She was falling in love with Martin Riggs, with his cute smile, his stupid mustache, his kind brown eyes, his crazy wit, his strength, his weaknesses, and he was still wearing a wedding ring.
Don't ever fall in love with men wearing wedding rings, every lifestyle magazine in the world would tell her. And yet here she was, snuggled into him in her bed, drawing patterns on his broad chest with her index finger, listening to his even breathing. There wasn't a chance in hell this was going to end well.
He didn't have a wife anymore, but she didn't have him either. He was only partially there. Yes, he made love to her, passionately so, even franticly sometimes, but since that first time, she knew that he struggled with his thoughts. It was only natural of course. She had just met him too soon, but she didn't want to let him go now, couldn't, so she held on.
And she put up this façade, that it was just a "casual friends with benefits" thing, two fucked-up adults helping each other out with physical comfort, it was his language with her after all, but she knew, ever since she'd woken up from her involuntary nap at Avery's office with his jacket delicately placed over her, that she wanted more than casual.
But he was still wearing a wedding ring… She could feel it against her back where he held her in place against him.
Then, her phone rang, and seconds later Riggs' phone began ringing, definitely work. They looked at each other, disappointed they had to leave this bubble of fragile happiness.
"I hate the Flores cartel so much", Riggs said without even knowing they were responsible for the calls, but he was right as usual. And in the next 24 hours all hell broke loose.
She got shot. The bullet managed to hit her between the plates on her vest, piercing through her side and she fell. The asphalt underneath her was cold and wet and her world was turning red in front of her eyes. It must have sliced an artery, she thought. Damn. So this was it then. Too bad, she was getting so close to finish this clusterfuck. And Riggs… She had met Riggs, the lovable doofus of a man. She smiled at that thought as bullets were flying all over the street. She concentrated on his smile as she began feeling herself fade away.
Suddenly, he was there above her and in front of her eyes, frantically trying to stop the blood flow coming from her side.
"Hey, Palmer! Stay with me! You got this. You're going to be okay," he tried to comfort her with panic in his eyes but she knew he was wrong this time. There was no okay at the end of this line. She shook her head at him. He was going to have to take over the case now, but she wanted him to know. Life was too short for games. God, what a cruel joke this life was. She looked at him with sadness in her eyes.
"I was in love with you," she managed to whisper, the dull pain taking over more and more. Riggs just stared at her and then he picked her up in his arms.
"Ssh, you're going to be okay, Palmer," he continued to try and persuade her, or more like persuade himself, whispering in to her hair.
"Where the hell is the ambulance?" He shouted next to the people around them she couldn't see. "She's bleeding out!" He clung her to him, squeezing her side hard and Karen felt herself beginning to pass out.
"You're a good man, Martin Riggs. Remember that. A good man…" She whispered once more and then, there was only darkness.
