Page 66 of Undoing

“Hey, you don’t have to answer right now.” You’re an idiot for taking advantage of her state. “I just wanted to put it out there, yeah?”

“Okay.” Even through the drowsiness, Rebecca heard the warmth in Cass’s voice. “I can call you with the date and time.” She frowned again. “I don’t have a phone or your number. I’ll have Aunt Wills call you.”

Cass smiled sadly. Rebecca didn’t have a phone because Cass had it. Cass had put it in her pocket the day of the surgery, along with Rebecca’s wedding ring. At night, she charges the phone and sends an ‘I love you’ text to Rebecca’s number while holding the ring tightly in her hand. She’d have to ask Aunt Wills if it was a good idea to give the phone back to Rebecca with everything she was dealing with. The ring? Cass would hold on to that until Rebecca was ready to wear it again.

“It’s okay, Becca. I know when it is. I can take you if you’d like.”

Unfortunately, Rebecca had nodded off again before she could answer. Cass hopped out of the car and ran to the passenger side. With the gentleness of a woman in love, Cass scooped Rebecca up into her arms and carried her to the house.

Willamena opened the door, worry etched across her face.

“She’s okay, Aunt Wills. Just tired from the meds.”

“Bring her to the couch. I have the blankets ready for her.”

Cass side-eyed Aunt Wills. “You knew we were coming. Did Eve call you?”

“I may have been keeping tabs on you both today. While having half a mimosa at Blaise’s shop. And if she tells you anything different, she’s a liar.”

Keeping tabs. “You didn’t trust me to take care of her?” Cass settled Rebecca on the couch, freezing when Rebecca stirred. Once she quieted down, Cass covered her with the blanket Willamena handed her.

“That couldn’t be further from the truth, Cass. I trust you with my niece more than anyone else in the world. Maybe even myself. We were just curious how things would go with you two.”

“We?”

“The gals and I,” Willamena confessed. “I think you know my appointment was a ruse today. We wanted to give you and Rebecca some time alone to see if it helped her remember.”

“It didn’t,” Cass said sadly. Deep down, she did know what Aunt Wills and the others were up to. It had all been too perfect. “Thank you, though. I appreciate you trying to help and giving me some much-needed time with her.”

“Oh, I disagree. I think it helped. The small… tingly feelings, as Blaise called them? That is a step in the right direction.” Willamena hooked a hand around Cass’s elbow and pulled her away from the sleeping Rebecca so they could talk more freely. “Ellie said Rebecca was laughing. The only time she does that is when you’re around her. Cass, the secondary reason for my slight… manipulation is Rebecca’s mental state. Amnesia aside, being cooped up, no friends, no work? That’s a recipe for disaster. She went down that road before, and I won’t allow that to happen again. We’ve worked too hard to get her where she is. And I’m including you in that. You found a way to absolve Rebecca of her guilt, and I’ll be damned if I let Samantha take up residency in Rebecca’s head again.”

Cass nodded. “Yeah, I get that. I sure as hell don’t want that bit…, um…”

“You can say bitch in front of me,” Willamena laughed. “Especially when you’re speaking of that sorry excuse of worthless flesh.”

Cass raised her brows and pursed her lips. “Tell me how you really feel, Aunt Wills,” she teased. “But you’re right. Why didn’t you just tell me what you had in mind? I would’ve agreed to anything when it comes to Rebecca.”

“I know, but we wanted your reaction — and subsequent invitation — to be genuine. Rebecca is very intuitive, so I had to be very careful with how I arranged this.”

“Which included running out of here like your bra was on fire and not giving her a chance to question the validity of your appointment?”

Willamena laughed again, touching her forefinger to her nose. “Bingo.”

Cass nodded, a slight smile lingering on her lips. It wasn’t that this conversation wasn’t entertaining. She always enjoyed talking to Aunt Wills with her quick wit. But as Cass glanced back at Rebecca softly snoring on the couch, she dreaded having to leave and go home alone.

“You can stay,” Willamena said quietly, accurately guessing the reason for Cass’s somber mood.

“I want to,” Cass readily admitted. “But I don’t want Rebecca to be uncomfortable. She’s still trying to figure all this shit out. The last thing she needs is me hanging around 24/7. I do have one request, though,” she continued before Willamena could argue.

“What’s that?”

“I asked Rebecca if I could be at her appointment. She agreed, but she’s also, uh, under the influence of excellent pain meds. I want to be there, Aunt Wills. I need to know what the results are, and I don’t want to sit back and wait. I can’t. I’m freakin’ going out of my mind already.”

“Cass,” Willamena laid a calming hand on Cass’s arm. “You’re more than welcome to be at the appointment. The only person who can say no is Rebecca, and I have a feeling that won’t happen. You ground her, Cass. Even now. Today was a good day, and if you don’t stay like you want to, at least take that with you.”

Cass nodded. As hard as it was to leave Rebecca, she was grateful for today. From now on, she was going to look at this situation as somewhat of a do-over. The way Cass met Rebecca was unconventional, to say the least. And Cass wouldn’t change that for the world. But this was her chance to woo Rebecca in a way she deserved to be wooed. Today was a good start if Cass said so herself.

“Oh, uh, I have Rebecca’s phone,” Cass told Willamena. “S-should I give it to her?”

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