Page 49 of Undoing

Cass looked up abruptly, searching for any sign of recognition in Rebecca’s eyes. But there was none. She shrugged self-consciously. “It’s the least I can do.”

They stood in awkward silence for a moment, just staring at each other. God, how Cass wanted to hold Rebecca in her arms. Her body ached to touch Rebecca. It had been nearly five days since she last kissed Rebecca or heard the words that fueled her soul every day. I love you, Cassidy.

What was it about those intriguing bi-colored eyes that made Rebecca feel so… safe? The way Cass looked at her sent chills down Rebecca’s spine. But not in the same way as Samantha. No, these chills weren’t fear and loathing. This felt… good. Yet, Rebecca couldn’t shake the feeling that she was missing something important in her life when she thought of Cass.

“I-I should, um…” Cass jerked a thumb over her shoulder. She didn’t want to go, but the last thing she wanted to do was make things more complicated for the woman she loved more than anything.

“Cass? Is that you?”

Cass peered around Rebecca and smiled. “Hey, Aunt Wills. I hope I’m not interrupting anything.”

Rebecca held up the bag Cass had given her. “Cass brought some of my things over.”

“Ah, that’s nice.” Willamena had noticed the slight wince when Rebecca called her Cass. She also caught the slight slump in Cass’s shoulders. “Rebecca, why don’t you let the woman in? We were just about to sit down for dinner. Join us.”

“Oh!” A light blush blossomed on Rebecca’s cheeks. “Right. I’m sorry, I should have…”

“No, no, it’s okay.” Cass reached out but stopped just before touching Rebecca. “Honestly. I just wanted to make sure you had your things before it got too late. I don’t want to impose.”

“Nonsense! Ellie texted to tell me you might be stopping by, so I made plenty.” Willamena hid her smirk when Rebecca gave her an exasperated look. “Come in.”

Still, Cass hesitated. She mentally thanked Ellie for cluing Aunt Wills in, however… “It’s up to you, Becca. If you’re not up for company, I can totally go.”

Totally, Rebecca repeated silently. She ignored the small tingle she felt in her tummy, focusing on her answer and the kind eyes that watched her carefully.

“You went out of your way to bring me some of my things. The least we could do is feed you.”

Cass chuckled. “With my appetite, I don’t think the deed was worth the reward.” She patted her thighs. “Hollow legs, remem… uh…”

Rebecca bit her lip to hold in her laugh. Cass really was sweet, and a flustered Cass was priceless. “Please, come in. I’ll never hear the end of it from Aunt Wills if I’m impolite.”

“She’s got that right,” Willamena called out as she returned to the kitchen. This was a start. She didn’t want to overwhelm Rebecca, but having Cass here could be beneficial to Rebecca regaining her memory. Besides, Ellie told Willamena about some of Cass’s fears. Ellie’s suggestion of making Rebecca fall in love with Cass again wasn’t a bad idea. The romance of it tugged at Willamena’s heartstrings.

“Can I do something to help?” Cass asked gently.

Willamena jumped slightly at the sound of Cass being so near. The woman is a ninja!

“You could set the table if you’d like,” Willamena answered with a pleased smile.

“Hang on. I’ve repeatedly asked if I could help, and you refused!” Rebecca stood by the counter that separated the living room from the kitchen, her hands firmly on her hips and a perturbed look gracing that beautiful face.

“To be fair,” Cass began, “I didn’t just have brain surgery. How are you feeling, by the way? Sorry, Becca, that should have been my first question when you opened the door.”

Rebecca wanted to hang onto her annoyance with Aunt Wills, but Cass’s genuine concern squashed that pretty quickly. “I’m… okay, thank you for asking.” She contemplated ending her answer there but felt compelled to be more open with Cass. She attributed that to the relationship they had. The one Rebecca’s brain wouldn’t allow her to remember. “I’ve had a dull headache that doesn’t want to go away, and I get dizzy if I move too quickly. But, other than that, I feel fine. At least fine enough to set the table,” Rebecca pointed out with feigned indignation.

Cass snickered when Aunt Wills threateningly whacked the wooden spoon on the counter. However, as with any other day, Cass was Team Rebecca, so she handed the cutlery and napkins to Rebecca.

“Thank you.” Rebecca smiled at Cass, fascinated by the slight blush that graced Cass’s face. She placed her items around the table and then went for glasses. “What can I get you to drink, Cass?”

There it is again, Rebecca thought silently. Every time Rebecca said Cass’s name, Cass winced, and Rebecca could see the sadness in her eyes.

“Uh, I’ll take some sparkling water if you have some.” Cass needed to learn how to school her emotions. She had noticed Rebecca eyeing her curiously after calling her Cass. The problem was Cass had no control over the hurt that hearing Rebecca call her that name caused.

Again, Rebecca smiled. “That’s my favorite, too.”

It was on the tip of Cass’s tongue to say, “I know,” but for once, she refrained. Cass only started drinking sparkling water because Rebecca always had cans of it in the fridge. It became a good alternative to soda when Cass needed that bite of carbonation.

“Soup’s on!” Willamena announced, hip-checking a mesmerized Cass out of the way. If she followed Cass’s line of sight, she would see her looking at her niece’s derriere. “Why don’t you sit here at the head of the table, Cass?”

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