A FUTURE FOR THREE
RACHEL CLARK
Copyright © 2010
Chapter One
"You're late tonight."
Emma said it without turning around, busy washing vegetables so she could make sure her two ridiculously overworked roommates would get a proper meal at least once a day. She heard the chair scrape across the floor as it was pulled away from the table and glanced over to give Casey another lecture on looking after herself.
Vegetable peeler poised at the ready, she turned to her best friend and…swallowed the words when she saw the exhaustion written on Casey's features. Her face was pale, the skin beneath her eyes smudged a deep purple. She slumped in the seat, and it was obvious by her unfocused look and thinned lips that something was terribly wrong.
"Case?" Emma hurried to the table, noticed she still held the peeler, pitched it into the sink, and then dropped to her knees beside Casey. "Hun, are you okay? You look like hell."
"I'm fine." The words were mumbled out, but Casey obviously made an effort to focus on Emma and tried a small smile. "Seriously, I'm all right."
Emma must've been wearing her stern no-nonsense face because Casey, aka the queen of frivolous banter, looked at her more clearly and reiterated her words. "I'm okay."
"Who's okay?" Jason walked into the room, but his steps faltered when he saw Casey's face. He hurried over to the table, practically knocking Emma over as he pushed passed and lifted Casey onto her feet and into his embrace.
"What the hell happened?" He glared at Emma, his eyes narrowed at her as if she should be able to magically provide the answer.
Her own temper flaring, Emma snapped, "We haven't gotten to that yet. She says she's fine."
"She's not fucking fine. Look at her."
"I said I'm okay!" Casey wriggled out of Jason's arms and pushed past them both to go into the kitchen. Jason turned to Emma, glared his annoyance, and then moved to follow Casey. Emma followed a step behind, her concern for her best friend overriding her anger at Jason's reaction. She'd kick his ass for it later, but right now, she needed to figure out what was going on with Casey.
Her best friend stood at the refrigerator, staring at the contents as if she had no idea why she'd opened the door.
"Casey, talk to us. What happened?"
"I'm okay," she said again, barely glancing in their direction.
"Hun, it's obvious that you are not okay. You're about as far away from okay as you can get. Did something happen at work?"
Casey huffed at Emma's persistence but then closed her eyes as she mumbled, "There was a robbery. No big deal." When she opened her eyes again and saw the look of disbelief that Emma could feel on her face, Casey rubbed a shaking hand over her forehead and then breathed out tiredly, seeming to sag just a little bit more. "Look, its fine, and you are both very sweet to worry about me, but no one got hurt, so it's not a big deal. I just want to grab something to eat and have an early night."
Emma wanted to wrap her arms around the slim blonde, but judging by the way she'd pushed Jason away earlier, Emma didn't want to risk upsetting her further. They'd been friends since she could remember, and it really hurt to see Casey so exhausted and feel so unable to help her. Despite Casey's words, it was obvious that it had been a very trying day. Armed robbery at a large inner city bank branch was a big deal, and despite all the safety precautions the bank kept in place, it would still be a traumatic experience.
"Food. Good idea." Emma stepped back to the sink, attacking the vegetables with single-minded purpose. "Dinner will be ready in twenty minutes. Why don't you go have a shower, and I'll call you when it's ready."
Jason grabbed Emma's hands and glared at her, but stepped aside so that Casey could head toward the bathroom.
"What the hell?" he mouthed at her silently.
At Emma's confused expression, he grabbed the vegetable peeler, turned her around, and whispered, "Go help her."
Finally understanding
RACHEL CLARK
Copyright © 2010
Chapter One
"You're late tonight."
Emma said it without turning around, busy washing vegetables so she could make sure her two ridiculously overworked roommates would get a proper meal at least once a day. She heard the chair scrape across the floor as it was pulled away from the table and glanced over to give Casey another lecture on looking after herself.
Vegetable peeler poised at the ready, she turned to her best friend and…swallowed the words when she saw the exhaustion written on Casey's features. Her face was pale, the skin beneath her eyes smudged a deep purple. She slumped in the seat, and it was obvious by her unfocused look and thinned lips that something was terribly wrong.
"Case?" Emma hurried to the table, noticed she still held the peeler, pitched it into the sink, and then dropped to her knees beside Casey. "Hun, are you okay? You look like hell."
"I'm fine." The words were mumbled out, but Casey obviously made an effort to focus on Emma and tried a small smile. "Seriously, I'm all right."
Emma must've been wearing her stern no-nonsense face because Casey, aka the queen of frivolous banter, looked at her more clearly and reiterated her words. "I'm okay."
"Who's okay?" Jason walked into the room, but his steps faltered when he saw Casey's face. He hurried over to the table, practically knocking Emma over as he pushed passed and lifted Casey onto her feet and into his embrace.
"What the hell happened?" He glared at Emma, his eyes narrowed at her as if she should be able to magically provide the answer.
Her own temper flaring, Emma snapped, "We haven't gotten to that yet. She says she's fine."
"She's not fucking fine. Look at her."
"I said I'm okay!" Casey wriggled out of Jason's arms and pushed past them both to go into the kitchen. Jason turned to Emma, glared his annoyance, and then moved to follow Casey. Emma followed a step behind, her concern for her best friend overriding her anger at Jason's reaction. She'd kick his ass for it later, but right now, she needed to figure out what was going on with Casey.
Her best friend stood at the refrigerator, staring at the contents as if she had no idea why she'd opened the door.
"Casey, talk to us. What happened?"
"I'm okay," she said again, barely glancing in their direction.
"Hun, it's obvious that you are not okay. You're about as far away from okay as you can get. Did something happen at work?"
Casey huffed at Emma's persistence but then closed her eyes as she mumbled, "There was a robbery. No big deal." When she opened her eyes again and saw the look of disbelief that Emma could feel on her face, Casey rubbed a shaking hand over her forehead and then breathed out tiredly, seeming to sag just a little bit more. "Look, its fine, and you are both very sweet to worry about me, but no one got hurt, so it's not a big deal. I just want to grab something to eat and have an early night."
Emma wanted to wrap her arms around the slim blonde, but judging by the way she'd pushed Jason away earlier, Emma didn't want to risk upsetting her further. They'd been friends since she could remember, and it really hurt to see Casey so exhausted and feel so unable to help her. Despite Casey's words, it was obvious that it had been a very trying day. Armed robbery at a large inner city bank branch was a big deal, and despite all the safety precautions the bank kept in place, it would still be a traumatic experience.
"Food. Good idea." Emma stepped back to the sink, attacking the vegetables with single-minded purpose. "Dinner will be ready in twenty minutes. Why don't you go have a shower, and I'll call you when it's ready."
Jason grabbed Emma's hands and glared at her, but stepped aside so that Casey could head toward the bathroom.
"What the hell?" he mouthed at her silently.
At Emma's confused expression, he grabbed the vegetable peeler, turned her around, and whispered, "Go help her."
Finally understanding
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