*¤*

“Casey!” He called when he pulled open the heavy wood door. She listened as the sound of his voice thundered throughout the house. She scooted closer to the vent in the bathroom, and hugged her knees closer to her chest. “Casey!” He called again. She listened intently to the sound of his voice. If she concentrated on his tone she could figure out exactly what the problem was. She glanced quickly at the lock on the white door. She heard him drop whatever it was that was in his hands on the dining room table, she then waited for his feet to pound up the stairs. “Casey!” He shouted angrily. She cringed, and scooted behind the counter quickly.

Any minute now, she thought. He’ll be here soon.

“Casey!” He shouted and slammed his fist into the door. She jumped and sighed. She didn’t know it would be that soon. “Get out here now, Casey.”

She still remained silent.

“Damn it, Casey.” He sighed, and slid to the floor. He laid down on his stomach on the off-white carpet and looked under the door. “CC, come on.”

He stuck his fingers under the door, and she spotted them. She had to fight every muscle in her body to make herself not give in. Finally, when she couldn’t bare it any longer, she gave up. She laid on her stomach on the cold blue tile and reached out to his fingers. She brushed her lips across the tips of them and then rested her fingers upon his.

“I knew you were in there.” He stated, and continued to look under the door. She still said nothing. “Why are you in there?”

“Because” she whispered. She knew he heard. He always heard her. He didn’t always listen, but he always heard her.

“Come out here. I have to show you something.”

“I’d rather stay in here.” She replied softly. He pulled his fingers out from under the door, and sat up. He turned around and pounded his fist on the door again. She jumped, and sat up also. “I made dinner. It’s downstairs. I made your favorite. It should still be warm. Don’t worry, I didn’t eat any of it. It’s in the oven.” She whispered again.

“What are you afraid of?” He questioned.

She paused a moment before she answered. “You, Justin.”

“Why?” He asked.

“Why do you think?”

“Because….” He let his voice linger in the air, knowing exactly why she feared him.

“Yes.” She stated a little louder than before.

“Will you come out?”

“No.”

“Fine.” He declared hotly. “I’ll be downstairs” he told her. “Whore.” He muttered under his breath.

“I heard you.”

He didn’t say anything else, instead he gave her the finger even though she couldn’t see him, and walked out of the room. He thumped down the stairs. She opened the bathroom door quietly, and heard him mutter something else from downstairs and heard the door slam shut.

Casey walked out into the hallways and then down the stairs. She went into the kitchen and turned off the oven. She figured he had gone to go see Britney. It wasn’t like she didn’t like Britney, because she did, she just thought that it wasn’t very fair of Justin to date Britney in public, and her not in the spotlight. Casey didn’t even know why she was still with Justin. After all, he was the one who shot rude comments her way, hit her when he was upset, threw things at her when he was stressed, and treated her poorly. The truth of the matter was that she did love him. She couldn’t help it. Every singe time he came home late from the studio or what-not and he would hurt her he would always promise it was the last time, and every single time that happened she believed him. Every time he broke that promise to her she still told him she loved him.

She put the freshly baked meal she had made for him into the fridge. She grabbed her jacket off of the chair at the table and walked to the table by the door. She picked up her keys and reached for her purse. She decided she should go visit her best friend at their coffee shop. See, Casey and her best friend Belle owned a coffee shop.

“What happened?” Belle shouted to Casey as she walked in while trying to talk over many other people who just sat at tables and talked.

“Nothing.” She replied.

“Really nothing or nothing you want to talk about.”

“Really nothing.” She said putting her jacket on a chair. “I couldn’t do it. No matter how hard I try to break up with him finally, I can’t do it. Its just every time I hear his voice or see his face I lose all my confidence. I can’t break up with him. I’ll just have to wait until he gets sick of me.”

“Hi, sorry to interrupt.” A tall dark haired man with crystal clear blue eyes said. “But I have to hurry and I’m supposed to get three caramel mocha frozen things… I don’t know what they’re called. I’m sorry.” He said embarrassedly.

“Frappuccinos?” Belle answered.

“Yeah” he said sort of dazed, he was obviously thinking. “Yeah! Yeah! Those. I need three of those…” he said excitedly. “These guys will be so proud that I will be able to get their orders right.” He smiled. Casey started on the frappuccinos, and he continued his order. “I also need a chocolate one of those things and I need just a coffee.”

“What sizes?”

“Oh… uh… how ’bout you pick.” He said flirtatiously.

“Well, how long do you intend on staying up?” Belle replied seductively.

“They’re going to be grandes.” Casey snapped. She knew who this guy was. Everyone knew who he was. Belle just happened to be a very good actress.

“All right,” Belle said, snapping back into her normal self. “You’re getting four grande frappuccinos, and a grande coffee?”

“Looks like it.” He replied.

“Here they are.” Casey said monotonously.

“It’ll be eleven sixty four.”

He laid down a twenty and Belle gave him back his change. “Hey,” he said as he was about to turn around. “I’m JC.”

“I know who you are.” She smiled.

“This is kind of unusual for me to do, but can I get your name and number?”

“Sure.” She answered. “I’m Belle and here’s my number.” She wrote down her phone number on a napkin with their logo on it and handed it to him. He flashed his smile at her, and picked up his drinks that were handled with care by Casey and so kindly placed into a drink holder.

“Bye, Belle.” He said.

“Bye, JC.” She smiled. She waited until he was out of the quaint shop before she turned around and squealed in delight. “Oh my God! Did you see those eyes? They were amazing!”

“They were all right.” Casey said, remembering Justin’s eyes.

“And” she exclaimed dramatically. “He asked me out!”

“Oh good one, Belle. He asked for your number!”

“What is wrong with you?” Belle asked defensively. “Some guy asks me for my number and you freak out?”

“You do not want to get involved with someone like him.” She warned.

“Why?”

“They’re not as great as they seem.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Nothing.”

If you hadn’t guessed, Belle didn’t know exactly who Casey was dating. That was the hardest part of Casey’s relationship. She couldn’t tell anyone what was going on. Casey and Justin never went out together, and usually the only time they saw each other was when Casey came home. She didn’t always like going to Justin’s because there was always that chance that she could get hurt.

“I gotta go home.”

“All right, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Okay. Bye.” They hugged each other and she picked up her coat again and left to go home.

*¤*

Casey actually made it until three o’clock in the morning with undisturbed sleep. Justin tip toed inside then. And to top that off, he was actually nice. He only touched her when he kissed her cheek to tell her he was home. Of course, she shuddered at his touch, but it was a start. After Justin had changed into something to sleep in he climbed into bed next to her and wrapped his arm snuggly around her waist. The next morning, Justin had to wake up at six again so he could meet with Johnny, people from Jive, and the rest of the guys. That was a normal routine for them though. Then he was going to be at the studio all day. He left a note for Casey saying:

Case,
I had to go to a meeting and then I’ll be at the studio all day. If you need me, which I know you won’t because you never tell me anything anymore, just call my cell. I’ll leave it on. If anyone stops by when you’re home, don’t answer the door. One of the guys might stop by at two or so to pick up a track that is downstairs. Only if we decided we want to use it though. I know you’ll be at ‘Bean’ but just in case, I thought I’d warn you.

PS. I wanna talk to you. I have something to show you. I’ll call you at work.

Casey picked the note up off of the table and threw it away. He always made her feel guilty. Did he think that it didn’t hurt her to think that her own boyfriend hit her? What was he thinking? Love was not violence. She didn’t have to put up with that.

She took her shower, and forgot all about the note. She got dressed in a pair of jean capris and a pale green tank top. She then put her jean jacket on and drove to Starbucks, the shop that they had bought the franchise to. When she got there, she noticed that not many people were there, but usually, people didn’t stay because most of them had to go to work. There were a few people sitting down, but not as many as last night.

“What’s wrong with you?” Belle asked. She seemed to be asking that a lot lately.

“Nothing.” She said.

“So… how’s the boyfriend?”

Casey hated that. She hated when she knew she was lying to her best friend, and she hated having to talk about him since he was so mean to her. Although, he was being a little bit better. At least he hadn’t hurt her in two days. “I broke up with him last night.” She lied again.

“Really? I saw you last night and you said that you couldn’t do it.”

“Yeah, but I was sort of in a rage last night so I just let him have it.”

Casey pulled off her denim jacket, and hung it up in the back. She grabbed an apron and tied it around herself. She wrapped the tie around her, and tied it in the front.

“Oh I’m so proud of you!” Belle shrieked, and threw her arms around her friend.

“Thanks.” Casey laughed. Casey loved being around Belle because Belle was so enthusiastic about everything. She was just a naturally happy person, and she always made Casey feel better about herself. Belle had always had that effect over her. Even in school when she had a bad day or broken up with a boyfriend or just in a bad mood Belle always made her feel better. The hours they spent at starbucks were heaven to Casey. When she was there she was able to be free from everything around her that made her want to cry. “So, Belle, how’s JC?”

“He didn’t call” she said disappointedly. “But he stopped by earlier this morning.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.” She said, dazed. “He said he’d call me later.”

“That was nice of him.”

“Why don’t you want me to go out with him?”

“I’m just worried for you.”

***

“Casey!” Belle shouted from the back room. “Phone!”

“Oh okay.” Casey said, putting down the dish cloth in her hand that she was wiping the counters with. “I’m coming.”

“It’s a guy….” Belle taunted. “It sounds like him.”

Casey gave a fake smile and took the phone. “Hello?” She said in a hushed voice. Casey then ushered Belle out to the counter and then came back to the back room.

“Hi sweetie.”

“Justin!” She whispered. “You’re not supposed to call here.”

“I told you I was going to.”

“I know, but now Belle’s going to ask who it was that called.”

“Lie about it.” He said. “Hey, are you going to be home at eight?”

“I don’t know. I was planning on going out with Belle.”

“Okay” he said. “Let me put it this way. You’re going to be home when I come home for something to eat.”

“Oh, okay.” She said almost as if she was afraid what would happen if she decided to go against what he said. “I’ll be home by eight, and I’ll make something for dinner.”

“Bye.”

“Oh…. okay. Bye.” And she hung up. He controlled every thing she did. She hated that.

“So… what did he want?”

“You weren’t listening the whole time were you?”

“Oh, no.” She said. “I was out making coffee. Here.” She handed her a blended citrus blended drink. “I made it for you. I knew you’d need it.”

“Thanks.”

Questions? Comments? Concerns? Send 'em my way!

Name:


E-mail:


Comments: