COMPLETED | Stay

Chapter 4: Too Busy

The drive back to the precinct had been in silence, Cass's mind was overwhelmed with thoughts about Ryan, New York, tonight and Antonio Dawson. She didn't know why but she couldn't get over their conversation from this morning, how quickly she had calmed down and relaxed. Jay was sat running through the growing list of things that Cass was trying to hide and the conclusion they were leading him to. She had a strong outer shell but sometimes things would slip through for milliseconds then disappear. Part of him wanted to believe he was seeing things.

"You coming Molly's tonight?" He asked, breaking the silence in the car. His hope was that he could keep her safe for a few extra hours and find out if anything was actually happening. 

"Ryan starts work tomorrow, I don't want to wake him up when I go in." Cass said, yes it was a made up excuse but there were elements of truth behind it, Ryan did start work tomorrow.

"You can crash at mine? I've got a spare room that's yours if you want it." He said, hoping that Cass would understand that he didn't just mean tonight but forever.

"Um..." Cass hesitated, Jay could tell she was genuinely thinking about it. "Why not." She agreed. Cass's mind was working 100 miles per hour as she ran through all the possibilities, she knew this probably wouldn't end well for her tomorrow but she had already told Ryan she was pulling an all-nighter.

----------

"Is Ryan the same guy you were with when we met in New York?" Jay asked, they were in his car on their way to Mollys. He remembered when Rollins and Fin had invited himself and Erin out for a drink Cass excused herself saying she had to go home to her boyfriend.

"Yeah." Cass said, silently praying he wasn't going down the path she expected. "We've been together for about four years."

"That's a pretty long time." Jay said, trying to work out how to word his next question without causing offence.

"Don't." Cass said, sensing what he was about to say. He had the same look on his face as Fin did the first time he pulled her to the side. "We're happy together, I'm just naturally jumpy. Always have been." Jay didn't know what to say. Something in him wanted to believe her.

----------

They had been at Molly's for a while when Cass's phone began to ring from the pocket of her leather jacket. Once again she excused herself and headed outside to answer the phone.

"Hey babe." She answered, standing with her back to the wall.

"Where are you?" Ryan said.

"I told you, I'm staying at work tonight." Cass said, calmly hoping to control any potential fallout.

"Then why can I hear cars?" Ryan asked, Cass's heart stopped for a second.

"I stepped outside to take your call." Cass said.

"I can't see you." Ryan said. Shit, he's outside the district Cass began to panic. "You're lying to me aren't you? You've gone out with your little friends haven't you?"

"The case finished earlier than we expected, they dragged me." Cass said, halfway through her explanation Ryan hung up, fed up of her crap. "Ry?" She said as the line went oddly quiet. Cass's legs went weak as she leant back against the wall whilst fear and regret overcame her body.

"Hey, are you alright?" A female voice asked, Cass opened her eyes and was met with a woman she didn't know but something about her was oddly familiar.

"I'm fine." Cass said, putting on a smile and slipping her phone into her pocket.

"That wasn't fine." The woman said gesturing towards the wall Cass had been leant on. Cass looked at her with a look of leave it but whoever this was didn't pick up on that, she read it as confusion, or maybe she chose to ignore it. "I'm a paramedic, I'm used to seeing that look in someone's eyes when they get pulled from a burning building, not when they've just got off the phone. Gabby Dawson." Gabby introduced herself.

"You related to Antonio?" Cass asked, realising why Gabby had looked familiar.

"He's my big brother. You must be the new detective from New York." Gabby said kindly.

"That's me. Cass Mason." She said with a smile. "That was just my fiancé, I forgot to tell him I was coming out tonight that's all." Cass said, before walking back in to the bar.

----------

Cass slept in Jay's spare room that night, she was glad she didn't have to go back to her apartment as it had given Ryan some time to calm down. She hoped.

"Morning." Jay greeted, sliding a coffee along the island in Cass's direction as she came from his spare room.

"Thanks." Cass said, wrapping her hands around the mug and allowing it's warmth to seep into her body

"You sleep alright?" Jay asked, leaning against the counter.

"Yeah." Cass said, if she was honest that was a complete lie, for some reason, it was the best night sleep she had had in a long time. They sat talking about general things before they had to leave for work when they were interrupted by a phone ringing. Cass pulled the offending mobile from her pocket and checked the caller ID with a sigh.

"Voight?" Jay asked before she answered, Cass shook her head before answering.

"Hey mum." Cass answered, Jay's attention heightened as she hadn't really spoken too much about her parents. "Yes I know it's your birthday. I was going to call you after work." Cass paused to listen to her mum's response. "I can't drop by for dinner, can I? I moved to Chicago with Ryan remember, I dropped your present off before we left." Cass rolled her eyes at Jay. "Bye mum, I need to go to work. Say bye to dad for me." Cass said before hanging up. "My mum still thinks I'm at her beck and call. She wants me there tonight so she can show off her cop daughter to her friends for the hundredth time." She explained to Jay.

"She forgot you moved?" Jay question how a mother could forget where her daughter lives.

"She'd be too busy to realise if you slapped her around the face." Cass said sarcastically.