Page 62 of The Significance of Moving On

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Where’d the x come from?” He shakes Daniel, really shakes him. “Tell me where the x came from?” When Daniel says nothing, Casey draws back his fist and cracks it against Daniel’s jaw. But he doesn’t stop with once, pounding blow after blow against his cheek and chin and eye.

Daniel throws up his hands to protect his face.

Casey lands a solid jab to his gut causing Daniel to double over and cough a bloody cough. And I know I should stop him, but he deserves everything Casey unleashes against him and I like seeing him in pain with all the pain he’s caused.

Demetrius runs over jumping in between them. “Whoa, Case. Stop.Stop.” But Casey doesn’t stop, throwing punches around his foster brother, landing more blows against some spot—spleen or kidney—which Daniel can’t block. D pushes Casey hard in the chest and I can see how hard it is for Case not to take a swing at him.

Breathing heavily through his nose, balling and un-balling his fists at his side Casey never takes his eyes off Daniel. “You gonna tell D about what happened in South Beach?”

“What do you mean?Daniel, what’s he talking about, man?”

“He was there.” Casey spits out with more venom than I’ve ever heard him direct at Daniel or anybody since I’ve known him. Instead of calming down, he becomes more agitated. “With the girls, he was there but just left them.”

“Fuck man, is that true? Daniel, tell me that’s not true.Shit.” He brings his hands up to his head, pressing his palms to his forehead. He’s not crying but almost looks like he might start to or puke maybe. When he spins around, the punch he lands against Daniel’s jaw takes us all off guard. “I trusted you. You’re my brother.My.Brother.” He raises his fist again.

Kelsey and I both scream when Security comes running but Jesse gets to them first pulling Demetrius off Daniel. “Go.” He orders. “Walk it off now.”

Kelsey throws her arms around his neck, crying into D’s shoulder. I want to go to Casey but Jesse interferes again. “All of you go cool down. My best friends are not going to jail for murder on my wedding day.”

“Everything alright here?” the security guard asks, looking to each of us.

Jesse nods telling them that Daniel needs to be escorted out. He needs medical attention, but he didn’t care if we died so I really can’t get myself to care if he does right now, which I know makes me a low, low person.

Tonight wasn’t supposed to go like this and it’s entirely my fault. Why couldn’t I keep my mouth shut? Berating myself wasn’t part of the plan for tonight either but that doesn’t stop me from doing it while I walk back into the kitchen for the mop.

Cleaning up this mess I caused is the least I can do. That’s when Jesse and Becca come up to talk to me. “Is he the reason? Kelsey had to be hospitalized?” I can’t look him in the eye, but do shake my head yes.

“I’m sorry we ruined your wedding. Don’t take it out on Casey. It’s my fault.”

“No, it’s Daniel’s fault. But my wedding isn’t ruined.”

“Seriously, Tally,” Becca grabs my hand, squeezing it gently. “Casey did what he had to do. Jesse would’ve done the same.”

“Damn straight. He better not show his face around me or my family again, or it will be me.”

Chapter Twenty-Nine

After cleaning up the mess and wheeling the mop and bucket back into the kitchen, after walking back into the main dining room, the guests are still in a tizzy talking about D and Casey. As most of them had known them for years, gone to school with the guys, they’ll probably continue to talk about D and Casey for a long time to come.

That’s their problem, however. Right now, I have to find Casey. We have a lot to discuss. I know Jesse told them to go cool off, but I can’t find him anywhere—not by the bar or dance floor—I even call inside the men’s restroom. How much longer does he need to stay to sufficiently fulfill his best man duties? Casey and I have to go home and hopefully clear the air.

Standing in front of the one room left to check before giving into the idea that he’s been abducted by space aliens, I open the door to the coat room. He’s in there all right. Neither Casey nor Tammy sees me because as he leans against the empty wall opposite the coat racks, she’s positioned herself in front of him, resting her fake manicure against his chest. I hear him.

“You said you needed to talk?”

But she doesn’t talk, she kisses him. My Casey, she kisses him, which clearly has been her plan the whole night.

He turns his head, pushing her away gently. Of course, that would be the moment the door hinge squeaks. Both heads turn; Casey’s eyes practically double in size, Tammy smirks a she-couldn’t-have-planned-this-any-better kind of smirk.

He didn’t kiss her back. I know he didn’t, yet with all we’ve been through tonight, stomaching a Casey-Tammy kiss—just no. I’ve already cleaned up someone’s blood tonight, already damaged Jess and Becca’s wedding. I doubt Becca would be as forgiving this time, especially with it being her best friend, but I pretty much want to commit made-of-honorcide. Badly. Like I begin to physically shake with all the hurt and anger flooding through me, badly.

He pushes Tammy out of his way to get to me but I don’t stick around long enough for him to actually reach me. And like a coward I hide from him when he chases me out into the hallway, wedging myself between a folded table and the wall, waiting for several minutes after I hear him pass to make my escape. It’s Kelsey who finds me crying almost to the point of hyperventilating.

“Honey, Casey’s freaking out.”

“Did he tell you?”

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