Chapter 9

She can feel his lips brushing against hers, and she kisses him back gently, opening her eyes. He's dressed in his pyjamas and judging by how the light is flittering in through her curtains, their time is up. "Promise me something," she says amongst her yawn.

He kneels by the bed so that their gaze is level. "Depends."

She shakes her head. "No depends on this one. I need you to do this for me, Sam."

Reaching out, he brushes the hair from her eyes, tucking it behind her ear. "Tell me what you need."

Sitting up on her elbows, she holds his gaze. "You won't argue with Linda." "You're asking the impossible."

"I need you think about the long run here, Sam," she reasons. "You can't give her anything to use against you."

He exhales, looking down.

She lifts his gaze to her own. "Promise me."

"I promise."

Leaning across the bed, she kisses him gently. "Thank you."

He kisses her back, before rising to his feet. "Will I see you later?"

Sitting up in bed, she tucks the comforter under her chin. Linda's request hangs unsaid between them. "...I want to do what's best for you and Nick, Sam."

"What's best for the both of us is you."

He looks more broken, more fragile than she remembers. His light stubble is turning into a beard

and his eyes are tired from more than their late night tryst. "Sam..." He's shaking his head. "I'm not loosing you again."

Her chest tightens. "You're not."

He frames his hands around her face. "She's not going to dictate my heart, Cassie." She softens, exhaling. "Ok."

"I need you to promise me something," he barters.

"You want me to see a doctor," she answers for him.

He nods, letting his thumb brush back and forth across her cheek. "Humour me?"

That night with Weld has been a constant loop in her mind. The fear she had felt not only for herself, but for her family has settled in heavily inside of her chest and as much as she wants to talk to him about it, she's also aware of what he's going through himself. "Promise."

Leaning down, he presses his lips to hers in a quick kiss. "I love you."

"I love you too."
...

To his surprise, he managed to slip back into the house undetected. He went about his morning as usual, waiting to hear movement from Nick's room before he knocked on the door. When there wasn't an immediate response, and it takes him a minute to gather why. "It's me," he clarifies.

The door opens, and Sam lets himself in, closing it behind him.

Nick moves about the room gathering textbooks and binders, shoving them into his backpack. "Did you and mom get into it last night?"

Thinking of his promise to Cassie, he changes the subject. "We can talk about your mom and I later. I want to talk about last night and where you really were."

Tossing his bag on the floor, Nick sinks onto his bed. "I went to a party."

He pulls over the desk chair, sitting. "Was there alcohol?"

"Yeah, but I didn't drink, I swear!"

He nods, finding his sons gaze. "I believe you...what was so important about this party that you felt you had to lie to both of us?"

"I didn't want to lie to you," Nick explains. "You weren't home yet and I knew mom wasn't going to let me go so I made something up."

"You thought I'd say yes to a party on a school night," he clarifies.

Nick sighs. "Probably not but you'd at least hear me out...I woulda made sure I didn't miss curfew."

He nods again. "Who'd you go to the party with?" "Just a friend."

"Who, Nick?" He presses. Cassie would have never allowed Grace to go, and his son's friends list began and ended with her.

"With Courtney."

He can't recall hearing her name before and judging by the way Nick's avoiding his gaze, she's probably more than a friend. "Were you respectful?"

"Yeah, of course."

He inhales, choosing his nexts words wisely. "Do you have protection?"

"God, Dad, really?!" Nick rubs his face.

"Yes, really. I'm you father and I'm also a doctor; I know how these things go." Nick rises from the bed moving to lean against the dresser.

"We didn't do anything."

"Ok...look, as much as I want to lecture you about waiting until you're much, much older, I'm also realistic; consent and protection, Nick. Neither of you can consent under the influence, do you understand?"

Nick nods.

He's suddenly not looking at the little boy that would splash in the mud puddles and run around the house using his robe as a cape. That little boy had turned into a young man over night. "...next time you want to hang out with her, can you invite her over to play video games or something? No more parties."

Nick smiles a little. "Promise you won't embarrass me?" "Sorry, no can do; that's a rite of passage."

Nick laughs, nodding. "Well when you put it like that."

Rising from the chair, he wheels it back into the desk. "You're still grounded. You'll get your phone back."

"That's fair I guess."

"More than fair," he agrees, pulling him into a hug. "Promise me you'll talk to me, Nick. About Courtney, school, whatever."

"I promise, dad."

He kisses the side of his head before pulling back. "Alright...I'm leaving in 15 with a stop at the Bistro. All passengers should be ready!"

Nick laughs. "I'll be ready."

...

Abigail watches her cousin closely as she makes herself busy around the kitchen. She's known her long enough to recognize that something's changed, even if she can't put her finger on it just yet. "Something's different," she comments, sipping her tea.

Cassie stills, taking her time folding the tea towel in her hand before turning to face her. "I got my memories back last night."

Everything clicks into place; the uncertainty that clings in the air mixed with an electricity she hasn't felt in Grey House in quite some time. "Sam was here last night." Her cousin blushes and Abigail smirks. "Can I presume you're both back on the same page?"

Cassie nods. "In some ways, yes."

Abigail frowns. "Let me guess: Linda."

Sighing, Cassie slides onto a stool beside her. "She doesn't feel Nick is safe around me."

She laughs. "Tell me you're joking." When her cousin shakes her head, Abigail pieces it together. "Because of Weld? New York is crawling with guys like him! She thinks Nick would be any safer there?"

Cassie doesn't respond, Grace joining them in the kitchen.

"Morning!" She greets brightly, helping herself to the juice and muffins her mother's put out. She looks between her mother and aunt mid sip, her eyes narrowing. "Something's up."

Abigail looks over at Cassie, sipping her tea.

"My memories came back last night," Cassie answers.

Grace immediately smiles, but when neither of them match her enthusiasm, she frowns. "That's not a good thing?" She deduces.

"I'm sure it's very overwhelming," Abigail answers. "...Your memory loss hasn't exactly given you the opportunity to really deal with what's happened to you both physically and mentally."

"Ignorance is bliss," Grace adds.

Cassie reaches across the island, taking both of their hands. "How did I get so lucky to have such intuitive woman in my life?"

Abigail squeezes her cousins hand. "Be gentle with yourself, Ok?"

Cassie nods and Grace's phone chirps. She quickly reads the message. "...I've gotta go; Nick's waiting for me." She circle's the island giving her mom a hug. "I'm here for whatever you need, Mom."

"Thank you, honey."

Grace grabs her bag heading for the door, and it isn't until he door closes behind her does Cassie finally exhale. "You can talk to me," she encourages gently.

Cassie wipes her eyes quickly. "Weld could have killed me that night...Sam and Brandon and Derek risked their lives for me and I can still...I can still hear his voice in my head...the way he threatened me and Grace and you and my entire family...and while you've all been dealing with the aftermath, I've been-"

"-this isn't your fault, Cassie," she cuts her off.

"How is it not?" She questions helplessly. "Weld came here for a key I had in my possession because of my great-grandmother."

"So by that logic you deserved what happened to you?" She counters back. Cassie shrugs a shoulder, wiping at her eyes.

Abigail reaches for her, pulling her into her arms. "The correct answer is no...what happened was not your fault, Cassie, and no one blames you." She holds her for a few minutes before pulling her back to meet her gaze. Her face is tear stained and she wipes a few of the remaining tears away with the pad of her thumb. "Me saying all this, I know, isn't going to make you believe it...have you thought about finding someone to talk to about this? Not that I wouldn't be an excellent choice." Cassie laughs, and she wipes a few more tears from her face. "You and I both know my limitations in that regard," she jokes.

"Maybe I should."

Abigail nods, moving to take Cassie's hands into her own. "I think that's a great idea. And know that I'm always here."

...

"Morning," Sam greets.

Taking a sip from her mug, Linda's gaze doesn't move from her laptop. "Morning."

She's set up a makeshift office on his dining table and he thinks for a split second to offer her is office, but thinks better of it. "I need Nick's phone."

"Not a chance," she answers, typing.

"Can you think about this logically, without emotion?"

Linda's gaze snaps to his. "Logically?" She echos. "If there's an emergency, the school can contact either of us. Logically, he's got a perfectly good computer in his room to do his homework and he's grounded so won't need his phone."

He leans against the top of the dining room chair, taking a minute to gather his patience. "All valid points. In my experience taking his phone doesn't have the desired effect you might think it will; that computer also has ways for him to chat with friends, as does the xbox, the tablet and the house phone."

"So we take away those too and before you say 'In my experience'," she mocks, "Have you stopped to think that you're way isn't the only way?"

"Have you stopped to think about how your way might not be the best way?" He counters.

She shakes her head to herself, returning her attention back to her computer. "Fine. It's on the dresser in the guest room."

"Thank you."

"So, did you find out where he really was last night?"

"He went to a party."

Linda laughs a little, her hands stilling over her keyboard. "Of course he did. Do kids drink in this small town?"

"There was alcohol," he confirms. "Nick wasn't drinking-" "-and you believe him?"

"I do, and so should you."

She's had enough of her computer, closing it shut. Flipping her hair off her shoulder, she gives him her full attention. "I trusted him before and he broke into a beach house and trashed the place."

"He's grown so much since then, Linda; how long are you going to hold that over him?" "Don't stand there and make me out to be the bad parent, Sam-"

He shakes his head. "-that's not what I'm doing. You're his mother and despite what's happened between us, I know that you love our son."

"I'm sensing a but."

He's sure to hold her gaze. "Your love can be conditional and manipulative-"

"-I don't have to sit here and listen to this-"

"-You need to hear this, Linda-"

"-Hear what, Sam!" Her voice has raised as she gets to her feet. "You've always thought I was a terrible mother, claiming I chose my career over my son."

"I've never said that-"

"-You didn't have to, Sam," she implores. "You took me to court and took him from me, remember?"

"The judge made that decision."

Linda laughs, rubbing her forehead. "Right, how could I forget," she replies sarcastically.

He rubs his own face in frustration. "...this isn't how I wanted this conversation to go-"

"-where have I heard that before?"

He inhales, exhaling audibly. "...you're his mother and you have the right to parent him how you choose. I won't allow the way you belittled him last night. You crushed him, Linda, and I'm not going to let you tear him down just so that you can get back at me."

"...Dad, I'm going to be late."

They both turn to find Nick standing in the doorway. Linda flushes beside him and he straightens. "I'll be right there. Can you go start the car?"

"I think I'll just walk...let you two finish your argument."

The feeling of betrayal is written all over Nick's face and he turns and leaves before he can say anything to him.

Tbc