Chapter 5
Cassie sighed as she glanced across the office on Monday. Drea, flawless in another T-shirt and jeans combo with those boots that did things to Cassie, lounged across the printer, reaching for another paper jam.
When Drea looked up and caught her staring, she dropped a slow wink and a half-smirk.
Cassie rolled her eyes but couldn’t stop from laughing as she looked away.
Laughing and struggling. The more bothered she was, the happier Drea seemed.
Which made her even more bothered. She had never been the type to crush hard on anyone or let her feelings cloud her judgment, at least not where relationships were concerned.
Yet she barely knew Drea and couldn’t get her out of her mind.
Drea was beautiful, yes, but what Cassie felt went way beyond looks.
Drea was a force. A sexy, charming, complicated, funny force with a southern drawl that echoed in Cassie’s mind late at night when she couldn’t fall asleep.
She had enjoyed the new dynamic with Drea over the past week, but the more Drea challenged her and made her laugh, the more the attraction grew.
At this point, she was thinking maybe it was easier when Drea barely acknowledged her.
She at least understood and was in control of her emotions then.
Drea seemed blissfully unaware, probably like she was with every woman who yearned for her.
Yearn? Oh god, is that what she was doing?
The cell phone buzzing on Cassie’s desk ripped her away from her thoughts.
How long had she been staring at her computer anyway?
She glanced around quickly to make sure others, especially Drea, hadn’t noticed her departure from having a grip.
Everyone seemed to be busy with their own stuff, thankfully.
When she picked up her phone and saw who the text was from, she smiled as a warmth spread through her.
Hey Cas, can I stay at your place tonight?
Cassie texted her sister Molly back without hesitation. Of course!
Thanks.
She took a moment with the information as something in her gut told her things weren’t okay. She texted back. Everything okay?
Yeah, we can talk later tonight.
Then she knew. Things were not okay. Her heart sank as thoughts of what it could be raced through her mind. She glanced at the time on her phone. Just after four o’clock.
I’ll be home just after five.
I’ll see you there.
Hey Mol?
Yeah?
I love you.
I love you too, Cas.
Cassie stared at the text for a few moments.
The chatter in the office became distant, as if through a cloud, muffling everything.
Drea and her intense flirting suddenly disappeared as fear for Molly filled Cassie’s chest. Ringing started in her ears and she had to blink back the beginnings of tears as memories flashed of the last crisis she and Molly had endured together many years ago.
* * *
At five exactly, Cassie jumped up from her desk, hardly waving goodbye to anyone.
She barely registered Drea’s confused expression as she ran out of the office and jumped in her car.
She negotiated the rush-hour traffic in Mid-City, barely stopping at stop signs and blowing through yellow lights to make it home in record time.
Her hands shook slightly as she unlocked the front door to her duplex, knowing that things would forever be different on the other side.
They always had been in these situations.
Digit, her cat, wasn’t at the door meowing incessantly for his dinner, rubbing against her legs to greet her like usual. She peered inside and saw him on the sofa in Molly’s lap.
Cassie walked slowly toward the sofa, pushing past the hesitation in her step. When Molly raised her gaze from Digit, the look on her face sent a chill through Cassie. It was a look she had seen once before.
Molly tried to force a grin, but it didn’t form fully on her lips. “Eva and I broke up.” She looked down quickly to hide the tears welling in her eyes.
Cassie hugged Molly as she broke into sobs. Tears pricked at Cassie’s eyes, mostly for her sister but also for herself, waves of emotion nearly overwhelming her at the shock of Molly’s words.
Eva and Molly had been together for nearly twenty years, and Eva was a friend, almost another sister to Cassie. She had always been sure Molly and Eva would be together forever, that they all would. It just didn’t compute. But right now Molly needed her.
Cassie held her until Molly eventually calmed a little, Digit staying on her lap the whole time. Cassie sat next to Molly and put her hand on her back. “I’m so sorry, Mol. What do you need? What can I do?”
Molly stared at Digit as she stroked his black-and-white fur for a few moments. “Do you mind if I stay here for a little while . . . until I figure out the next step?” Molly looked up, her stunned and baffled expression almost too much for Cassie to take.
“Of course. You can always stay here. For as long as you need.” They sat in silence for a moment as Digit’s purring filled the room. “Can I make you something to eat?”
Molly forced another weak smile and shook her head. “No, I think I’ll just take a shower.”
“Okay, I’ll make up the guest bed for you.”
While Molly showered, Cassie put fresh sheets on the bed. She didn’t know what to say to her sister. Eva and Molly were solid, or so Cassie had thought. If they couldn’t make it work, no one could. Cassie wanted to know what happened, but also knew this wasn’t the night to ask those questions.
Her chest ached at the thought of losing Eva.
She knew it wasn’t anything compared to what Molly was going through, but it felt a little as if she had been broken up with too.
This had to be temporary. Just a disagreement or something.
Molly and Eva could work it out. You don’t give up after nearly two decades together, right?
Cassie heard the water turn off. A few minutes later, Molly came into the room, her long, auburn hair a few shades darker from the shower.
“Are you hungry? I can make some pasta.” Cassie tried to inject false cheer into her voice as she tried again to offer something that might soothe her sister. Molly shook her head and sat on the side of the bed. “Thanks, Cas. I think I’m just going to go to bed. It’s been a long day.”
Cassie nodded. “Okay. Get some rest.”
Digit ran in from the living room and jumped up next to Molly, making Cassie chuckle. “Apparently, Digit will be sleeping with you tonight.”
“I’m cool with that.” Molly gave her a tired smile and scratched under the cat’s chin.
Cassie walked over to Molly and hugged her tight. “Good night, Mol. I love you.”
“I love you too, kiddo.”
When Cassie woke, it took a moment before the reality of the previous night hit her.
It had taken her forever to fall asleep, her thoughts racing about Molly and Eva.
She actually appreciated the brief moment of nothingness before her world was shaken by memories of how everything had changed for her sister. And for her.
She took a shower and was surprised to see Molly in the kitchen when she went to make breakfast.
Molly was already dressed and looking beautiful--—like a boss—except for the redness around her eyes. Pain gripped Cassie’s chest, knowing Molly had probably been up all night crying.
Molly looked up and smiled. “I made breakfast.” She handed Cassie a plate of pancakes.
Cassie took the plate and hesitated a moment. She knew Molly must be heartbroken, but Molly was always the one who took care of her. She wasn’t quite sure what to do in this situation.
“Mol, do you want to talk about it?”
Molly stopped cleaning the island and took a deep breath. “I’ll be okay, Cas.”
They held each other’s gaze for a moment before Molly turned and rinsed off the cleaning rag. “I’ve got to get to work.” She grabbed her purse and slung it over her arm, but paused when she saw Cassie standing there, still holding her plate.
She frowned, walked over to Cassie, and kissed her cheek. “I’ll see you tonight.”
And then she was gone.
Cassie glanced around. Her house seemed a lot emptier without Molly in it. She sat down at her small kitchen table, petting Digit as he rubbed against her legs. “Hey, buddy. Were you a good boy to Molly last night?”
Digit purred in response.
Cassie ate a few bites of the pancake, but mostly just pushed her food around.
It was hard having an appetite when her sister was in so much pain.
As much as she wanted to hope this was a temporary thing between Molly and Eva, something in her gut told her it was bigger.
And if Molly and Eva weren’t together anymore, it would just be her and Molly now.
Tears pricked the corners of her eyes as distant memories of the last time she lost the family she knew threatened to surface.
Panic started to grip her, so she grabbed her wrist and took a few deep breaths.
After a few moments, her body began to calm.
She took an extra beat to let Digit rub against her leg, the press of his body further stabilizing her.
After a final inhale and slow exhale, she washed her plate in the sink and headed to work.
The ease and joy Drea had felt in the office the previous week was gone.
She had no idea what had changed, but Cassie was like a different person.
Their banter was nonexistent. She had tried joking with Cassie earlier in the week, but it was like watching a comedian bomb on stage as nothing was landing.
Cassie would crack the faintest of smiles and return to work.
The chill permeated the office and Drea felt helpless to fix it.
The others were starting to notice something was off, too, though not to the same extent as Drea. Cassie was professional, but the challenge in her eyes, the twinkle, all of it was gone. She seemed stressed and not like herself.
If Cassie had been dating someone, Drea would have guessed she’d been dumped. But she didn’t think Cassie had been seeing anyone unless she had been wrong about Janay just being Cassie’s friend. But what did Drea really know about Cassie anyway?
Drea packed up to go home and stopped by Cassie’s desk. “Hey, any chance I’ll see you at Rosie’s this weekend?”
Cassie raised her eyes from the computer screen, but all Drea saw there was sadness. She shook her head. “Not this weekend, I’m afraid.”
“You sure? I could line up some unsuspecting women for you to hustle.” Come on, Cassie, give me something.
As the corners of Cassie’s mouth turned up ever so slightly, Drea could feel the heaviness weighing on her.
Drea longed to see Cassie’s real smile again, but didn’t know how to make it happen. “Well, have a good weekend,” she said, sliding her bag over her shoulder.
“Thanks, Drea. You too.” Cassie focused back on her work before Drea had even walked away.
Drea wondered if she’d done something wrong, if she’d somehow hurt Cassie’s feelings.
Whatever had changed, Drea wished she could see the fire in Cassie’s eyes again.
She blew out a breath and walked out into the warm October air, hoping the weekend would be enough to bring back the Cassie she knew.