“Yourself. You were protecting yourself.”
She’s right.
I was protecting myself from wanting her too much. From the way she’s worked herself under my skin. From the fact that I think about her constantly and it has nothing to do with my shoulder.
The door opens.
Jake looks back and forth between us and starts backing out immediately. “I’ll just?—”
“No, take over,” Marnie says, voice controlled again but brittle. “I need a minute.”
She shoulders her way through the door and I’m standing there shirtless, shoulder throbbing, watching her walk away again.
“What happened?” Jake asks quietly.
“I’m falling for her.”
The words are out before I can stop them.
Jake drops his ice pack. “You’re what?”
“Fuck.” I sit on the table, head in my hands. “I’m falling for her and she’s going through hell and I can’t do anything except make it worse.”
“Have you told her?”
“I can’t even get her to text me back.”
“Because you kissed her and bailed.”
“Because I kissed her and wanted it too much.” I look at him. “You ever want someone so bad it scares you?”
“Yeah. But I didn’t tear my shoulder over it.”
Fair point.
“Where did she go?”
“I don’t know, man. She just left.”
I pull my shirt back on and go looking.
Not in her office. Not in the break room.
I find her in the supply closet, sitting on the floor between boxes of tape and gauze, crying so hard she doesn’t hear the door open.
“Marnie.”
She glances up, tears streaking down her face. “Get out.”
“No.”
“Roman, I swear to God?—”
“I’m not leaving.” I shut the door and sit on the floor across from her.
The closet is barely big enough for both of us. Our knees touch.
She wipes her face roughly with the back of her hand, smearing mascara. “You can’t just?—”
