Chapter 41: Jamie

Jamie left the bathroom and found Tabby staring out the window at the darkening skyline of the city. Since he didn't know what the right thing to do was, he went with what he wanted. He crossed the room and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her to him. She didn't resist him, but her body didn't relax into his either.

"What'd I do?" he whispered.

"Nothing."

Okay, well, that was only a minor relief.

He tightened his hold on her and lowered his head to rest against hers.

"I like you," she said softly.

"That's not a good thing? Do you prefer to hate the guy you're with?"

She didn't laugh. In fact, her arms tensed and her shoulders hunched a little. Something was going on here. Something big, and he was blundering into it.

"When I like a guy, that's usually when he dumps me."

"What?" He chuckled, because the statement struck him as strange. "I thought you would be the dumper, not the dumpee."