Casey Cartwright sat in her women's studies class staring out the window at the bright, sunny day. Normally she enjoyed this class and would be paying attention, but the beautiful weather made it hard to concentrate. Instead she found herself thinking about a comment Max had made earlier. It was simply a casual comment about the two of them still being together in 10 years and in her mind she was trying to picture it.
The image was fuzzy however. It was too abstract, something she couldn't quite wrap her head around. But all of a sudden the images began to get clearer as she imagined staring into the eyes of the man she loved. She was surprised, although somewhere in the very deepest part of her soul she really wasn't, when she realized the eyes she was looking into were not Max's deep brown. Instead they were the beautiful blue that she had gotten lost in so many times before. Cappie? She thought. Somewhere in the back of her mind she knew she should start focusing on what Professor Freeman was saying, but even so she continue to let her mind wander further.
Daydream Cappie placed a loving kiss on her lips before turning from Casey to look at a young girl. Casey immediately recognized that the child had her smile and Cappie's exquisite eyes. He picked up the little girl and spun her around in the air while she giggled joyfully.
All of a sudden Casey was back in the present. Trying to shake the image from her mind, she looked over to see Cappie sitting in the seat next to her. He gave her a big smile, the same blue eyes of her fantasy twinkling in that mischievous way they always did.
What the hell was that? Casey wondered to herself.
Maybe it was the lingering thoughts of her daydream, maybe it was something else, but that night Casey showed up at the Kappa Tau house. What am I doing here? She thought as she walked up the stairs to Cappie's room. She knew she should turn around and go home, but she just couldn't. She needed to see him, almost like she needed air.
Cappie was lying on his bed, but he stood up when Casey entered. "Hi Case," he said. "Hey Cap," she replied. The two stared at each other for several seconds until Cappie finally spoke. "Not that I'm not always happy to see you, but uh… what are you doing here Casey?"
"I don't know I just…" she replied her voice trailing off. He moved closer to her, staring deep into her eyes as if searching for something. Suddenly his hand accidently brushed hers. The same electricity that had always existed between them sent tingles through both of their bodies with that brief touch.
They reached for each other at the same time, their minds and bodies completely in sync. The passage of time had done nothing to weaken their connection, that unspoken communication between them. Their lips met in a sweet, tender kiss. Casey's arms moved around Cappie and she placed her hands on the back of his neck, as their kiss deepened.
Cappie's tongue gently moved along Casey's lower lip and she opened her mouth, allowing him to enter. She felt her need for him increase as her own tongue explored his mouth. His hands rested on her hips and he began to back toward the bed, his lips never leaving Casey's.
Cappie sat down on the edge of the bed while Casey wrapped her legs around his waist, placing herself in his lap. Much to their mutual displeasure however, they were forced to part lips in order inhale the oxygen they both desperately needed at that point. Suddenly Casey's eyes widened as she seemed to remember something.
"Max," she said under her breath. Then quickly disentangling herself from Cappie she said, "I've gotta go," and fled the room. Stunned, Cappie watched as the woman he loved ran out the door, taking his broken heart with her.
Max opened the door to his dorm room in response to the persistent knocking. "Hey, Casey," he said, leaning in to give her a kiss. She turned her head slightly and he ended up kissing her cheek. "Hi Max," she replied. Casey sat down on his bed and he moved to join her. "I need to talk to you about something," she said.
"Sure, what's up?" Casey seemed to be struggling to find the right words. Finally she sighed, "Max, you know I care a lot about you, right?" He nodded. Perhaps it was the tone of her voice or the fact that she couldn't look him in the eye, but the smile he'd been wearing since seeing her at his door had faded. "Well, I want you know that I always will," she continued, "but I think we need to break up."
Casey looked up to see Max staring at her with a look on his face similar to if she had sucker punched him. "It's because of Cappie isn't it?" he asked.
"Yes," she replied, "I have been trying to ignore my feelings for him for a long time and I just can't do it anymore. You deserve to be with someone who truly loves you. You deserve to be someone's first choice and I just can't give that to you."
Max sighed, "I understand." She got up to leave the room, but as she reached the door she looked back for a moment and said, "Goodbye Max, I really am sorry."
Although ending things with Max had been painful, Casey was certain it was the right thing to do. She rushed back to the KT house to see the man she loved.
Upon reentering Cappie's room Casey found him in basically the same position as when she had left. He glanced up when heard her, but there was a faraway look in his eyes as though he wasn't really seeing her. "Hey," she said.
"Shouldn't you be with your boyfriend?" Cappie asked coolly. The tone of his voice caused her smile to falter. "No," she replied, "I just broke up with him."
"You did?" he asked, his eyes really focusing on her for the first time since she had entered his room. "Of course," said Casey, "Where did you think I went?"
"To be with him," Cappie responded quietly, the hurt evident in his voice. Casey looked genuinely surprised, "Why would you think that?"
"Well it could have something to do with the fact that you said his name and then ran out of here like you were an Olympic track star," his sarcastic tone just barely masking the pain he was feeling.
Casey put a hand over her mouth, slightly mortified. "Oh my God I did, didn't I?" She sat down on the bed next to him and took hold of both of his hands. "Cap, I am so sorry."
"That we kissed?" It seemed to be more of a statement then a question. "No of course not!" Casey replied emphatically. "I meant I'm sorry I left like that. I wanted to be with you so badly, but then I remembered Max. I've been cheated on before and it's a terrible feeling. I never want to hurt someone else by doing it to them, especially someone I care about. The reason I left so quickly was so that I could get back here to you as fast as possible." She lifted one of her hands to gently caress his face. "I love you Cappie and I want us to be together. I mean if that's what you want too," she said, her expression suddenly one of vulnerability.
"I love you too Casey and I want us to be together more than anything," said Cappie earnestly. She smiled and moved to kiss him, but he backed away from her. She looked hurt and confused. "Case, I know how much you've been focusing on your future since you got back from Washington. You have all these plans and goals for your career, but I still have no idea what I want to do. I'm just afraid that one day you'll decide that a guy who wears suits and has a 9 to 5 job fits into the life you're planning better than I do. I don't think I'd be able to bare it if I lost you again," he explained.
Casey placed her hands on either side of his face and waited until he was looking her into her eyes to speak, "The only thing I know for sure about my future is that I want it to be with you. And you're right. I do have goals for my career and for my life in general, but none of those accomplishments mean anything if you're not there to share them with me."
"Do you really mean that?" he asked. "With all my heart," she answered, smiling.
"Good because I'm not going to let anyone or anything come between us ever again," Cappie said as he pulled Casey into his lap for what would be only one of many unbelievable, heart stopping kisses.