✔Cupcakes to Kill For

17. Mistakes🧁

Regret churned in Casey's stomach when he woke up on the couch at midnight. Sierra slept across from him, with her foot dangling in his face. He pushed it away and sat up, frantic to check his phone to see several missed calls and texts from his family.

"Shit." He repeated the word as he got his ass up, nudging August passed out on the recliner. "We gotta go now."

August yawned, covering his mouth as he stretched his arms. "Huh? What's wrong?"

"It's past midnight. I promised I'd be home already," Casey replied. "My family's freaking out."

"You're not a kid anymore. Why does that matter? You don't still have a curfew, do you?" August sneered.

Casey frowned. "When my mom didn't come home like she said she would, she ended up dead. They're probably assuming the worst."

"Just text them that you're fine." August peeled himself off the sofa, stifling another yawn. "Come on, I'll drive ya home."

Back in the car, Casey played one of the few voicemails Lani left behind for him. However, instead of his sister's voice, it was Wyatt's. Hearing his son ask him where he was and when he'd be coming home broke his heart. Tears welled in his eyes as he choked back a sob.

"I'm an awful father," Casey whimpered.

"What? No, you're not. You just took a night for yourself, and after everything that happened today, you deserved it," August replied.

Casey shook his head, desperately wiping the tears that rained down his cheeks with his hoodie sleeve. "I left him to go get high. What kind of parent does that? I'm just as bad as Veronica."

"You didn't intend to get high," August pointed out. "It was my fault for bringing you there, but this doesn't make you a horrible parent. You didn't leave Wyatt all alone to go get high or neglect him. Before leaving, you made sure someone would be taking care of him."

"You don't understand," Casey said, blotting a slimy wad of snot on his jacket. "This is what Veronica used to do to us."

"Still, you're not a bad parent, Casey."

Nothing could convince Casey otherwise, not after hearing that voicemail from his son, worried about where he'd gone. Wyatt already lost his mother and his grandmother. Casey wouldn't leave him too.

August hadn't even come to a complete stop when Casey climbed out of his truck and hurried up the driveway. The porch light had been left on for him, and when he approached the door, he heard voices from the other side. Nausea squirmed in his stomach as he foraged for his house key, slowly turning the knob, and closing the door behind him.

"Where the hell have you been?" Lani demanded, sitting up from the couch.

"I'm so sorry." Casey kicked his shoes off at the door.

"Why didn't you answer your phone?" Lani asked. "I was about to report you missing, thinking someone might've got you like they did Mom."

"Time just got away from me. Thank you for watching Wyatt." Casey brushed by her, heading toward his room. He creaked the door open, expecting to find his son sound asleep.

A sliver of moonlight peeked in through the closed curtains, casting a soft light on his son's face. Wyatt laid in his own bed, gazing up at the ceiling. When Casey neared his bed, Wyatt's head shot up. Seeing his puffy eyes from crying broke his heart. Casey replayed the voicemail in his head, hearing the whimpers and desperation in his son's voice.

Wyatt outstretched his arms, wanting to be held. Casey lifted him out of bed with ease, cuddling him close to his chest as he sat at the end of his own bed. Gently rubbing circles against his back, Casey apologized profusely for coming home so late.