Redhawk Caldera If she gives you her heart don't you break it

It felt really good to put it out there.  She tried so hard not to get her hopes up, but she couldn't help waiting with bated breath as she studied him.  What she saw didn't encourage her, and she immediately regretted saying anything at all.  Not because she didn't want to know, and not because she didn't mean it.  She'd been prepared for a lot of outcomes, but she hadn't been prepared for how tired the question made him look.

It was really hard for her to quell her first instinct, which was to take it personally.  It was so hard to keep things in perspective when, to her, having him around would solve problems rather than create them.  She didn't want to be a burden or a point of stress for him, ever, and she suddenly was stuck wondering if that's what she had become.  Was he moving the opposite way?  Was he... thinking of breaking things off?  She felt a flutter of panic in her chest, but she kept a tight lid on it.  

Yeah, okay.  She responded quietly.  She'd already dropped enough on him, and she felt guilty enough about it that she bit down hard on all those impulsive emotions and smashed them flat.  She could deal with them when she left, because right now, all she wanted to do was walk this back so that she could bring back that smile he'd had earlier.  We can talk about it later.  Don't worry about it.  She smiled, hoping heavily that he'd actually feel okay letting it go.  She should have asked him how he was, and noticed it was a bad time, before she asked.  C'mon, Maia.

Do you need help with anything?  Or... do you want me to go?  Oh jeeze.  Panic again, closing her throat.  She swallowed, getting it under control, and looked at him with eyes full of concern.  If he wanted her to go, that was okay.  She'd be okay.