Can't Remember to Forget You

Chapter Forty-Five

Owen

It started out just like any other day.

I got up, got dressed, and headed for work. Even after two years it was a trip to me that I was working an actual 9-5 job. I had made friends with most of the guys from work, and we always did lunch together. After lunch I finished out my day in my office then cleaned up and headed home. I cracked open a beer and plopped down on my couch ready to get my weekend started.

I pulled out my phone to call Lexie and see if she wanted to hangout. We had been dating for a couple of weeks and she was a really sweet girl. I had been up front with her about the fact that I wasn't sure if I was ready to be in a real relationship yet. I explained as much as I could that I was still hung up on another girl but that I was wanting to try to get over her. Lexie accepted that and took on the challenge of putting up with me.

I was about to pull up her contact when I heard a knock on my door.

I dropped the phone on the couch and walked into the foyer to see who was here.

I smiled as I saw a bare, hairy ass smashed against my glass front door. "Pull your damn pants up." I yelled to Troy through the door. He complied and backed up so I could open the door for him. "What's up man? I didn't know you were coming by." I said as I walked with him back into my living room.

A strange look crossed his face. "So I have some news, but I am not sure if I should tell it to you or not." He said weirdly.

Troy and I don't do secrets so I don't know what to think about this. "What's it about?" I asked cautiously.

Troy took a deep breath and gave me a hard look. "Cassie is back in New York." He said quickly.

I couldn't form a breath to breathe, much less a word so I only grunted.

"Yeah, so I was down in the Broadway area picking up a delivery when I looked up and there she was." He told me.

"Did you talk to her? Did she see you? What did she say?" I was embarrassed at how I had fired off all of those questions.

"Down kitty." Troy teased me. "I didn't see her in person." He said pulling out his cell phone then passing it to me. "I saw her like this."

My jaw dropped when I saw the picture. There she was in all of her beauty hundreds of feet above the small little people walking down the streets, her name in lights. "She's been back then." I said. "She did it." I smiled feeling so proud of her for a achieving this.

"Her show is opening tonight." He said. "In like two hours actually." He added checking his watch. "We need to leave like right now if you want any chance of making it on time."

I stared at him confused. "We can't go." I said like it was obvious.

"Why not?"

"Because Troy, she doesn't want to see me or she would have come to find me when she first moved back here. She is married by now too." I told him.

"Man you know you want to go to this." He called my bluff. "She doesn't have to know you were ever there. There will be so many people there it won't even matter." He pointed out. "You know that you want to go and support her in this."

Troy was the best friend a man can have. "Let me get changed." I said quickly going up the hall to my bedroom.

I pulled out my best black suit and dressed quickly. I added a little aftershave and cologne and told myself it was just because I was going somewhere nice, not because I was expecting to see her.

The entire ride into the city all I could think about was how happy for her I am. She'd made her dream come true. Despite all that she had been through thanks to me and everyone else, she rose above it all. Tonight the world was going to see the strong beautiful girl I love.

Troy had already gotten us tickets using some of his connections. They weren't terrible either, even though they were last minute. I was a little uncomfortable with how close the seats were. I fidgeted and constantly cut my eyes around the crowd. I spotted Cassie's family in one of the first few rows. I was shocked how much Danny had grown in just two years.

I saw Trevor stand up and walk to the back of the room. I had to try really hard not to hate him. It isn't his fault that I screwed things up when I had the chance. I was just thinking to myself that I hope he knows how lucky he is when I saw him escorting a pretty red head back to the area where Cassie's family was. He had his arm around her protectively. After they sat down next to Cassie's sister they leaned in and kissed each other, making my jaw fall open.

"Dude." I whispered to Troy. "The guy Cassie was supposed to be married to is kissing that girl right next to Cassie's sister." I told him.

He threw a glance their direction. "Oh man, that has to mean he isn't with Cassie, right? They aren't married Owen."

Before I had much time to think any more about it, the lights went down and the curtains began to open.

There she was, center stage in a beautiful silver ball gown. I stopped breathing for what felt like an impossibly long time. She opened up her mouth and the most beautiful voiced filled the room. I was completely mesmerized by her. Cassie was doing such an amazing job.

The show itself was actually pretty great. All of the other actors were on point and it went from having you laughing, to gasping, to wanting to cry.

I had been so lost in every single one of her movements I was surprised when Troy leaned in and said the show was almost over.

Cassie finished saying her lines and then she turned to exit the stage.

That's when it happened.

Cassie stealthily scanned the audience on her way back behind the curtain and our eyes had met.

I tried to shake it off. She probably can't see well enough from up there that it was me. Even if she did see me, maybe she didn't recognize me. Her faced didn't change at all to give any clue on whether or not she had really noticed that I was here.

Just sitting in my seat wondering about it was going to kill me. I had to see her after the show now. If she did see me, she would think I had been rude not to congratulate her on her big night.

In just about another half hour, I would be face to face with Cassie again.