In spite of his attempts to block it out, her song got under Drake’s skin. He closed his eyes and listened to the incredible tone of her voice. If anything, she’d gotten even better over the past year. He couldn’t help but wonder what she’d traded for those vocal lessons. “You still have feelings for her.” Drake was shocked speechless by Phil’s assessment. By the time he finally recovered his voice, Cassidy and her band were gearing up for an up-tempo song. “No, you’ve got nothing to worry about, man. I’m done with her.” “You sure about that?” Phil asked, smiling. “Yeah, I’m sure.” He expected the man to be jealous, over protective the way he had once been when Cassidy had been his woman. A lot of good it had done him. Even with his ring on her finger, she still betrayed him and with his identical twin brother, no less. That still stung more than anything else. What could Lee have possibly given her that he couldn’t have? “You’re wondering why she chose him over you, aren’t you, Drake?” He turned to face the man, praying he couldn’t read his thoughts. What kind of game is this guy playing? Determined to find out, he said, “I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.” Phil smiled as he reached in to the bowl of pretzels. “Sure, you do. I can’t even imagine how you must have felt, walking in on them together.” Knowing that she trusted this guy enough to share that with him cut Drake to the core. Was she in love with him? Planning a future with him? He looked at her, trying to establish whether she was wearing an engagement ring or, worse, a wedding band, but he was too far away to tell. Besides, wouldn’t Phil have introduced herself as her fiancé or husband? He said he was her friend. Not that Drake believed that for a second, especially if they were close enough that she would share the intimate details of her life with him. “Are you surprised she told me?” What was it about this guy? How could he read him as easily as an open book? “I don’t care what she told you—” “Yes, you do.” He chuckled. “I’m a psychologist, in case you were wondering.” “A psychologist?” He wasn’t naïve enough to believe Cassidy had been seeing him professionally. There was no question in Drake’s mind their relationship was of a personal nature. The way Phil watched her move across the stage with such respect and admiration in his eyes told Drake all he needed to know. “Then you should be smart enough to know that a girl like her is never gonna change.” “On the contrary, my friend. She’s already changed. She’s not the same woman you proposed to.” “Really? How the hell would you know that?” “She was a shell of a girl when she came to me. Broken, confused, alone, feeling… worthless. I’ve helped her find her inner strength, something you didn’t have the tools to do.” He held his hands up, obviously feeling threatened by Drake’s body language. “No offense. It’s just that you would’ve had to be where we’ve been to understand how hard it is to make it to the other side.” “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“I’m a recovering addict as well.” Drake stared at the straight-laced man beside him, shocked that he shared Cassidy’s affliction. “You can’t be serious.” His kind green eyes shone with amusement. “I can assure you I’m not joking.” Drake looked up at the stage and started to see signs that maybe this man was right, perhaps Cassidy had changed over the past year. She’d certainly stood up to him earlier, instead of cowering in fear and shame the way he’d expected her to. She also seemed to have an inner confidence she’d never possessed before. “What’s your story?” Suddenly, he found himself interested in learning how this man had turned his life around. “I got hooked during college. I managed to hide it from my wife—” “Hold on,” Drake said, looking at his left hand, hoping to find evidence of his marital status. “You’re married?” Phil smiled. “For fifteen years. Believe it or not, my wife stood by me, even when she should have kicked me out on my ***.” Drake felt a twinge of guilt. He had no doubt that barb was directed at his treatment of Cassidy. Sure, he’d thrown her out when she needed him most, but she’d slept with his brother. That’s not the kind of indiscretion a man can forgive or forget. Ever. “I’m willing to bet you didn’t sleep with your wife’s sister.” “No, but I did a lot of things some may consider unforgiveable. Spent our grocery money on drugs, pawned her wedding ring…” He sighed. “The list goes on, I’m afraid.” “Okay, you did some lousy things, I’ll give you that.” Drake found himself smiling at the man when he realized he was no longer a threat. “So, how’d you get clean? What was the turning point for you?” “I found out my wife was pregnant with our son. I didn’t want to be a father my son would be ashamed of. My father was a good man. He died too young, but I was so proud of him. I wanted my son to feel that way about me. So…” He took a deep breath. “I went through an intensive in-patient treatment program and it changed my life.” “I’m glad it all worked out for you,” Drake said, wishing Cassidy had the same success with the treatment program he’d paid for. “I went back to school and finished my degree.” He took a sip of his drink before adding, “Fortunately, my beautiful wife understood when I told her I wanted to open a non-profit center to help people overcome drug addiction. It doesn’t pay much, but I love what I do.” Drake let his words sink in before he asked, “Is that how you met Cassidy?” Phil slid off his stool. “I think I’ll let her tell you that story, if she’s so inclined.” He reached in to his pocket and threw a bill down on the bar. Reaching for his arm, Drake asked, “Why did you come here tonight?” “I thought Cassidy needed me.” He looked up at the stage. “But I can see she doesn’t. She’s going to be just fine.” “She called you?”
“Yes,” he said, sliding his hands into the pockets of his bomber jacket. “Seeing you again left her feeling a little shaky.” Given the way Drake had attacked her, he could understand why. “Tell me something. Is she clean now?” Phil pointed to the woman commanding center stage. “You tell me.” He looked at Drake a long time as though he was considering how much he should divulge. “Keep in mind things aren’t always as they seem, Drake. Sometimes you just need to dig a little deeper to get to the truth.” “What’re you talkin’ about?” “Figuring that out is going to be your journey, my friend.” Phil smiled. “Godspeed.”
to be continued
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