Identity

Gunner continued to fiddle with the paperclip as Hope talked. It might look like he wasn't paying attention...but he was. He shrugged once at her question about him filling the space, or spending time with friends. He really didn't have a social life outside of Bree and JT. An occasional pizza with Con was about it...other than a few "friends" on social media.

Hope's last question brought about a long pause before he shook his head. "No...not this. I just..." He shrugged again and reached over to put the paperclip on her desk. "I've put her through enough, ya know? I... I don't want her worrying about anything else. I promised her my crap was over, so..."

He cleared his throat and stared at the floor for a few moments before eventually glancing back up at her. "Yeah. Not such a good idea, huh? The whole 'secrets never helped any relationship' kind of thing?" He sank a little further down in the chair. "I just... I turned my back on all of it, ya know? But actually walking away... It's like the first eighteen years of my life are haunting me. The memories are gone, but they're constantly trying to pull me back and trying to make me remember. It sometimes physically hurts."

He rubbed his forehead wearily. "I just don't know how to completely let go, and I don't know how I can not, if I'm gonna have a future. And if I can't even figure that out, having a social life is like...telling a dog to go make friends with the local cat neighborhood. I just...don't fit."

A little grin surfaced as he gave Hope a sheepish look. Here he'd planned on hardly saying anything. So much for proving he didn't need these sessions anymore.

Garret's eyes narrowed slightly at Sapphire before a new smile coaxed his lips to turn up. "There are far worse things than a woman who speaks her mind."

He concentrated on downing some more of the queer concoction before he glanced back at her. "And I hope you're right." Was there really enough of his own self left underneath it all, to truly be...himself? And yet the burning question still lingered. Who was he, really?

Another swig of the smoothie, and he shook his head. "Is it bad that I don't find this so horrible after all?"

Clint's hand was on the doorknob, ready to push it open, when Angel's words stopped him again. He looked back at her for a long moment, knowing full well he was doing a poor job of hiding how he really felt.

His eyes dropped as he swallowed hard. He knew she was there for him and he could tell her anything, and he was grateful. It was just hard. "No..." Everything else was not okay. "But its nothing anyone can fix." He shrugged and forced a half a smile. "Life just sucks sometimes, that's all. But it has nothing to do with Wendy or the kids, so don't worry." He held up his hand. "Thanks for fixing me up... I'll see you later."

Without letting the conversation continue, he left the office and aimed back towards the garage. His sister was gone, his dad was a wreck, and he was barely keeping the auto business afloat. That's what was wrong. 

Swept up in Chad's embrace, the world seemed to no longer exist. All Rosalyn cared about was this moment, in which she knew he forgave her. And maybe...maybe for the first time, she honestly believed his words that he'd always be there for her. Maybe, just maybe this wasn't some fairytale, but a reality that she could actually have.

With her tiptoes back on the ground, she closed her eyes and leaned into his hand as he moved her strand of hair. Oh how she'd missed those rough but gentle hands. His next words though, brought her eyes back wide open again to stare into his. Had he just hinted at... no... surely he hadn't...

His gentle kiss sent a warmth all the way through her, and she reached up to rest her palm against his cheek. "You mean the world to me too," she whispered. "I'm sorry I pushed you away. There was just so much..." New tears surfaced. "I just couldn't..." Her voice quivered, and instead of trying to continue, she pulled him in for another kiss. A deeper, longer kiss, letting that speak her feelings for her.

Back inside the house, Hannah tugged at Lizzie's shirt sleeve. "Come on," she whispered. "Quit spying."

"I'm not spying," Lizzie defended quietly as she stood a ways back, staring through the open door. A crooked grin curled her lips. "I'm just enjoying the show."

"Perv!" Hannah hissed.

Lizzie's jaw dropped as Rosalyn went in for her kiss. "She's the one that denied he was her boyfriend!"

"Keep it down!" Hannah finally yanked her around the corner into the living room.

Pulling away just a little, Rosalyn lowered herself from her toes, as her fingers toyed with the back of Chad's neck. "I missed you so much." She looked up at him and tear trickled down her face. "Thank you...for not giving up on me."