It's Only Temporary

Chapter 38: Seriously Pissed

"Are you OK? David...stop! Don't do that!"

David had started to sit up from his position on the floor, but he froze now with his weight propped on one elbow. "What?"

"You shouldn't move," Penny said. "You could have broken something."

"I'm fine." With his free hand, he rubbed the middle of his chest, wondering if he might have cracked a rib when he ran into the control panel. "I should've broken my neck," he muttered. "It would serve you right." He gestured toward the plug, lying on the floor behind her. "What the hell was that for?"

"Sorry." She bit her lip. "I couldn't get you to stop."

"Did you try saying hello?"

She rocked backward and sat cross-legged on the floor beside him. "Yes, I tried saying hello. I also tried shouting hello. Several times."

"I guess I had the music on." His earbuds lay on the floor a few feet from his head. Even from this distance, he could still hear the music buzzing loudly enough to make out the lyrics.

"You know that's dangerous," she said, following the direction of his gaze. "You can go deaf from playing music that loud."

"I could also go deaf from getting my head bashed in when some helpful person decides to unplug my treadmill."

"Well, I tried shouting. You wouldn't stop."

"OK, Penny. So there's this other thing people do sometimes. It's called tapping someone on the shoulder-"

"I didn't want to startle you!"

"Right." He shrugged. "That makes perfect sense."

"Well, I'm sorry."

She didn't look very sorry. The look on her face had gone from concern to.... He couldn't quite read it. Was she angry?

"What are you doing here anyway?" he asked.

"I missed my flight."

She scowled then. Was she mad? At him? Maybe just mad at herself for missing her flight?

"I told you, you were cutting it close," he said, struggling to sit up all the way. "You should have let me drive you-"

She stuck out a hand and pushed him back down roughly, flat onto his back again. "I missed it on purpose."

"Oh."

OK. Definitely angry. That was clearly a dirty look she was giving him now. Shit. Was it because- had she-

Shit shit shit. She reached into the front pocket of her jeans, and he recognized the piece of paper she pulled out. The letter. She must have read it. And now she was angry. Seriously pissed. Without a word, she unfolded the sheet of paper and let it drop into the middle of his chest.

"You read it?" He looked down at it without moving, and then he glanced hesitantly back up at her face.

She nodded.

"Shit."

"Is that all you have to say?"

"I kind of figured you'd be in Minnesota by the time you read it."

"I read it on the subway."

"Sorry." He picked the letter up and started to crumple it into a ball, but she snatched it back out of his hands. "Penny, I-"

She didn't look at him. Her eyes remained on the paper as she smoothed it back out against her thigh and then began folding it carefully.

"Nevermind," he said. "I can write you a real one."