Chapter 11
Julie sat on the edge of the bed and reviewed the events of the morning in her mind. She couldn't figure out what had upset Tim. She probably shouldn't have spoken aloud when he was on the phone with his co-worker. Maybe he had a girlfriend or something that he hadn't told her about, and was upset that she had made it obvious he was with a woman. But she pushed that option aside. He was fine after that, so it couldn't explain his change in behavior. Plus she didn't think Tim was the kind of guy who would sleep with one woman if he were dating another.
It had to have something to do with Fornell's visit. Julie smiled when she figured it out.
She knocked on the bathroom door, and called to him again. "Tim?!" Getting no response, she did what any self-respecting woman would do at that point. She picked the lock.
"Tim, we need to talk," Julie said, once she had entered the bathroom.
"How did you get in here?" Tim asked from behind the most hideous shower curtain Julie had ever seen.
"I'm resourceful," she explained. She sat on the toilet lid, put her head in her hands and breathed a heavy sigh, preparing herself. She wanted to get this right. "I want you to know that I really feel like we have a connection. While I am anxious to have the ability to come and go at will, I am not just sitting around waiting to hightail it out of here. I know you misunderstood what I said, and I never intended to hurt your feelings," she said. "I'd like to think that if we had met under other circumstances we would still have ended up here."
"I know," Tim said, peeking out from behind the curtain. At Julie's confused expression, he continued. "At first I took your comment to mean you were anxious to leave. But after I started thinking, I realized that if that were the case, your reasons for sleeping with me would be… well… just wrong," he struggled with the right words to state his case without offending her.
She chuckled, "Forgiven?" she asked him.
"Nothing to forgive," he answered with a smile. "I'm sorry for my overreaction." She stood and walked toward him, a sexy smile on her face.
"Is there room for me in there?" she asked, peering at his naked rear from around the curtain.
He chuckled and pulled her into the shower fully clothed. She laughed. At least it was his shirt and not one of her few articles of clothing.
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Tim sat in the chair beside his bed and watched Julie sleep. After she had drifted to sleep, he had gently extracted himself from her embrace and double-checked that everything was secure. He had called Fornell for a progress report and learned that Julie was finally out of danger. Tim knew that she would be excited about having her life back, but his relief at her safety was shadowed by his feeling that he would soon lose her. He knew that she genuinely liked him, but he feared that once she left he would find out the whole thing was some sort of dream or illusion.
As Tim sat and watched her sleep, he noted her bruises had darkened to a purplish color with splashes of green, while her scrapes had begun to heal. He realized he wanted to be there when all traces of her attack had faded away. He wanted her to be a part of his life. He knew he had a tendency to become attached quickly, but he really felt that Julie had experienced the same connection. Now that their forced contact was coming to an end, he felt an intense loss deep in his gut, as if she were already gone.
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Julie awoke to the sound of Tim's phone ringing. She rolled over to face the open doorway and tried to focus on the muffled tones of his voice. After hearing that his conversation had ended, she called out to him.
"Tim?" she asked, pulling herself up to sit on the bed. Her muscles screamed in protest. She should have been a little less physical last night and this morning, but wondering how her earlier-abused body would feel today was not exactly her primary concern at the time. She looked into his green eyes as he entered the room and smiled warmly.
"Hey," he said quietly.
"What's up?" she asked, patting the bed beside her in invitation. Tim sat next to her and wrapped one arm around her shoulder.
"While you were sleeping, Fornell called to say the coast is clear. You're free to go," he added softly.
She smiled, "Excellent news," she replied, and then quickly added, "Not that I'm in a hurry to leave."
He smiled at her and held her a little more tightly. Catching her unintentional wince, he moved away from her. "Are you okay?" he asked, genuinely concerned.
"Just sore," she answered with a grin. "What else?" she asked, sensing that wasn't all he had to tell her.
"I just got a call. I have to go to work," Tim informed her.
"Can I ask you a strange question? And it's okay if the answer is no, I just…" she began.
"You can ask me anything," he interrupted.
"Would you mind if I just stayed here for a few more days? I need to get the rest of my things from the hotel, pick up my car, contact my sister... but I thought, if you wouldn't mind…" she trailed off, not sure how to end her request. The look in her eyes begged him to say yes. As if he had even considering turning her down.
"I was hoping you would ask me that," he answered with a slight blush. "If you want, I can drop you off. Your hotel is on my way to work."
"I was hoping you would offer," she smiled. "And I know exactly where you work. My sister works at NCIS," she continued casually, as if what she had just revealed was not a big deal.
"Are you serious?" Tim asked, surprised. "That is an amazing coincidence. In which department does she work? I might actually know her," he said excitedly.
"Oh, I'm sure you know her," Julie said with a smirk. "Her name is Jenny Shepard, and she's the Director of NCIS."
Tim stared at Julie hardly able to breathe. He was definitely in trouble now.
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