Two hours. It had been two hours now that Cook and Katie sat in his living room in pure silence. When Cook had found her, he dragged her out of the strip club quicker than if she was his daughter and he was some outraged father. Now, they were sitting silently in his most prominent living room, far from each other on seperate couches with the crackling from the fireplace providing some sort of sound to hide the quiet. Cook stared at Katie in shock, sitting back as he just watched her closely. How could this have happened? It seemed as if, while Cook was growing into himself in the eight years, Katie had all but lost hers.
The young man was almost shocked that he recognized her. He didn't know Katie well back then, but enough to know this was a totally different girl. Maybe not physically, but mentally, emotionally, that was not Katie fucking Fitch. He shook his head for a second, sighing. How could eight years have broken her down so much? When she was younger, Katie had this confidence about her; this way of knowing just how great she was but also having a tough demeanor and always looking happy about it. Now, Katie just looked.. broken. He wondered what could have happened. What could possibly have happened to Katie to completely change her like this?
"Katie.." Cook finally started, feeling useless. What was he to say? Katie finally looked up at him but avoiding eye contact by focusing on his shirt. Until then, she'd successful disguised how worried she was about what he thought by looking around curiously at her surroundings in shock. But, Katie knew when Cook wanted something, he got it; and Cook wanted to talk about this. She couldn't look at him though, Katie couldn't bring herself to. As far as she'd known, everybody had left Bristol. She wasn't at all expecting to see anybody from college when she worked.
"Yeah..?" Katie mumbled, still avoiding eye contact as she sat on the edge of the long chair placed in the side of the living room by the fire. Her answer caught Cook off guard. He'd expected the usual bitchy what that he would've gotten years ago. He wanted that Katie. But she wasn't there anymore and it was a reminder of just how much somebody could change in less than ten years. Cook shook his head with a sigh, unsure of what to say; what to ask.
"Why?" Cook spoke finally, watching the girl. A humorless laugh echoed through the big house as Katie stood up, gathering her things. "Why?" Katie repeated, turning to face him. "Is that a joke? Because I need the money. Maybe because everybody left college and, and left me." She looked away, crossing her arms. "Dad died, a couple years after college. Mom left with my brother. Emily left with Naomi. Everybody left me here because I'm not good enough to stay here with and I needed to feel needed! I feel like somebody actually wants me around there, even if they're strangers. Everybody left me, Cook."
Katie could feel the tears streaming down her cheeks now and she couldn't bring herself to even attempt to stop herself. She'd been alone for so long that she'd just given up on everything. With nobody to talk to, she'd held everything in for so long and it just came pouring out with that simple one word sentence. Cook just sat there in silence, everything about this felt awful. Eight years ago, Cook would have told her to suck it up, probably fuck her then kick her out. But, not now. Now, all he wanted to do was help her.
"Stay here." Cook spoke before he could stop himself, leaning forward. "You're going to move in here and I won't take no for an answer." Katie parted her lips to protest, but she knew not to try to win a fight where James Cook was involved. She wouldn't win. The old Katie would've tried to fight it, Cook thought almost in disappointment, but at least she gave in. Katie finally nodded with a sigh, dropping her purse again and sitting down. Cook leaned forward, looking at her with a soft sigh. He felt as if he needed to help her. It was odd for him to see Katie needing to be helped. Cook watched her for a second more as he leaned his elbows on his knees, eyes on her when he spoke. "I'm going to take care of you now."