Following Your Heart (Love Conquers All) Read Free

before the tears fell she ran down the stairs and forced herself not to look back.
    ____________________
    Seth watched as Cassie ran away from him; his heart was broken, but he didn't know what to do next.  He ran his hands over the roses and then turned and left the room.  He had to find her; he couldn't worry about her being upset.  He locked the door behind him and got in his car.  She couldn't have gotten far; he had only heard the slamming of the door a few minutes earlier.  He quickly dialed Megan’s number and waited for her to answer.  “Hello?  So, how did it go?  When's the wedding?”
    “Have you heard from her?”
    “Who?  Cassie?  Of course not; isn't she with you?”
    “We had a fight.”
    “A fight?  Did you even get a chance to propose?”
    “I proposed, but she apparently has other ideas of how she wants to spend her life.”  He told her the short version of the story and when he stopped the phone was dead silent, Seth thought she hung up.  “Are you there?”
    “I'm here, so you don't know where she went?”
    “No...” then a thought came to him.  He put the car into drive and headed the short distance down the road.  As he pulled into the parking lot, he was relieved to see her.  “Hey Megan, I found her...I got to go.”
    As he got out of the car, he approached the tree that she was sitting beneath.  He looked around the familiar park, but didn't say anything when he sat down next to her.  “Seth, what are you doing?”
    “I don't know Cass...I thought I had tonight figured out.  I needed a few moments to adjust.”
    She looked up at him; the tear-stained face was enough to drive another knife in his chest.  He reached up and wiped a few tears from her cheek.  “I really didn't want this night to end with us fighting.  I was scared to show you the letter, worried that it would drive a wedge between us.  We could work on a long distance relationship; I know my love is strong enough for that.  Is yours?”
    “Cassie, I would move heaven and earth for you.  If it was only that simple.  Cass, I don't think a long distance relationship would work for either of us.  It's not fair to you or me, don't you see that?  I wouldn't be there to encourage you, and you wouldn't be here to support me.  You say it's only for four years, but what if you don't want to come back?  What if I don't want to move to New York?  Someone would end up unhappy, and I would die before that someone was you.”
    “So, this is really it?”
    Seth bit his lower lip, but then slowly nodded.  “I guess so.”
    “I wish that I could shut off my desire to go to New York.  If I could, I would stay.”
    “I wouldn't want you to do that.  Cassie, I want you to be happy, not wonder what would have happened.”
    Cassie nodded, “You're a good man Seth.”
    “Just promise me one thing.  If it doesn't work out, come back.”
    Cassie smiled, “I will definitely remember that.”
    Seth shrugged, “What do you say we get outta here.  I'll take you home.”
    “Are you sure?  I can call my parents...or a friend.”
    “Don't be silly, I have to go that way anyway.”  He stood up and reached for her hand to pull her to her feet.  She leaned in and kissed him, he didn't allow it to linger too long.  “It's getting dark, we better be going.”
    He walked to the car and opened the door for her, a gesture that he came to do by habit.  “Seth, can we still be friends?”
    He nodded, but he didn't figure it would ever be the same.  As he closed the door, he quickly looked away.  A tear had fallen down his cheek.  He had always been the strong one and a shoulder to cry on.  In that moment, all he wanted to do was cry, and he couldn't believe that their relationship was really over.

Chapter 2
    Ten Years Later
     
    Cassie stared at her blank computer screen; she was ready for the day to be over.  She had all her meetings done, and she was ready to set cruise on her two week vacation to the