Part 20 (1/2)

Ca.s.s, let's charter a plane ... I wanna go kick this b.a.s.t.a.r.d's a.s.s! Enforcer insisted.

”Get her out of there!” Ca.s.s typed back.

”We've tried, Ca.s.s. Believe me. My wife, Jerri and I have been trying to get her to leave for the past several months,” Nikki replied.

”Why won't she go?” Ca.s.s asked.

”Ca.s.s, the more you get to know Rox, the more you'll realize that she is a very unselfish and dedicated person. Her dying father is under the illusion that she's happy. She won't shatter that belief for him. Quite frankly, she plans on staying in her current situation until the poor man dies,” Nikki responded.

”No! She can't do that. Nikki ... please get her out of there,” Ca.s.s wrote desperately.

”She won't go, Ca.s.s. Jerri and I are staying with her right now. We'll stay for as long as it takes ...” Nikki replied.

”Thank you, Nikki. Nikki ....?” Ca.s.s typed.

”Yes?”, came Nikki's reply.

Ca.s.s took a deep breath and let it out slowly, before typing.

”I know this sounds incredible after knowing her for so short a period of time, but I think I'm in love with her,” Ca.s.s wrote.

9:52 p.m. Rockford, Maine ...

Rox gasped when she read what Ca.s.s had written. Covering her mouth with her free hand, she looked at Nikki, tears of hope, and some of fear, rolled down her face.

”Oh my G.o.d, Nikki!” Rox exclaimed, half laughing, half crying.

Nikki was grinning from ear to ear. She didn't know why, but she liked this Ca.s.s Conway. ”What do you want me to tell him, Rox?” she asked her friend.

”Nikki?” came the line of dialogue on the computer screen.

”We're still here, Ca.s.s ... brb,” Nikki wrote.

”Rox?” Nikki said, looking at her friend. ”How do you feel about him?”

”Terrified, excited, exhilarated, scared ... Nik, I ... I don't know for sure. He's so different from Chris ... different from all my past relations.h.i.+ps,” Rox explained.

”Yes he is,” Nikki replied, remembering some of the idiots Rox had dated while they were in college together.

”Nikki, you're scaring me. Is Rox all right?” the computer screen flashed.

”Ca.s.s, please be patient. Rox is right here ... she's fine. We're having a little girl talk right now. Just hold your britches on, okay?” Nikki replied.

”Did I just get my a.s.s kicked?” came the reply on the screen.

”Yes you did ... now, be patient... 'kay?” Nikki typed back.

”Yes Ma'am!” came the reply, followed by a smiley face.

Nikki grinned broadly at the response. Looking at Rox, she said, ”I like him, hon. He seems like a really nice guy.”

Rox smiled back through her tears and asked for the laptop back. Settling it onto her lap again, she began to type.

”Hi Ca.s.s, this is Rox again,”

”Rox! Thank G.o.d. Are you all right?” Ca.s.s typed quickly.

”I'm fine. I love you for caring. Look Ca.s.s, it's getting late. I'm under doctor's orders to rest, so I need to sign off,” she typed.

”You love me for caring?” Ca.s.s asked hopefully.

”Yes I do,” Rox replied, once again smiling through her tears.

Nikki had thrown an arm around her friend's shoulder and hugged her close, kissing her on the temple as she typed the endearment.

”I love you too, Rox,” came Ca.s.s' reply.

Rox was crying openly now as she dropped her head to her friend's shoulder. Once more, Nikki reached for the keyboard.

”Hey Ca.s.s, Nik again. I'm afraid that last declaration just turned our friend here into a limp dishrag. I need to put her to bed, so I'll sign off for her... 'kay?” Nikki wrote.

”I understand Nikki. Tell her I love her. I'll contact her through e-mail tomorrow.” Ca.s.s said.

”Tomorrow, then. Goodnight, Ca.s.s,” Nikki said, closing.

”Good night, sweet ladies,” Ca.s.s responded.

7:04 p.m. San Jose, California ...

Ca.s.s sat back and watched the screen until the message ”alien has left the chat room” appeared. Reaching for her mouse, she scrolled back through the last several lines of dialogue and reread her conversation with both Rox and Nikki.

She loves me, E, Ca.s.s said to herself.

She loves you for caring, Enforcer pointed out ... but does she love you for YOU?

Ca.s.s' face furrowed into a frown. Good point, she said, good point. It is a start though, she thought hopefully.

That it is, old buddy. Now, what are we gonna do about this a.s.shole that's been beating her up? Enforcer asked.

CHAPTER XX.

NIKKI SHUT THE laptop down and placed it carefully on the end table next to the couch while she waited for Rox to come back from the bathroom. Watching her friend shuffle painfully across the floor toward her, she rose to her feet and took her arm, wrapping her other arm around Rox's waist as she lead her back to the couch. As they neared the stairs to the second story, Rox detoured in that direction.