“I want I hadn’t watched it,” Lee stated. What had been within the envelope from the detective ought to have been sufficient.

“Properly, if it’s good to discuss to somebody about what you’re feeling or pondering, please come to me.”

The load of what he’d been carrying had lightened a bit now that he’d shared the burden with Gareth. Would Lee discuss to him extra about it? He wasn’t positive but, however it was good to know the choice was there.

Gareth acquired to his toes. “We’ll nonetheless do the assessments on Monday. Simply to verify.” As he neared the door, he turned again to face Lee. “And please contemplate having a dialog with Rori. Don’t simply break up together with her.”

After Gareth had left him alone, Lee slid again down on the mattress, pulling the comforter as much as his chin. As he lay there, his ideas tumbling round, he tried to determine how you can shield Rori with out hurting her.

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

Rori set the small baking sheet on a sizzling pad on the counter, happy with how the cookies appeared. It wasn’t doubtless that Lee would eat any, contemplating how a lot his abdomen had been bothering him currently, however she’d wanted to do one thing to kill the time till he arrived.

He’d texted her shortly earlier than midday to ask if he may come over round two. After all, she’d stated sure.

She was excited that they’d get to spend a while collectively, however it was a cautious pleasure. Issues nonetheless felt… off, and Rori didn’t know what to anticipate. Whereas she hoped it was simply Lee not feeling properly, she had tried to organize herself for it being one thing extra.

Nonetheless, she’d made his favourite cookies, hoping he would possibly really feel as much as consuming one. If not, she’d ship them house with him.

Utilizing a spatula, Rori transferred the cookies to the wire cooling rack. She’d solely baked half the recipe. The remaining she’d shaped into particular person balls and put into the freezer.

Since coming to Serenity and creating a social life, she’d labored to broaden her cooking and baking abilities. She’d wished to contribute to the gatherings she was invited to, so she’d frolicked studying new recipes and methods. Like splitting the cookie recipe and freezing a part of it in case fast baking was wanted sooner or later.

Nerves had been fluttering in her abdomen as she watched the minutes click on slowly towards two.

When the knock on her door lastly got here, Rori’s coronary heart skipped a beat. She pressed a hand to her abdomen and took a deep breath earlier than going to reply it.

Lee stood within the hallway, wanting haggard, and the smile he gave her was nothing just like the beaming ones he’d had for her earlier than. One thing needed to be unsuitable.

“Can I are available?” he requested.

“Sure. Sure. After all.”

She stepped again and waved him in. As soon as he was inside, she closed the door and turned towards him.

Rori wished to hug him. She wished him to hug her. It felt like eternally since they’d shared a bodily second collectively.

“How are you feeling?” she requested as she led him to her small desk. It was the one place to take a seat apart from her mattress.

He sank down on the desk with a sigh. “I’m okay.”

“Would you want one thing to eat or drink?” she requested. “I’ve some cookies, when you’d like some.”

“Water and a cookie could be good,” he stated.

The straightforward interactions they’d as soon as had had been gone, and it made Rori really feel a bit sick to her abdomen. All she wished to know was what she’d performed to make issues so tense between them.

As she walked previous him to the kitchen, Rori hesitated, then laid her hand on his shoulder. Earlier than she may carry it, Lee reached up and lined her fingers together with his personal.

Rori froze in place, not desirous to do something to finish that connection. However far too quickly, Lee squeezed her fingers, then moved his hand. All of it handed with out both of them saying a phrase.

His contact had introduced hope to life, however his continued silence and the way in which he wasn’t her did its greatest to extinguish that hope.

Emotion clogged her throat as she acquired a few glasses from the cabinet and the jug of water from the fridge and returned to the desk, the place the container of cookies waited. Lee had laid a big envelope on the desk and sat together with his head bent.

When she set a glass in entrance of him, he simply stared at it. She poured water into every of their glasses earlier than taking the seat throughout from him.

After taking the lid off the cookie container, Rori sat again and stared throughout the desk on the man she cherished. He appeared crushed down in a means she’d by no means imagined she’d see.

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