Ch 8: She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not

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"Hey, Y/N." Temperance said in a sly tone, a cute grin on her face.

I groaned internally, not wanting to deal with the extremely awkward 'morning after' situation that had now presented itself before me.

"Morning, Dr. Brennan." I returned her subtext, emphasizing her formal title.

She smirked in response, leaning on my table in a way that gave me goosebumps. Unfortunately, Temperance picked up on the microexpressions that indicated my attraction. She pulled up a chair, sitting across from me next to my desk.

"Are you okay, Y/N?" She teased. "You seem... distracted." She pointed out, eyes becoming glossy with lust.

"Fine." I responded a bit too quickly.

"Hmm..." She hummed teasingly. "Perhaps it would be wise to give you a quick examination just to make sure."

Brennan discreetly slipped her hand into my inner thigh as she spoke, sending shivers throughout my entire body.

She knew exactly what she was doing to me, and she was enjoying it. As bad as I wanted her, I resisted. I needed to teach her not to toy with me in a professional setting.

"You know what?" I said with faux passiveness as I stood up. "I think Angela needed my help with an art piece she's doing."

I turned on my heel and took a step away from Temperance, but she caught me by the wrist, forcing me to look at her.

"Y/N, we need to talk." She stated with a serious tone.

I nodded slowly, shifting the gravity of the situation from light to heavy.

"I know. When?"

"Today. Meet me in my office when your shift is over."

I nodded again, quicker this time.

She released my wrist, turning away and walking towards her office.

I gazed after her, drinking in every last millisecond that she was in my range of sight.

Once she was gone, I just stood there in the middle of the platform like an idiot, not quite knowing what to do with myself.

After a moment of contemplation, I decided to go pay Angela a visit in her study. I desperately needed someone to talk to, and despite her teasing, there truly was no one better at listening and offering advice than Angela.

"Hey, honey." Angela greeted me as I slumped into one of the chairs in her study. "How'd it go?" She asked cautiously.

I groaned into my hands, feeling exhausted, overwhelmed, and stressed.

"Okay, not well." She answered her own question.

"It's not that it went bad." I started speedily. "There's nothing wrong with her, she's done everything right. It's me. I just get so nervous whenever I gain someone's attention, because I'm afraid that I could lose it just as quickly. And Brennan isn't just anybody. I really like her, Angela, like a lot. I don't want this to just be another fling. I want it to last, but I'm afraid it won't, and then it'll be my fault, and... that scares me." I ended my rambling, my voice trembling with raw honesty.

Angela gave me a sad smile. She truly cared about my feelings, and that was why I could be so open with her, because I knew she felt it just as much as I did.

"Sweetie," Angela began, sitting next to me and soothingly rubbing my back. "You're way too hard on yourself. Temperance loves you. She would do literally anything for you."

My breath hitched at her words. Temperance... loved me? It couldn't be. How on earth could someone as amazing as her ever love someone as normal and basic as me?

"H- how do you know?" I asked, desperation welling in my eyes.

Angela smiled softly, giving me the kind of look that my mother used to give me when she was about to tell me something important and meaningful.

"Honey, I know because she told me."

My heart dropped into my stomach when I heard her words.

My self-worth was so low that it was impossible for me to imagine even the slightest possibility that Temperance Brennan actually loved me. And yet, here was Angela Montenegro, the must trustworthy friend I had, telling me with the deepest sincerity that it was true.

I was loved. Temperance Brennan loved me.

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