Page 102 of Fractured Rhythm

Chapter 23

Jamie:A sheep, a drum, and a snake fall off a cliff. What sound do they make?

Cassie:Your jokes get worse every time.

Jamie:Baaa-Dum-Tsss!

Cassie:Awful!

Jamie:Miss you, Cas.

Cassie:Miss you, too.

CASSIE

“Stop mooning overBash and decide where we’re going to lunch,” Holly said Friday afternoon when I met her in the lobby.

“I’m not mooning,” I muttered as we walked out of the building. I missed him and it didn’t help that we hadn’t talked yesterday. I’d had a few texts from him early this morning, probably two a.m. LA time, rambling about love and Jamie and the band. I’d wanted to call him this morning as soon as I’d seen the texts, but there was no way he was up yet. Especially since his messages led me to believe he’d been drunk last night.

I’d noticed his increased drinking and wanted to talk to him about it, but something stopped me every time. What we had was still fragile, and I didn’t want to break it. Which was a ridiculous fear because I thought we were solid, and if something was going on, we needed to talk about it and not let it fester. I wouldn’t go down that road again. He could say he wasn’t like Jamie, but I wasn’t sure sometimes.

“Hello, Earth to Cassie.” Holly’s voice cut through my concerns, and I focused back on her.

“I don’t know. Why do I always have to pick?”

“Ouch. Bite my head off, why don’t you,” she said, her eyes narrowing.

“Sorry. I’m tired and antsy. I didn’t get to talk to Bash last night, and then he left me what could only be drunk texts early this morning. And I’m waiting to hear from Roberta about the ideas I pitched at dinner last night.”

“Whoa. Okay. Let’s unpack this, at lunch, because I’m starving. Greek?”

“This is why you’re the best. Yes, Greek sounds perfect,” I said as we walked out into the sunshine.

I was freaking myself out for nothing. Everything would be fine. With Bash. With any new roles I took on at work. With everything.

“Hi, baby girl.”

Clearly, I’d spoken—or thought—too soon, as I looked up to see my mother standing in front of me.

What. The. Actual. Fuck.

“What the hell are you doing here?” I sputtered.

“Who is that? Are you okay?” Holly whispered next to me.

“I was in town and wanted to look up my baby girl,” my mother said.

My mother looked rough. Her eyes were glazed from whatever high she was probably coming down from. Her long dark hair hung limply past her shoulders. When I was a child, I vaguely remembered playing with her soft hair. It was the same shade as mine.

I hadn’t seen her in years—since Jamie’s will-reading. I’d hoped that time would be the last, but apparently, I’d been wrong.

“Please. Why are you here? How did you even find me? Have you been waiting for me to walk out of my office?” The questions tumbled out, though I honestly didn’t want the answers. I wanted her gone.

“Is that any way to talk to your mother, Cassandra?” she asked sternly.

But it only lasted a second before the woman started shifting from one foot to the other. She was fidgeting, a sure sign that she wasn’t sober.

“You haven’t been my mother in years. How high are you right now?”

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