The Oaths We Keep

Chapter 31

Barnes finished the last piece of paperwork from the day's busts. She leaned back in her desk chair as she put the final report in the stack to complete her work. She rubbed her eyes as they felt heavy, and the need for sleep began to set in. A slight headache started building behind her eyes, and Barnes desperately wanted to go home.

Opening her eyes again, she spotted Miller talking with several other officers. He entered the break area while the others walked toward the locker room. She groaned to herself as she remembered her promise to Taylor. Though her body ached, she got up from her desk and went to the break room. She carried the file she was working on with her so she would have a convenient excuse to leave if she needed one.

Standing by the door, she braced for what she was about to do. Almost by force, she opened the door and spotted Miller sitting at a table, drinking a bottled water and eating a chocolate bar. He made no effort to acknowledge her entrance into the room. As she entered the room, Miller looked down at the table. Slowly, she approached him, "Miller, we need to talk."

"Why so you can criticize my choice of snacks?"

Barnes tensed at the comment but managed to calm herself. "No," she began. "I was out of line at the bar. I unfairly attacked you, and I...I wanted to..."

"You wanted to what?"

"I wanted to apologize for what I said at the bar. I shouldn't have said it."

"But you believe it, though."

"See, you're doing it again," she said as frustration started to surface. "That chauvinistic attitude. You know you can be such an asshole."

"I know; I'm sorry," he said.

"That's so...wait. What?"

"I know I can be a jerk, and I owe you for saving me today."

His words surprised her. "Miller, I don't know that I saved your life today," she said as she sat across from him at the table. She placed the file between them.

"Yeah, you did. If you hadn't stepped in, I'd be dead. That guy was going to shoot me in the back. I wanted to say thank you, and I'm sorry for the other night too."

"Let's just call it even for you showing up the other night in the parking lot," she told him. The two officers sat there in an awkward silence, not knowing what to say.

"Look, if it's all the same, I need to get going," Miller said.

"Yeah, of course, I need to as well," she said as they both got up to leave. She made it about halfway to the door when she remembered the file she brought with her. "Oh crap, the file," she said, turning back for it.

"Hey, let me get that," Miller said as he turned back toward the table.

"No, I can get it," she said as they reached for the file. They both went for the file, causing it to hit the floor, scattering its contents. "Dammit, Miller, look what you just did."

"Me? I was trying to be helpful. You're the one who knocked it off."

"Are you kidding me? Are you seriously going to blame me for this? Unbelievable. Just when I think you're not the asshole I thought you were, you prove me wrong."

"And just when I think you're not the cold-hearted bitch I thought you were, you prove me wrong." Miller bent down to pick up the papers.

"Just what the hell are you doing, Miller?"

"I'm proving you wrong about me. That's what I'm doing."

"Like hell you will," Barnes said as she got down on all fours to pick up the spilled papers. Miller did likewise and started gathering the documents even faster. Barnes saw him and matched his speed in retrieving the reports. They reached for the last paper simultaneously, each taking hold of the document as it lay on the floor.

"I got it, Barnes; let it go."

"Not a chance, Miller. Let me have it."

They both looked up at each other staring into eachother's eyes. Neither gave an inch as they held onto the fallen paper. Laura's face began to soften."I'm not letting go," she said as she moved closer to him.

"I'm not either," he responded as he moved closer to her. Before either of them knew it, their lips pressed together. They both recoiled as if pushed apart by some unknown force. They stared at each other in stunned silence before finally rushing together again. Their lips met for a second time as she wrapped her arms around his waist. Miller likewise took her into his arms. His heart was beating so fast she could feel its rhythm as they were together.

Almost out of breath, their lips finally parted. "You're not really an asshole, are you?" she asked.

"No. You're not really a cold-hearted bitch?"

"No," she said as her breath got faster, almost in a pant. She grabbed Miller's neck and pulled him to her lips again. When they parted, Barnes was nearly out of breath. She trembled even as she told herself to stop. "I'm sorry. I really am," she said.

"Me too. You don't know how long I've wanted to do that."

"Why didn't you ever tell me?"

"Well, you had a boyfriend. Then Davis. I thought, well, I thought you hated my guts."

"And I thought you hated mine," she replied.

"Not a chance," he said as he started to look around the room. "So, what do we do now?"

"Nothing. Not here. I'll call you. No, you call me," Barnes said, looking around the room to ensure no one had walked in on them. Think Laura, think, she thought to herself. Calm down, Laura told herself.

"Wait, how about a date? Friday night?" Miller asked.

"Yes. Friday. Okay, yeah, Friday. Come on, let's get out of here before someone sees us," Barnes said.

"Yeah, I got to get home. I need to feed my cat."

"Cat? You have a cat too?" she asked him, surprised he was a cat person.

"Yeah, raised her since she was a kitten."

"I have a cat too. I think she adopted me."

"Yeah, they do that," Miller said, smiling at her.

"Okay, let's go before someone comes in here," she said.

"Right? Should I look angry and all pissed off?"

"What? No, act natural."

"For us, that is natural," Miller said.

"Yeah, fine, whatever, just don't make it weird." Barnes grabbed the folder before she forgot it and turned to go. Turning back, she couldn't resist the temptation to kiss him one last time. As Barnes opened the door, McClendon stood there with a confused look.

"I think it just got weird," Miller said to her.