Her heart sank a little at the sharp inhale, and she tried not to walk too rapidly into the bathroom. She deserved his mistrust, his anger, but it still hurt to have him not welcome her touch. Alone in the bathroom she paused for a moment and leaned against the sink, hands clutching the porcelain to keep from shaking. It struck her, once again, how very much she'd hurt him and how close she'd come to losing him. She hadn't thought of her "engagement" as something decided, but hearing Jim talk about it made her feel foolish and guilty for not dealing with it or talking about it earlier.

She wanted to think only about him when she walked back out into the kitchen and to his side, but dealing with the outside world was an important part of their relationship right now. No part of her could regret staying when he ordered her out the door, but the consequences of their decision to be together were more than a little daunting. Her hand reached for his under the spray but then aborted its movement. "May I?" she asked softly, stealing herself for refusal. Whatever he needed right now she wanted to give him, even if it wasn't her touch.