Vince hit the combinations on the bag, his head spinning. Left, right. Left, right left. Right, right, left, right. Sweat dripped from his forehead, but he kept going. Across the room, Orwell watched him, a small smile upon her lips. She crossed the room, placing her hand on the small of his back. Vince stopped, turning and looking into her eyes. She rose up onto the tips of her toes, slid her arms around his neck, and kissed him. He hesitated, then kissed her back.
It wasn't the first time they'd kissed- she had kissed him shortly after the death of his best friend, Marty. They'd shared a few kisses since then, and Vince got the impression that she felt that they were a couple now. It felt…bittersweet, Vince thought, for several reasons- he might still love Dana, he didn't want to hurt her, and…Grace. As she pulled back from the kiss, a smile highlighted her face. He returned the smile as she pulled back, picked up her bag, and said, "I have to go. I'll call you."
"Okay." As she walked out of the door, Vince rested his head against the bag. He hated that he was still thinking about Grace. But everything about her was so intriguing- the looks, the way she spoke, the past she was so ashamed and scared of. He couldn't deny it- as much as he wanted to believe he still loved Orwell, he didn't anymore. He was in love with Grace.
He started hitting the combinations again, the pain in his fists feeling like the only consolation for the betraying thoughts in his mind.
Left, right. Left, right, left. Right, right…
Grace tugged at the cable Max had put on her, tears streaming down her face. She was panting, the pain worsening with every futile attempt. She let go of it, starting to sob harder. She was trapped, and she hated it. Jumpers weren't meant to be cooped up in one place- they needed to be able to move and explore. She was going to drive herself crazy.
Suddenly, Vince walked in. She straightened, wiping the tears from her face. "What are you doing here- Max sent you home." She sniffed. Grace knew she looked like a mess, but she didn't care at this point.
"I wanted to see you. I needed to know if there's anything I can do to make you more comfortable here. I can't convince Max to let you go, but he told me to see what you liked to do so that you could be more…entertained." Vince looked uncomfortable.
"I…like to dance. And sing. Anything with music." She let her hair fall over her face, hiding her tears from him.
"What's wrong?" Vince sat down on the floor beside her, rubbing her back cautiously.
"I just want to get out of here. I can't be contained inside a small space for too long, or I'll go insane." Grace sniffed again, her breath ragged. She began to stretch on the floor.
Vince watched her, his eyes looking over her hair, her skin, her long legs and arms. He removed his hand from her back, temptation welling up inside of him. He stood and leaned against the wall. After a few moments, he looked down at her again. "You certainly look like a dancer- you have the posture and the flexibility."
"It's my passion- how I express myself. I love it."
"Well, I'll see about getting you some music…" Vince paused, surveying the room, "…and maybe a bigger space. It would be kind of hard in here."
"That would be great." She stood, wiping her face again. "Thanks for coming. It's nice to know you care."
He looked at her with secret longing. Finally, he crossed the room and hugged her. This, he thought, was the greatest punishment of all.
She looked up into his eyes. After a long drawn out moment, he leaned down and kissed her. Fireworks went off behind his eyes. She wrapped her arms around him, and he picked her up, placing he gently down on the bed. He pulled back, light flooding into his eyes as he smiled and brushed her hair back. She returned a weak smile, and he left the room without another word.