He smiles. “I mean their secret to a successful marriage. Just look at them, after all these years, still gazing into each other’s eyes like that. It’s like they’re just falling in love for the first time.”
Falling in love for the first time. Charlie’s words linger as I fix my gaze on John, now talking to Jeremy and Kelly. He’s making a backhand motion with his arm, obviously replaying a moment from a recent tennis match. I know Casey’s not falling in love; she would never do that to me. Plus, he’s like a brother to her. And of course she’s got to play the part of loving wife, especially tonight. But what about John? Could he be falling in love with her? I know he thinks she’s me, but she’s not. She’s the antithesis of me in so many ways—she’s laid-back, she’s open-minded, she’s even sexier than I am, even in my body. She carries herself with so much more confidence than I ever have. Could John be attracted to that? What happens if—when—we do switch back? What if he misses those things about her?
“Casey? You’re a million miles away. What are you thinking about?”
“What you said about their secret to a happy marriage.” I think about what Casey’s brought to the table since she became me. “You know, I think the secret is trust. No matter what, they know they can always count on each other.” Watching John now, I realize I’d stopped trusting him, stopped believing he had my back, that we were a team.
Charlie looks at me intently. “You know them well.”
“Better than you think.” I smile.
“Now come with me, there’s a couple of really important people you need to meet,” I say as I lead him over to Sophie and Audrey, who squeal with delight when they see me. “You girls look gorgeous,” I say, holding back the tears as Sophie twirls for me. “Your mom is so proud,” I whisper.
“Who’s this, Aunt Casey?” Audrey says playfully as she points at Charlie.
“I’m Charlie,” he says as he reaches out and shakes both of their hands gently. “I’m a good friend of your aunt’s.”
The girls giggle. “I bet,” Audrey mutters under her breath and snaps a picture of us with her cell.
“Audrey,” I call after her, but they take off, arm in arm.
Charlie wraps his arms around my waist as they huddle over Audrey’s cell phone, laughing. “They’re adorable.”
“They are, aren’t they?” I say as I start to gently release myself from his grasp, but he holds my arm firmly.
“You’re not trying to pull away again, are you?” He looks down so I can’t see the hurt in his eyes. “I thought you invited me here because you want this to work.” He pauses and touches his finger to my cheek. “Do you trust me?”
I wish Casey did trust him. I hope Casey will trust him. I know I do. But I don’t know what it feels like to have a man hurt you in the way she’d been hurt. And then to have to give up her baby; I might have never recovered from that. How can I expect her to jump into Charlie’s arms and ride off into the sunset? I want to wrap my arms around him and wipe away the hurt look on his face, but will Casey understand that I’m doing it for her? I catch John’s eye and he waves, having no idea that I’m his real wife.
“Charlie,” I begin. “I do want it to work.”
“Sure doesn’t seem like it.”
And then I decide that I have to listen to my instincts and hope I’m right. I touch his forearm gently and lean in and whisper, “Please trust me. There’s no one who loves you more than Casey Lee does.”
He looks up, startled. Before he can reply, Destiny prances up, juggling three drinks. She hands one to each of us and we toast. “You never stop taking care of me, do you?” I ask as Charlie recovers from my proclamation of Casey’s love, something he’s probably been waiting to hear for a long time.
“Nope, that’s why you pay me the big bucks!” Destiny laughs.
I smile, having no idea what Destiny actually makes. Will she get a raise when we go to New York? I know from glancing at the contract the messenger sent over that Casey was getting a substantial one. Not that it mattered. No amount of money in the world was going to make up for how alone I would feel.
“Hey, I heard what that bitch Ava did to you. I’m sorry.” Destiny smiles at Charlie.
“Thanks. But I’ll be fine. I’ve still got a few tricks up my sleeve.” He runs his hand across my back and finds my free hand and I squeeze it. He will be fine. He’s the type of guy who deserves good things.
We’re standing so close that I can feel his iPhone buzz in his pocket. He pulls it out and glances at the number, his face turning serious. “Excuse me, I’ve got to take this,” he says, before pushing through the ballroom doors to the hallway.
“So, are you in an Empire State of mind yet?” Destiny asks as she pokes me in the arm while giving the eye to a tall twenty-something waiter with olive skin and dark eyes. Feeling her gaze, he looks over and rewards her with an inviting smile.
“He’s cute,” I say.