Chapter 205
1055 Words
The next night, Kat met her friends at Jenny’s house. Chris was out having a few beers with the guys over at Dallas’ place, and had told Jenny he’d give the girls some space for the evening. She’d been a bit confused why he thought they’d need any space, but then she saw Kat’s face when she came into the house and timidly greeted her friends.
Something’s up, and Chris knows what it is, and now she’s going to tell us. Where the hell has she been?
Olivia and Emma were staring at Kat pretty hard, too, though neither one of them said anything. They all chatted casually, sipped some wine, and waited for her to offer some information. And Kat being Kat, she fussed and fidgeted, and then jumped in with both feet.
“Guys,” she said. “I wanted to say how sorry I am that I just disappeared on you last week… I shouldn’t have done that. I’m sorry I worried you.”
Three sets of eyes looked at her with concern and warmth.
“You OK, sweetie?” Emma said.
Kat took a shuddering breath. “No.”
“Tell us,” Liv said. “Tell us everything.”
And then – to her friends’ utter horror – Kat did.
****
“So how’s it going with Kat?” Dallas said to Jim as he handed him a beer. “She OK?”
“Honestly?” Jim said. “I have no f*****g clue. The woman keeps her thoughts to herself, let me tell you.”
“I guess it’s habit by now,” Chris said. “Who’s she had to talk to about anything for these past few years? I suppose she’s out of practice with sharing stuff and trusting people.”
“For sure,” Dean agreed. “And besides, man, you’re not exactly a warm fuzzies kind of guy.”
Jim scowled. “Jesus Christ. f**k off, Jessop.”
“Just to illustrate the point,” Dean said.
The guys laughed, then looked at Jim again, more seriously.
“And how are you?” Dallas asked.
“Me?” Jim shrugged, drank his beer. “Besides getting a perma-kink in my neck from sleeping on that damn sofa-bed? Fine.”
“So you’re really on the sofa, huh?” Dean asked.
“Yeah.” Jim glared at him. “Where’d you think I’d be?”
“In Kat’s bed,” Dean said promptly. “With Kat.”
Jim choked. “Really?”
They all nodded.
He recovered. “Well. I’m not.”
“How come?” Chris asked.
“Because… because…” Jim floundered. “Because I don’t think she’s interested.”
The guys rolled their eyes.
“Oh, God.” Dallas sighed. “Clearly, we’re going to have to explain to Jimmy-boy here just what an interested woman looks like.”
“She’s not interested!” Jim flushed bright red. “I mean… I don’t think she is.”
“And are you?” Dean said.
Jim was silent.
“So that’s a yes,” Chris said. “Why not do something about it, man? I mean, she’s a smart, funny, beautiful woman, and I think she could use some affection. She’s been on her own and afraid for a long time now.”
“Yeah,” Jim said quietly. “I know.”
“So?”
“So.” Jim drank again. “In case you’ve forgotten, Kat may take off running at any moment. No forwarding address, no way to contact her, no clue which state she may even end up in. For all I know, she’s headed to the bus station with her suitcase right this second. How do I get involved with a woman like that?”
“You think she’d do that?” Dallas said. “Just up and go, even with everything we’re doing for her?”
“I don’t know,” Jim said. “And that’s kind of the point, isn’t it? I have no idea what she might get it into her head to do, or not do. I’m not about to put myself out there for a woman who’s going to –” He broke off suddenly, looking embarrassed.
“Going to what?” Chris asked.
Jim averted his eyes, took a big gulp of beer.
“Going to what?” Chris said again, leaning forward.
“Going to break my f*****g heart.”
Jim looked stunned at what he’d just said, and his friends were almost as surprised. They’d never known him to be worried about being devastated by a woman, not in all the years they’d known him. His reasons for not getting involved were usually more to do with not being ready to settle down with one woman, or not being willing to give up his freedom to screw anything that moved and wore a short skirt. But hesitating because he might get hurt? That was a new one.
“You really think she’d do that to you?” Dallas said gently.
“I don’t know if she would,” Jim said. “But could she? Hell, yeah.”
“So what’s the plan?” Dean said. “Just live with her and say nothing?”
Jim shrugged. “Keep her safe. That’s it.”
“And when we’re sure that Ferguson’s still in Oregon?” Dallas asked. “What then?”
“Nothing.” Jim stared at his hands. “Nothing can ever happen with her and me until she believes it’s really and truly over, that he’ll stop coming after her. And I really don’t see how that can ever happen, unless that asshole is dead.”
The other men thought about that.
“Yeah,” Dean said reluctantly. “Yeah, I suppose. I mean… as long as this guy’s alive, he’ll be looking for her, and that makes it impossible for her to settle and stay.”
“Uh-huh.” Jim shrugged. “So, that’s why I’m on the sofa. It hurts my neck like hell, but I can handle that kind of pain. No big deal.”
They all knew what he was really saying: that he couldn’t handle the other kind of pain – the one that broke hearts. That one was a big deal.
- Writer
