Dedication Takes a Lifetime

I was sitting on the edge of our bed, face buried in my knees, when Shaun came in.

“Case, are you okay?” He rushed over to me and made me look up. My eyes were red and puffy and my cheeks were wet from the tears. “What’s going on? Who made you cry?” he asked, wrapping his arms around me.

I pointed to a pile of glossy magazines stacked messily on the corner of my black and white comforter. He reached over and took one off of the top, glancing at the title.

“Why’re you reading tabloids, Case? You know they’re trash.”

“When they’re talking shit about you, it’s kind of hard to not read them,” I choked out. “Curiosity killed the cat.”

“What’re they saying now?”

“See for yourself.”

I turned away from the magazine as he opened it, arms still around me. The article appeared in my mind, though, and I was forced to re-read the sharp words that had cut me not moments earlier.

Casey Burgess – controlling Shaun?

Yes, you read that right – we have reason to believe that Casey Burgess is trying to control her long-time boyfriend Shaun White.

Sources close to the couple have told InStyle exclusively about the issue at hand.

“Yeah, Shaun always has these really strict plans. He says he can’t break them because Casey… would kill him,” one source confessed. “It started with a new training regimen and now it’s gotten to the point where it’s the food he’s eating, too.”

Casey – who we all thought was Shaun’s perfect match – now seems to be hurting him and his game.

“This is the most I’ve seen Shaun crash, and I’ve known him for a while,” another source reports. “And Casey’s always there, screaming ‘Come on, Shaun!’ when he does… The way things are looking, [the relationship]’s not gonna last much longer.”

So there you have it. And even if you’re not a snowboarding fan, you’ll probably hope Shaun will get her out of his life before she brings him down.

I watched his face as I read the article in my mind. His range of emotions was varied: curious to shocked to enraged in the span of a minute, his eyes going back and forth rapidly. “The assholes,” he hissed, throwing the magazine away angrily. “How could they print that?”

I shrugged and rested my head on his arm. His skin was warm.

“Why you, Casey? What’d you ever do to them?”

“I don’t know,” I mumbled. “It’s probably because of that stupid update.” I sighed. “I’m… That isn’t true, is it?” I asked, self-confidence diminished by the hurtful words.

“No, absolutely not,” he promised. “Never think that. Those stupid pieces of shit root for everyone to fail. It makes for better articles.” He sighed. “If every celebrity couple lasted and were happy, they’d go out of business. That’s why they twist words and look at pictures to accuse people of cheating. They thrive on failure and deceit.”

He had a point, and I nodded in acceptance. “Thanks, Spaz.”

“Anytime, Squirrel.”

“I love you,” I blurted.

My hand raised to my mouth as I realized what I had said. Oh shit.

I felt Shaun tense up, and I stiffened in fear. He had frozen – which was never a good sign.

“I’ve… I’ve gotta go meet Mase,” he stuttered. “I’ll be back later.” He let go, stood up, and rushed out.

I was numb as everything sunk in.

What have I done?