She doesn't know why it's not what she's expecting to hear. Maybe because she's already been so hard on herself over it, or because she didn't want to get her hopes up only to be let down when the former is in itself already so uncommon for her, but either way, Lee's response comes as a surprise, and more importantly, a relief. Though it's not like this would have been an easy thing to talk about in the first place, that worry that it might change the way he sees her, make him less interested, has been a big part of what's held her back. Now that it's out in the open, now that she doesn't have to worry that it's going to fuck up what she has now, she really does feel a hell of a lot lighter, even if she doesn't quite look like it yet.
For a split second, when he reaches for her, it takes everything in her not to instinctively tense up. The moment passes so quickly that she's barely aware of it, though, and although she holds his gaze long enough to nod in response, she leans into him as soon as she's done so, shifting closer on the couch and wrapping her arms around his neck. Molly isn't sure she'll ever be entirely comfortable being seen like this, but Lee makes it considerably easier, and under everything else, she's grateful for that, too. Whatever he's said, however obvious he might think it is, there are probably plenty of people who wouldn't have felt the same way.
He's the only one she cares about, though — the only guy she's been interested in for a long time now, in fact — and, God, does she. Just what she's feeling, there's no name to put to it, none that she knows, but sitting here with his arms around her, it's almost overwhelming, and not in any kind of a bad way.
"Okay," she says, her voice faint, but steadier, surer, like she's starting to come back to herself. "Good. 'Cause I know I said I would've understood, but I would've been pretty disappointed, too."
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For a split second, when he reaches for her, it takes everything in her not to instinctively tense up. The moment passes so quickly that she's barely aware of it, though, and although she holds his gaze long enough to nod in response, she leans into him as soon as she's done so, shifting closer on the couch and wrapping her arms around his neck. Molly isn't sure she'll ever be entirely comfortable being seen like this, but Lee makes it considerably easier, and under everything else, she's grateful for that, too. Whatever he's said, however obvious he might think it is, there are probably plenty of people who wouldn't have felt the same way.
He's the only one she cares about, though — the only guy she's been interested in for a long time now, in fact — and, God, does she. Just what she's feeling, there's no name to put to it, none that she knows, but sitting here with his arms around her, it's almost overwhelming, and not in any kind of a bad way.
"Okay," she says, her voice faint, but steadier, surer, like she's starting to come back to herself. "Good. 'Cause I know I said I would've understood, but I would've been pretty disappointed, too."