A second chance: Sequel of Against all odds (48 page)

“
Cassidy...Cassidy
they are calling you. My God, you won,” she said happily.

I stared at her.. 

“
What?
No it can't be..” I said in terror.

I looked stunned at David.

“
Cassidy
go..” Lexie repeated.  

I stood up and David came
near me. I looked on my left where there was Claire. She shot me a
sharp look, full of hatred. Then she smiled evilly and took out
something from her pocket... the photo.. no...

“
What's
wrong Cassidy?” David asked me. “They are calling you on
the stage.. go, you've won.”

“
How?
This is impossible no, my essay wasn't good enough.. I....”

“
I
know. I went to check that everyone had handled the essay, and I saw
yours, it wasn't the same one you had showed me. It was very bad
actually so I changed it and handled, the one Tyler had corrected for
you.”

I was speechless; my eyes
widened while they shifted from David to Claire...

“
No
David I can't.” I said panicking.

“
Of
course, you can. We'll leave together tomorrow, we'll have a nice
weekend out of town, just you and me.. Cassidy..”

“
I
can't come. No I can't.. what have you done David?” I yelled on
the verge of crying

“
What's
wrong with you?”

“
Claire's
essay was better than mine..”

He smiled in disbelief
“What? No. She placed second. She's the runner up. But what do
you care about Claire? The judge selected yours. Now please go on
that damned stage. The judge is waiting.”

I went up the steps and I
almost tripped. I was shaking as I glanced at Claire from under my
lashes. She had stood up and had started to walk in Ms Jacobs
direction. No... I had to do something..I felt desperate.. Just then
something crossed to my mind. I went near the judge and spoke with
him. He looked at me disappointed and then called Ms Jacobs. Claire
had just arrived in front of her, but she hadn't spoken to her yet.
Ms Jacobs stood up and came on the stage..

“
What's
the matter Cassidy?”

“
She's
saying that this work is not hers that she copied it,” the
judge responded for me.

“
What?
Oh Cassidy...this disqualifies you.. How could you do something like
this?” She said in a disappointed tone.

“
I
know.. I'm sorry, I never thought I would win..Please give the prize
to the runner up.” I said in a weak voice. I was next to tears.
I had to get down from there before breaking down in front of the
whole school.

The judge nodded and after
explaining that there has been a mistake he called Claire up. She
looked at me stunned but with an evil grin. I walked down the stage.
I was distraught. Tears were running down my face as I ran outside. I
didn't want to face anyone. I just needed to cry. At least David was
saved for now. Although I couldn't imagine how I  was going to
pass the weekend, thinking about her with him. This was going to kill
me. I ran along the corridor and when I had almost reached the exit
someone grabbed my arm stopping me. I looked back to see David...

“
Why
did you do it?” he asked angrily.“Cassidy what the hell
is wrong with you? Huh...”

“
I'm
sorry I had to... I can't come with you.”

Suddenly I saw something in
his eyes. A flicker of anger. He left my arm and made took a few
steps back. His eyes widened and then I saw a shadow of sadness and
 despair on his face.

“
No...
this can't be true..” he said...

“
What?”

“
You
did all this to be able to go with Tyler on that business trip which
isn't a business trip. It was just an excuse. You want him again.. Oh
my God I can't believe this. This time I thought that it was going to
be different. You seemed to love me. I was wrong..again..”

He slammed his hand on the
wall. A tear rolled down his face. I felt my stomach contracting so
hard that I was going to throw up. My heart was pounding hard in my
chest and I felt like if something heavy was crushing me. He thought
I was in love with Tyler. I was going to say that this wasn't the
case, that I loved him more than I loved myself or anyone in the
world, but I couldn't.. I just stood there looking at him in
silence...

“
Fine.
If this is what you want then I guess, we're finished. It's the end.
Maybe after all I should accept Claire's love..

I looked up at him in
horror.. No...

“
At
least she knows what she wants.”

“
No...”
I cried. “ David.”

“
I
have always loved you... always even when you kept hurting me. And as
much as I wish to stop.. I will never stop loving you.”

CHAPTER
36

It was six in the morning
and I was already on my feet. I had prepared a small luggage to take
with me. I wasn't very eager to go but I knew I couldn't refuse.
Tyler was coming for me in about an hour. When I was ready I sat down
on the edge of my bed and blew out. What had I done? How could I let
Claire win? Right now she was with David. Probably they were already
on the train. Just the thought that something could happen between
them made me feel sick.

“
Are
you ready?”

I gazed up and saw mum
standing at the door. I nodded.

“
Do
you want some breakfast before you leave?” She asked gently.

“
No
thanks.” I replied. Mum walked in the room and came to sit near
me.

“
Cassidy
I can't understand you.”

“
What
is it that you don't understand?” I asked.

“
Why
you're in this miserable state. If you wanted to go with David why
have you accepted to leave with Tyler. Cassidy you're doing it
again.” Mum said.

“
What?”

“
Throwing
away your happiness.”

“
Mum
you don't understand. This time it doesn't depend on me.”

“
Then
on who? Cassidy we make our own happiness. In the past I did choices
which made me suffer. I never managed to find true love until now.”

“
With
Edward?” I asked.

“
Yes.
I'm very happy and I know you will be too but you have to do the
right choices and not let someone else do them for you.”

I looked down, what she was
saying was true.

“
I'm
leaving for the weekend too.” Mum announced. I smiled at her.
Mum and Edward were really going strong, I wasn't surprised if they
got married soon. “Edward has a house near the lake.” She
continued.

“
Oh,
then it will be a romantic getaway.” I teased. She blushed and
I smiled. She looked so happy, I almost felt a stab of envy. I wished
I was heading for a romantic getaway as well.

At that moment I heard a
horn, Tyler had arrived.

“
I
have to go mum.”

“
Enjoy
you trip Cassidy even if your heart will be into another place. Mum
seemed to know me better than anyone else in the world.

I found Tyler waiting for me
in his car. He looked tired as if he hadn't slept much.

“
Good
morning.” I told him climbing in the car.

“
Good
morning. Ready for today? Cassidy this meeting is very important. I
stayed up all night to prepare the speech. I hope you have prepared
yourself well. Have you checked the proposal again and-”

“
I'm
ready Tyler. Don't worry I know everything by heart.” I said
annoyed at his lack of confidence. In truth I was terrified of what
lay ahead but I didn't want to show it. I was nervous yes, about the
meeting. About the outcome. I knew this was very important for Tyler
and I wanted to make it happen for him. For some reason I felt in
debt with him. I wanted to make it up to him, hoping that success in
his career could atone for failure in his love life.

“
I'm
sorry. I'm just nervous I guess.” He said as he started to
drive. “Are you OK? You seem so down today.”

“
I'm
fine.” I replied avoiding his gaze. I looked in front of me
most of time hoping this would hide the sadness that veiled my face.

“
You
would rather be somewhere else right? Far from here and from me.”

For the first time in 20
minutes I had tipped my face up to look at him.

“
Tyler
please I don't want to discuss that.”

“
You
have to or else you won't concentrate on the meeting.” My gaze
met his, mirroring his anxiety and sadness.

“
I
will. I'm quite good to separate business from my personal life.”

“
You
surely are but not today. Have you spoken to him?”

“
No.”
Why was he doing this to himself? Why bothering to talk about things
he already knew and rubbing salt on open wounds?

“
I
still can't understand you Cassy? You wouldn't let go of me years
ago. When we were discovered and I left you because I was forced to,
you had reacted differently. You didn't want to let go. Now with
David you're reacting differently. You didn't even speak to him about
the problems you're having with that person who's threatening you.
Why Cassidy?” He asked.

I took a deep breath.

“
Listen,
I don't remember what happened with you so I can't really tell. I
gather that I was in love with you and that I wanted to stay with you
when I was younger.”

“
And
you don't want to stay with David? Is that what you're saying?”
He asked, hope in his voice.

“
No,
it's not that what I'm saying. I'm saying that I'm not ready to
destroy his career for my selfishness. I'm saying that I love him so
much that I would rather suffer than to make him choose between me
and his career. I'm sorry Tyler, I'm sorry for you. I'm sorry that
you lost your career because of me. To my defense I can say that
probably I was still too young to understand that. I think you were
my first love so I must have loved you but I'm not 17 anymore. I'm
more mature and now I understand how wrong our relationship was. It's
not suppose to happen. Students and teachers shouldn't be lovers.”

“
No
they shouldn't.” He agreed. “But sometimes you can't stop
the inevitable. We were in love and no law could stop us Cassy. How I
wish that I could turn back time.”

“
That
would be great. You would do the right thing and ignore the stupid
feelings of a student.”

“
No.
I would do everything all over again. With exception of leaving you.
Listen I've arrived at point in love that made me realise that no
work could be as much as important as love. A man can find another
work but can never find true love twice. No matter how hard you try
and look around. There is nothing such as your first love.” His
voice broke as he gulped. I sighed as I stared out across the lake.
The place was beautiful but I couldn't focus on its beauty at the
moment. In my mind there was only one image.. that of David. What
Tyler was saying was the truth. David was the only person I managed
to love after the accident. I might have loved Tyler in the past but
that didn't happen again in the present.

The conversation stopped
there. Tyler seemed too emotional to manage to say anything else. He
kept quiet during the rest of the trip. When we arrived, he composed
himself, he fixed his tie and tried to take off the mask of anguish
he had depicted on his face.

“
We're
early, there is still some time for us to revise the proposal if you
feel like.”