Vera was so proud of Casey for working so hard in therapy. He didn't swap out with Kane at all the rest of the time he was in the mental ward and was able to leave when expected.
She couldn't deny it had been a horribly lonely month without having him there. She was still dealing with her original stress about Tilly and was so worried about him too. Having him back home should help with that a lot.
He would only have therapy twice a week and made sure to schedule his appointments for before the shop opened. She always went to consultations alone anyway because he hated dealing with people due to his speech impediment. That didn't change anything.
The biggest change after Casey got out was moving in with Vera. He didn't want her to be alone and since he didn't have to worry about providing for the hallucination of Kane, there was nothing stopping him.
She thrived on having Casey there. The house was too big for just one person.
She needed him more than ever as Tilly continued to get worse. He was as supportive as ever. Vera had to be supportive to him too though. She wasn't the only one having a hard time right now. She could tell how much therapy wore on him.
A few months into it, the renovations on the farmhouse were finally done and it went up for sale. It sold quickly since historic homes in the area were in demand.
Casey seemed particularly worn out after doing the final walk-through and signing the papers. He was lying on the couch with his head on her lap and his eyes closed, looking like he bore the weight of the world.
"Vera…I have to tell you something and it's awful. I've been putting it off because I didn't want to upset you. I can't even talk about this in therapy but I have to tell SOMEONE."
He couldn't even talk about it in therapy? How bad was it?!
Vera's heart was gripped with fear but she forced herself to stay calm for Casey's sake, playing with his hair in an attempt to regulate herself. He had cut his bangs after getting out. They still covered his scar but not his eye. It was nice being able to see both of them now.
"Go on and tell me," she encouraged, bracing herself for the worst.
"I only got this memory back earlier during the walk-through," he admitted. "The last one at least. I killed Candy. It was in self-defense. She attacked my face for once and I was in genuine fear of my life so I pushed her. She cracked her head open on a sharp corner and was gone in an instant.
"I panicked and blocked the whole thing out so Kane buried her in the yard and kept her credit cards active so people would think she was still alive. When he realized I was preparing to sell the farmhouse, he got rid of her body permanently by dissolving it in acid. There's nothing linking either of us to the crime. No one will ever even be able to prove she's dead.
"If I talk about this in therapy, I'll get arrested and I can't let that happen. But I thought you deserved to know. You're the one who always says we're a team and in this together so—"
Vera did always say that. As much as hearing this broke her heart, she was glad Casey confided in her.
She gently stroked his cheek as she cut him off. "You're right. We are. Thanks for telling me, Casey. It wasn't your fault. You were just protecting yourself and that monster had it coming for her anyway."
He let out a single laugh. "I thought you might say something like that. You're the only one who's always on my side. I love you more than I can say."
Telling her that he loved her after confessing to killing his abuser shouldn't have been as romantic as it was. But it proved how much he trusted her. They had come a long way since he didn't even think he could show her his scars or talk about his supposed identical twin.
"And I love you more than I can say."
Vera meant that with all her heart. Casey was hers. He always would be.
He continued to struggle in therapy but did seem a bit lighter after getting that off his chest. A secret like that was a heavy burden to bear all by yourself.
She meant what she said though. The world truly was better off without someone like Candy Parker in it. Who knew who her next victim would have been if she had lived? Psychopaths like that never stopped as long as they were alive. She would have killed someone sooner or later because of her blood fetish.
Considering how often she cut up poor Casey like a slab of meat, it was a miracle that he never died from blood loss. Vera's miracle. If he had, she never would have met him. She would have had to deal with Tilly's decline on her own.
She was so grateful he was alive and with her. She was sure to tell him so all the time and it always made him smile and either hug or kiss her.
Kane still hadn't made an appearance nearly a year after Casey got out of the hospital. Kane was in there though. Casey could feel that same place in the back of his head where the other personality slept while one was out.
Would they ever fuse back together? Or would Vera be waiting on edge for something else to happen for the rest of her life?
She truly hoped that wouldn't be the case. He deserved peace after everything he had been through. He shouldn't have to be waiting for his alter to pop out either. She could only hope everything was resolved eventually and all his hard work paid off.
In the meantime, she would just continue to love him and praise his efforts. He needed all the encouragement he could get.