Page 50 of Soft Flannel Hank

He took a big bite of his bar and then a big gulp of his coffee.

“Anyway, I kind of lost myself for a while, I guess.”

“Understandable. Leaving a job like that would be really hard, I imagine,” Esther said.

“Yeah,” he said. Another swallow of coffee. More silence. Then, “It’s the only thing I’ve ever left.”

I’m not the one who leaves people, Esther.

She wanted to dig deep into that wound, to clean it and cauterize it and expose all of the ugly truths so it could heal. Her intuition was screaming for that information. But while her intuition was never wrong, it was rarely polite.

“That makes sense. So you just didn’t want to cook for yourself while you were… lost.”

“I didn’t want to do anything for myself,” he said, swallowing thickly, staring holes in the tabletop.

Esther took another bite of her bar and chased it immediately with coffee, like Hank had done. She watched him. He looked so uncomfortable in her presence. His shoulders were hunched. His jaw was tense.

This was a terrible idea.

Not just the breakfast. Not just forcing him to drag out his emotional skeletons to satisfy her curiosity. But all of it.

He’d made it crystal clear yesterday that he didn’t want anything to do with her. He was letting her stay here out of a sense of obligation. Because he had an unresolved hero complex. Hadn’t she pegged him with that on the very first night she’d met him?

Hank would sacrifice every single molecule of his own personal comfort if it meant helping someone else. But that didn’t mean heshould. That didn’t mean it was the right thing for him to do.

“I can go stay with Magda,” she blurted out.

“What?” he scoffed, his gaze shooting up to hers.

“I didn’t mean to invade your space. I wasn’t thinking. You’re so kind and considerate and justso good. I know you don’t want me here. And I… I shouldn’t have stayed…” She trailed off when she caught the frustration in his gaze. His body practically hummed with it.

“Did I ask you to stay?” His voice sounded tight.

“Yes.”

“Did I all but beg you to stay?”

“Yes, but—”

“Do you feel safe here?”

“Yes,” she whispered.

“I know I’m shit at talking to people. I know I’m out of practice, especially with—” He cut himself off.

“With what?”

Hank looked like he’d swallowed glass. But he set his jaw and said, “With beautiful women.”

Esther bit her grin tightly between her teeth to contain it. “Beautiful women?” She couldn’t help herself.

“Goddammit,” Hank groaned, rubbing both palms roughly down his face.

“I’m sorry,” she said, still biting back her smile. “I’m not trying to make you uncomfortable.”

He relaxed slightly. Almost imperceptibly.

“Look, Esther. I’m not a good host. I’m barely taking care of myself right now. But I promised I’d keep you safe. And I will. If you want to stay, you can. You should.” He took a deep breath in and rolled his head on his neck. “But I won’t force you. If you want to go to Magda’s, I’ll take you to Magda’s.”