Everlasting

Chapter Twelve

Cooper’s POV 

                        I’m in an all-white room. The chair I’m sitting in is white the walls are white, the ceiling is white. Cassandra comes into view. “I do apologize I have to do this to you but it’s the only way I can get Wynn to consider my brother.”

“He wouldn’t want you to do this?” I ask. I already know the answer, but I have nothing but time in the all-white room.

“No, he wouldn’t. He is an angel for a reason. I’m a wizard. I deal with a different set of morals.” She laughs.

“You are ruining your possible sister-in-law's birthday.” I point out.

“That never occurred to me. Damn. Well. I will return you before midnight. Maybe that will save me face.” She is considering this plan I can tell. 

“Whatever you want to do. She is going to be upset regardless. It’s her eighteenth birthday. You took her Everlasting. Left her with the one she doesn’t want and force her to spend the day with him. You could have done it tomorrow. She would have been fine with tomorrow and probably wouldn’t have complained.” I look at her as if this plan should have been apparent to her. 

“I didn’t think of that. I just wanted her to consider him as soon as possible. There isn’t a lot of time.” She turns her back to me.

“It’s not till New Year’s Eve. It’s almost two months.” I wish I had a calendar to do the math for her.

She turns to face me. She looks sad. I didn’t think this “woman” could look sad. “Things are going to happen and there isn’t a lot of time for the pieces to fall into place.” I don’t like the look she has on her face. She knows something about the future, and I know it involves me. 

She walks away leaving me alone in the white room. Just me alone with my 

thoughts. I start to wonder what could possibly happen that pieces need to fall into place.  

 Well obviously, she wants Chadwick to be claimed or something. Then I would marry Wynn. Unless she wants it to be the other way around. I will be damned if I let that happen. It just isn’t what I’m about. She loves me. Even if she would come to love Chadwick, she would always love me more. I know this. I can feel it deep in my soul.  

                        I can see Wynn and Chadwick at the mall. They are having fun. I can tell she isn’t completely comfortable or wants to hold his hand. He is trying to work out a deal to be something to her in order to stay in her life. She says she needs to speak to me. I can tell she feels guilty. I can’t help it, it hurts. The fact she would consider a way to keep him. It feels like I don’t truly matter or that our connection isn’t as special. 

                        As I watch them in the movie I just about die when they hold hands, but she stops I can tell she isn’t comfortable. She doesn’t want to do it. Cassandra comes back into the room. “I told her she didn’t have to force anything. She doesn’t want to do it. She is giving him a chance, but she can’t do more. She feels as though I want her to. I do but she really doesn’t want to. I don’t want to force her into something. I’m not that type of person. I don’t have a gun to her head. I know I know. I took you away and threw my brother at her. I just wanted a chance. I didn’t say put out for him.” She shakes her head.

“Well, you have to admit the way you did it one would think that was what you were trying to do.” I look at her again with a duh look. 

“Yes, you’re right.”

“What aren’t you telling me, Cassandra?” I ask her. Wanting her to level with me.

She turns her back to me. “Would you like to see the two possible futures. One if she chooses you and one with both of you?”

“Sure. Is there not one with just Chadwick?”

“Let’s be honest. I know better.” She softly laughs. 

                        She queues up the first vision: It’s Wynn and me getting married. Her getting early admittance into college. Going to Prom and then her at a graveside service. I’m not there then I realize I am there. I’m just in the casket. I say nothing. 

The next vision comes up: Chadwick and she are joined in a ceremony that isn’t s****l. Wynn and I are married. We all lived together but Chadwick is gone a lot. She gets early admittance to college. We are very happy. Chadwick is happy with us. I go to Prom with Wynn. Again, graveside service this time Chadwick is with her. Five years later she is on Broadway. She has one child who is a year old. She is mostly happy. She misses me. Chadwick is good for her, but he is second place, and he knows it. The vision goes away. 

                        I don’t realize I’m crying. I’ve seen my funeral twice. I don’t know how I will die. I just know I do die. I look at Cassandra. “In every future you’ve seen, do I die?”

“Yes. Except one. It would never happen.”

“She picks Chadwick?”

“No. Other things have to happen which I don’t see happening, but I could always be wrong.” She says. She picks a piece of fuzz off her outfit. 

“I don’t know what to say. I know I’m going to die. There is nothing I can do or say. No matter what happens I die. If she has Chadwick, she is sort of okay.” I run my fingers through my hair.

“Yes, and she is just sort of okay. She just functions. She lost you. You don’t recover from that. Losing your Everlasting.”

I don’t say anything. I just stand there. I’m shell shocked. 

                        Cassandra looks at me. “It’s time for you to go back. It’s up to you what you tell her.”

“Okay. I guess thanks for giving me a heads up.”

“You’re welcome.”