Yesterday & Forever Read Free

over her.
    “ Hello Mr Drake. Luca has told me so much about you”.
    A curt nod was only her reply.
    “ Luca my boy, the majority shares have been transferred. Remember the meeting tomorrow 9am sharp. It’s down to you. Miss Regence”, his Grandfather said with one last nod in her direction, before turning to walk away.
    Luca frowned at his retreating form.
    “ No worries. One month to go before our big trip!” Cass squeaked happily, tucking her hand into his.
    Luca smiled down at her, making her insides turn to jelly.
    “ Yeah, one month. One whole, long month! Why can’t it only be one week!” he burst out, before grabbing her in a bear hug and spinning them around, both laughing at the joy of the present and the promise of the future.

Chapter 5
     
    Cass should have known it was all too good to be true.
    Although her parents said no-one could have known, Cass was sure she did somewhere deep down.
    Within the month, Luca’s Grandfather had passed away. The doctors said it was a heart attack brought on by stress.
    Luca, as the majority shareholder and heir apparent was the next in line.
    She went to the funeral with him. Was by his side holding his hand as the board members offered their condolences on his loss with one hand, while congratulating him on becoming the youngest CEO with the other.
    She remembered the conversation straight after.
    The one that turned her world upside down.
     
    “ Cass, this isn’t going to work”.
    They were sitting in his Grandfather’s house. Mansion would be a better word thought Cass.
    “ I can’t come travelling with you. This isn’t going to work”.
    His eyes were dark and troubled.
    She laid her hand on his, “I know a lot is going on at the moment. I know you can’t come away with me. I wasn’t expecting you to. I get it”.
    He pulled his hand away and stood up, tugging at his tie. A gesture Cass knew he did when nervous or upset.
    “ No, I don’t think you do. This changes everything. I’m the youngest CEO this company, hell, most companies have seen! They will expect me to be him. He worked hard to get the business where it is now. I can’t let them down”. The raw edge in his voice ran straight to her heart.
    “ Right. So being with me is letting them down?” Cass whispered.
    Luca sighed, “I can’t be with anyone. Not right now and it wouldn’t be fair to ask you to wait for when things have settled down”.
    “ No, it’s not fair,” Cass said quietly, “I guess I should thank you for being so honourable”.
    Grabbing her bag, she stood up. “I am sorry for your loss Luca, but more than that I’m sorry for your future. You are giving up the only person who really loved you for you and not for what you could give them”.
    She didn’t stop to look back, not even when he called her name.
    And the tears didn’t stop long after the hour it took her to reach home or when she was lying on her bed, her family murmuring comforting words.
     
    She had made the trip. She’d promised herself that she was going to live her dream. From the Taj Mahal in India to the Statue of Liberty in America, she’d seen it all. She’d been informed every now and then of what Luca was up to by mutual friends. Read in the financial sections of the newspapers how his company was going from strength to strength.
    At last it was time to head home. Only a year had passed but to Cass it may as well have been an eternity. As the plane touched down in London, she had made a vow to herself to forget Luca Drake once and for all, even though the small crinkled photo hidden in her back pack from the graduation day, mocked her otherwise.

Chapter 6
     
    She shook her head, trying to clear memories that had no right being there. Especially today and especially now when she was standing smack bang in his office building.
    Cass examined the huge chocolate cake on the glass cake stand.
    It was her best piece yet. The small details of a marzipan calculator, tie, and pair of specs