Lowering her gaze to her lap, Bella sat in silence for a moment. "You've had me fooled, then," she murmured, though her words nearly echoed in the silent, secluded shack. She was inclined to believe he was only protecting her feelings; even if he was blunt, Bella doubted he was daft enough to be blunt moments after her tears had stopped falling. He seemed sincere, though, so Bella remained uncharacteristically silent.
"Not that I would blame you, though," he said suddenly, after the silence had grown too noticeable for her to bear. "I did sort of... impose myself upon you. You never asked for my company." No, she'd been the one starved for company, and she'd latched onto the first person she'd perceived to be as lonely as herself. She now saw that, whereas she wanted—needed, even—to be surrounded by others, Jamie was not troubled by being left to his own devices. (And in fact, in many cases, her presence had disturbed him.)
"Tonight, for example," she continued, arms wrapped around her skirt-clad knees as she curled up on the chair. "You have work tomorrow, I'm sure. You're never not working," she observed aloud. "I'm just being a - a nuisance." Like always, she'd almost added, but a sob caught in her throat before the bitter, self-hating words could leave her mouth. (And to think, she'd been thinking about this man—James MacFusty—while kissing another man, and she'd been nothing but a nuisance to him! He'd claimed not to pay attention to his own emotions, but there was nothing she wouldn't give to know what was running through his mind.)
"Not that I would blame you, though," he said suddenly, after the silence had grown too noticeable for her to bear. "I did sort of... impose myself upon you. You never asked for my company." No, she'd been the one starved for company, and she'd latched onto the first person she'd perceived to be as lonely as herself. She now saw that, whereas she wanted—needed, even—to be surrounded by others, Jamie was not troubled by being left to his own devices. (And in fact, in many cases, her presence had disturbed him.)
"Tonight, for example," she continued, arms wrapped around her skirt-clad knees as she curled up on the chair. "You have work tomorrow, I'm sure. You're never not working," she observed aloud. "I'm just being a - a nuisance." Like always, she'd almost added, but a sob caught in her throat before the bitter, self-hating words could leave her mouth. (And to think, she'd been thinking about this man—James MacFusty—while kissing another man, and she'd been nothing but a nuisance to him! He'd claimed not to pay attention to his own emotions, but there was nothing she wouldn't give to know what was running through his mind.)
— MJ is MAGICAL —