The large, crowded banquet hall was packed to overflowing with more bodies than I had anticipated. I stepped a trembling leg onto the red paisley carpet and tried to steady my nerves.

" I'm not so sure I want to do this. " I told Will, the man standing beside me, clutching my hand.

" Casey, you can't back out now. You promised me you'd come for a little while at least. " He chided, as the smile slipped from his face and he let my hand go so he could rest it on his hip.

" I know I did. But now, I'm just not so sure. I don't think this is a good idea. " I said, trying to edge my way back out of the room's entrance.

" But you can't leave without even coming inside. " He insisted. " You just can't. It's your ten year reunion. You don't want to miss this. " I still looked doubtful as he took my hand again. " You can do this. You need to do this. I know what you're thinking, and I promise you, once you get inside, once you actually see everyone again, you'll be fine. "

What he obviously wasn't understanding was it was the seeing everyone again that had me so tied in knots. How had I let him talk me into this ? How had he convinced me that coming face to face with my past would be a good idea ? I shook my head, " I can't, Will. I just can't. "

He looked clearly disappointment and dropped his eyes to the floor. " It's Evan, right ? You don't want to see Evan. "

" It's not just Evan. " I muttered more to myself than to him. I knew very well who it was I was not looking forward to seeing, and it certainly wasn't Evan Chambers. I hadn't even thought about having to face him.

He stepped closer to me and gave me his reassuring smile, one he had used quite a bit on me in the last few years. " Listen to me, You are still just as beautiful as you were in school. You have a wonderful, successful career. Come on, Casey, you're practically famous. And speaking of careers, you work entirely too hard. You need some time off and this is the perfect thing. You can just surround yourself with people how like and admire you. Besides, Rusty and Jenn will be here. Weren't you just telling me the other day that you don't get to see them nearly enough ? "

He was right about everything, of course. This reunion was exactly what I needed. My career was taking off. My latest design would be walking down the red carpet, worn by one of Hollywood's elite this next award season, and my new line would be featured in L.A.'s Fashion week very soon. Career wise I had nothing to be ashamed of. I was a success. People loved my designs. I had done exactly what I set out to do with my life. I knew I shouldn't be feeling so overwhelmed by all this. I shouldn't be standing at the edge of a room, staring inside like I was looking at a guillotine, but I was.

I could feel my hands shaking and my legs felt like rubber. " I promise you no one is going to know anything you don't want them too. I'm right here beside you. If you need to lean, " he patted his shoulder, " You just lean away. I can hold you up. "

I finally let a small smile escape as I watched him trying once again to make me feel better. That was, after all, what Will did. He made me feel better. That was his role in our relationship and while I felt a little guilty for relying on him so much, he continued to reassure me, over and over again that it was how he wanted it. He always said, he was my rock. It was his job and he was glad to play the part. So I let him.

" You've talked to Ashleigh, Rusty and Jenn, right ? " he asked, as he urged me forward.

" Yeah, they know everything and they promised to keep quiet. " I answered.

" Okay then. See, everything will be fine. " He smiled down at me. "Are you ready to do this now ? "

" I guess so. " I said, squaring my shoulders and taking a deep breath.

" Alright then. " He practically pulled me by the hand, not giving me a chance to stop at the edge this time. He dragged me forward, taking me to a table inside the door.

I barely got checked in and had time to plaster a stupid tag reading, ' remember me, I'm Casey Cartwright' to the lapel of my black suit jacket before I was being practically bowled over by a very excited, squealing Ashleigh.

" I didn't think you were going to come. " she gushed as she continued to hug me. " I figured you would find some reason to back out. "

" She tried. " Will commented from my side. " You should have seen how hard she tried. But I managed to sidestep her evasive maneuvering. "

Ashleigh let me go long enough to hug him. " Thank you, Will. You are a real trouper. We couldn't have gotten her here without you. "

" It was my pleasure. " He smiled and squeezed my hand which he had grabbed the moment I let go of Ashleigh. He was acting like he was holding a leash on a skidish dog that he was afraid would run the second he let go. And to be honest, that was probably an fairly accurate assessment of the situation.

" I just ran into Fran. " Ashleigh was saying as we went to the bar and grabbed a couple of glasses of punch. " She's a mess. " I felt terrible for being unable to hide my smile at that news. " I knew that would make you feel better. And just to make you feel even better, no one here knows anything about you. All I've heard since I got here is, how is Casey ? What's Casey doing now ? "

I was just about to admonish her for enjoying someone else's misery so much, even if it was Franny, when someone calling my name turned me in the opposite direction.

I let my eyes rake over Rebbecca Logan carefully. She looked exactly the same as she had ten years before. Her hair was still a lustering, wavy black curtain around her perfectly made up face. Her large brown eyes were still big and bright and youthful. Her full, red lips still held that smug smile it always had. I searched for some flaw in her appearance, something I could hold on to that would tell me she wasn't as perfect as she appeared, but I found none, on the outside at least.

" Rebbecca, " I forced a smile. " How are you ? "

" I'm wonderful. " she told me, giving me a stiff, cold hug. " How have you been ? It's been years. "

" Yeah, " I nodded, " Ten of them. " Okay, so I was being sarcastic. I couldn't help it. This was my mortal enemy after all. Surely I wasn't expected to be nice to her, even after all this time. " I'm great. What have you been doing with yourself ? "

Please say, I'm a divorced crack ho with five children and no career and an arrest record a mile long, I silently pleaded, as I worked to keep the pleasant smile on my face.

I knew, of course, that wasn't what she had been doing. Her marriage and success was public knowledge after all. We all knew that she was now Rebbecca Chambers, wife of Senator Chambers, or more to the point, Evan, my ex.

" Evan and I just bought a yacht. We're taking the kids on to Europe after this insane week is over. " she smiled sweetly. " How about you, what have you been doing with yourself ? "

I was fairly certain she knew exactly what I had been up to. She had after all thought about using one of my designs for Evan's inaugural ball a few years before.

" I just finished designing my new line. " I answered with a smile. " All the critics are calling it a tremendous success. "

" That's just great. " she said, although I could tell she had been praying I was going to be the one to confess to being the crack ho. " And who is this ? " She wrapped one clawed hand around Will's upper arm and pulled him closer to her, examining him critically.

" This is Will, my partner. " I tugged him away from her gently and was grateful when he moved closer to me and wrapped his arm around my waist, holding me up, just as he promised.

" Your partner, huh ? So you aren't married ? "

" Not yet, " Will smiled saucily. " We're waiting until after the new line comes out. I'm Will Trevors. "

Rebbecca took the hand he extended in her direction and held it a fraction longer than she should have, I noticed. Same old Rebbecca, always trying to take what she imagined was mine.

" Well, Will, you must be quite a man to have snagged our Casey after all this time. "

I gritted my teeth so tightly it made my jaw ache and dug my nails into Will's side, trying to keep from jabbing them into her face. " Yes, Will is really something. "

" I should go find Evan. I'm sure he would want to meet your fiance. " she smiled one last time before turning away and disappearing into the crowd.

" My God, " Will exclaimed after she was gone. " She is a piece of work. I thought all these years, you were just exaggerating. "

" Oh, no, " Ashleigh said, appearing from behind him where she had been hiding through the entire encounter. " She's mellowed quite a bit. "

We all laughed for a moment before another voice from the crowd grabbed my attention.

" Is this going to be another one of those ? " Will muttered before we turned to the owner of the voice.

I shook my head and spun around, practically falling into Beaver's hug. " No, no this is Beaver. He's a good guy. " I told him over Beaver's shoulder, before I realized my feet were dangling off the floor.

" I've been called a lot of things, but that's a new one. " He laughed as he sat me down and extended his hand to Will. " Michael Dunning, or as everyone around here knows me, Beaver. "

Will shook his hand with a smile of his own. " Will Trevors. "

" It's nice to meet you, Will. " Then he turned to me. " How has our little Casey been doing ? "

" Who's asking ? " I wanted to know.

" I thought we were past that. " He put one hand out to me playfully and pointed to the name tag on his chest that read, simply Beaver. " I'm Beaver. I'm sure you remember me. "

I laughed and batted his hand away. " You know what I mean. "

" I haven't seen him yet. " he answered immediately, telling me that he understood full well my meaning. " I mean, I talked to him last night and he's suppose to be here somewhere, but I haven't seen him yet. "

" Who is suppose to be here somewhere ? " Will asked, trying to figure out what we were talking about.
Okay, so I hadn't told him everything about my past. There were still a few things I kept to myself and this was one of them. I hadn't really talked about him in years. That wasn't to say I hadn't thought about him. I thought about him almost daily.

You think about him every time you look at Zach, I told myself silently. But I quickly squashed that voice and smiled brightly. " Just a mutual friend. "

" Yeah, " Ashleigh muttered from Will's side.

" Ash, how have you been ? " Beaver said, hugging her as well.

" I've been good. My latest book just made the best seller list. " She told him as he put her down.

" That's great. I read a couple of your books. Lisa, my wife, she loves them. Can't believe I know you. I promised her I'd introduce you. " He glanced over his shoulder, " But I guess, she's off somewhere. "

" Well, " Ashleigh beamed. " I promise to seek her out. I always have time for a fan. "

He let his eyes fall back to me. " You still haven't told me how you're doing. "

" I'm good, great, in fact. " I answered. " We just finished the new line. It'll be out in a few weeks. "

" Lisa is also a big fan of yours. She has one of your dresses, cost me a fortune but she just had to have it. " he told me.

" You should have come to me. I would have given you a deal. " I said.

" I'll remember that next time, before I take out the second mortgage. "

I laughed along with him. " What are you doing now ? "

" I'm here, actually. I'm on the faculty. " I looked a little dumbfounded for a moment and I guess he caught it in my face. I just could not imagine Beaver teaching. " I'm the assistant football coach. We went to the Rose Bowl last year. "

" Oh, " I smiled in understanding. Now that, I could picture. " That's really impressive. "

" Yeah, we put together quite a team. We're really proud of the boys. " He puffed out his chest proudly.

I felt the smile slip from my face as I realized it was time. I couldn't put it off any longer. I had to ask about him. " How is he ? "

Beaver's face mirrored my own, all the mirth leaving it for a moment. Then it was replaced once again as if nothing had happened. " He's good. It was a bit scary for a minute, right after graduation, but he really pulled it together. I'm sure you know all about that though. "

I nodded. Of course I knew about that. Rusty was his other best friend. How could I not know about it? I was privy to every detail of the drama Cappie's life had become after graduation. Rusty kept me well informed. I knew about his short lived marriage and his messy divorce. I knew how he had almost ended a promising career before it even began with a bout of depression that he barely recovered from in time. I knew that he was better now. I knew he was directing once again. I had even seen a couple of his movies. Alright, I'd seen every one of them. I'd seen them all more than once. Zach was a huge fan. And I was glad for that. I was proud of Cappie. After a small hiccup, he had really made something of himself, and that surprised me. I know it shouldn't have and I felt bad for feeling that way.

" Alright, now I'm really curious. Who are we talking about ? " Will interjected.

" Cappie. " Ashleigh supplied immediately, staring over his shoulder. She wasn't answering his question like we all thought, she was trying to warn me.

" Who is Cappie ? " Will asked.

" That'd be me. "

His voice caused the bottom of my stomach to plummet past the floor and into the basement. I grabbed Will's hand without conscious thought and held to it for dear life. I even thought I heard him wince painfully. I kept my eyes from seeking his as long as I could without appearing rude and when I did look at him, I still couldn't force myself to meet his eyes, instead my gaze rested on his full, beautiful lips as they moved while he spoke.

" Hi, Casey. " Again, his voice, so familiar and strange at the same time, slide over me, causing a jolt through my body that I wasn't prepared for.

" Cap, how's it going ? " I managed.

Will was looking more confused than I had ever seen him. His eyes skipped from Cappie to me and back again. I knew he could sense something going on between us. He knew very well, this was not just some random college friend. I could tell when he looked at me that he knew this was the reason I had been so reluctant to come.

Cappie looked disappointed. " Come on. I've seen you give everyone else a hug, including Rebbecca. Surely you've got one for me. "

My legs felt like they were filled with lead and my feet like they were buried in quicksand as we closed the space separating us and I sank into his arms. His chest was strong and solid under my cheek as he held me tightly against him and his arms were warm and comforting as they rested on my back.

Then suddenly it was time and this was the moment I had been dreading since receiving the invitation in the mail. It wasn't the hug that had me so terrified. It was the letting him go once again. I wasn't sure I was strong enough to slip back out of his arms now that I had felt them again.

But he helped, sliding away from me slowly, but with a look on his face that said, it was just as hard for him as it was for me.

As I looked around me, pulling my gaze from his face, still refusing to meet his eyes, I noticed that we were suddenly very much alone. Will, Beaver and Ashleigh had disappeared from view in the few seconds we had spent hugging. Or was it longer ? Surely it wasn't that long. Maybe it was a little longer than it should have been, but still they must have smoke coming off their heels to disappear that quickly.

" Looks like we've been abandoned. " Cappie smiled, hesitantly.

" Yeah, looks like. " I agreed. I hated the nervousness in my voice and the shaking of my hands as I reached for my glass of punch.

" How have you been Casey ? I've heard the design world is treating you well enough. " he began with the small talk and I was relieved. I didn't want a heavy conversation right now.

" Yeah, it has. The new collection came together really well, with Will's help of course. " I was determined to use Will as a buffer whether he was there or not.

" Will ? Is that the guy that was here a minute ago ? " he asked, taking his own glass of punch.

" Yeah, he's my partner. " I nodded.

" Partner, partner or just partner ? " he smiled once again.

" Both. " I answered.

His face fell for a moment. Then the smile returned. " That's great. I'm glad things are going well for you. "

" Thank you. But what about you ? I heard you're latest movie is up for an Academy Award. That's awesome. You deserve it. " I beamed at him.

" Yeah, I'm pretty proud of it. We all worked hard. " He nodded, modestly. " So, you saw it ? "

" I've seen all of them. " I answered, shifting and looking at the floor again.

" Really ? I didn't figure they were your type. "

" I loved them. And I have a guy that just loves your work. He's your number one fan. Makes me take him to every one on opening night. " I said, before I realized the words were coming out of my mouth. I definitely was not going to discuss Zach with him. That was in no way a topic for conversation with Cappie.

" Well, that's nice to know. I love my fan's. They keep the checks coming in. "

Thankfully, Will and Ashleigh appeared at that moment, forcing the awkward conversation to an end.

" You must be Will. " Cappie said, turning his attention away from me, thankfully.

" I must be. " Will smiled smoothly and shook his hand, while at the same time sliding his other arm around my waist, once again, giving me a place to lean. And boy did I need a place at that moment.

I let my head fall against his shoulder, grateful for his presence and realized that I didn't tell him near enough how much I appreciated him.

" Casey was just telling me that you're a fan of my work. " Cappie announced.

I nudged Will then realized there was no need. Despite the fact that he had no idea what it was he was suppose to be a fan of, he fell right into his role as whatever I needed him to be without missing a beat.

" Oh, yeah. I'm a huge fan. I can't believe I'm getting a chance to meet you. It's an honor. "

" We should get together after all this. Later tonight, maybe have dinner ? " Cappie suggested.

" That sounds great. Rusty is dying to see you. " Ashleigh supplied before I had the chance to protest. And I gave her a look that said I was going to make her pay as soon as I got the chance.

" Great, I want to see him, too. He said he was bringing my Godson. "

" Jeremy is wonderful. He'll be at the picnic tomorrow. " I said, as cheerfully as I could manage.

The family picnic tomorrow afternoon had been planned to give everyone a chance to show off their bundles of joys. I knew Jenn and Rusty were excited by the opportunity to show Jeremy off. I however was dreading the event more than I had dreaded this particular get together.

" You are coming to the picnic, right ? " Ashleigh asked, quickly. " They've really been looking forward to it. They were so disappointed that you couldn't make it out to meet him before now. "

" So am I. I wouldn't miss it. I can't wait to meet him. " Cappie replied.

Great, so much for those silent prayers today. I was really hoping he would say he wasn't staying, or wouldn't be at the picnic. But apparently God had better things to do today than grant my humble requests, so I gave them up, for a moment anyway.

"Dobbler's. " I suggested. " We should hit Dobbler's after this. For old times sake. "

My motives were much more ulterior than all that. I knew what Ashleigh was playing at. I could just see myself forced into a private little, intimate dinner party with just Will, Ashleigh, Beaver and his wife, Rusty and Jenn, Cappie and me. While eight of us seemed like a descent number to lose myself in, I figured Dobbler's would be even more crowded, making it even easier to get lost.

" That sounds like a plan. I'm going to go find Beaver and Lisa. Tell him I'm looking for him, if he should pop up again. " Cappie said, before leaving with a tilt of his glass in my direction.

I heaved a great sigh of relief when I could no longer make out his retreating form. Thank God, it was over, for now at least.