Chapter 12 #3
The only thing worse than something happening between her and Drea would be something happening between Molly and Drea.
How would she come to work each day and face a woman she knew had slept with her sister?
It wasn’t like Eva. That was a relationship and love, at one point at least. She felt a pain in her chest at the reminder of the loss.
This would be a hookup. Just sex. Another wave of nausea hit.
“Cas, you all right?” Molly asked.
Cassie looked up and felt heat rising under her sweater. “I’m hot.” She glanced around the room. “Is it hot in here?”
“It’s actually a little chilly,” Molly replied.
“I can see whether the temperature can be raised,” Jody said. Cassie looked at her in disbelief and saw that she was looking at Molly. “If you’re cold.”
“That’s so kind,” Molly said as a smile replaced the look of concern on her face. “Thank you, but I’m fine.” She passed a questioning look at Cassie.
Cassie gave the slightest shake of her head and focused on her plate again.
Everything seemed upside down. Molly was the steady one, the stable one, the committed one.
She and Eva were supposed to stay together forever.
And now she was trying to keep Molly going, and Eva was gone, and everyone and their mom wanted to be with her sister.
Why couldn’t things go back to the way they were?
She held her wrist and took a deep breath, then blew it out slowly.
She did it once more and felt her heart rate slow and her muscles relax.
Everything was fine. She was fine. It would all be okay.
She raised her eyes, but the concerned expression meeting her was Drea’s, not Molly’s.
Drea watched the blush on Cassie’s cheeks deepen as she stared into her lap and took a couple of breaths. She glanced at Molly to see her watching Cassie with concern as well.
She guessed it had only been a matter of time.
While Drea didn’t know much about weddings, thankfully avoiding the wave of weddings that a woman her age typically would have been asked to attend by now, except for Sam’s, of course, she did know they had a reputation for being stressful as hell.
Terms like bridezilla didn’t exist for no reason.
And while she knew Cassie to be a one-woman mountain mover in the office, she figured even she wouldn’t be immune to the stresses of planning a wedding.
Not to mention doing it for the first time—well, as far as she knew—while being supportive for her sister who was on a downward spiral of heartbreak.
When she first agreed to help Cassie with the weddings, it had been to help get her out of her sadness because it was really bumming the office out.
And her, truthfully. But seeing all that each one required and how hard Cassie worked even after working in the office all day, she started to see that things might go downhill for Cassie before she made it to the end.
Plus, Cassie was not crafty . . . at all, whereas Drea had always excelled at that kind of stuff.
And it felt good to be needed by someone again since Sam and Jake weren’t around as often as they used to be.
When Cassie raised her eyes, they met Drea’s.
Drea watched as something changed in her expression.
Erin and Tom asked Drea a question, but while she chatted with them, she snuck a few glances at Cassie, who ate a bit more food, but still seemed off.
When a break in the conversation appeared, she caught Cassie’s gaze and tilted her head toward the dessert area.
Cassie gave a half smile and nodded.
“You all right?” she asked as Cassie joined her at the dessert table.
“Yeah, I’m fine. I’m not sure what was going on,” Cassie said.
“I do.”
Cassie’s pupils dilated and the color drained from her face.
Drea grabbed a plate of cake and handed it to her, thinking she might pass out. “Here. Eat this.”
Cassie stared at it for a moment. “What are you trying to say?”
“I think you’re overwhelmed.”
Cassie’s eyes narrowed as if trying to decipher the words.
“With the wedding. You’ve been working nonstop for months and at a completely new job that’s been pretty trial by fire so far. You need a break.”
“Oh.” Cassie’s body relaxed a little and she took a bite of the cake, closing her eyes and savoring it. The move was a bit sensual and Drea tried to curb the thoughts and sensations that it incited in her. She cleared her throat and shifted to lean against the table.
Cassie opened her eyes and seemed to falter for a moment as her eyes scanned Drea’s new position. She scratched her neck and glanced at her plate for a second before continuing, “I can’t take a break. The wedding’s in less than four days.”
“What else still needs to be done?”
“God, so many things.” She bit her lip and looked at the floor as if trying to mentally calculate it all.
“But,” there was a glimmer of hope in her eyes, “almost none of it can be done until we get into the venue on Saturday. I just need help getting all of the centerpieces and the altar,” she pointed at Drea, “and your painting there. How is that coming by the way?”
“It’s done. I can meet you Friday and take the altar and a bunch of the centerpieces in my car. I’ll bring them and the painting on Saturday. But . . .” She felt a mischievous grin form on her lips.