Chapter 2

"Wes, you are being ridiculous. And you're not even supposed to be here right now. Annalise was expecting everyone by 8," Laurel reminds as she follows Wes out of her bedroom, her carry-on bag slung over her shoulder.

She's trying to be understanding. She really is. But that's easier said than done when Wes has been weirdly possessive since he found out about her required trip. When he's not threatening to break up with her if she goes, he's been clinging to her in a way that feels entirely excessive considering they haven't been dating that long.

Laurel's known for a while now that Wes's feelings run much deeper than hers, despite his assertions otherwise. He's told her he's not expecting this to be anything serious right now. And she's been honest with him that she still cares for Frank and misses him. But she's seen how quickly he's fallen, and she's pretended she hasn't because, honestly, she's needed the comfort and the release being with him gives her. She's well aware that this maybe makes her a horrible person.

She does care about Wes—he's her best friend—but at the end of the day, she doesn't quite see this thing with him being long-term. And maybe that's why this is such a big deal. Wes does know how she feels about Frank, and Wes has to know that the way she feels about him is still more friendship than romance. With Frank gone, there had been a real chance for them. And, now, they both know that her going away with Frank, even if only for work, is probably not going to be good for them as a couple. It's going to make or break them, allow her to see if what she feels for Wes could ever compare to what she once felt for Frank. Maybe still does.

But Laurel can't say no. And since she's realized just how much is riding on this for Frank, she doesn't want to. Frank's relationship with Annalise is all that he's had for so long. It's his life, and though she doesn't actually agree with the way Annalise treats him more often than not, she knows that he needs that relationship. If she can help him get that back, then she's going to do what she can. She cares about him. She's always going to care about him.

She lays her bag by her luggage and gives Wes a pointed look.

He sighs. "I know… I just, I'm going to miss you, and I want to see you off."

She gives him a wary look and briefly contemplates letting it go but she can't. She can't stay silent on his behavior. "No, you want to try and assert some sort of alpha-male control over me when Frank gets here, make sure he knows that we're dating."

She's not amused when he glances away, indicating his guilt.

He shakes his head, and she sees the anger in his eyes. "What do you expect me to do, Laurel? You're going away for who knows how long with your ex-boyfriend, and I'm just supposed to be okay with that?"

"Yes," she says simply. "Because this is my job. Us going to Texas is going to help our innocent client. And our client may be pro bono but Mr. Mendes deserves lawyers who will do everything they can to help him. That's what I'm doing. So yes, you are supposed to just be okay with that."

"I meant it last night, Laurel," he says suddenly. She's confused until he clarifies unprompted, "If you go with Frank alone, then we're over. I can't keep doing this, wondering if I'm just the substitute until he comes back."

"Wes," she says softly, sighing. "You're being ridiculous." She repeats. She smiles softly. "Frank and I broke up. He may be back but our issues are still there. Nothing has changed. Not really. And it's not okay for you to threaten our relationship," she gestures between the two of them, "over work. You should trust me."

"I do trust you. I don't trust him," he counters.

"So, what? We're over because you're insecure?" she asks. "If you actually trusted me, then you wouldn't be acting this way. Nothing is going to happen if I don't want it to. And I don't."

Before Wes is able to reply, there is a knock at the door, and she knows it's Frank. He's the only person she's expecting, but his heavy knock gives him away. Wes beats her to the door, ignoring her warning to come face-to-face with her ex.

She can't see Wes's face but she sees Frank's reaction. As she expected, Frank's not at all put off by what she can only assume is an attempt at intimidation by Wes. Instead, Frank strolls around Wes with a brief, uninterested greeting before walking closer to her.

"You ready to go?" he asks, not addressing the obvious elephant in the room, ignoring Wes. He's behaving like he belongs there, like they haven't been apart for so long. It's some weird, silent pissing match between him and Wes, and it's making her angry.

"Yeah," she says, forcing a soft tone and taking a deep breath. "Wes was just on his way to the office," she notes, pointedly looking at Wes and silently pleading with him to think rationally about this situation, the way she is. Because at the end of the day, she really doesn't know where she and Frank stand, but she does know that she's not quite ready to give up whatever it is she and Wes have been moving towards.

Frank nods.

"We should get going, too," he tells her. "This your bag?" he asks unnecessarily as he walks to the luggage. Before she can tell him that she'll get it, Wes has seemingly realized that Frank is about to become the chivalrous one and all but pushes her out of the way to get to her bag first.

"I'll get it for you, Laurel," Wes says, pulling the handle from Frank's grip.

"Wes! Stop it. You're behaving like a child," she scolds. She doesn't miss Frank's smirk, and she rolls her eyes. It's going to be a long day.

"I was just—"

"No. No, I was just," she says walking towards the both of them, taking her bag in hand. "I will get my bag. You need to go," she tells Wes.

He looks at her for a long moment before relenting.

"Fine," he says softly, leaning in to kiss her. Refusing to let him play this game any further, she turns her head so that he only gets her cheek.

"I'll call you later," she promises, making it clear that he needs to leave. He gives her a long look before turning, grabbing his backpack by the door, and walking out.

Silence fills the room once the door shuts. She and Frank stand there a little awkwardly. It's the first time they've been alone since his return, and it's not as easy as it once was for them.

"Sorry about that," she finally says. Frank, with his hands in his pockets, shrugs slightly.

"It's okay," he tells her with a small smile. If she looks closely enough, she can see that it's sad, but she avoids that. She can't let this become more awkward than it already is.

"Let me grab my purse and we can go."

She quickly walks from the living room to her bedroom. She needs to get her phone and charger but she sits for a moment on her bed, taking a couple of deep breaths. This is harder than she thought it would be. God, she really missed him. She hates that he has this effect on her, this hold over her that she doesn't think she can ever break free from; she doesn't know that she wants to.

After a few moments, she steels herself and gets what she needs before returning to the living room. When she does, Frank is by the door, her carry-on slung over his shoulder and her luggage in hand.

"Frank, I can get my bags," she says softly, though a small smile crosses her face.

He returns the smile and nods. "I know you can," he tells her lightly, clearly trying to make this easier, "but why don't you let me be a misogynistic ass this morning and get them for you."

Her breathy laugh is unavoidable and just like that, she's already starting to feel better.

"Okay," she agrees and follows him out.

Once they are at the airport, though, the reality of the situation starts to seep in. Frank's professionalism from the night before is back in full force and conversation is stilted, not as light as it seemed to be in her apartment. To make matters worse, Wes keeps texting her, and every time she looks at her phone, she can see Frank's jaw tighten. Out of jealousy or anger, she doesn't know. Probably both. But she's not going to play this game the entire trip.

They board the plane together. It's a Southwest flight, so when Frank comes to two empty seats, he glances back to make sure it's good with her. She nods and starts to put her bag in the overhead bin.

"You can have the window if you want," he offers.

She gives him a grateful smile. "Thanks."

She gets settled, leaving some space on her side for Frank to stretch out his legs a little more, since he's in the middle seat, and soon they are taking off.

She notices out of the corner of her eye as Frank watches her hands, clenched together on takeoff. She hates this part. She's fine once she gets up in the air but it's getting there that freaks her out. She watches as his own hands flex as if wanting to reach for hers, assure her that they're okay. But ultimately, he doesn't, though she can feel his eyes on her until she relaxes.

If this were a year ago, it would have been so different. She'd probably be looking forward to going away with him, even for work. She'd probably put up the armrest between them, curl into him, rest her head on his shoulder, maybe sleep. Knowing how they were, he'd probably try to get her to go back to the restroom with him to join the mile high club. And she probably would have, despite how awkward and cramped and completely un-sexy she knows it would be. It's all different now. And even if it's maybe for the best, part of her wishes nothing had changed.

She doesn't know what to say once they are on the plane, and he doesn't seem to want to talk to her. She waits until the drinks come by, allowing herself an alcoholic beverage when Frank does the same. She doesn't waste time in drinking it before settling in, away from Frank and against the wall, to get some sleep. She's tired, not having gotten much rest the night before. And if Frank isn't going to talk, she figures now is as good a time as any to catch up.

That's how they sit for the remainder of the long flight. Once they land, they don't even speak. They walk through the airport to baggage claim in silence. They wait for their bags in silence. They walk out of the airport and to the rental cars in silence. Anyone observing them wouldn't think they were two people traveling together, two people who used to be in love, two people who couldn't keep their hands off each other. To anyone else, they look like strangers. And to Laurel, they might as well be.

The long drive to Laredo starts off quietly, and Laurel almost thinks that Frank just isn't going to speak to her the entirety of the trip. This would be a good time to go over the details, strategize, and come up with a plan for finding their man. Frank has the details though, not her, and she's not particularly compelled to start the conversation if he doesn't want to.

So, they sit in silence with Frank behind the wheel. The GPS on Frank's phone giving sporadic directions to their destination and the traffic surrounding them the only sounds. Every now and then, her phone vibrates. She looks down to find more texts from Wes, wanting an update on the trip and to see how she is. She humors him, though she knows why he's doing it. And it's at least good company on the drive, something to make the silence seem less unbearable. It's after the first hour when she starts to see Frank's hands tighten on the wheel, his jaw still tense, and his sighs more audible.

She lets out her own sigh as she puts her phone down and glances over at him.

"Is it going to be like this the entire trip?" she asks, her annoyance clear.

He briefly looks at her, feigning confusion, and it's like Wes all over again. "What do you mean?"

"I'm not stupid, Frank," she tells him. "This jealousy, the stilted conversation when there is a conversation, the annoyed sighs that I'm talking to my boyfriend…"

He just looks ahead, not responding to her accusations. She rolls her eyes and takes a deep breath. They have to find a way to work together, and she doesn't want to start anything that is going to make this harder but she can't stay completely silent on the matter.

She thinks through her words before continuing. "I didn't ask to be part of this trip," her words are soft but sharp, "And I know you didn't want me on this trip. That was pretty clear in Annalise's office. You don't want to be around me."

"Laurel, that's not—" She doesn't let him finish.

"Well, maybe I don't want to be around you either. Why would I, after everything? But we didn't get a choice, and this is an important case. I want to help with that. I want to help you but it can't be like this the whole time, okay? We have to find a way to work together."

She watches then as a small smile crosses his face, a flicker of recognition. "We were always good at that."

"We were," she agrees. "So, can we just put aside the rest of it and focus on the case? Like it or not, you're stuck with me the next couple of weeks."

He doesn't say anything more but she watches as his face relaxes, as his hands loosen their grip, and his shoulders ease slightly. He doesn't say it with words but she can tell that he's agreed to her terms, agreed that they can't start this trip with so much tension between them.

After a few more moments of silence, she turns back to her phone. She's in the middle of texting Wes back when he does finally speak.

"That's hardly a punishment," he tells her. She looks back at him and their eyes meet for a brief moment. "Being stuck with you," he elaborates, turning back to the road as if looking at her is too hard, "that's never a bad thing."

She wishes he hadn't said anything. It's all so confusing and muddled already. She doesn't need him saying things to warm her heart, to make her remember why were together to begin with, to almost make her forget that he was gone for a year, that she has a boyfriend. She hates that he still has this effect on her. With just a few words and a soft look, her annoyance subsides just a little. And she knows she's in trouble. Maybe she shouldn't have said anything at all.

She finishes her text to Wes before looking out at the road in front of her and putting her phone down for the rest of the drive.

"Now would probably be a good time to talk about the case. Come up with a game plan?" she suggests after a moment.

He clears his throat. "Yeah, that's a good idea."

They spend the rest of the drive doing just that. Frank goes over everything he knows about the situation and the guy they're looking for. They talk through where to start and different ideas, strategies, what has the best chance of working, and what they'll do when they actually get to this guy.

He's going to be hard to find because he's not exactly the most upstanding citizen. And not wanting to be found is what makes this a tricky situation for Frank and Laurel. It's not as though Frank has had trouble locating people and doing the shady stuff before but Laurel can tell he's not as confident about his abilities as he once was, maybe because he's been out of the game too long and in unfamiliar territory. She's not sure what it is.

What happened to him while he was gone all those months? She wants to know. Wants to know where he's been and what he's been doing. Wants to know why he never answered her calls, let her worry for months over his safety, afraid he was already dead and she would never get to see him again.

It's a lot of unanswered questions but she's not going to ask them now. Just because they are working together doesn't mean she's ready for this conversation, ready for the answers it could bring. She's not sure she wants to know why he didn't care enough to pick up the phone and say he was okay. She's not sure she's ready to know what he was doing for the year he was gone.

Once they arrive at the hotel, she takes in her surroundings for a moment before walking to the back of the car where Frank is already unloading. She reaches for her bag the same time he does, his hand ending up on top of hers, and that familiar spark shoots through her as if she's been struck by electricity. It's overwhelming. It always has been. He doesn't seem to have the same problem.

Their eyes meet and she gives him a shy smile. "I can get my bags," she tells him gently, "and besides, you've got your own to worry about."

He acquiesces without protest, for which she's grateful, and they head inside to check into their rooms. Turns out they are right next to each other and for Laurel, that's too close, closer than they've been in so long.

"Hey," Frank calls before she steps into her room. "You want to grab dinner, something to drink?"

She looks at him a moment, and she's struck by the fact that she wants to. She really wants to go with him and have a good night and maybe find a way to make this trip less awkward by proving that they can be friends. But his comments from earlier are still very present in her mind, her hand is still scorching, and she knows it's not a good idea.

She gives a soft smile.

"I think I'm going to turn in early tonight," she declines.

If that upsets him, he doesn't let it show. Instead, he gives her a small smile and nods in understanding. She watches as he inserts his key and opens the door before turning back to her.

"If you change your mind, I'll be at the bar." He smirks as if knowing what he's doing to her, knowing it's hard for her to resist. She almost has to laugh at his confidence.

She just shakes her head. "Not tonight… But I will take a rain check," she promises him without thinking before entering her room and shutting the door behind her.

She leans back against the door and lets out a sigh. It's been a long day and space is needed. She wants to call Wes, too; beat him to the punch so that he can't have time to stew on her silence and the fact that she is with Frank any more than he probably already has. She settles in, takes a quick shower, and does just that, laying back on the bed as she waits for him to answer.

It doesn't take long before she hears his familiar voice on the other line. "Hey."

"Hey," she returns with a smile. She feels some semblance of normal. "How's everything there?"

"Basically the same. Annalise is pushing us hard with this case," he tells her.

"Yeah," she nods, "hopefully, we can help you guys out with that."

There's a moment of silence over the line when she realizes he's thinking about the fact that the "we" in her sentence includes Frank.

"Uh, how is that?" he asks. His tone tells her he's fishing for details about her day, how she and Frank are interacting.

She doesn't play that game. "It's fine. Just travel today. We'll start work on the case tomorrow."

She knows that's not what he's asking but she's effectively told him that he's not getting more information. He seems to understand.

"That's good," he says slowly before there's another pause. The conversation is awkward and stilted and not the normal she was hoping for. They should be stronger than this. He should trust her.

"Yeah, uh, I'm actually pretty tired. You know how traveling all day can do that," she excuses. "I think I might go and get some early sleep."

"Sure, okay. Talk to you later?"

She hates the insecurity she hears in his voice. She wants to assure him that they're good but she doesn't feel that confident herself.

Instead, she sighs softly. "Of course," she tells him honestly. "I'll talk to you tomorrow."

Once they hang up, she lays there thinking about Wes and Frank and the day and the night before and all the drama that seems to surround her life all the time. It's a wonder she hasn't gone crazy. She thinks back on Frank's offer, then, to meet him in the bar for a drink. A drink would be good, help to put some of her thoughts out of her mind so she could maybe get some rest. She thinks better of it though. It would probably create new thoughts and, right now, that's the last thing she needs.