Page 55 of Falling for Brody

Her gaze darted to the large clock on the wall. "We need to get restocked while it's-" She bit into her bottom lip, afraid to say anything along the lines of 'quiet.' That was a curse in and of itself. "So let's go do that."

She started for the storeroom, taking out a reusable shopping bag from her pocket.

He followed behind her. "I keep meaning to get one of those and put it in my pocket."

She turned her head toward her shoulder, and he nodded.

The storeroom was close to the apparatus floor, meaning that they didn't have to go far. Which was a nice part of the design of the station. She looked up at him as he entered the room. "You know what we need, so I'll hold the bag."

He smiled as he passed her. He had to ride out the wave of awkward energy. "Sounds good."

He started with a few wrapped bandages. And then he did a little finger shopping through the boxes.

"I might be painfully single," he admitted before he could think better of jumping into the deep end, "but I'm around the kids and my family quite a bit. I'm no stranger to conversations like that. Unless it's about which sanitary pad to choose for different flows because while I know how the plumbing works, I'm not all that familiar with menstrual cycles beyond the biology."

He turned to look at her and saw her watching him with wide eyes and a hint of a smile on her face.

She looked like she was trying to decide if he was being silly or serious.

He put another pack of sterile gloves in the bag.

He gave her a lop-sided grin. "I noticed you've been using your own gloves. I ordered a size smaller than mine for you."

She blinked at him. "Really? Thanks."

He nodded and went back to picking out supplies. "I know I joke a lot on shift."

He saw the quirk of her eyebrow. "And off."

"Okay." Her voice was lighter with a hint of laughter.

"But I care, Rhea." He looked at her. "I do."

"You're a good partner to work with."

Why did it feel like she'd just sucker punched him?

He turned back to the shelf trying not to feel as bereft as he was. It was a struggle.

"Brody?"

He closed his eyes and let out a breath. "Yeah?"

"I don't know how to do this."

He closed the cabinet and looked at her. "What do you mean?"

As soon as he said the words he saw her walls go up. Fuck.

"Rhea?" He locked the cabinet and looked around the hallway. No one was around. He took the bag from her hands and set it down on the ground beside his feet. "I should have asked the question a different way. I just don't know how."

She gestured between them, looking more than a little lost.

He hated that for her.

"I guess I should ask you if you see us as friends."

Her face changed again. This time, she looked like she was holding something in.

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