The rain taps against the windows of Alex’s brownstone and creates monotonously peaceful background noise as she reads a book in the lamplight. The fireplace crackles with comforting warmth and a blanket is draped across her lap, her free hand cradling a toasty cup of tea, but despite the evening being perfect on paper, Alex can’t bring herself to relax.
Her eyes dart from the pages of her book to the antique clock that rests on the mantelpiece, each tick from the second hand dragging her further into a state of increasing impatience.
She sighs and sets the book aside, Alex almost spilling her tea as she stands up. The blanket slips to the floor, but she pays it no mind and moves restlessly from one end of the living room to the other. Alex pauses by the window, the view of the street blurred by the insistent splatter of rain against the glass.
Casey should have been here by now and Alex’s heart begins to pound against her ribs as she paces back and forth in the dimly lit living room.
A friend in the DA’s office had phoned to tell Alex about today’s events, reluctantly informing Alex that Casey is likely to be fired due to her Brady violation.
Her heart had sunk at the time and Alex replays the call in her mind over and over again, each repetition carving deeper and deeper into her anxiety. She glances towards the front door and wills it to open, for Casey to walk through and reassure her that her friend had been mistaken; that everything had gone smoothly today, but Alex has always been a pessimist and hope is soon pushed aside.
Alex clenches and unclenches her hands into fists, her short fingernails digging into her palms. She needs to do something, anything, to distract herself from the dread clawing at her insides.
Her eyes fall on the bottle of wine that she had opened to let breathe earlier this evening, back when the plans that she and Casey had for tonight were for something a little more fun, but she knows that pouring herself a glass would be an unwise choice right now.
She needs to have a level head in order to face Casey and help her through what will inevitably be one of the worst nights of her life.
Read Brady Violation, a Casey & Alex hurt/comfort one-shot early on Patreon.
