Coming Out with the Truth Ch. 02

"Yeah. Just some bad news." I said. "I'm really sorry about the other day. How much do I owe you?" Jim looked taken aback.

"John already took care of that." He said in surprise. "Said you'd reimburse the police station."

"Oh. Right." I said, as if I'd gotten confused. I didn't have to fake much. Why hadn't John mentioned that to me?

"How 'bout a coffee?" Jim offered.

"Yeah." I agreed. "And John mentioned you do a fry up?" Jim's eyes lit up.

"Sure do." He said. "Best breakfast around for miles. You take a seat and I'll get your coffee to start with." I thanked him and took the window seat again. This time I didn't take a paper.

I wanted to speak to John and find out why he had covered my bill and not told me. But I was also afraid of what the answer might be. To say I was feeling fragile was a small understatement.

I avoided John for the next few weeks. I didn't know quite what to say to him, and I didn't know if he'd look at me so intensely or if he'd shut me out again. I didn't want to have to think about whatever I may have said to him, and I wasn't ready to ask him straight out what he wanted either. And I still needed to come to terms with losing the man I thought I'd be with for the rest of my life.

Under the circumstances, avoiding John just seemed easiest.

I didn't have much choice the next time I saw him.