Lori:Still playing the avoidance game, I see?
She smiled again because, yeah. Lori got her.
Cassie:Every chance I get.
Lori:I don’t know why you don’t just quit that place and start your own firm.
Cassie:Can’t until after the divorce is final. And who knows when that will be.
Lori:I’m sorry, sweetie. Hopefully the SOB gets his head out of his ass soon and finally just agrees to freaking sign! That jerkwad has put you through enough.
Her friend’s unpolished ways made Cassie chuckle. This was how things were when it was just the two of them. Out in public, they were perfectly polite and appropriate, their behavior nothing less than becoming for anyone who might be watching.
But when it was just the two of them, when she and Lori were away from prying eyes and eavesdropping ears, they were all laughs and snorts and unladylike language. Just like the old days when they’d first connected during their undergrad years.
It was a time Cassie thought about often. A time she wished she could return to, if only to make different choices.
Orchoice,rather. Singular.
Over her thirty-two years of existence, there was only one thing she truly regretted. A tiny blip of a moment, but one that had changed the trajectory of her entire life in ways she never could have predicted.
Now here she was, praying for the day she would finally be free. Free from a house she never wanted and a man she once thought hung the moon. But until then…
Cassie:From your fingertips to God’s ears, sister! Chat tomorrow?
Lori:Is that even a question?
Another chuckle and one heart emoji later, she was back on her way to a much needed shower. Cassie took her time, letting the warmth of the water and steam seep fully into her chilled bones.
Half an hour later, she was dried off, lotioned up, and dressed in her favorite nightgown and robe. Slipping her feet into the ridiculously oversized fuzzy slippers Lori had given her last Christmas, she headed back downstairs for a glass of her favorite wine.
But by the time her cozy feet hit the bottom step, Cassie had changed her own mind, deciding on a cup of hot lavender tea instead. A glass of sweet red wine before bed was her usual go-to, but despite the recent shower, she still felt a bit cold. Plus the tea’s warmth and soothing lavender would hopefully help her sleep.
And after months of back-and-forth with her soon-to-be-ex—and his pretentious, overbearing, condescending family—a good night’s sleep was something she desperately,desperatelyneeded.
Cassie’s slippers dragged across the expensive tile floor as she shuffled lazily into the kitchen. Flipping on the lights, she felt a slight easing in the tension in the muscles around her neck and shoulders.
Surrounded by walnut cabinets that went all the way to the ceiling, appliances that would make any professional chef drool, and custom granite countertops with gorgeous swirls of browns, tans, and cream, it was the one place Cassie felt like she could be herself. The only room that harvored good memories in a place that had housed so much heartache and pain.
She lived alone and gave most of what she baked away to the people at their office. For her, it was never about consuming the end result.
For Cassie, it was all about the process.
When she baked, she could become lost in the cathartic creations she chose to make. Hidden away from all the lies, betrayal, and hurtthat had so painfully replaced what had once been a loving, caring marriage.
Or so she’d thought, anyway.
The only things that man is capable of loving are himself, money, and sex. And not necessarily in that order.
Cassie huffed out a humorless breath. Unfortunately her subconscious was spot on in that assessment, which was why she hid away in her kitchen every chance she got. She just wished there were more hours in the day so she could lose herself more often.
Baking sure as hell beats the last three therapists I’ve tried.
Three professionals who, while perfectly pleasant and professional, had been more worried about the potential risk to their careers and reputations than helping her through a very stressful, emotional time in her life.
Lord forbid, anyone dare go against the All-Mighty Montgomerys.
Grabbing her favorite mug—also a gift from Lori—Cassie set about filling the vintage tea kettle she’d picked up on a whim after seeing it on display in a store near her work. While waiting for the water to boil, she walked over to the folding patio doors.