"Hi." Connor's heart pounded as he leaned against the truck, and Abby staring intently at him like that didn't exactly help. All he could think about was the teeth, the beeping of the oscilloscope, the crashing of the windshield. He was so sure he was about to die, and what could he have done? He looked at Abby for a moment, then straight ahead. He had to say something, had to tell her how he felt. But all he could think about was how, as he was lying on the ground recovering from yet another near death experience, she had run and thrown herself at Stephen.
Stephen, who was and always would be so much better than Connor himself. Stephen, who was strong and handsome and who Abby had fancied since she laid eyes on him. Connor remembered that morning, the little skit he and Abby had been running, practicing Connor's flirting skills. When she had reached for the phone, he had been so sure she was leaning in to him, but no, just the phone. It hurt, he wouldn't lie, but Abby didn't like him as much as he did her. And as much as he wanted to ask her out, he was constantly aware that she preferred strong, handsome, chiseled Stephen over him.
"Well, uh, you just saved my life." His voice was weak. God, he sounded like a wuss. He should try to be more like Stephen the Perfect, Stephen the Brave, Stephen the Wonderful. Abby looked at him with a little smile in her eyes, then stood back from where she was leaning on the window frame.
"I had to," she said as she walked past him, "You haven't payed this month's rent yet." That happy joke, that easiness in what could have moments before been the end of Connor, tugged at his heart. He'd been stupid to fall for beautiful, perfect, Abby, and he'd deluded himself long enough that maybe one day she could feel the same way for him. Suddenly, he desperately needed to tell her everything, to let her know just how much he loved her.
"Abby," he started, but couldn't finish. Oh god, abort mission. He knew he shouldn't have gotten up that morning.
"Yep?" She turned back to him, her eyes already finished with the conversation. What could he say? He needed to tell her, oh god did he need to, but how would that help him? A brief and insane image popped into his head of Abby dressed as Leia, clinging to Connor-slash-Han-Solo. God, that would be wonderful. But Connor knew he wasn't even Luke. Like Cutter said, Connor was barely even R2D2. He swallowed, and then spoke the only two words he had left to say.
"Thank you." And his heart broke as she walked away.
