The thunder rolled, its sound increasing in volume as its accompanying storm moved closer to the eerily quiet campus of Cyprus Rhodes University.
Nothing stirred on the grounds except the trees swaying in the breeze that was gathering strength by the moment.
All inhabitants had apparently fled indoors, searching out a drier, more secure spot to wait out the approaching onslaught.
Casey Cartwright stood with her arms crossed over her chest, staring out her third story balcony door at the campus below.
A princess set up high in a tower, she thought. Then shook her head, the loneliness of the last few months was obviously starting to get to her.
She wondered where Ashleigh was. Wondered if she could entice her into a movie or something. Anything to take her mind off the approaching storm.
She was not a person who was comfortable with storms. Thunder made her jumpy, lightning caused her insides to shake.
She remembered, a touch ruefully, how great Cappie had been about her silly fears. Despite his normal attitude, the moment he heard thunder, he turned into a completely different person. He was attentive and reassuring and there for her. Holding her while the storm raged outside the window, making her feel secure and safe.
She sighed and turned from the window, realizing that she was only dwelling on her fears by standing there staring at the trees bending in the wind.
A particularly loud bang of thunder caused her to jump and turn back to the window.
She gave a loud shriek as a figure appeared, back lite by a clash of lightning. She took a step closer to the door, ready to make sure the latch was in place and secure.
The ominous figure moved closer, his head covered in a black hood against the threatening rain and wind, his clothes were wet, sticking to his chest and legs.
Casey snatched at the phone, backing away from the door as she did.
Then the figure moved the hood from his head and relief flooded over her in a wave that made her legs tremble.
" Cappie ! " She fumed as she snatched the door opened and allowed him inside.
" I tried to call, but I guess the phones are down. There is some storm kicking up out there. " He explained as he removed his hoodie and threw it out the door so it wouldn't drip on the beige carpet under his feet.
" What are you doing here ? Rebbecca's room is on the next floor, three windows in. "
He took a step closer to her and hesitated, looking up at her with uncertainty in his eyes.
" I didn't come here for Rebbecca. She's okay. She isn't afraid of storms. " He explained.
She stepped back, retreating to her messy, cluttered desk and sat down in the pink office chair. " You came here because I'm scared of storms ? " She inquired with an eyebrow raised in disbelief.
He shrugged and gave her a weak smile. " Yeah, I remember how upset you used to get. I didn't want you to be alone. "
She shrugged as well, though secretly touched by his thoughtfulness, she wasn't ready to let him know that. " There have been many storms since we broke up. You didn't scale the side of my building and climb over my balcony any of those times. What makes this one so different ?"
He moved to her and knelt, resting a hand gingerly on her knee as if he expected her to brush it away.
But the warmth she found there began radiating through the rest of her body and she couldn't bring herself to make him back away.
" You weren't alone then. You had Chambers. " He told her.
She batted away his comment with a careless gesture though his words struck her deep down. " Evan never gave much thought to my problems with storms. He said I was being silly. Told me it was just thunder and rain and laughed when I jumped at the noise. "
Cappie's eyes grew dark for a moment but he quickly recovered and gave her another smile, this one stronger, more like his normal smile. " Chambers is an idiot. Did you ever tell him why it scared you so much ? "
She shook her head. " I figured he wouldn't really care that much. We didn't talk like that much. "
He took her hand in his and looked up at her. " I remember we used to talk for hours. I never ran out of things to say to you. "
She pulled her hand back, out of his grasp and turned the chair so she could stand and walk to the window once again. She kept her back to him as she answered. " That was only when you found the time to be with me at all. "
There was silence behind her and she refused to turn to see what he was doing. Then she felt him behind her, the rage outside the window drowning out the sound of his movement.
" I was an idiot. I have no idea what else to say to you. I know I hurt you. I know I deserved everything that happened. I never meant for you to be hurt. " He explained, quietly, his breath brushing through her hair and she started to realize how close he really was to her.
" Yeah, you were an idiot. " She managed over the pounding in her chest caused from his nearness. "But you've changed. I can see that. You're so much better with Rebbecca. "
He huffed, angry that she kept bringing up his girlfriend apparently. But she couldn't just ignore the fact that he was taken, that he had chosen to move on.
" I don't want to talk about Rebbecca. " He said, his tone firm and unyielding.
Still she couldn't let it go. " Why not ? She's your girlfriend. She's the woman you chose to be with. You shouldn't be here. You should be with her. "
His hand came to rest gently on her shoulder. " But she isn't the one I want to be with. " He answered. " I've tried. I really have tried. I've pretended and put on this great act. But she isn't you, Case. She will never be you. "
She breath caught in her throat and her pulse raced even faster.
" Cappie, I can't do this. Right now, it doesn't matter. "
" Turn around. " He demanded, his voice low and throaty.
She shook her head. " If I do that, then I'm no better than her. I can't. I won't. "
" Then, at least let me hold you. I can see you shaking. I know you're scared. " He pleaded.
" I'm not. I'm fine. " But a loud clap of thunder chose that moment to make a liar out of her, shaking the windows with its intensity and causing her to yelp and fling herself against him, burying her head in his chest.
" No, " He chuckled, as his arms came around her and he pulled her against him. " You aren't scared at all. "
" Don't make fun of me. " She hissed.
" I would never make fun of you. I'm not Evan. I know you can't control what scares you. " He announced, looking down at her with concern and tenderness in his eyes. " How about you just let me take care of you for a little while ? "
She considered his words, his concern touching a place in her soul she thought was dead or at least sleeping.
" You don't have to be the strong one all the time. There is nothing wrong with breaking down sometimes, letting someone else take control. " He continued at seeing the uncertainty in her eyes.
" I just don't know. I don't know if I can just let go any more. I've been holding on so tightly lately, I'm not sure I know how to just fall apart anymore. " She explained, her voice full of pain.
" Trust me. " He said, guiding her over to the bed.
She let him lead her and sat down on the softness of the mattress.
Then he turned away, but stopped before leaving the room. " I'll be right back. "
She nodded and watched him close the door behind him, having no idea what she was doing. He wasn't hers anymore. He didn't belong to her.
My safety net, she thought, he's my safety net and tonight I want to feel safe.
It had been so long. So long since she had felt safe and guarded and cared about. So long since she had felt loved. And for all his faults, Cappie knew how to make her feel loved and safe.
She glanced at the window as an impressive strike of lightning lit up the entire sky and the room in particular.
She was wringing her hands in her lap, unconsciously twisting them around each other. The storm was growing, increasing in intensity. The thunder was so loud now it caused her insides to shake every time it boomed. The lightning was so sharp and clear and the trees bent, the wind howling through them relentlessly.
Where the hell was he ? Where had he gone ? What was he doing and why was it taking so long ?
It was typical Cappie. His intentions had been good, but here he was disappearing again.
She got up and went to the door, looking up and down the hall for some sign of him. Then she heard the voices on the stairs and eased out of her room to check on the commotion.
Thankfully no one else seemed to have heard them. No one else lurked from their rooms. Casey couldn't imagine how they could have missed the noise. Rebbecca was practically shrieking.
Cappie's voice was lower, but no less angry. She heard her name a few times, flung at him angrily as Rebbecca ranted.
Then there was silence until a moment later, a door slammed below her.
She hurried back into her room and returned to her position on the bed, watching the door expectantly.
Another blast of thunder shook her to her core and the accompanying bolt of lightning lit up the entire room in electric blue. Then everything went dark.
The silence in the house was nearly absolute, the darkness oppressive.
She felt the tears, caused by her fear begin to stir in the corners of her eyes and she reached for the table beside the bed, fumbling in the drawer for a flashlight.
A hiss and the sudden smell of sulfur permeated the room only a moment before an orange light burst into life.
Cappie stood holding a match to the candle on her dresser, waiting patiently as the wick caught and the candle flared. Then he turned back to her.
" It's okay. " He assured her. " Just a little power outage. "
She nodded weakly, feeling less secure by the second.
Seeing the helpless look on her face, he came to her, settling at her side and putting his arms around her.
" It's nothing. " He whispered. " I've got you. "
She felt herself relax into him, muscles she hadn't even realized she was tensing suddenly went lax and she sagged into his arms.
" You shouldn't be here. " She told him, yet made no move to leave his comforting embrace. " You should be downstairs trying to work out whatever you were fighting over. "
He laughed. " We were fighting over nothing and I'm not really that interested in fixing it anymore. "
" What does that mean ? " She tilted her head up so she could see his face.
" It means, I'm done. We are always fighting over nothing. The whole thing has become way too complicated and it's starting to feel like work. " He explained.
" Relationships are hard, Cappie. Sometimes they require work. " She tried to keep the condescending tone from her voice, but realized she failed miserably.
" But it should be worth the effort, right ? " He asked, catching her eyes. " It should only be work if it's something that really means something to you. If it doesn't mean anything, what's the point ? "
" So she doesn't mean anything to you ? " Casey ventured. " You can't mean that. I know you better. You don't do causal relationships. "
He laughed, the sound booming over the thunder. " Have we met ? "
She offered him a smile.
" That isn't what I meant. I know you do causal sex. Hell, I think you might be the crown Prince of causal sex. " He chuckled and it caused the hair on the back of her neck to stand on end. " But when you decide someone is worth a call the next morning, when you chose to spend time with someone and not have sex, it is never causal. You care and you know you do. You're lying to yourself if you say any differently. "
He sighed. " I might care about her. " He agreed. " But I'm not sure I care enough. "
" So you don't love her ? "
He laughed again. " No, not hardly. I ... "
The rest of his sentence trailed off as he looked into her face, his eyes locking with hers.
There was a moment, a breathless, heart stopping moment, where the world stopped, the stormed ceased to rage, there were no other people. No Rebbecca, no Evan. No past with all its mistakes. It was only the two of them, completely lost, totally absorbed in each others gaze.
And Casey finally felt right. After months of searching, months of fruitlessly wandering around, trying to find her place, it was there, staring right back at her as if he were realizing the exact same thing.
His lips were on hers, searing, seeking, and reverent. He held nothing back, telling her without words exactly how he felt, how much he loved her, missed her, wanted her. And she returned all his emotions with her own, her own loneliness and desperation, the same desperation that had been a part of her since the last time he touched her.
" Oh my God. " She breathed, panting as he reluctantly broke away from her.
She felt his hands move over her back, so hot they nearly burned her skin. She felt his leg pressed against his, comfortingly. She felt his chest under her hands, solid and strong, telling her that he would protect her from everything in the world that might hurt her.
They were staring again, both afraid that if they moved, they might break the spell that had fallen over the room.
" Tell me this isn't just for tonight. " He whispered as his head fell to her shoulder. " I can't watch you walk away from me again. "
" I'll be here as long as you want me. " She answered without a question in her mind that she was finally telling the truth. She was finally where she belonged, had finally found what she was searching for.
The windows rattled again, forcing her, involuntarily, further into his arms.
" It's okay. Nothing is going to hurt you as long as I'm here. "
And she knew he wasn't just talking about the storm.