MALCOLM
“There you are,” Mom said,
She stood up from the table when I entered the room. She looked past me at Casey and shot me a quizzical look.
“Did you find the bathroom okay, dear?” she asked.
I was confused for a second, until I realized she was talking to Casey. I turned, and Casey looked at me, mouth agape.
“Uh yes, I did,” she said. “Thank you.”
“Over here,” Adam said, waving at Casey. He smirked. “I saved you a seat.”
Casey shot me a sideways glance as she joined my half-brother at the table, having little choice but to sit next to him. She was his date for the night, after all. Just like the other night, I had one seating option left – which was beside Danielle. I took my seat but tried to keep as much physical distance between us as possible.
“Adam, introduce us to your friend, please,” Dad said.
“This is Casey. Casey, meet the Cranes,” he grumbled. “You've already met my darling half-brother, Malcolm. But, I'm not sure that you met his girlfriend, Danielle.”
“Ex-girlfriend,” I said.
Adam rolled his eyes and sighed. “Sorry, his ex-girlfriend,” he said. “Or, maybe I should say, your baby mama?”
“Stop that, Adam,” Mom scolded. “I don't know why you must always be so foul.”
Adam glared at her, but then continued. “And that is Cynthia Crane,” he said. “I guess you could say she's my stepmother, but I'm not sure how it works since I'm just a bastard child anyway.”
“Adam.” This came from dad, his tone colder than the Arctic tundra.
“And finally, my father,” he said. “This is my father, Malcolm Crane the elder.”
Casey shrunk down in her seat, staring at everyone with wide eyes, but tried to give them all a pleasant smile. I couldn't even begin to imagine how overwhelming this all must have been for her. I could see how uncomfortable she was and wanted to jump in and save her from all of it.
I wanted to whisk her away from my family, but I couldn't save her now. She'd decided to weasel her way in, and now maybe she'd see why I'd kept her away for so long. I just hoped the price she was going to pay for it wouldn't be too steep.
She surprised me though, by sitting up straight and clearing her throat. I saw that look of steely, feisty determination in her eyes and in the defiant little lift in her chin. She wasn't about to let anybody, not even the Cranes, bully her or make her feel uncomfortable. I loved that about her.
“It's nice to meet everyone,” she said, her voice full of confidence. “I've heard so much about you.”
“Have you, dear? I'm sure Adam has some interesting stories to tell,” Mom said dryly.
She took a sip of her wine and looked at her. There was pity in her eyes, though, I couldn't tell if she felt sorry for Casey because she was with Adam or because she'd been thrust into the middle of a family soap opera that was more dramatic than anything you'd see on TV.
Hell, probably a bit of both.
Before Casey could elaborate on what she'd heard though, Danielle piped up from her spot beside me.
“Casey, right?” she asked. “You're not the same Casey that Adam talked about the other day, are you?”
I took a long swallow from my wine. That was when I noticed Casey didn't have a wineglass in front of her or anything to drink at all, aside from water, for that matter.
“Uhh, well, I don't know,” she said, glancing over at me. “I'm not sure what Adam said, so I can't be sure it was me.”
“Oh, just that he'd seen you leaving Malcolm's office the other day,” she chirped. “He also said you looked a little disheveled as you left?”
Casey froze, and I saw the flash of fear in her eyes. She cut a quick glance at me, as if she wasn't sure what to say and didn't want to step in it.
Trying to change the subject, I said, “Alba, could get you Casey some wine, please?”
Alba brought over a glass for Casey, setting it down in front of her. Casey leaned into Alba and said something in Spanish that I couldn't understand. Alba smiled and ran into the kitchen. Casey caught me staring, and I turned back to Danielle.
“Adam didn't see anything, Danielle,” I said. “Thought we'd already cleared that up the other night.”
Casey's eyes narrowed as she looked at me, just as Alba came back from the kitchen with a second glass in hand. She placed it in front of Casey and removed the wine glass. Oh yeah, that's right. Casey didn't drink. To think, I hadn't believed her when she'd mentioned it during the interview. I had her sign a document and everything, promising me she wouldn't drink, and it had briefly been a point of contention between us.
“It just seems strange that he'd mention a brunette named Casey, and then bring her over for the next family dinner,” Danielle argued.
Adam stayed remarkably quiet, which was unusual for him. I watched him closely, and I noticed him stealing glances over at Danielle. The two shared a lot of stares – just quick glances here and there. I wouldn't have picked up on it had I not noticed that Adam was being extra quiet tonight and letting the drama unfold without his input.
Finally, when Danielle wouldn't let it drop, Adam sighed. “Fine, I met her at Crane Enterprises, yes, but I may have been wrong about her leaving Malcolm's office,” he snapped. “Happy now, Danielle?”
“No,” Danielle spat.
She shot a look of death in Adam's direction, but then replaced it with her normal, non-emotional expression.
“But I'll let it drop, for now,” she said. “Since I'm not rude and would hate to ruin this fabulous meal.”
“Yes, let's eat,” Mom said. “I'll go see what's taking Alba so long.”
Mom stood up and went into the kitchen, and we could hear the two women talking. No one at the table said another word, even though Danielle was sighing left and right, clearly demanding attention in her passive-aggressive way.
She wanted someone to notice. I'd noticed, but I wasn't about to ask her what was wrong, because quite honestly, I couldn't care less what was wrong with her. My focus was on Casey – and getting her through the minefield that was my family, unscathed.
Casey stared down at her fingernails, picking at the polish on her thumbnail. The strapless dress she was wearing showed off her shoulders, which were dotted with an array of freckles I'd never noticed before. Even though I'd seen her naked, I'd been too caught up in her and the moment and had somehow missed them. She caught me staring and looked up, a nervous, shy smile on her face.
I smiled back at her, hoping to let her know it would be okay. This was my family, it was normal for us to fight and snipe at one another whenever we were together in the same room. I adored my mother and Alba. I respected my dad but being in the same room with him always lead to us butting heads. I knew there'd be no escaping at least one argument between the old man and I tonight, I just hoped it was nothing too bad. Not in front of Casey. I cared about what she thought of my family. It mattered to me.
Danielle grabbed my hand while I shared a moment with Casey. Before I knew what was happening, she placed it on her belly and beamed.
“Feel it this time, Malcolm?” she asked, her voice high and bright. “Please tell me you felt that kick. I thought this little guy was going to kick my bladder across the room.”
Casey's smile faded, and she went back to picking at her fingernail. The moment we were sharing had obviously passed.
“No, still feel nothing at all,” I muttered.
The kitchen doors swung open, and Alba came in pushing a tray loaded with plates of food. Steam rose from the plates as she set them down on the table in front of each of us.
“Casey, you're not allergic to shellfish, are you?” my mom asked Casey.
“No, Mrs. Crane,” she said. “I'm not.”
“Good, because tonight we're having one of my favorites – shrimp scaloppini with a white wine reduction,” Mom said, beaming with absolute joy.
“It sounds delicious,” Casey said.
Once everyone was served, dad and I talked about Crane Enterprises, while Adam sat idly by, listening and picking at his plate, not saying a word. Danielle poked at the food on her plate too, but hardly ate a thing. Given that it was pasta, I wasn't all that surprised. She's never been too comfortable eating carbs, but you would have thought that pregnancy might have changed that. Casey, on the other hand, finished her entire plate. My mother smiled over at her, seeming to be appreciative of the fact that someone was enjoying the meal besides her. Adam clearly wasn't. Something was off, and the entire thing with Casey made me less inclined to trust him. I kept my eye on him, and the tension in the room was palpable. It felt like it was growing until the very last plate had been whisked away by Alba and the rest of the kitchen staff.
“Stayed for the entire meal this time, I see,” Dad said to me.
“Yes, figured it would be rude to leave early while we had company.”
I smiled at Casey. She didn't return the gesture. Instead, she stared down at the blackberry cobbler in front of her, which remained untouched. I'd made a note to ask her later if she didn't like pies or blackberries, or maybe even both when she pushed the chair back and looked around at us apologetically.
“Excuse me,” she said. “I'll be right back.”
She hurried out of the dining room, practically running down the hallway. I looked over at Adam, and he shrugged. When I tried to urge him with my eyes, it was clear that he still didn't get the hint. Letting out a long breath, I excused myself as well.
“I'm going to make sure she's okay,” I said and cut a glance at Adam. “Somebody should.”
“Shouldn't Adam do that?” Danielle said, her tone icy.
“Malcolm is already up,” Adam said with a shrug. “Let him do it.”
“Such a gentleman you are, Adam,” Danielle spat. “Remind me never to date you again.”
“Like I'd be interested in dating you again,” he spat back. “I can see why Malcolm doesn't want you back.”
The two of them continued arguing and sniping as I stepped out of the dining room and into the hallway. Casey had no idea where the bathroom was, as I obviously hadn't showed her earlier. Which reminded me that I needed to thank my mom for the bit of cover.
Now though, I had no clue where she might have wandered off to. I started toward the half-bath near the stairwell, but Alba stepped out of there. She looked at me with a curious expression on her face.
“Have you seen Casey, by chance?” I asked.
She shook her head, “I'm sorry, Malcolm. I haven't,” she said.
“I think she’s lost somewhere around here,” I muttered.
I continued on down the hallway, looking in every room I came across, but found no sign of her. But then I heard footsteps on the stairs, so I turned around and headed back in that direction. Casey walked down the steps gingerly, her face paler than usual. Her forehead glistened with sweat.
“You alright?” I asked.
“Sorry, I needed to use the bathroom, and the one down here was occupied, so I went upstairs to look for one,” she said, stopping on the bottom step, and looked up at me. “I hope that's okay?”
“It's fine,” I said. “You sure you're okay though? You look a bit shaky.”
I reached out and touched her forehead, wiping away some of the dampness from her skin. She wasn't warm, so I didn't think she was running a fever. But, something clearly wasn't right with her.
“Yeah, I'm fine.”
She looked down at her feet instead of looking me in the eye. She was tense and upset but was doing her best to hide it. Not very successfully.
“I can tell when you're lying to me,” I said.
“Not here,” she said. “I can't talk about it here.”
Her eyes darted around wildly, as if she were afraid we weren't alone. Afraid that somebody was eavesdropping on us. Technically, she had a right to be cautious and paranoid. The dining room was not too far away, and dinner was wrapping up. Eventually, my folks would come out there. As would Danielle and Adam.
I took her hand in mine, and together, we walked back up the stairs.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“You said we needed to talk,” I replied. “We're going to talk.”
“But what about your family?”
I shrugged and kept on walking up the stairs, holding her hand in mine. She kept up with me, walking beside me. We turned the corner at the top of the stairs, and I slipped into my old childhood playroom. As soon as the door closed behind us, I wrapped my arms around Casey and exhaled deeply.
“I've been waiting to hold you all night.” I said.
Casey's body was stiff, and she didn't relax into me or return the hug. I stepped back, taking her face into my hands.
“I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Danielle,” I said. “It's complicated.”
“Is the baby yours?”
“She says it is.”
Casey recoiled as if I'd smacked her across the face. With a look of outrage and contempt, she yanked herself free from my grasp. Her eyes were filled with emotion now – the most obvious one being anger.
“Casey, this could be good news,” I said. “It would mean I get my inheritance and my dad's company. And you don't have to go through with any of this –”
“I'm pregnant, Malcolm,” she blurted out before I could finish my sentence.
My heart stopped. “What did you just say?” I asked, wondering if I'd actually heard her correctly or was just jumping to conclusions.
“I said, I'm pregnant. I had a positive test earlier today, and I wanted to see you. I wanted to tell you about it in person, but –” her voice cracked and she looked away.
For the first time since we'd met, the tough, impenetrable armor Casey wore cracked and I saw the tears as they rushed down her cheeks. She wasn't invincible after all. She leaned back against the wall, crumpling down until she was sitting on the floor, her knees pulled into her chest.
“I just felt so alone,” she said. “And I felt like you were abandoning me. I wasn't sure where we stood.”
She stopped and took a deep, shaky breath. But then, explosive sobs escaped her tiny body, shaking her to her very core, as she buried her face in her hands.
As I looked at her, heard her words echoing around in my head, the room started spinning around me. I had to reach out and grab hold of the wall to steady myself. To keep my legs from giving out beneath me. I didn't speak for a long time, almost afraid of what might come out of my mouth, but after I had a chance to think it through, I joined Casey on the floor, pressing my back against the wall.
“I'm so happy to hear that,” I said, feeling an excited warmth spreading through me.
She lifted her head just enough to stare at me with one eye.
“You are?” she asked, her voice soft.
I wrapped my arms around her shoulders and pulled her into me, kissing the top of her head.
“I am,” I replied.
“Even though Danielle is having your baby too?”
“It's not about the inheritance, Casey,” I said. “When you told me you were pregnant, my first instinct was to freak out. But then, as I thought about it – and thought about how I feel about you – I realized that I've never felt happier in my entire life.”
I couldn't explain it. No words that I could string together would help it make sense to Casey. But, it made perfect sense to me, somehow. I stared at the room around us, actually seeing it for the first time. The walls were painted a light blue, and around the tops of the walls was the painting of the train that circled it. Next to us, on my old racecar bed, was a teddy bear dressed like a train engineer. I picked it up, staring into the beady black eyes.
“Think the little guy will like trains, like I did as a kid?” I asked, booping the bear against Casey's head.
“Who says it's a boy?” she said, lifting her head up. “Maybe it's a girl that likes trains.”
“I knew that would get you talking,” I said, giving her a little smile.
Casey took the bear from me and held it firmly in her hands. She stared at the bear intently and I could see the wheels turning in that head of hers. She might be on speaking terms with me, but there was still a look in her eyes. She was scared, and I wanted nothing more than to reassure her. To take away her fear. To prove to her that I'd take care of her and the baby.
All I could see on her face though, was doubt and fear.
“You know, I'm going to be there for you, right?” I asked.
She didn't say anything. She just kept staring at the bear.
“You're not going through this alone,” I added.
“Won't you be too busy?” she asked. “Especially since now you have two baby mamas to take care of?”
“Oh, I don't doubt I'll be busy,” I said, leaning my head back against the wall.
The weight of my situation hadn't fully hit me yet, but it would. Later. I could freak out later, once I calmed Casey down. She needed me in that moment. Needed me to be strong. To be her rock. I knew that, and I wasn't about to let her down. I was going to be whatever she needed me to be. I turned to face her, staring into those beautiful hazel eyes.
“I'll be busy, but I got you into this mess, and I'm going to take care of you, Casey,” I said. “You and that baby of ours.”
She put the teddy bear back on my bed and stood up. I joined her, helping her push herself up from the floor, then taking her into my arms. This time, she didn't fight me. She relaxed into my arms and let me kiss the top of her head. The crying had stopped, but she was still trembling in my arms.
Cupping her chin in my hands, I lifted her head and forced her to look up at me. Even through tear-stained eyes, she was beautiful. Stunning. I wanted nothing more than to kiss the tears away. Brushing my lips against hers, I kissed her gently. It took her a second, but she eventually kissed me back.
“We probably should get back down there,” she said, wiping at her eyes. “Or else they'll start asking a lot of questions.”
“They're going to ask anyway,” I sighed. “I'll take care of it. I want to keep you out of the family drama as much as possible. Trust me, it's the last thing you want or need. It tends to get a little messy.”
“And here, I thought you were afraid they wouldn't like me.”
“They'd be crazy not to like you,” I laughed. “No, I just wanted to protect you. My family is ruthless, and the farther you're away from it, the safer you'll be.”
“Pfft, they seemed pretty nice to me.”
I cocked an eyebrow. “Really? Did you hear Danielle and Adam going at it when you stepped out?”
She chuckled. “Still beats my family.”
“Maybe one day I'll get to meet them,” I said. “Or maybe, I'll have to find some way to sneak in and crash a dinner party.
Her smile wavered for a second, but then she nodded, and her smile grew wide.
“Yean,” she said. “Maybe so.”
Voices came from out in the hallway. Adam and Danielle were talking, their voices raised.
“Why did you bring her here? You're ruining everything!” Danielle shouted.
Casey and I shared a look, but I put my finger to my lips, telling her to remain quiet.
Adam's voice came next. “Sweetie, don't you understand? It's part of the plan.”
He lowered his voice, and I had to step closer to the door, practically pressing my ear to it, to hear him talking.
“I wanted her to see that you're still in his life,” he said. “And I'd hoped you'd play up the pregnancy angle, but –”
“So you're pretending to be dating her too?” Danielle shouted.
“To help you, yes,” he said. “Because she's a problem, Danielle. If she gets pregnant with his child, which I suspect might actually be her real purpose here, I've lost everything. And if I lose everything, so do you. I don't need to remind you of that small fact, do I?”
“Maybe I should just keep up the charade then,” she said.
“Go ahead,” he said. “When the DNA test is done, you'll be the one screwed here.”
“As will you, Adam,” she said.
There was a long pause in their conversation and I was sorely tempted to open the door. To see what they were doing out there. But, I resisted because I hoped they'd keep talking. Keep digging themselves an even deeper hole.
“We really shouldn't be talking about this here,” Adam finally said. “You never know who's listening.”
Huh. Now Adam thought about having that conversation in this house – go figure. A bit too late, though. I reached down for the doorknob, but Casey put her hand on mind, trying to stop me.
“Does this mean what I think it means?” she said softly.
“Yeah, sounds like it,” I said.
I should be hurt that Danielle had lied to me, that Adam had betrayed me, and that they were working together to fuck me over. To steal the company and my father's fortune from me. I should be hurt. But, as I stood there, staring at Casey, all I could do was smile.
She was carrying my baby. More than that, it was obvious we cared about each other, deeply. This wasn't the plan, I hadn't intended on settling down with anyone so soon, but the idea of being with Casey – actually being with her – pushed away any doubts from my head.
“I'm sorry, Malcolm,” she whispered. “That's just so heartless.”
“That's my family, Casey. That was why I wanted to shield you from them,” I said.
“I understand, Malcolm,” she said.
She reached out and stroked my face, and I closed my eyes, leaning into the warmth and gentleness of her touch.
“When I'm with you, none of that matters,” I said.
When I opened my eyes, and caught her looking at me and smiling. I smiled too. As I looked at her, I was overcome by a wave of emotion. Casey inspired thoughts and feelings inside of me I wasn't even aware I could have. She made me feel things more deeply than anybody in my life ever had before. Being with her made me feel like the last piece of the puzzle that was my life was finally falling into place.
And when I opened my mouth to speak, the words that came tumbling out surprised even me.
“I hope we can make this about more than just business,” I said. “A lot more.”
She looked at me with wide eyes, her lower lip trembling. “What are you saying, Malcolm?”
“That I'd like you to be more than just a surrogate, Casey,” I said. “I'm saying that I'd like to raise our child together. That is, if you'll have me.”
She gasped, and her cheeks turned a nice shade of rosy pink. She smiled so wide, I was afraid her head was going to split in half, and her laughter was like music to my ears. God, she was everything I'd ever wanted in a partner. Why had it taken me so long to realize that?
“I'd love that, Malcolm,” she said softly. “You have no idea how much I'd love that.”
“Good, because I love you, Casey,” I said. “And I love this child growing inside of you already. More than I ever thought possible. I'm going to take care of you, you know. You and your family.”
“I love you too,” she said.
Our eyes met, and that was quickly followed by our lips. I wanted her so badly in that moment that my body ached for her. Cried out for her. I leaned forward and pressed her up against the wall, my hands sliding along her body. She moaned, gently.
“We shouldn't – ” she said.
“Why not?” I asked, pulling back briefly. “I don't care if anyone finds out about us. We're going to be together.”
“No, I don't mean that,” she laughed, ruffling my hair a bit. “Just that we should probably confront Adam and Danielle We should probably expose them for the lying pieces of shit they are. Sooner, rather than later. I want to humiliate them.”
“A woman after my own heart,” I chuckled. “Let's go rip them a new one, shall we?”
“And let's take your company back too, Malcolm,” she said. “Once and for all.”
Yes, everything would be just fine with her at my side. I'd finally met my match, my true partner in crime. She was everything I always wanted and more. With Casey at my side, I knew there wasn't anything I couldn't accomplish.
As I looked into her eyes, I smiled, knowing the most amazing days of my life lay ahead of me still.