“I remember one day they came running outside. I could tell they were both afraid. Later that night, everyone on the floor heard what the fight was about. Cole had told one of the teachers at school about Callie, and they had sent a social worker to Brenda’s apartment. After they left, she had threatened Renee and her husband. I think his name was…” Vida paused for a second. “I can’t remember. It was so long ago.” Vida returned to her chair as Max and Maxie avidly listened about Casey’s past.
“They moved away after the fire, and I didn’t see her again for years until she changed high schools sophomore year. I believe her mother married a man named Mason, and that was why she switched schools. Sawyer and I tried to become friendly with her, but other than saying hi in the hall, we never talked much. It was always her and Cole. Even when he had girlfriends, Cole would let her tag along. Her brother was a year older than her, but when he graduated, Casey still kept to herself. I don’t believe she had any friends.
“One day, a couple of girls were picking on her, so Sawyer and I broke it up. We told her she should go to the principal’s office, but she wouldn’t. She said that, as soon as Cole found a job, he was coming back for her. He never did. She graduated a year later, and I didn’t see her again until the night of the concert. I’ve always regretted that I didn’t make more of an effort to become friends with her.”
“She never said why Cole didn’t come back?”
“No, but a few months later, she missed a week of school. Casey never missed. When she came back, she was even more withdrawn. I offered her my notebook to copy.” Vida shook her head, laughing.
“What?” Max prompted.
“Nothing. I gave her my notebook. I felt stupid offering her the notes. I was an average student, while Casey was smart. She graduated as valedictorian. She flipped through my notes then handed them back to me. It hurt my feelings because I thought they weren’t good enough for her. I started apologizing, but she stopped me. She didn’t need to make notes—Casey had a photographic memory. At first, I didn’t believe her, but I think she saw I was hurt, so she opened the notebook and repeated everything on the first page, word for word. It was amazing. I wish I could do that.”
“Me, too. That would be awesome.” Maxie swung her legs back and forth. “Casey was awesome.” Maxie lowered her head, looking up at him from under her lashes. “She talked to me about Fisher, told me I needed to be careful about my first kiss.” Maxie turned bright red. “She told me that it should be special, not to be pressured. She said her first time wasn’t perfect, and she had done it for the wrong reasons, but she would never forget it because he was special. She made me feel as if I could tell her anything.”
Max had a terrible feeling that he had misjudged Casey.
“We better go. Your mom will be waiting for you.”
“Here’s the drawing.” Colton handed Max the design for the bed.
Max stood, unaware he had come into the room and had been listening, too.
“I’ll get it done as soon as possible,” Max promised.
“No hurry. You going to try to find her again?” Colton asked.
“Yes, and this time I’m going to find her,” Max stated with determination.
Casey could have easily reproduced the files she had stolen from the clubhouse and the information she had stored at the bank, but she hadn’t. She had been going to betray them, but something had stopped her, even after they had kidnapped her. Max thought he knew the reason, the same one that, despite her being gone for four months, he could no longer deny to himself.
“Good luck. Want a piece of advice?”
“At this point, I’ll take any help I can get,” he said truthfully.
“I would start with Roni. She’s been around the clubhouse a long time, and Roni and Renee used to be friends until Roni caught Renee in bed with her boyfriend. She might know something.”
“Thanks, Colton.”
“I don’t know if it will do any good,” Colton cautioned him.
“It’s a place to start. This time, I’m not giving up until I find Casey and bring her back where she belongs.”
“She may not want to come back. There’s nothing in Queen City she’s going to miss.”
“I’m here, and that’s all she’s ever going to need.”
Chapter 25
Casey cut the sandwiches into pieces, removing the crusts. Cole hated to eat the crust. He would leave the sandwich untouched if he saw a brown speck on his bread.
She hummed as she went to the refrigerator to make them some glasses of iced tea. Her brother could drink the whole pitcher himself. As she poured their drinks, Casey noticed her arms were getting darker. She would have to use more sunscreen in the future.