now.”
“Can I come see you tomorrow? I take it you’re not coming in to work?”
“No. I have to rest for a few days—doctor’s orders. I would like a visit from you, though.”
“Great. Can I come around lunchtime tomorrow?”
“That would be perfect.” I could use her friendship right about now.
“What do I bring? Some grapes and shit?”
I started laughing. “Kali, I’m not in the hospital, and I don’t even know why people bring grapes to a hospital.”
“Me, either.” She snorted a little. “Anyway, tell Stephen that he better look after my friend, or I’ll come down there and shoot the little fucker.”
I laughed again. “Okay, I will.”
“See you tomorrow and take care, my friend. I hope you feel better soon.”
“Thanks, Kali. That means a lot.”
I hung up and turned to Stephen. “Did I just hear her say that she’ll shoot me?” He looked towards me with a curious smile.
“Yes,” I laughed. “If you don’t look after me.”
“Well, I’m sure I will live up to her expectations.”
“I’m sure you will, even though you don’t really have to.”
“Yes, I do.” His voice was stern. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you. I promised I would never leave you, and I intend to fulfil that. I’m not one to break my promises, Cassie. Hopefully, you will learn that the more you get to know me.”
Stephen stroked my cheek tenderly and it made me sigh. I didn’t even realise we were pulling up to my apartment until he suddenly stopped.
Billy and Chris were patiently waiting outside my door. I saw them look at Stephen and frown.
Swiftly opening his door, Stephen quickly stepped out of the car and helped me out of the other side.
“Cassie, darling. You look extremely pale.” Billy looked concerned, and I couldn’t blame him. We were the only family each other had left. I would be exactly the same if it were the other way around.
“I’m fine, just a little tired. This is Stephen, by the way. Stephen, this is my uncle Billy, and his partner, Chris.”
I didn’t know how Stephen would feel about this partnership but, despite my misgivings, he smiled and held out his hand. They both shook his hand and looked over at him, appreciatively.
Stephen asked if I would be okay whilst he went to park the car, and I assured him that I would. We then ventured into the apartment and out of the cold.
“So,” my uncle began as we settled in. “What happened?”
“I’ll go make us some tea.” Chris gestured to us and rubbed his hands together.
“Thank you, Chris.”
He went to put the kettle on and came back to sit next to Billy.
Taking a deep breath, I briefly told them about what happened, and their stunned expressions said it all.
Stephen returned shortly after. He came in and sat down next to me, grabbing my hand. This little gesture had both my uncle and Chris raising their eyebrows slightly because they saw that I never flinched like I normally did when people touched my hand.
“Cassie, that sounds awful. I hope this man gets what’s coming to him. How could he have been let into the police station if he was a wanted man?”
“Not everyone knew straight away,” Stephen said. “Not that any of that is an excuse. It was only the heads, me, and a couple of other officers that knew. By the time we had begun our search, Daniel was already in the station. As soon as we found out where he was, we went straight over there.”
“Thank god you did.” Chris looked in Stephen’s direction.
“I just wish I had gotten to her sooner. I wish I could have known he was there long before he even got a chance to go to the archives room. I could kick myself for it.”
“You aren’t to blame for this.” I was shocked at Stephen’s confession. “How could you have known? I wasn’t even supposed to be there.”
“So…why were you there?” Billy’s question seemed to stun the room into silence.
I sighed, knowing I had to tell them. “I was snooping. I know I shouldn’t have been doing it, but I couldn’t help myself. I wanted to try and do some good.”
br />
“What are you talking about?” Billy looked confused.
“It’s a long story, but I touched someone’s hand—a criminal’s hand. I saw things about him that no one knew. I guess I just wanted to know more about his background. I was being nosey.”
“Cassie, it is up to the police to investigate these matters,” Billy began. “I don’t want you being put in harm’s way like that again. I thought that’s why you wanted to keep it a secret.”
They both looked at Stephen, knowing now that he knew everything about me. If they knew everything about him, it would make their heads spin.
“I know, but how was I to know that Daniel would follow me there?”
“I know, Cassie. Just be careful. I don’t want to have a heart attack at my age.” He laughed a little and crossed his legs.
We all seemed to calm a little after that. Chris went to finish making the tea, and Billy continued to eye Stephen intriguingly.
“You know all about our Cassie then,” Billy said, matter-of-factly.
“Yes.” He smiled and gently squeezed my fingers.
Billy gestured towards our hands and looked at me “And that doesn’t bother you?”
“No. I can’t actually feel anything from Stephen.”
“What?” He was shocked. “Have you lost your gift?”
“No. I just don’t feel anything.”
“Are you a vampire or something?”
His face looked deadly serious, and it made me laugh. It felt good to laugh for a change. “Don’t be silly.” I was trying not to laugh too hard, but it was a little difficult. “Vampires don’t exist.”
I looked over at Stephen, but his expression was deadly serious. Abruptly, I stopped laughing. Oh, shit—seriously?
“Um…” I began, a little flustered. “I don’t know why I can’t feel Stephen. I must admit that it’s a breath of fresh air, though.”
“I bet it is,” Billy mused. “What is happening with you tonight? Do you need me to stay with you?”
I could tell he was asking not only because he cared, but to find out about Stephen and see what was between us.
“Stephen is staying with me. He is going to check on me regularly and make sure I’m still in the land of the living.” I chuckled at that, but I got a scowl from both Stephen and Billy.
“Don’t joke about these things, Cassie. I lost my little sister. I’ll be damned if I’m going to lose you, too.”
I saw how hurt that thought was and it immediately made my gut twist. “I’m sorry, Uncle. I was just teasing.”
“I know you were, dear.” He smiled a little, but then turned his attention to Stephen. “As you can tell, I very much care for this little lady here. I hope I can trust that you will look after her?”
“I promise I will fulfil those duties to the fullest. I care about Cassie, too—very much.”
Stephen looked over at me and smiled tenderly. My uncle seemed to be pleased with this little interaction and said no more.
After that, we just drank tea as my uncle and Chris fired questions at Stephen. It was quite refreshing to watch. I’m not sure whether Stephen was lying, but he told them he was born in Rochester twenty-nine years ago and moved to London when he was eleven. He said that his father was a policeman and that he had always wanted to follow in his footsteps, especially when his father died when Stephen was only fourteen.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Billy said. “It’s never easy when your parents die. Cassie was only six when my poor sister was taken to the angels. It took a long time to try and get Cassie back out of her shell. She hurt so much after that and seemed to blame herself for what happened. I bet, to an extent, she still does.”
Billy looked at me, but I was still in slight shock from the angels comment. “If I had known, I could have saved them.” I sighed, still feeling the pang of guilt I have always felt.
“Cassie, your mum and dad fought hard for you not to see the ugliness you could have seen. No child should see a vision of their parents dying. No child should see a vision of anyone dying.”
“I still could have stopped it. I could have warned them.”
My uncle was about to say more, but Stephen interrupted, “You know, Cassie, sometimes things happen in life and you can’t understand it. Your parents made the decision to protect you because that’s what good parents do. They were taken from this life with the knowledge that they did everything in their power to bring you up as normal as possible. They are in a better place now and will be taken care of. Don’t you think if they knew you blamed yourself like this, it would upset them greatly?”
“Yes, but—,” I began, wanting to argue my point.
“Well, then, you have to stop this. I’m sure if your mother or father could speak to you now, they would give you a piece of their mind. They would want you to live your life without regret or remorse. I’m sure they would want nothing more than to see their daughter smiling and happy. I suggest you tell them.”
“What?” I was completely confused. I looked over at Billy and Chris, who both had amused expressions on their faces.
“You need to speak with them. I’m sure they can hear you.”
“Are you a religious man?” Chris broke the silence.
“You could say that.” Stephen laughed a little, making me laugh, too. If they only knew!
“You really think they can hear me?”
“I’m sure that if you were alone in your thoughts one day and wanted to speak with them, they would be there to listen.” He paused a moment before continuing, “Just think of it like this. A person is always there with you no matter what. In body or in spirit, it doesn’t matter. If you take the time to think of someone and talk to them, they will always be with you. Even if you can’t see them, you can always feel calm in the knowledge that, as long as you remember them, they will be there for you. No one ever actually dies. They’re just not there in the physical sense. When you next think about them and you feel the little tingles on your hands or arms, you can take great comfort that they are there with you. That is their way of showing you that they are there and love you very much.”
The tears started to stream down my face. Stephen gently wiped them away and smiled.
“That was beautiful.” It was hard to get the words out, but I had to say something.
“Yes, it was.” My uncle was now wiping his own tears. “I don’t know where you got this one, Cassie, but he seems to be a keeper.”
Billy dabs his eyes and Chris offers him his arm. We all seemed at peace for some reason as we sat there in silence. I don’t know if it was Stephen’s words or just Stephen’s knack of making you feel like the most relaxed person on earth. All I knew was that escaping my growing feelings for this man was going to be even harder than I thought.
**********
I was at the door, saying goodbye to Chris and my uncle, when Billy turned around and whispered, “Do they all look like that at your police station? I think I need to get myself a job there.”
I started laughing just as Chris rolled his eyes. Luckily, there was no jealously between them. They trusted each other implicitly and I thought that was always a great foundation for a lasting relationship. They were living proof that it could last if you really wanted it to.
“What happened to Michael?” Chris tried to whisper so that Stephen couldn’t hear.
“He’s away on training. He’ll be back on Friday. Look, we’re all just really good friends. They both care about me and I care about them. That’s as far as it goes.”
“You tread carefully, dear girl. You can’t string two men along at the same time. It will only lead to hurt, and I’m afraid that you’re going to get hurt the most. No matter what, you are always my top priority.”
I cringed when he mentioned about getting hurt. I’d already been thinking about that for days now. I didn’t know what to do. On one hand, I wanted Stephen here with me more than anything. On the other hand, I missed Michael and wanted him here, too. It w
as all so confusing.
“I know what you’re saying, Uncle Billy. I will try to be careful. I don’t want to hurt anybody. I care about them both too deeply for that.”
He squeezed my arm. “I know. Just follow your heart. I’m sure it will eventually make the right choice.” I nodded and hoped that what he said was true.
I said goodbye and turned to go back inside. I was feeling exhausted and just wanted to relax.
“Your uncle and his partner are really nice.” Stephen smiled as I walked back through the apartment door.
“Yes, they did well bringing me up. Can I ask you something?” Now that we were alone, the questions burned inside my head again.
“Of course, anything.”
“What you said about my parents. Is that really true?”
“Yes. They will always be there for you as long as you need them to be. Haven’t you ever been at home alone and felt just that? The feeling of loneliness can be quite powerful. But, sometimes when you’re alone, have you ever felt those certain tingles on the back of your hand, or a sense of calm overwhelm you for no reason?”
I tried to think of an occasion where this could have happened. “I suppose so.”
“Next time you feel that, you can take great joy in the knowledge that this is them telling you that they are there for you, that they love you and will always be with you. It is their way of telling you that there is no need to be afraid.”
I sighed with a smile and wrapped my hand over his. “You have such a way with words.”
“I try my best.” His cheeky grin resurfaced, causing my heart to flutter.
“And that stuff about your mum and dad. Is that real?”
He cringed. “I don’t like lying, but what else could I say? I was sent here many years ago. I had nothing and no one. Not the sort of story you want to tell people.”
“I’m sorry.” I felt really bad for him.
“Twinkles, how many times do I have to tell you? No need to be sorry—for anything.”
“Can I ask something of you?” I had a sudden idea.
“Anything. Whatever it is, it is yours.”
“Will you dance with me? I have never danced with anyone before.”
His look of shock made me smile. “Well, let’s not hesitate any further. Let me put the radio on.”