Nothing But Dust In The Shadows

Cassie

“Mr. West and Miss. Reid?” The receptionist called.

Cassie felt a large amount of dread arise in the pit of her stomach. She felt like she was about to throw up all over the freshly polished tiled floor in the lobby.

Jason got up from the seat beside her and gestured for Cassie to follow him. Reluctantly, she pulled herself up from her seat and almost flinched when he took her hand and locked their fingers together.

She didn’t think it was a sign of affection, it was just a method of stopping her from running away.

Jason smiled at the receptionist as they reached the desk.

“They’re ready for you. I’ll take you through,” She grinned and led them up the stairs.

Cassie’s eyes didn’t leave the floor. From the entrance to the ceremony room, all she saw was the tips of the front of her shoes and her dress moving as she walked.

The receptionist began talking friendlily and Cassie knew that this girl adored weddings. She knew she would probably end up planning them for a living.

“So are you two excited?” The brunette beamed.

Cassie stayed silent and continued to stare at the floor.

“Yeah, we can’t wait- We just want to be husband and wife,” Jason said smoothly.

“How come you decided on the registry office- Not fond of big weddings?”

“We wanted one but we figured we’d save the money for the future instead- You know, kids and the whole thing marriage is really for?”

This time, Cassie’s eyes shot up from the floor.

Kids?

Being married to Jason was one thing but having children with him? She could get out of the marriage and never have to see him again but if she had his child then Jason would be a permanent fixture whether she liked it or not.

“Aw, that’s lovely,” The receptionist cooed, stopping outside some large oak doors, “Here we are. If you just let Linda know you’re here then you can just go on in,”

“Thank you,” He smiled at her and wrapped his arm around Cassie’s waist.

“I wish you all the best,” She beamed before skipping off downstairs.

Cassie rolled her eyes- Like a happy life with someone you hate is even possible.

Jason pressed an unwelcome kiss to her temple, “Let’s go talk to Linda then,” He guided her over to a rather large lady with a wide smile.

It seemed everybody in the building was happy aside from Cassie.

“Mr and soon-to-be-Mrs. West?” Linda asked with a grin.

Cassie’s stomach turned. She was about to become Mrs. Jason West and the thought disgusted her.

“That’s us,” Jason nodded.

“Great. We’re running a little behind schedule at the moment but you should be in soon enough,” She scribbled something down on her clipboard, “Follow me,”

“Ready, baby?” He whispered into Cassie’s ear.

She shuddered. And not in a good way.

But, she knew she was doing this for Alex’s sake so she took a deep breath and dealt with it.

“I’ll never be ready,” She murmured back.

“Well don’t sound so enthusiastic, Cass,” He rolled his eyes.

She snarled at him, “Let’s just get this over with,”

Alex

Alex would’ve turned the fifteen minute journey downtown into a five minute journey if he’d have decided to break the speed limit. But he thought it’d be better to get there as quick as he could at the speed limit than risk being pulled over by the police and not get to Cassie at all.

Of course though, he had to be stopped by every possible traffic light on his way. Because, when you’re in a rush, the lights are never on your side.

He was just hoping that the ceremony in a registry office was at least half an hour long because he may have just stood a chance of getting there on time.

It was just before quarter past three when he arrived and parked up in the car park nearby. He jumped out of the car and sprinted across the road, dodging a few cars that blared their horns distastefully at him.

He bounded into the building and looked around the lobby, running over to and sliding to a halt in front of the reception desk.

“Hello?” He began as the receptionist chatted on the phone, “Hello?” He waved at her and her eyes cast upwards to him but she continued to talk. He huffed and, becoming impatient, he grabbed the phone from her hand, “Hi, sorry, she’ll have to call you back,” He slammed the receiver down and looked down at the shocked face of the brunette.

“Uh, excuse me? What on earth do you think you’re doing?” Her perfectly plucked eyebrows rose high onto her forehead.

“I’m sorry but I need to know where Cassidy Reid’s wedding is,” He said, his tone as urgent as it could be.

“Yes, well I needed to know what time that young lady on the phone wanted to book her wedding for but I guess we can’t all have what we want,”

“I’m sorry I hung up on her but this is really serious. I need to know where she is. Please,” He begged with his eyes and gazed right into hers, “Please, I just... I can’t miss this wedding. She’s my best friend and I know that I’m already late,”

A sigh left her lips and she stood up, “Follow me,”

“Thank you. Thank you so much,” He smiled at her as she guided him up a set of stairs and stopped in front of two large oak doors.

“The ceremony is half way through so you have to be quiet,” She murmured with a silent demand.

Alex felt his heart almost stop beating in his chest, “So are they married yet?”

“They will be if they’ve done their vows but I don’t sit in. They could well be married already,” She shrugged.

He gulped, “Okay, thanks,”

The receptionist smiled slightly and wandered off down the steps again.

Alex took a deep breath and quietly opened the door, sliding inside and looking over to the couple standing in front of the registrar.

The noise of the door opening and closing caused Jason and Cassie to look over.

He nodded in acknowledgement, “What’s up guys?”

Cassie

Cassie’s mouth dropped open at the sight of Alex standing at the entrance.

“I’m not interrupting anything important am I?” He questioned, a teasing smirk twitching at him lips.

“Actually, we’re in the middle of our vows right now,” Jason growled dangerously.

“Oh, so I’m not too late!” Alex beamed, strolling down the aisle between the two sections of chairs.

“Feel free to sit and watch,” Jason responded.

Cassie’s eyes didn’t leave Alex for one second. She wasn’t even sure she was blinking.

“I didn’t mean too late to watch, I meant too late to stop it,” He rolled his eyes, “I guess God only blessed you with brawn and not brains,”

Cassie felt Jason’s hands tighten around hers as his anger rose. She pulled their hands apart, having to use quite a lot of force because Jason was very reluctant to let go.

“Cassie,” He murmured almost threateningly.

She didn’t like his tone but she simply replied in a whisper, “You kept up your end of the bargain Jason and I’ll keep mine, okay?”

She headed up the aisle from her end and met Alex halfway.

“Alex, you need to go,” She urged, placing her hands on his chest and gently pushing him backwards.

He stepped back once but brought his foot forward again, placing his hands on hers and squeezing them tight, “Cassie, what the hell are you doing?”

“Excuse me but we’re already behind schedule and there’s another wedding after this one,” The registrar spoke up.

“Just, take five for me?” Jason stuffed his hand into his pocket and pulled out a fifty dollar bill.

“But if I do that then there won’t be enough time for me to complete the ceremony,” She frowned.

“There isn’t going to be a ceremony,” Alex huffed loudly.

“You can surely skip all the unimportant stuff, right?” Jason raised his eyebrows at her, pulling another fifty from his pocket and handing the two bills to her.

She nodded, “Okay,” She agreed before heading out of the room through a side door.

“You guys leave too, yeah?” Jason gestured to the two necessary witnesses who nodded and followed suit.

Once the door was closed, Jason’s temper flared.

“What the hell do you think you’re playing at Gaskarth?!” He barked.

Cassie groaned lightly, “Jason, just chill out, yeah? I’m handling this,” She looked over her shoulder at him, sending him a defiant glare.

“Remember we have a deal Cassie,” He reminded.

“I know!” She snapped, “I can’t forget about the God damn thing. Would you just shut up for one second?!” She took a deep breath once Jason fell silent and looked up to Alex’s deep brown eyes.

“Cass,” He began, “Why are you doing this?”

“You know why I’m doing this,” She replied, “Alex you have to let me go through with it otherwise you’re going to end up in prison and I can’t have that on my conscience,”

“It’s not going to be on your conscience, it’ll be on his,” His eyes flicked up to Jason who was pacing impatiently.

“God, I thought I’d get this over and done with before you could figure out what was happening,” She closed her eyes exasperatedly.

“Well you made two fatal errors,” He whispered, “One, you sent the letter in the first place,” He began.

She chuckled, “And two?”

“And two, you underestimated me,” He spoke with something of a disapproving tone but the huskiness of his voice made her quiver.

If only she could’ve kissed him at that moment.

“I guess I did,” She sighed, “I knew I should’ve waited until I’d already done it before I told you,”

“I’m glad you didn’t,” He began with a small smile.

She looked up at him, “Alex-”

“Don’t do it, Cass,” He interrupted her, “You can’t. You don’t love him- You don’t want him,”

“This isn’t about what I want,” She disagreed.

“Yeah it is. It’s always been about you want. You wanted to go on a road trip. You wanted to move on. You wanted to bail me out. You wanted me,” He explained, “And you’ve done and got all of those things now. You don’t want to do this,”

“I know I don’t but I’m doing this for you,” She urged, “You said yourself that you like me but you draw the line at going to prison for a girl,”

“Yeah but I never said I wouldn’t go to trial for you,” He stated.

She laughed slightly, “Well I draw the line at getting my boyfriends wrongly accused of crimes and ending up anywhere near a courtroom,” She countered.

He took his hands from hers and placed one of them on her neck, staring her dead in her hazel eyes, “I care about you too much to let you throw your life away for me,”

“And I care too much about you for you to let me give up on our last hope to keep you safe,” She traced her thumb down his cheek and smiled, “I’m sorry, Alex,” She pulled out of his grip and walked back over to Jason.

“Cassie,” Alex reached out after her.

“You’ve lost, Gaskarth, deal with it,” Jason scoffed.

“Leave it,” Cassie growled at him, “Do something useful and get the registrar back in here,” She demanded.

“As you wish,” He nodded, beaming triumphantly at Alex as he headed for the door.

“Cassie, if you leave this room now I can promise you that I won’t go to prison,” Alex bartered.

“You can’t be sure of that Alex, this is the only way,” She sighed, feeling a lump form in her throat.

“Your dad knows how we feel about each other! He’s not pressing charges regardless of if Jason gives whatever bullshit statement he was going to,” He said.

Jason stopped dead and turned around.

“What?” Cassie and Jason chorused with identical frowns.

“It’s true Cass,” He breathed, “I swear to you,”

“That’s bull,” Jason scowled, “You’re making it up- Rob wouldn’t have let you anywhere near him for you to know that and like hell he’d talk to you on the phone,”

Cassie gazed at Alex, “He has a point,” She whispered.

“See?” Jason was becoming childish.

“I jumped the gate!” He threw his arms in the air, “I drove to your house after I read your letter, I jumped the gate and I knocked on the door,”

“This is complete crap,”

“Your mom answered-” Alex’s eyes were still locked on Cassie.

“Stop making shit up Alex, this is pathetic. Her mom isn’t even in Maryland,”

“Your dad came out from the kitchen-”

“I’m going to get the registrar and security, he’s insane,”

“-Into the hallway and saw me and he went ape-shit-”

“Cassie, don’t listen to him,” Jason boomed as Cassie’s mind became overwhelmed with the two boys talking over each other.

“- I showed them your letter-”

“Like Rob would even spare the time of day for you,”

“- You have to believe me Cass. He’s not going to press-”

“You’re such a liar,”

“Jason, you ignorant son of a bitch, just shut the fuck up for once!” Cassie yelled, her breathing ragged.

Both boys’ mouths hung open in shock and Alex looked at her, pride seeping out of his eyes.

“Alex,” She began with a calming breath, “Are you lying?”

“If I was lying do you think I’d even be here? You never once mentioned in your letter where you were hosting this bullshit parade,” He replied, “Your dad was the only other person beside you two that knew. How else would I know that your mom’s name is Susanne and you’re the spitting image of her but with your dad’s nose?”

A smile drifted over her face, “You met my mom?”

He nodded, “Yeah and she likes me, so that’s a good start,”

She laughed, “Alex, if we leave this building now, are you willing to swear down on my life that you won’t end up in another police station?”

“I can promise I won’t end up in another police station for the crime of kidnapping you,” He offered.

She stared at him for a second, “That’s good enough for me,” She smiled.

He beamed at her and held out his hand for hers.

She walked over to him and placed her hand in his awaiting palm. He pulled her close to his body and dipped his head, slowly capturing her lips in his in a passionate kiss. As he pulled away, he rested his forehead on hers.

“Let’s get out of here,” He suggested.

She nodded and he threw his arm around her shoulder as she slid her around his waist.

“Cassie, what about our deal?! He could be lying to your face,”

“Shove your deal up your ass, Jason,” She threw over her shoulder, “He doesn’t lie to me like you do,”

Alex flipped Jason off over his shoulder and pressed a kiss to Cassie’s temple, “God, I love this new cursing thing you have going on,”

She looked up at him, “Oh yeah?”

He nodded, “Oh yeah,” He smirked.

As they reached the car of Alex’s that he’d parked in the car park but across three spaces, Cassie laughed.

“Babe, who taught you how to park?” She giggled.

“Hey, this was panic parking,”

She shook her head and waited for him to unlock the doors.

Then Alex let out a loud groan, “What the hell? Seriously?!” He huffed.

“What? What’s wrong?” She frowned.

He held up a piece of yellow paper, “Parking ticket,” He pouted.

She laughed, “Still think coming to stop this was a good idea?”

He pondered this for a second, “I’ll get back to you on that one,”

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'You Were Better To Me Than I Was To Myself, For Me There Is You And There Ain't Nobody Else'

Michael Buble