I got another chapter done. Sorry, but the rest of the chapters are going to be a little shorter than they have been previously.

"No! I won't let you go there!"

"What? I was just going to say that I could read to you like you read to me. What'd you think I meant?"

"Never mind." I smiled.

"Get your mind out of the gutter, boy. Don't go there. I didn't say I wouldn't, but don't."

"I'm too old for you anyway." I snorted.

"What about Liz and HB? He's about 60-something and she's, what, in her 20s?"

"Ish."

"What's really bothering you?"

"It wasn't your fault."

"What wasn't?"

"The fire." I took a deep breath.

"I know. After hearing the way you were talking last night, your vehemence, I'm trying to believe it now."

"Good." That was all he said.

"So we're back to monosyllables." When he didn't answer, I put the book up and stayed near the shelf, running my fingers over the spines of various books. "Do you want me to read?"

"No." I walked back towards him.

"Abe, what can I do to make it up to you? And to thank you?" It seemed as if he was ignoring me, so I stepped beside him and touched his back. "Are you ignoring me now?"

"No." he was very quiet.

"Do you really think I should go back? It seems that all we've done is fight."

"I'm sorry."

"Nothing to be sorry for." I gave him a hug. "And I'm sorry, too."

"All is forgiven." I smiled, then let go.

"Do you want me to leave?"

"No."

"Do you think I should?"

"Yes."

"Are you intentionally sending me mixed signals?"

"What?"

"Should I stay or leave?"

"I don't know." I was getting exasperated.

"Do you have feelings for me or is this just a different kind of friendship?"

"I can answer that question."

"So answer it." He pulled me close and kissed me. I'm not sure how it happened...I just know it did. He pulled away almost unwillingly.

"Laura, I want you to listen to me." His seriousness startled me, but I listened.

"Okay. I'm listening."

"I think you should go back." He put a finger to my lips to forestall my protests. "Hold on. Let me finish. I don't want you to leave, but it may be for the best. And…and we shouldn't pursue this." I pulled away from him violently enough that he took a step back. There were angry tears in my eyes. He reached towards me, but I batted his hand away. "Laura, I'm sorry—"

"No! You cannot just do that to me! You just can't!" Tears were running down my face. "Haven't I been through enough?" I burst through the library doors, forgetting everyone standing there. I also forgot about the wet floor, because I slipped and caught myself on the wall. Someone behind me made a move to help me, but I rushed off to my room instead of the recovery room I had been in.

--

There was a knock at my door not long after I had tucked my knees under my chin as I sat on the bed.

"Go to hell!" I said loudly; the door opened anyway.

"Been there, done that," Hellboy replied.

"I thought you were Abe." I still didn't apologize. He sat on the bed close to my feet, right where I had been studying the pattern of my quilt to try and stop the tears; it hadn't worked.

"So, what's going on between you two?"

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing."

"Then what's wrong?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Oh, come on. Talk to me." I looked him in the eye and glared.

"I'm through with talking to people. It goes nowhere." I looked away, but he didn't. My tears were quickly wiped away.

"You're not blind, are you?"

TBC

Uh-oh.

Review and read and see what happens!