"You did everything you could. It wasn't your fault, no one could have saved her." Jacob whispered gently in his ear, cursing himself silently for the surge of happiness he felt having her in his arms after so long.
Connie nodded against him, but gave no reply, her fingers digging in to his arms as she held onto him tightly, willing him to make it better. To make it okay. It was when Jacob dropped a gentle kiss to her forehead that Connie looked up, her teary eyes dropping from Jacob's to look at his lips. However, as he whispered her name and moved his lips closer, the door flew open to present Elle, apparently oblivious to the situation she'd walked into.
"There you are! I cannot believe you've come into work, today of all days. We need to get going. Your mother called me just now and I agreed to drive you down there."
As Elle spoke, Connie drew away from Jacob and fixed her face before sitting at her desk as though nothing had happened. She felt a surge of smugness when she realised that Jacob's mother must have called her before she called Elle.
"I'm not going. I can't. He'd understand. He knows my job here is important," Jacob replied quietly, moving to sit on the sofa as he glanced towards Connie, amazed she seemed so adept at hiding her emotions while everyone seemed to know exactly how he was feeling.
"You NEED to go. Are you telling me that your job here is more important than your own brother?!" Elle raised her voice.
"Elle..."
"No, Jacob! It isn't more important, not today."
Connie watched as he looked from Elle to her, and she folded her arms before turning on the other woman.
"Dr. Gardner, will you wait outside for a moment please. I understand that this is a difficult time, but this is not helping."
"Connie..."
"Elle, please." Jacob spoke, and Elle walked angrily from the room, yet knew that if anyone could convince him to go then it would be Connie. There was more to their relationship than Jacob had let on, she could see that for herself quite clearly.
Connie moved from behind her desk to sit on the sofa next to Jacob. He watched her silently before bringing a hand to her head, brushing her fringe gently away from her eyes, before he lowered his hand and sighed, running his hands over his face.
"I can't... I can't go."
"I really think..."
"I know. I know what everyone else thinks, Con. I don't know what I think, I wasn't..." She lowered her head and tried to keep herself together as she heard the struggle in his voice. "I wasn't there."