Page 40 of Fall Into Me

Cass (8:24 p.m.): We’re about halfway home from my uncle’s, just stopped for gas. We had a good day, but I’m worried about my mom. It was a lot for her. Anyway, I’m driving and gas is done, so ttyl :)

He stuffed his phone back in his pocket, returned the gas pump nozzle to its holder, and tightened the gas cap, then climbed in the car. He met his dad’s eyes in the rearview mirror as he pushed the starter button.

“Everything good?” Cass asked softly.

His dad nodded. “She hasn’t woken up. How far to home?”

“A little over an hour.” Cass shifted the car into drive and pulled away from the pump.

“Good, okay.”

They were both silent for a few minutes while Cass navigated back to the freeway. Then his father’s hand settled on his shoulder, and Cass glanced briefly up into the rearview mirror.

“Thank you, kiddo. You know how much today meant to your mom, and we couldn’t have done it without your help.” His dad gave him a squeeze and then let his hand drop away. “I know it wasn’t an easy day.”

Cass immediately shook his head. “She was happy. That’s all that matters to me.”

“Me too.”

He heard a deep sigh from the back seat, though he kept his eyes on the road ahead, distracting himself by focusing on the taillights of the car in front of them. And he let his mind wander again, this time to a pair of bright blue eyes and a smile that made his heart flutter.

“So, are you a Sunday-night-football kinda guy?”

“Ah, no, not in the slightest.” Cass set his palm on the island counter and lifted his bottle of beer to his lips for a quick sip. “Would you believe me if I told you I’ve never actually watched a game of football in my life?”

Joe laughed as he finished adding a few more halved potatoes to his slow cooker. “I believe you. And I won’t take it upon myself to convince you to change course now. Not that I’m a big football fan myself.”

Cass grinned and set down his beer. “So, what are we doing instead? That roast has at least what, two more hours?”

“About that long, yeah.” Joe set the lid on top of the slow cooker and turned around to wash his hands. “There’s a few new movies that just came out. Wanna see if anything sounds good? Or we could play cards.”

Cass arched his eyebrows. “The man who lived in Reno for several years wants to play cards? You’ll wipe the floor with me.”

Joe turned back to Cass with a silly grin, shaking his head. “Nah. I only picked up a few tricks from my college buddies, and I probably don’t even remember them.” He paused, though he looked like there was something else he wanted to say, and Cass tilted his chin slightly, his eyebrows still arched as he waited. After another second, Joe shook his head again and then picked up his beer and moved around to the other side of the island, motioning for Cass to follow him. “My sister sent me home with an entire bag full of Christmas candy. We can bet with M&Ms. Or I think there’s also Skittles. Your choice.”

With a laugh, Cass followed Joe over to the couch, where Joe pulled out a deck of cards and opened up a bag stuffed with all types of candy. He rummaged through it until he found a massive bag of M&Ms, and they chatted easily as they played several rounds of Texas Hold’em, gin rummy, and then some other game Joe taught him called scopa, which he said he learned from his grandparents when he was a kid.

The gameplay was quick and lively, and Cass managed to mostly hold his own, beating Joe almost as many times as Joe beat him. By the time Joe’s timer went off for the pot roast, however, they’d given up whatever system they’d had for betting with the M&Ms and had just piled all the rest of the candies in the center of the coffee table. Joe laughed at the mess and said he’d clean it up later, but Cass shook his head at that and instead offered to put away the cards and candy while Joe finished getting dinner served. When the coffee table was clean, Cass escaped to the bathroom for a moment to wash his hands.

He took his time, pausing to stare at his reflection in the mirror after he’d dried his hands. He’d been having a good time, but . . .

He sighed and closed his eyes, reaching into his pocket to pull out his phone. He almost didn’t want to look, because he already knew there was nothing. Yet he forced his eyes back open and stared down at the screen.

His jaw clenched, and he unlocked the phone, tapped through to his messaging app, and scrolled down a bit.

Cass (Saturday, December 25, 2021 – 8:22 p.m.): Awww, baby’s first Christmas! She looks so happy! Your sister must love that you’re so good with her

Cass (8:24 p.m.): We’re about halfway home from my uncle’s, just stopped for gas. We had a good day, but I’m worried about my mom. It was a lot for her. Anyway, I’m driving and gas is done, so ttyl :)

His eyes darted to the clock in the upper left corner of his screen. 7:32 p.m. Nearly twenty-four hours with no response. Not that Ash owed him a response. But given the daily back-and-forth they’d had for nearly two weeks now, he couldn’t not worry. He wasn’t even sure what exactly he was worried about. Had he said something wrong? Or had something happened? Was Ash okay? And Bri?

Against his better judgment, he typed a quick text and sent it, just a simple Hey, hope everything’s okay. Then he tried to push away whatever the sort of anxious hurt was that he was feeling, slipped his phone back into his pocket, and exited the bathroom, pasting a smile on his face as he made his way down the short hallway.

Joe stood at the table, lighting two small candles he’d placed on either side of a low centerpiece containing half a dozen red roses and a smattering of tiny white flowers. Cass paused at the end of the hallway, and Joe looked up, his eyes bright and warm. Cass laughed and shook his head.

“This looks awfully romantic,” he said, stepping forward slowly. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you planned this all out or something.”

Joe straightened up, his smile soft, and he shrugged. “Maybe I did.” Joe reached out his hand toward Cass. “Join me?”