Chapter 10
Rachel had no opinion
about where they ate, so Cassie chose a nice restaurant where she was well
known. She knew she wouldn't have a problem getting a private booth there,
even during the busiest dinner hour.
Rachel was glancing
around the restaurant like an animal trapped in a cage. She couldn't remember
the last time she'd been out in public, let alone at a nice restaurant
like this one.
After the server had
taken their orders, Cassie folded her hands neatly on the table and focused
her attention on Rachel. "After you called me this morning, I was preoccupied
all day, considering what could be done if - if you just couldn't be alone
for a day."
Rachel focused her
attention on her water. They both knew Rachel wouldn't last a day alone,
but Rachel didn't want to admit it aloud. "Any ideas?" she muttered.
"One. What if you came
to work with me?" Rachel looked up. "You could help me out. Help me write
speeches, keep track of appointments, et cetera."
"Like your secretary?"
Cassie sighed. "Yeah.
I guess. I don't know what else to do."
Rachel thought for
a moment. "It does sound better than sitting in your apartment all day."
"It is. It'll get you
out and about; you'll no longer be the reclusive Animorph. You'll be out
doing something good again."
Rachel finally smiled.
"I think I'd like that."
There was a lull in
the conversation as the server set their food on the table. As soon as
the server was gone, Rachel grinned mischievously. "Of course, you realize
what we'll have to do if I'm going to be your gopher at work."
"What?"
"Shopping."
Cassie rolled her eyes.
"I should have known."
"Yes, you should have."
Cassie smirked. "Same
old Rachel."
It was usually Rachel's policy to try on clothes as soon as she got home, for whatever family members that had missed the outing and to be sure she still liked the clothes before she took the tags off. But on this night she said goodnight to Cassie, dragged her bags to her room, and fell asleep on the bed without changing. It was only 8 o'clock.
The next morning, Cassie looked in to Rachel's room to find her friend sprawled across the bed, on top of the blankets. Despite her position, Rachel looked relaxed. Cassie was tempted to let her sleep, but she knew she'd just get a panicked phone call when Rachel woke up, demanding to know where Cassie was.
"Rachel," Cassie called softly while knocking on the door frame. "Hey, Rachel. It's time to get up."
Muttering incoherently, Rachel sat up on the bed. "I'm up," she said with a yawn. "Yuck. I feel like shit."
"I think you may have exhausted yourself yesterday. Maybe you should stay -"
"Stay here? No way." Rachel slid off the bed. "Just let me shower. And do you have bee - um, coffee? I think I need some of that."
Cassie frowned at Rachel's slip. "We aren't going back to that now, are we?"
"I'm half asleep, Cassie. You've never, like, said Jake's name when you meant Ronnie? I'll be fine after a shower and coffee." Rachel grabbed one of her new outfits out of its bag before stumbling into the bathroom. Cassie sighed, then went to the kitchen to make the coffee. An extra strong batch.
Rachel came out of her room just as Cassie was pouring two mugs of coffee. Cassie could hardly believe the change the clothes and makeup had done; Rachel looked better than she ever had in the last year.
It was a simple ensemble, and looked comfortable enough that Cassie probably would have worn it to an important meeting without much complaint. Black slacks and a silk turquoise blouse. The makeup Rachel had insisted on purchasing was put to good use as well; Cassie could only tell Rachel was wearing it because she didn't have circles under her eyes anymore. The only part of the outfit that may have given an onlooker pause were the long sleeves. It was unseasonably warm outside and air conditioning could only do so much. But Rachel and Cassie agreed that showing up for her first day of work showing off needle tracks wasn't the best way for Rachel to start.
Cassie handed Rachel a coffee mug. "Ready for your public debut?" She kept her tone light, not wanting to give away how impressed she was by the makeover.
Rachel took a tentative sip of coffee. "Ready as I'll ever be."
Cassie gave Rachel a reassuring smile. "You're going to be fine.
Rachel didn't answer, just drank her coffee while glancing over the headlines of the paper laying open on the kitchen table.
Cassie stood by for a few minutes, enjoying the normalcy of the scene. Two women, standing in the kitchen, drinking coffee before work. I could get used to this. . . .
since lunch had been a 15 minutes break consisting of Easy Mac and Coke, Cassie volunteered to take them out for an early dinner to celebrate a job well done. Rachel was exhausted, but agreed. As much as she hated to admit it, she knew she couldn't keep sleeping at random times.
Cassie drove to a street corner cafe just a few blocks from her apartment building. It was early so the cafe was practically empty, but the staff and the few customers who were there stared at Rachel and Cassie from the moment the pair walked in.
"My makeup still covers everything, right?" Rachel whispered to Cassie as they found a table as far from the other patrons as possible.
Cassie nodded, then tugged at one of Rachel's sleeves that had rolled up in the course of the day. Rachel smoothed both sleeves, the message understood: with all the attention they were getting, rumors were sure to fly if the needle tracks were seen.
"So how did you enjoy your first day back at work? Cassie asked after their orders had been taken.
"'Back'? I've never worked a real job before in my life."
Cassie looked confused. "You must have done something. You and Tobias -"
Rachel rolled her eyes. "We had the shittiest apartment in town. Tobias would paint under a pseudonym. I . . . I didn't have the drive to do anything myself."
"We don't have to talk about this now," Cassie said softly. She could already tell Rachel wasn't comfortable with the subject, and the last thing Rachel needed were witnesses to an emotional breakdown. Wouldn't Naomi love to read that headline in a supermarket tabloid.
Rachel nodded and sipped her Diet Coke. "But it was nice. Being useful, doing things that were helpful." She smiled cynically. "Nothing like my last career."
Cassie sipped her own Diet Coke and, eager to change the subject, said, "You think you'll want to go back tomorrow?"
Rachel smiled broadly this time. "I wouldn't miss it."
Her shortest work day had been seven hours, and now over the pizza they'd ordered in Friday night, Cassie was informing Rachel she didn't get the weekend off.
"They want me to go out to Yellowstone, to check in with the Hork-Bajir. You're not required to go -"
"But then we're back to the issue of what do I do while you're gone. I'm not going to ask my sisters to stay with me again and the last person I want to spend time with is my mom."
Cassie sighed. "You need to see her sometime. You can't avoid her forever."
"Watch me," Rachel muttered.
"Okay, then what's your solution? Do you want to come out to Yellowstone with me?"
"It's better than the alternatives."
"I don't want you to settle for something you're going to be unhappy with. This probably is going to be a pretty mundane weekend, just checking in with the Hork-Bajir like I said. They'd love to see you, but -" the phone rang, interrupting Cassie's train of thought. She jumped up and grabbed the living room phone. "Hello?"
"Hey, Cassie."
A voice Cassie would recognize anywhere. "Jake! How are you?"
"I'm doing well. Marco told me Rachel's back home with you?"
Cassie winced. She'd been so busy recently she hadn't had a chance to call Jake. Or Tobias. "Oh, God, I'm sorry, Jake. I should have called -"
"It's all right, Cassie. Marco called me the day Rachel was released and Jordan's kept me updated since. Marco and I have both tried called Tobias, but earlier today when Marco called, someone else was in the apartment, someone who'd never heard of Tobias."
Cassie looked guiltily back at Rachel. She'd been so preoccupied she hadn't spared a thought for Tobias, breaking her promise to tell him everything that happened. "What are we going to do?"
"I don't know what we can do. Tobias could slip into the forest and never be seen again. He knows how to hide. I think we have to trust that he'll show up when he's ready."
And if he never is? Cassie thought. "Anyway, did you call with any good news?"
Jake's mood lightened immediately. "I did, actually. I'm in town this weekend and wondered if you and Rachel wanted to meet me for dinner once. Completely platonic, of course."
"You know I'd love to, Jake, but I'm heading out to visit the Hork-Bajir tomorrow." She glanced back at Rachel. "However, what are you in town for?"
"Taking a break. Visiting my parents. Why?"
"Rachel's been working with me all week and doesn't feel up to going with me to Yellowstone."
Rachel looked up suspiciously at the mention of her name.
"So you want her to stay with me?"
Cassie caught Rachel's suspicious glare. "If she could - hold on a moment." Cassie pressed the phone to her shoulder. "What?"
"You're making plans without consulting me?"
"You said you didn't want to go to Yellowstone."
"But I don't want to stay with Jake! I'll go with you. At least see Toby again," Rachel muttered.
Cassie turned around to hide her smile and lifted the phone to her ear again. "Never mind, Jake. She's coming with me."
Jake laughed. "Of course. Rachel couldn't stand to stay at home if there was any chance of getting out and making trouble."
Cassie didn't return the light hearted tone. "You haven't seen Rachel recently, Jake. She hasn't had a good summer."
Jake sobered quickly. "You're right. I haven't. So why don't I take you both out for dinner tonight? Or bring something in?"
"I'd love to have you over, Jake, but we've already eaten and Ronnie's actually coming over alter this evening. We haven't seen each other much."
Rachel rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, I understand," Jake said flatly.
"But call me, next time you're in town, okay?" Cassie said hopefully.
"Yeah. Sure."
"Good Lord, Cassie," Rachel muttered. She stood up. "Give me the phone."
"Jake? Rachel wants to talk -" was all Cassie could say before Rachel took the phone away.
"Amateur," Rachel muttered to Cassie before putting the phone to her ear. "Jake?"
"Rachel! Hi!" Now Jake's voice was artificially cheerful.
"What were you and Cassie talking about?"
"Rachel!" Cassie hissed.
"Just telling her I'm in town for the weekend and wanted to take you two out, but you're leaving tomorrow and Ronnie's going to be there -"
Rachel glanced back at Cassie. "Yeah, I know. But if you're serious on that offer, why don't you come bust me out of here?"
"Are you sure?"
Rachel looked to Cassie. "You know you two don't want me here." To Jake she said, "Yes, I'm sure. Why wouldn't I be?"
"Well Cassie said you'd been working all week. I know a full work week can be exhausting."
"I'm fine, Jake. I can sleep on the plane out tomorrow morning. Just come get me out of Cassie's hair for awhile."
Cassie started to protest, but Rachel ignored her.
"Sure, Rachel. When should I be over?"
"Um, soon? I don't know." She looked to Cassie. "When is Ronnie coming over?"
Cassie looked at her watch and sighed. "In half an hour."
"Can you get here in twenty minutes?" Rachel asked Jake.
"Sure. I'll have the doorman buzz you when I arrive."
"Okay. Bye, Jake." Rachel hung up the phone.
"Rachel, what are you thinking?" Cassie demanded. "First of all, you're not 'in my hair.' I love having you here. And are you really up for a night out? Twenty minutes ago you weren't up to going to Yellowstone with me tomorrow."
"I wasn't up to it because more work doesn't sound appealing to me. But neither does living with Jake and his parents for a weekend. This is the lesser of two evils. And you don't love having me around, Cassie. I bitch and complain all the time, and can you remember the last time you were alone with Ronnie? Besides, I certainly don't want to be around when you're being all romantic. Ew."
"Oh, it's 'ew,' now?" Cassie laughed. "It used to be sweet."
"And how many drugs was I on when I said that?" Cassie didn't laugh. "Medical drugs, Cassie. Geez, am I going to have to censor myself around you forever?"
Cassie nodded. "You might."
Well that killed the mood. "I'm gonna go get ready."
Cassie nodded and while Rachel went to change, Cassie began picking up pizza boxes.
The intercom buzzed while Rachel was still in her room. Cassie, who'd been waiting in the kitchen, pressed the speaker button. "Yes?"
"Jake Berenson is here to see Rachel," an unfamiliar voice informed Cassie. She didn't usually have many interactions with the evening staff.
"Send him up."
"Ah, he requests that Rachel come down to meet him, ma'am."
"Oh. Well. I'll tell Rachel. Thanks." Cassie let go of the button just as Rachel entered the room.
"Was that Jake?" Rachel asked.
"Yes," Cassie said. "Rachel, why does he want you to meet him downstairs?"
Rachel sighed. "Cassie, you don't tell your ex that your new fling is coming over for the evening. He's a little hurt right now, I'm sure."
"But we're friends. He knows I've started dating again."
"But you turned down seeing Jake to see Ronnie. You had to, I know, you made plans with Ronnie first and it would send him the wrong signals if you canceled for Jake. That still doesn't make Jake feel any better."
Cassie nodded sullenly. "Well, he's waiting in the lobby. Tell him hi for me?"
Rachel smiled. "Sure."
"Oh, and we leave here at 8:30 tomorrow morning," Cassie told Rachel as Rachel opened the door. "Don't stay out too late?"
Rachel rolled her eyes. "Yes, mother." She left the apartment and briskly walked to the elevator.
Within minutes, the elevator deposited Rachel in the middle of the gleaming hotel-like lobby. "Rachel!" Jake called as he stood from one of the couches.
Rachel grinned and walked to him. "Hi, Jake," she said as they hugged. "Oh, and Cassie says hi, too."
Jake nodded, but otherwise ignored Rachel's message. "Come on, my body guard has to be freaking out that I've been in here so long." He began to lead the way out of the building.
"Whoa, you've got a body guard?" Rachel asked as she nearly jogged to keep up with Jake. A growth spurt and a year of proper nutrition had helped him shoot up to be nearly a head taller than Rachel now, thus his legs were just long enough to outpace Rachel.
Jake looked embarrassed. "Um, yeah. The government kind of thinks I'm too valuable to risk."
"They honestly think someone's going to take a shot at you?" Rachel laughed at the absurdity of the thought.
Jake's face darkened as he held open the back passenger door of a tinted-window SUV for Rachel. "They did. Two months ago. That's when I got Kyle here." He nodded at the man sitting in front of Rachel, then shut the door and jogged around the car to get in next to Rachel.
"Jake . . ." Rachel said when they were on their way. "I'm sorry. I didn't know. I don't even know where I was two months ago."
Jake shrugged. "I never said I blamed you for that. I understand this has. . . hasn't been a good summer."
Rachel laughed derisively. "There's an understatement."
Jake sighed. "Y'know, I didn't want to see you tonight to relive the mistakes of the past."
"What else is there to talk about?"
"I want to get to know you again, Rachel. You know it's almost been a year since I saw you? A year's a long time to go without seeing your cousin."
Rachel shrugged. "It's been hectic. I'm sure most of the time you didn't even realize I was gone."
"But I did." Jake put a hand on Rachel's wrist. It took all of her self control not to pull away from him. "Every time I met some extraordinary, powerful woman, I thought 'Rachel would love to see this.' Every school I went to where a little girl asked if you were just like the books said, I wished you were there to show her for yourself. And especially every time Tobias had to come up with a story to cover your absence at a group function. We all knew something was wrong, but none of us dared to confront it."
"Yeah, well, it kind of was a disaster when anyone did."
"But maybe if we'd stepped in earlier -"
"There's no point in 'maybe's and 'what if's. I made a huge number of mistakes. By myself. My fault. And I thought you didn't want to discuss the past?"
Jake nodded. "You're right. But I can't seem to talk about anything else, so why don't you start something?"
"Okay . . . where are we going?"
Jake smiled. "Captain Sundae's. I figure this late in the year, this late at night, even on a Friday it can't be that busy. Besides, when was the last time you were there."
Rachel smiled, genuinely. Captain Sundae's was a little ice cream shop all the local people knew, but no one else did since the place survived with zero advertising. "Years. I can hardly remember it."
"Well, it hasn't changed. There it is." Jake pointed out Rachel's window as the driver pulled the SUV into the parking lot.
Rachel couldn't hide her smile as she got out of the car. Captain Sundae's was a guilty pleasure she hadn't indulged in for far too long.
Jake bought sundaes for Rachel, his driver, Kyle and himself. After deliver two to the men in the SUV, he and Rachel sat at a nearby picnic table.
"So how are things going with Cassie?" Jake asked after a few bites of ice cream.
Rachel nodded as she finished swallowing a bite of her sundae. "Good. Work's kind of boring. I'm a glorified secretary, but otherwise it's fun. Life's one long slumber party now."
"And have you met this Ronnie guy?"
Rachel stirred her sundae. "Yeah, I have. You know, I told Cassie she really shouldn't have told you that -"
"No, I don't care that she's spending the evening with this guy," Jake said quickly. "It's fine. Great, even. I just want to know what he's like."
Rachel raised an eyebrow at Jake's almost frantic answer, but didn't comment on it. Instead she said, "He's a good guy. You know, my presence has really cut into the time he and Cassie spend together, but he's never complained. He's always the perfect gentleman, which, admittedly can get a little annoying, but better that than being a jackass."
Jake nodded. "Of course. I - I'm glad."
After a moment of silence, Rachel said, "I'm sorry, Jake,"
"No, no, don't be," Jake scoffed. "I'm fine, really. I'm glad she's happy. That's all I can ask for, right?"
"Hi," she said as she opened the door. Ronnie greeted her with a passionate kiss.
"Hi," he replied when he finally pulled away. "Er, Rachel's not here, is she?"
"No, actually," Cassie said. "Jake called. He took her out for the evening."
Ronnie grinned devilishly. "Good. I was hoping something would have been arranged. I've been saving this for weeks." From behind his back he pulled out a bottle of champagne. "I knew having this around the apartment when Rachel was would just be stupid, so I saved it."
Cassie eyed the bottle nervously. She'd had champagne before, but only a small glass at New Year's with her family. She and Ronnie were going to have to drink the whole bottle before Rachel got back. Or dump it down the drain. Cassie wasn't about to risk rachel finding alcohol in any form. Then she noticed Ronnie still had a hand behind his back. "And what's back there?" she asked with a nod. "A bottle of wine?"
Ronnie pulled out a small basket, covered with a red and white checked picnic blanket and a single red rose tied to the handle with a red ribbon. "All the essentials for a romantic candlelit evening in your apartment."
Cassie smiled and took the basket from him. "And what on Earth were you planning on doing if Rachel was here?" she asked as she led him to the living room.
"Stash this all in the hall and follow your lead," Ronnie said, turning out lights behind him."
"So I have to follow your lead now?"
"I don't think I'll demand anything you can't live with." He stole another kiss.
Cassie was beginning to feel a little anxious as she unpacked the picnic basket. Normally she loved it when Ronnie randomly arranged a romantic evening for the two of them, but for some reason this one just wasn't setting right with her. It's because of Jake's call, she realized as she set out two tapered candles, champagne glasses, and a supermarket mixed fruit bowl. It's thrown all of my plans off. This was supposed to be, for better or for worse, a night that involved Rachel.
Ronnie lit the candles, then got up to turn off the final lights before returning to pour their first glasses of champagne. He lifted his glass for a toast. "To us. And seven months together. May there be many more to come." He and Cassie clinked their glasses together and drank.
Ronnie seemed to understand Cassie's concerns over the champagne. Cassie's glass was hardly emptied before Ronnie was filling it again. Cassie wanted to protest, knew she should protest, but it was very thoughtful of him. And the champagne was very good.
Within an hour and a half, the snacks Ronnie had brought, along with the champagne were gone. He and Cassie were stealing kisses between idle conversation when Ronnie impulsively asked, "Can I stay over tonight?"
Cassie stared at him for a moment before finally asking, "What?" Intelligent, Cassie.
"Can I stay over?" Ronnie repeated. "You know, spend the night."
"Why?"
"I haven't spent time alone with you in weeks, Cassie, and you're taking off again tomorrow. I don't want this night to end."
Cassie laid her head on Ronnie's shoulder. "I know. It's just so hard. Between our careers and now Rachel...."
"Who knows when we'll have another chance like this." Still Cassie hesitated. "I'm not trying to force you into anything, Cassie. I love you too much for that. Feel free to say no, I'll understand -"
"That's not why I'm hesitating," Cassie broke in. "I'd like nothing more than to wake up tomorrow morning beside the person I love. I'm just considering whether I can, between leaving early tomorrow and . . . I hate to say it, but Rachel. How's she going to react -"
"I'll go then. Her recovery is more important -"
"But it isn't! I can't keep putting my life on hold for her. I have to do something for me sometime and . . . and I think tonight is going to be it." Before she could lose her nerve, Cassie pulled Ronnie up and led him to her room.
"Yeah, why?" Rachel asked.
"Well, I haven't heard anything official, but I do know that last time I visited him a very sheepish looking Ax was in Marco's kitchen."
Rachel's jaw quite literally dropped. "You don't think -"
Jake shrugged. "Like I said, nothing official. And if Marco does have a girlfriend, good for him. I last visited several months ago, you know."
"Some trashy tabloid would have reported something!"
"No one's caught on that you're living with Cassie, have they?" Rachel shrugged. "We're super heroes, Rachel. We get a slightly higher ammount of respect than the average celebrity." He looked out his window as the SUV slowed. "Here we are."
Rachel looked out her own window, up to one of the windows of Cassie's apartment. "I'd invite you up to at least say hi, but it looks like the lights are all off up there."
"It'd probably be better if I didn't anyway."
Rachel nodded. "Thanks for the ice cream, Jake. It was fun. And, y'know, something I needed."
Jake smiled. "Anytime, Rachel. It was fun."
Rachel nodded again. "Good night." She nodded slightly to the driver and Kyle before jumping out of the car and walking quickly to the inviting glow of the lit lobby. It'd been a long time since she'd been out alone at night.
Once inside, Rachel smiled at the unfamiliar evening staff people. They all seemed to know her however, and let her go up to Cassie's apartment without comment.
The door had been left unlocked for Rachel, since there hadn't been a reason so far for Rachel to have her own key. She slipped into the apartment and found she'd been right; there wasn't a light on in the place. Rachel didn't think anything of it, figuring Cassie had had her evening with Ronnie, but went to bed early.
Rachel went towards her room, flicking lights on and off as she needed them. But she stopped when she got to the living room.
The remains of Cassie and Ronnie's picnic was still in the middle of the floor. Including the champagne bottle.
Rachel's stomach clenched at the sight of the bottle. It'd been so long since she'd had alcohol of any kind. . . .
But I'm staying sober, Rachel reminded herself, for Cassie.
But Cassie was usually pretty good about cleaning up after herself.
She was tired, Rachel rationalized as she continued towards her room. She was unsteady, shaken by the sight of the champagne, but proud of herself for resisting. She planned on me not looking around tonight and cleaning before I woke up tomorrow.
Rachel continued to convince herself of this as she readied herself for bed, her last conscious thought being, There's a logical explanation for everything.
"Ronnie," Cassie whispered. "It's time -" but when she looked at the bed next to her, it was empty. Cassie felt a little disconcerted - but then smelled the coffee brewing and smiled. Of course he'd thought of that.
Quicker than she'd have liked to, Cassie forced herself out of bed and into the outfit she'd laid out yesterday for the trip - no time for a shower this morning; Rachel always insisted on having one and there wasn't time to argue.
One hand shielding her eyes from the sunlight (the bad thing about an apartment with lots of windows, at least when you had a hangover), Cassie walked across the hallway and knocked on Rachel's door. "C'mon, Rachel. We overslept. Get up."
"I am up!" Rachel called from the kitchen.
Cassie's feeling of disconcertedness reappeared then. Rachel up with no prompting, no Ronnie next to her, coffee brewing - did Rachel even know how to use the coffee maker?
As quickly as she could manage, Cassie stumbled to the kitchen. She wasn't sure whether to be relieved or nervous to find Rachel and Ronnie as uneasy breakfast companions.
"'Morning, hon," Ronnie greeted Cassie after standing from the table and giving her a kiss. "I wanted to make breakfast for you, but my fumblings in the kitchen woke Rachel and after a few failed attempts at French toast, we decided neither of us was domestic enough to cook and settled on coffee."
"Well this was sweet of you," Cassie said as she sat at the table, "but you knew I wanted to be up early."
"Since I got up all by myself like a big girl we turned off your alarm to let you sleep," Rachel said in a mockery of cheerfulness. "Besides, I figure with the hangover you've got to be nursing right now, you wouldn't have appreciated the alarm." Now all pretense of cheer was gone. Shit, Cassie thought. She knows what happened and hates me for it.
Ronnie's gaze shifted nervously between the two women. He had a pretty good idea that it was his presence that was upsetting Rachel. And he really couldn't blame her. Hadn't Cassie promised Rachel at one point there'd be no men at the apartment? Then again, can Rachel remember that long ago? he wondered with a hint of bitterness. But shook it off quickly. That wasn't fair.
"Y'know, I know you still have to get ready for your trip, so I'm gonna go," Ronnie announce. He gulped down the last of his coffee. "Bye, Cass." Ronnie caught Rachel's glare as he kissed Cassie. "Uh, thanks for your help, Rachel."
Rachel forced a smile. "No problem."
"Have a safe trip, you two. And I'll see you when you get back. Um. . . love you, Cassie."
Cassie smiled hesitantly. "Love you, too. Bye."
Ronnie nodded and let himself out.
Cassie rested her head in her hands. "That wasn't too awkward."
"No. No it wasn't," Rachel said bitterly.
"Rachel, I can explain -"
"I don't know if we have time, but you can start," Rachel snapped. From beneath the table she pulled the empty champagne bottle. "Alcohol, Cassie? How could you bring this here and let me find it? Do you know how much of a shock it was to find this last night? It was late, I was tired and then there, in the middle of the living room, is a bottle fucking champagne?"
"I didn't bring that, Ronnie -"
"Oh. Ronnie. Do you want me to start on that one?" Rachel didn't wait for a reply. "The night before you're taking me on a business trip you practically coerced me into, you're inviting your boyfriend to spend the night? Of all times to do this, Cassie?"
Cassie massaged her temple. "Rachel, you're not being fair -"
"I'm an addict in recovery, I don't have to be fair."
"But you have to understand what happened! Ronnie showed up with the champagne, we drank all of it, knowing none could be left you tempt you and . . . you know how that much alcohol can impair your judgment."
"I know I do, Cassie, and that's why I'm freaking out! I don't want what happened to me to happen to you!"
Cassie finally met Rachel's eyes to find they were filled with tears. "That's what this is about?"
Rachel nodded miserably. "All my life, Cassie, I've done everything I could to protect you. From bullies in school to - to David to God knows what else. And now our roles are reversed but this," she indicated the champagne bottle still clutched in her fist, "is something I can control. Or thought I could."
"It was one night, I promise it'll never happen again."
"Yeah, I've heard that one before."
Cassie frowned. "When have I -"
"Not you. Me."
Fighting against nausea now, Cassie stood and went to hug her friend. "I promise, I really do, that what you've gone through is never going to happen again."
Rachel hugged Cassie tighter. "You can't promise that."
"Take a break, Rachel. Let me be in charge. And just watch me."
"Okay," Rachel whispered.