The Distance (Part 2 of 2)
Title: The Distance
For: ndnickerson
From: glasheen25
Pairing/Characters: Nancy/Ned, Nancy/Frank
Series: post-files
Word Count: 3117
Rating: R
Summary: On a case in Australia, having left Ned behind at home, Nancy runs into Frank, who has information she needs. But Frank, angry that Callie broke up with him over his feelings for Nancy, makes Nancy an indecent proposal, and if she wants the information he has, he wants something in return. She can say no but Ned will be mad at her anyway... so hello angsty conflicted sex ending in heartbreaking remorse, begging for forgiveness, and even more angst!
Spoilers: None.
Warnings: None
The room was sickly hot when Nancy woke up, the sun blazing through a crack in the curtains, searing like a knife into her head. Her skin burned every time she moved and her stomach heaved unpleasantly in a way that had nothing to do with her hangover. She had done some pretty fucked-up things in her time but nothing came even close to this.
Flashes of the previous night ran through her head, the feel of his lips on hers, his fingers clawing at his skin, their naked bodies, their clothes marking an untidy trail to the bed. The sex had been good, fantastic in fact, which meant she enjoyed it, which made it all the harder to pass off as a stupid, once-off mistake.
What the hell had she been thinking?
Frank was an unmoving block in the bed beside her and for that at least she was grateful. Feeling a sudden urge to cover up, Nancy grabbed the sheet and twined it around her bare skin, her cell phone cradled close to her. It had registered two missed calls during the night, both of them from Ned. There were also two messages and Nancy could hardly bring herself to listen to them, knowing what he would say and scared of how that might make her feel.
She hoped he would be terrifyingly angry and bitter, spitting ultimatums and demanding commitments and in a twisted sense of justification Nancy could condone her actions the previous night, put it down to experience and never think of it again. But of course, Ned wasn’t and tears sprang to Nancy’s eyes just listening to his patient, loving tones.
“I love you, Nancy,” he began softly and closing her eyes Nancy could almost imagine the tender feeling of his lips on hers. “I can’t wait for you to come home to me and I’m sorry for being such an asshole.”
Fuck, he apologized. This was even worse than she’d imagined and the pit of despair in her stomach swelled even larger. She couldn’t lie to him, not now but admitting what she had done was unthinkable and would surely signal the end of their relationship. Panic enveloped Nancy then and she felt a sudden need to be magically transported home and try and explain this to Ned. Much like ripping off a bandage, pain was inevitable but the alternative, drawing this out, picking at it with brief, hesitant swipes was excruciating.
“Hey, you,”
Looking over, Nancy felt Frank’s hand sweep across her bare skin longingly as if suddenly realizing that a rather pleasant dream was actually reality.
“Last night was amazing,” he continued softly, holding her gaze with a smile. “I’m sorry it had to happen under the circumstances it did, but I’m not sorry it happened. I meant what I said last night, Nancy,” and he finished, his words trailing away as though expecting her to make a reply.
Frank had said a lot of things the night before but Nancy knew what he was referring to; he said he was in love with her. The revelation made her uncomfortable. Frank was not the bad guy in all of this. He had admitted he was in love with her and she had used that knowledge, seducing him to achieve her own needs. She was a terrible person. Sudden tears swelled up in her eyes but Nancy ignored them, stepping out of the bed and pulling her wrinkled dress over her hair.
“Be careful, okay?” he urged her softly, coming up behind her and kissing her softly. “And I meant what I said last night, ring me if you ever change your mind.”
His lips grazed her neck and Nancy closed her eyes, her skin sensitized by the feel of him against her.
“I’m sorry,” she uttered softly, slinging her bag over her shoulder and stepping out of the room without a backwards glance.
Outside the sky was so blue it hurt her eyes.
Her phone was ringing again but Nancy ignored it. She knew without even looking that it was Ned and she wasn’t ready to have this discussion with him just yet. Ned knew her better than anyone else and would sense that something was wrong and would coax the horrible truth out of her. Then he would be far away in their little apartment in Chicago and she would be here and it would be taking the coward’s way out. She deserved a fiery backlash, cruel words and she couldn’t take that away from Ned.
Hoisting her bag up on her shoulder a little higher, Nancy wiped her wet eyes impatiently. Duty called; it was time to pay Jessica Cooper a visit.
Though Frank had refused to go into the specifics, Jessica had been connected in some way to the drug smuggling ring he had been under orders to infiltrate but whatever her involvement, it was clear she was not the sweet, innocent character her mother had painted her to be.
Nancy reached into her bag and withdrew the carefully folded sheet of paper she had traded so casually for her relationship the previous night. She would go there and talk to Jessica, maybe knock some sense into that pretty head of hers and then get the hell out of here and see if she had any chance of rectifying her relationship with Ned.
Once a sunny yellow, the house was now looking decidedly shabby, a victim of years of rental to party-loving students. The paint was peeling in places to reveal a coral pink, giving the paintwork an almost two-tone appearance and the garden was a minefield of discarded beer bottles, the shards of glass glittering under the early morning sun.
Knocking on the front door curtly, Nancy stood back waiting for an answer, trying again when she got none. The house seemed unnaturally quiet, Nancy mused, taking a look at her watch. It was almost eight o’ clock and at that time of the morning she would have expected there to be all sorts of commotion emanating from the kitchen, the pop of the toaster, the hiss of the kettle, the hum of agitated voices readying themselves for the day. But there was none, just an empty echo as Nancy put her ear curiously to the open flap of the letterbox.
“Jessica,” she called out more determinedly, knocking furiously at the door. “I need to speak with you, it’s urgent.”
When she still failed to get an answer, Nancy wandered around the perimeter of the house, stepping gingerly onto a faded, plastic milk crate and peering in the window of a bedroom. It was undeniably empty, the bed stripped of it’s linen and the scattering of clothes on the floor suggesting that somebody had left in hurry. The kitchen was in a similar scene of abandonment, the cupboard doors swinging open, the insides empty, dirty cups and plates left heaped in the sink.
There was no one here, the house was empty, Jessica was gone.
Nancy felt like screaming. She should never have taken on this case. She should have listened to Ned and stayed at home. But she hadn’t and now it was too late and she’d have to live with the consequences.
Something clawed inside of her then and she couldn’t help wondering when exactly Jessica had vacated the house and whether Frank had known all along.
xxxxx
Twisting the cap off a bottle of water, Nancy pressed the liquid to her lips gratefully, the dehydration from her hangover just beginning to kick in. It was still early and the beach was deserted, save a few dedicated sunbathers, already stretched out on brightly colored towels. Sinking down onto the soft, powdery sand, Nancy rummaged through her bag for her cell phone and took a deep breath before hesitantly dialing Ned’s number.
It was a full minute before Ned answered the call, his voice coming groggily over the line.
“Hey, Nan,” he greeted her sleepily but Nancy could hear the wariness and uncertainty in his voice.
“I’m sorry for waking you, Ned,” she mumbled apologetically, taking a furious gulp of water to drown the lump that was forming in her throat. “But I really needed to hear your voice. Ned, I love you and I’m so, so sorry,” she added softly, squeezing her eyes shut but tears streamed down her face nonetheless.
Ned must have heard it in her voice but he said nothing, probably chalking her emotional state down to their argument.
“I felt terrible when you left, Nancy,” he admitted softly, and closing her eyes Nancy could almost imagine Ned’s arms around her. “I wanted to get on the next plane after you to Australia. When do you think you’ll be back because I’m going to go crazy if I don’t see you soon.”
“Hopefully in the next day or so,” Nancy choked out, struggling to say the words, the lump so painful in her throat.
“You know I love you and I can’t wait to see you,” Ned whispered softly and at the earnest, loving note in his voice, Nancy felt her heart break; he didn’t deserve this, she didn’t deserve him.”
xxxxx
Struggling with the weight of her bags and shouldering open their apartment door, Nancy felt sick. Everything was the same; the pink-and-red roses still wilting miserably on the hall table and Ned’s trainers tossed lazily by the door, the dry mud from a recent run still clinging to them. It made Nancy sad to realize that after tonight nothing would ever be the same again. All through their relationship, Ned’s patience had been boundless but even he had his limits and Nancy knew once she told him, that that would be it.
She was a nervous wreck and jet lag combined with severe sleep deprivation certainly wasn’t helping. How could she do this? On the plane, people had slept all around her as Nancy had planned her conversation with Ned. She was going to start out by telling him she loved him before begging for his forgiveness and swearing that it would never happen again, that she would never do this to him again. It had seemed doable, possible. She must have been delusional.
It was dark but a thin crack of light shone through the living room door and Nancy could hear the television blaring, the loud scream of a crown cheering for their team ringing in the air.
“Ned,” Nancy called out softly, poking her head around the door when he failed to respond.
He was asleep, his head resting on his balled-up sweater and his legs too long for the couch, hanging awkwardly over the side. A few empty bottles of beer were lined up neatly on the table and the cold remains of a pizza lay abandoned in it’s box. He had waited up for her, she realized, touched by his thoughtfulness. It was almost three in the morning and Ned would have to get up at six to make it to the office in time. He would be exhausted but yet he had still wanted to see her badly enough to make that sacrifice.
It was almost painful sometimes to realize how much he loved her.
Lying down on the couch next to him, Nancy rested her head next to his,
“Nan, is that you?” he murmured groggily as he opened his eyes, the graze of his stubble against her cheek as his lips found hers.
Nancy wasn’t sure whether it was because he was still half-asleep or whether subconsciously he was somehow aware of her betrayal but there was none of the usual tenderness in his actions. He was rough with her, desperate, his hands ripping off her dress and pulling her on top of him.
He didn’t tell her he loved her, didn’t tell her he missed her, just fucked her and Nancy was relieved.
It felt good. Sweet kisses and tender caresses were the last thing Nancy wanted now, the last thing she deserved.
Afterwards, she lay in his arms naked on the tangle of blankets on the couch and she drank in, cherished every moment of it; the feel of his skin soft against hers, his fingers tangled in her hair and the soft expression on his face.
“I love you,” he murmured softly, before leaning in and kissing her tenderly, Nancy’s tears wet on her cheeks.
“Hey, are you okay?” Ned asked concerned, pulling back and searching her face worriedly. “What’s the matter, Nan?”
She knew what she had to do but she couldn’t bring herself to say the words just yet. She just kept holding onto him. Flashes of their life together passed through her mind. How could she ever have taken this for granted? But now it would all be over and Nancy needed just a few more moments with Ned like this before she lost him forever.
“Ned, I’ve done something terrible,” she began haltingly, the lump at the back of her throat threatening to choke her. He wrapped his arms tightly around her at that and pressed his lips to hers softly.
“Come on, Nancy, it can’t be that bad,” he murmured soothingly, smoothing her hair out of her face and kissing her damp cheeks. “Come to bed with me now and I can help you forget all about it.”
He kissed her sweetly at first, his fingers trailing softly over her skin but gradually his advances became more desperate, Ned pinning her against the sofa, Nancy powerless against the intensity of his touch.
“I love you,” he murmured softly and at that Nancy pulled back, unable to keep up the charade any longer.
“I can’t do this,” she whispered, removing herself from his arms and sitting at the bottom of the couch, her face cradled in her hands.
“What’s wrong?” Ned asked in confusion, coming over and wrapping an arm around his girlfriend in bewilderment, shocked when he saw the distress on her face. “Nan, you can tell me. Whatever it is, it can’t be that bad.”
“Ned, stop, please,” Nancy pleaded, his tender reassurance making her feel a hundred times worse. “I slept with Frank,”
There was silence after that, Ned just starting at her with a mixture of shock and disgust on his face.
“You slept with Frank Hardy,” he repeated almost to himself and Nancy could hear the doubt in his voice as though he was convincing himself that this wasn’t true.
The tenderness that he had shown her just moments before had vanished and in it’s place was a sort of agitated unease, Ned pulling roughly away from her and pacing the floor, his footsteps echoing hollowly in the room.
“But you were in Australia,” he shot back in bewilderment as he struggled to make sense of the situation in his head.
“Our cases were connected and it… it just happened,” Nancy sighed, trying to be as honest as possible, knowing he deserved that, at least.
“What the fuck, Nancy?” Ned snorted in disgust, not even able to bring himself to look at her. “Falling into bed with another guy just doesn’t happen, especially when he is Frank Hardy.“
“You like him, admit that to me at least,”
She could have softened the blow, fed him a thousand different excuses and he would have eventually forgiven her, he always did. But she knew they would only be fooling themselves, so she answered him with a small, resigned nod, tears shining in her eyes.
“You’re right,” Nancy admitted shamefaced, squeezing her eyes tightly together to stop the tears from falling. “I want to tell you it was because I was ridiculously drunk or because I was angry with you after our fight. But the truth is that I wanted to sleep with Frank that night. There’s no excuse for what I did,” she shrugged. “But you’ve got to know that you’re the one I love, Ned. The one I’ve always loved,” she pleaded, silently praying for him to look at her.
“This is never going to work, is it?” he sighed resignedly, collapsing onto the couch beside her and finally forcing himself to meet her heartbroken gaze.
“Don’t say that, Ned,” Nancy pleaded with him, the reality of the situation starting to sink in. She knew when she would admit her infidelity to Ned, there was a very real possibility he would break up with her. She thought she’d prepared herself for that but now as he spoke the words, her heart felt like it was breaking in two. “We can make this work, I know we can.“
“Nancy, please don’t make this any harder than it has to be,” Ned sighed taking her hand in his, his expression softening as she risked scooting closer to him and rested her head against his chest. “I love you but I’m tired of feeling like this. I think we need some time apart. I’ll stay here tonight but in the morning I’ll be gone. I’ll collect the rest of my stuff during the week,” he finished, his decisiveness making it all the more real.
“You shouldn’t have to leave, Ned,” Nancy argued, giving him a final hug before pulling away, her eyes streaming with tears. “I’m the one who fucked up. I’ll go. I can stay with Bess or something,”
“Nancy you own practically everything in this apartment, it would take you years to move out,” Ned joked lightly and Nancy could see he was struggling to control his emotions.
And that was it. After eight years of a relationship it came down to this, no screaming recriminations or angry accusations, just a civil, amicable agreement to split up and it made her so sad.
“Come here,” he gestured to her, pulling Nancy into his arms and holding her close.
They slept that way that night, curled in each others arms as though savoring the last few hours they would spend together but when Nancy woke up in the morning he was gone, the sheet of paper on the table telling her where he could be reached, giving the whole thing a horrible sense of finality.
It was over.
For: ndnickerson
From: glasheen25
Pairing/Characters: Nancy/Ned, Nancy/Frank
Series: post-files
Word Count: 3117
Rating: R
Summary: On a case in Australia, having left Ned behind at home, Nancy runs into Frank, who has information she needs. But Frank, angry that Callie broke up with him over his feelings for Nancy, makes Nancy an indecent proposal, and if she wants the information he has, he wants something in return. She can say no but Ned will be mad at her anyway... so hello angsty conflicted sex ending in heartbreaking remorse, begging for forgiveness, and even more angst!
Spoilers: None.
Warnings: None
The room was sickly hot when Nancy woke up, the sun blazing through a crack in the curtains, searing like a knife into her head. Her skin burned every time she moved and her stomach heaved unpleasantly in a way that had nothing to do with her hangover. She had done some pretty fucked-up things in her time but nothing came even close to this.
Flashes of the previous night ran through her head, the feel of his lips on hers, his fingers clawing at his skin, their naked bodies, their clothes marking an untidy trail to the bed. The sex had been good, fantastic in fact, which meant she enjoyed it, which made it all the harder to pass off as a stupid, once-off mistake.
What the hell had she been thinking?
Frank was an unmoving block in the bed beside her and for that at least she was grateful. Feeling a sudden urge to cover up, Nancy grabbed the sheet and twined it around her bare skin, her cell phone cradled close to her. It had registered two missed calls during the night, both of them from Ned. There were also two messages and Nancy could hardly bring herself to listen to them, knowing what he would say and scared of how that might make her feel.
She hoped he would be terrifyingly angry and bitter, spitting ultimatums and demanding commitments and in a twisted sense of justification Nancy could condone her actions the previous night, put it down to experience and never think of it again. But of course, Ned wasn’t and tears sprang to Nancy’s eyes just listening to his patient, loving tones.
“I love you, Nancy,” he began softly and closing her eyes Nancy could almost imagine the tender feeling of his lips on hers. “I can’t wait for you to come home to me and I’m sorry for being such an asshole.”
Fuck, he apologized. This was even worse than she’d imagined and the pit of despair in her stomach swelled even larger. She couldn’t lie to him, not now but admitting what she had done was unthinkable and would surely signal the end of their relationship. Panic enveloped Nancy then and she felt a sudden need to be magically transported home and try and explain this to Ned. Much like ripping off a bandage, pain was inevitable but the alternative, drawing this out, picking at it with brief, hesitant swipes was excruciating.
“Hey, you,”
Looking over, Nancy felt Frank’s hand sweep across her bare skin longingly as if suddenly realizing that a rather pleasant dream was actually reality.
“Last night was amazing,” he continued softly, holding her gaze with a smile. “I’m sorry it had to happen under the circumstances it did, but I’m not sorry it happened. I meant what I said last night, Nancy,” and he finished, his words trailing away as though expecting her to make a reply.
Frank had said a lot of things the night before but Nancy knew what he was referring to; he said he was in love with her. The revelation made her uncomfortable. Frank was not the bad guy in all of this. He had admitted he was in love with her and she had used that knowledge, seducing him to achieve her own needs. She was a terrible person. Sudden tears swelled up in her eyes but Nancy ignored them, stepping out of the bed and pulling her wrinkled dress over her hair.
“Be careful, okay?” he urged her softly, coming up behind her and kissing her softly. “And I meant what I said last night, ring me if you ever change your mind.”
His lips grazed her neck and Nancy closed her eyes, her skin sensitized by the feel of him against her.
“I’m sorry,” she uttered softly, slinging her bag over her shoulder and stepping out of the room without a backwards glance.
Outside the sky was so blue it hurt her eyes.
Her phone was ringing again but Nancy ignored it. She knew without even looking that it was Ned and she wasn’t ready to have this discussion with him just yet. Ned knew her better than anyone else and would sense that something was wrong and would coax the horrible truth out of her. Then he would be far away in their little apartment in Chicago and she would be here and it would be taking the coward’s way out. She deserved a fiery backlash, cruel words and she couldn’t take that away from Ned.
Hoisting her bag up on her shoulder a little higher, Nancy wiped her wet eyes impatiently. Duty called; it was time to pay Jessica Cooper a visit.
Though Frank had refused to go into the specifics, Jessica had been connected in some way to the drug smuggling ring he had been under orders to infiltrate but whatever her involvement, it was clear she was not the sweet, innocent character her mother had painted her to be.
Nancy reached into her bag and withdrew the carefully folded sheet of paper she had traded so casually for her relationship the previous night. She would go there and talk to Jessica, maybe knock some sense into that pretty head of hers and then get the hell out of here and see if she had any chance of rectifying her relationship with Ned.
Once a sunny yellow, the house was now looking decidedly shabby, a victim of years of rental to party-loving students. The paint was peeling in places to reveal a coral pink, giving the paintwork an almost two-tone appearance and the garden was a minefield of discarded beer bottles, the shards of glass glittering under the early morning sun.
Knocking on the front door curtly, Nancy stood back waiting for an answer, trying again when she got none. The house seemed unnaturally quiet, Nancy mused, taking a look at her watch. It was almost eight o’ clock and at that time of the morning she would have expected there to be all sorts of commotion emanating from the kitchen, the pop of the toaster, the hiss of the kettle, the hum of agitated voices readying themselves for the day. But there was none, just an empty echo as Nancy put her ear curiously to the open flap of the letterbox.
“Jessica,” she called out more determinedly, knocking furiously at the door. “I need to speak with you, it’s urgent.”
When she still failed to get an answer, Nancy wandered around the perimeter of the house, stepping gingerly onto a faded, plastic milk crate and peering in the window of a bedroom. It was undeniably empty, the bed stripped of it’s linen and the scattering of clothes on the floor suggesting that somebody had left in hurry. The kitchen was in a similar scene of abandonment, the cupboard doors swinging open, the insides empty, dirty cups and plates left heaped in the sink.
There was no one here, the house was empty, Jessica was gone.
Nancy felt like screaming. She should never have taken on this case. She should have listened to Ned and stayed at home. But she hadn’t and now it was too late and she’d have to live with the consequences.
Something clawed inside of her then and she couldn’t help wondering when exactly Jessica had vacated the house and whether Frank had known all along.
xxxxx
Twisting the cap off a bottle of water, Nancy pressed the liquid to her lips gratefully, the dehydration from her hangover just beginning to kick in. It was still early and the beach was deserted, save a few dedicated sunbathers, already stretched out on brightly colored towels. Sinking down onto the soft, powdery sand, Nancy rummaged through her bag for her cell phone and took a deep breath before hesitantly dialing Ned’s number.
It was a full minute before Ned answered the call, his voice coming groggily over the line.
“Hey, Nan,” he greeted her sleepily but Nancy could hear the wariness and uncertainty in his voice.
“I’m sorry for waking you, Ned,” she mumbled apologetically, taking a furious gulp of water to drown the lump that was forming in her throat. “But I really needed to hear your voice. Ned, I love you and I’m so, so sorry,” she added softly, squeezing her eyes shut but tears streamed down her face nonetheless.
Ned must have heard it in her voice but he said nothing, probably chalking her emotional state down to their argument.
“I felt terrible when you left, Nancy,” he admitted softly, and closing her eyes Nancy could almost imagine Ned’s arms around her. “I wanted to get on the next plane after you to Australia. When do you think you’ll be back because I’m going to go crazy if I don’t see you soon.”
“Hopefully in the next day or so,” Nancy choked out, struggling to say the words, the lump so painful in her throat.
“You know I love you and I can’t wait to see you,” Ned whispered softly and at the earnest, loving note in his voice, Nancy felt her heart break; he didn’t deserve this, she didn’t deserve him.”
xxxxx
Struggling with the weight of her bags and shouldering open their apartment door, Nancy felt sick. Everything was the same; the pink-and-red roses still wilting miserably on the hall table and Ned’s trainers tossed lazily by the door, the dry mud from a recent run still clinging to them. It made Nancy sad to realize that after tonight nothing would ever be the same again. All through their relationship, Ned’s patience had been boundless but even he had his limits and Nancy knew once she told him, that that would be it.
She was a nervous wreck and jet lag combined with severe sleep deprivation certainly wasn’t helping. How could she do this? On the plane, people had slept all around her as Nancy had planned her conversation with Ned. She was going to start out by telling him she loved him before begging for his forgiveness and swearing that it would never happen again, that she would never do this to him again. It had seemed doable, possible. She must have been delusional.
It was dark but a thin crack of light shone through the living room door and Nancy could hear the television blaring, the loud scream of a crown cheering for their team ringing in the air.
“Ned,” Nancy called out softly, poking her head around the door when he failed to respond.
He was asleep, his head resting on his balled-up sweater and his legs too long for the couch, hanging awkwardly over the side. A few empty bottles of beer were lined up neatly on the table and the cold remains of a pizza lay abandoned in it’s box. He had waited up for her, she realized, touched by his thoughtfulness. It was almost three in the morning and Ned would have to get up at six to make it to the office in time. He would be exhausted but yet he had still wanted to see her badly enough to make that sacrifice.
It was almost painful sometimes to realize how much he loved her.
Lying down on the couch next to him, Nancy rested her head next to his,
“Nan, is that you?” he murmured groggily as he opened his eyes, the graze of his stubble against her cheek as his lips found hers.
Nancy wasn’t sure whether it was because he was still half-asleep or whether subconsciously he was somehow aware of her betrayal but there was none of the usual tenderness in his actions. He was rough with her, desperate, his hands ripping off her dress and pulling her on top of him.
He didn’t tell her he loved her, didn’t tell her he missed her, just fucked her and Nancy was relieved.
It felt good. Sweet kisses and tender caresses were the last thing Nancy wanted now, the last thing she deserved.
Afterwards, she lay in his arms naked on the tangle of blankets on the couch and she drank in, cherished every moment of it; the feel of his skin soft against hers, his fingers tangled in her hair and the soft expression on his face.
“I love you,” he murmured softly, before leaning in and kissing her tenderly, Nancy’s tears wet on her cheeks.
“Hey, are you okay?” Ned asked concerned, pulling back and searching her face worriedly. “What’s the matter, Nan?”
She knew what she had to do but she couldn’t bring herself to say the words just yet. She just kept holding onto him. Flashes of their life together passed through her mind. How could she ever have taken this for granted? But now it would all be over and Nancy needed just a few more moments with Ned like this before she lost him forever.
“Ned, I’ve done something terrible,” she began haltingly, the lump at the back of her throat threatening to choke her. He wrapped his arms tightly around her at that and pressed his lips to hers softly.
“Come on, Nancy, it can’t be that bad,” he murmured soothingly, smoothing her hair out of her face and kissing her damp cheeks. “Come to bed with me now and I can help you forget all about it.”
He kissed her sweetly at first, his fingers trailing softly over her skin but gradually his advances became more desperate, Ned pinning her against the sofa, Nancy powerless against the intensity of his touch.
“I love you,” he murmured softly and at that Nancy pulled back, unable to keep up the charade any longer.
“I can’t do this,” she whispered, removing herself from his arms and sitting at the bottom of the couch, her face cradled in her hands.
“What’s wrong?” Ned asked in confusion, coming over and wrapping an arm around his girlfriend in bewilderment, shocked when he saw the distress on her face. “Nan, you can tell me. Whatever it is, it can’t be that bad.”
“Ned, stop, please,” Nancy pleaded, his tender reassurance making her feel a hundred times worse. “I slept with Frank,”
There was silence after that, Ned just starting at her with a mixture of shock and disgust on his face.
“You slept with Frank Hardy,” he repeated almost to himself and Nancy could hear the doubt in his voice as though he was convincing himself that this wasn’t true.
The tenderness that he had shown her just moments before had vanished and in it’s place was a sort of agitated unease, Ned pulling roughly away from her and pacing the floor, his footsteps echoing hollowly in the room.
“But you were in Australia,” he shot back in bewilderment as he struggled to make sense of the situation in his head.
“Our cases were connected and it… it just happened,” Nancy sighed, trying to be as honest as possible, knowing he deserved that, at least.
“What the fuck, Nancy?” Ned snorted in disgust, not even able to bring himself to look at her. “Falling into bed with another guy just doesn’t happen, especially when he is Frank Hardy.“
“You like him, admit that to me at least,”
She could have softened the blow, fed him a thousand different excuses and he would have eventually forgiven her, he always did. But she knew they would only be fooling themselves, so she answered him with a small, resigned nod, tears shining in her eyes.
“You’re right,” Nancy admitted shamefaced, squeezing her eyes tightly together to stop the tears from falling. “I want to tell you it was because I was ridiculously drunk or because I was angry with you after our fight. But the truth is that I wanted to sleep with Frank that night. There’s no excuse for what I did,” she shrugged. “But you’ve got to know that you’re the one I love, Ned. The one I’ve always loved,” she pleaded, silently praying for him to look at her.
“This is never going to work, is it?” he sighed resignedly, collapsing onto the couch beside her and finally forcing himself to meet her heartbroken gaze.
“Don’t say that, Ned,” Nancy pleaded with him, the reality of the situation starting to sink in. She knew when she would admit her infidelity to Ned, there was a very real possibility he would break up with her. She thought she’d prepared herself for that but now as he spoke the words, her heart felt like it was breaking in two. “We can make this work, I know we can.“
“Nancy, please don’t make this any harder than it has to be,” Ned sighed taking her hand in his, his expression softening as she risked scooting closer to him and rested her head against his chest. “I love you but I’m tired of feeling like this. I think we need some time apart. I’ll stay here tonight but in the morning I’ll be gone. I’ll collect the rest of my stuff during the week,” he finished, his decisiveness making it all the more real.
“You shouldn’t have to leave, Ned,” Nancy argued, giving him a final hug before pulling away, her eyes streaming with tears. “I’m the one who fucked up. I’ll go. I can stay with Bess or something,”
“Nancy you own practically everything in this apartment, it would take you years to move out,” Ned joked lightly and Nancy could see he was struggling to control his emotions.
And that was it. After eight years of a relationship it came down to this, no screaming recriminations or angry accusations, just a civil, amicable agreement to split up and it made her so sad.
“Come here,” he gestured to her, pulling Nancy into his arms and holding her close.
They slept that way that night, curled in each others arms as though savoring the last few hours they would spend together but when Nancy woke up in the morning he was gone, the sheet of paper on the table telling her where he could be reached, giving the whole thing a horrible sense of finality.
It was over.