Cassie into recovery, as Maya said, and if she hadn’t betrayed the Life, she could come back. The idea gave Rena hope.
For now, she had to lock up and leave. The place was a mess. She didn’t want the Roomers to gossip about Cassie being a slob or a boozer, so she grabbed a trash bag and threw in the beer bottles, then went after the fast-food mess. She spotted a Chinese takeout carton with the dregs of moo shu pork in the bottom. Stolen tastes better .
Oh, Cassie . Rena had lost her best friend. Everything inside her cramped into a painful knot. She fought the sting of tears. How stupid and weak she was, but she would miss Cassie the way she’d missed her father’s driver. After he got fired, she’d felt invisible, a breath to be walked through, a puff of dust people brushed from their clothes.
A tap at Cassie’s door made Rena whip around. God, not a neighbor she’d have to explain this to. She shook herself, composed her face, and opened the door to…Gage. Again. Dammit.
“What are you still doing here?” She stepped back so he could enter.
“I wanted to check on you.”
“I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I be?” His concern annoyed her.
“You’re not fine. You’re shaking.” He rubbed her arms as if to warm her, but she twisted out of his reach. “What was that about?” he demanded, eyes digging in, all business now.
“It wasn’t for you to see. Just forget about it and go.” She motioned toward the door, but Gage didn’t move.
“Cassie kept yelling that she wasn’t Angel. They threw her out because they think she’s the source in that story? Why were you here anyway?”
“I can’t discuss it. Just go.”
He remained stubbornly in place. “That was what your meeting upstairs was about, wasn’t it?”
“Let it go, would you?!” Her throat was gravel, her mouth dust.
“Do you think she’s Angel?”
“It doesn’t matter what I think.” But it felt like ice in her veins and fire in her chest. She needed him out of here so she could calm down.
“That was tough. Kicking out a friend. You recruited her, too. Was that why they chose you?”
“I don’t know why. It doesn’t matter why.” His questions were hot needles in her brain.
“Were they testing your loyalty? If you’d do this to a friend, you’d do anything they—”
She slapped him. “What the hell is wrong with you? Quit digging at the Life. You’re the one who should be kicked out, not Cassie.”
“I’m sorry.” He lifted his hands. “I only want to understand. It seems…harsh. You think that, too, I can tell.”
“Do I have to call the Watchers to drag you out of here?”
“God, no. Those guys have biceps bigger than my head.” He was trying to lighten the moment. “I’ll leave when I’m sure they’re gone. I like all my teeth where they are.”
“All they did was take her down to the van. They’re in their Quarters by now.” She shifted the trash bag to the other hand. “You’re safe. Just go.”
“Let me help you pick up.” He tugged the plastic from her fingers and she was suddenly too exhausted to fight him. While he picked up trash, she made Cassie’s bed and washed her dishes. Every item she touched made her remember something she and Cassie had done together.
It hurt to breathe.
When they’d finished, they took the trash to the maintenance room containers on the way to the elevator. “I’ll walk you to your place,” Gage said.
“There’s no need.”
“You look wound up. Will you sleep?”
“Of course I’ll sleep.” She dreaded lying there, reliving it all, Cassie’s cries and fear, her sadness and pain. No, she wouldn’t sleep a wink.
“Would it help to talk? We could have a drink?”
Rena had this bizarre urge to say yes, to let Gage hold her, to cry in his arms. Cry? Rena never cried. Crying meant you were weak and helpless. She stood on her own two feet, handled herself and her troubles just fine. “Is that what you used on Cassie? How about a drink? ”
For now, she had to lock up and leave. The place was a mess. She didn’t want the Roomers to gossip about Cassie being a slob or a boozer, so she grabbed a trash bag and threw in the beer bottles, then went after the fast-food mess. She spotted a Chinese takeout carton with the dregs of moo shu pork in the bottom. Stolen tastes better .
Oh, Cassie . Rena had lost her best friend. Everything inside her cramped into a painful knot. She fought the sting of tears. How stupid and weak she was, but she would miss Cassie the way she’d missed her father’s driver. After he got fired, she’d felt invisible, a breath to be walked through, a puff of dust people brushed from their clothes.
A tap at Cassie’s door made Rena whip around. God, not a neighbor she’d have to explain this to. She shook herself, composed her face, and opened the door to…Gage. Again. Dammit.
“What are you still doing here?” She stepped back so he could enter.
“I wanted to check on you.”
“I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I be?” His concern annoyed her.
“You’re not fine. You’re shaking.” He rubbed her arms as if to warm her, but she twisted out of his reach. “What was that about?” he demanded, eyes digging in, all business now.
“It wasn’t for you to see. Just forget about it and go.” She motioned toward the door, but Gage didn’t move.
“Cassie kept yelling that she wasn’t Angel. They threw her out because they think she’s the source in that story? Why were you here anyway?”
“I can’t discuss it. Just go.”
He remained stubbornly in place. “That was what your meeting upstairs was about, wasn’t it?”
“Let it go, would you?!” Her throat was gravel, her mouth dust.
“Do you think she’s Angel?”
“It doesn’t matter what I think.” But it felt like ice in her veins and fire in her chest. She needed him out of here so she could calm down.
“That was tough. Kicking out a friend. You recruited her, too. Was that why they chose you?”
“I don’t know why. It doesn’t matter why.” His questions were hot needles in her brain.
“Were they testing your loyalty? If you’d do this to a friend, you’d do anything they—”
She slapped him. “What the hell is wrong with you? Quit digging at the Life. You’re the one who should be kicked out, not Cassie.”
“I’m sorry.” He lifted his hands. “I only want to understand. It seems…harsh. You think that, too, I can tell.”
“Do I have to call the Watchers to drag you out of here?”
“God, no. Those guys have biceps bigger than my head.” He was trying to lighten the moment. “I’ll leave when I’m sure they’re gone. I like all my teeth where they are.”
“All they did was take her down to the van. They’re in their Quarters by now.” She shifted the trash bag to the other hand. “You’re safe. Just go.”
“Let me help you pick up.” He tugged the plastic from her fingers and she was suddenly too exhausted to fight him. While he picked up trash, she made Cassie’s bed and washed her dishes. Every item she touched made her remember something she and Cassie had done together.
It hurt to breathe.
When they’d finished, they took the trash to the maintenance room containers on the way to the elevator. “I’ll walk you to your place,” Gage said.
“There’s no need.”
“You look wound up. Will you sleep?”
“Of course I’ll sleep.” She dreaded lying there, reliving it all, Cassie’s cries and fear, her sadness and pain. No, she wouldn’t sleep a wink.
“Would it help to talk? We could have a drink?”
Rena had this bizarre urge to say yes, to let Gage hold her, to cry in his arms. Cry? Rena never cried. Crying meant you were weak and helpless. She stood on her own two feet, handled herself and her troubles just fine. “Is that what you used on Cassie? How about a drink? ”
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