I can't

Laura stirs the ice in her glass with a straw, watching the small cubes swirl in circles. She had heard Nate's question, but let the silence befriend her for several moments. She didn't know why she wanted to tell Nate about this...maybe she just wanted him to be able to understand where she was coming from. Though hesitant towards him, he was still a nice guy and deserved to know why she was trying so hard to ignore him.

"His name was Bryce." Laura finally raises her eyes for just a moment to look at Nate, then looks back down at her food. "I'd known him in high school, then about four years ago we happened to meet...hit it off...started dating...were together for over a year."

She reflects on the past, giving a quiet sigh as she stares at her water glass. "I got burned. Bryce wasn't the guy I thought he was...he, um..." Laura swallows hard, finding it hard to dredge up the memories, let alone not get into details Nate didn't want to know. "He took advantage of me...I got hurt...and that was the end of that."

She picks up her fork to take another mouthful of chicken and rice, trying to stay on top of the emotions she thought she'd gotten past. "My brother was ready to kill him, but he got what he deserved in the end, so I convinced Con not to do anything." Laura sets her fork down again, indecisive about eating more, and fixes her gaze on the table. "Relationships are hard for me, Nate, and...and when there's a chance of...something more than..." Her words trail off, the heat returning to her face. "I turn guys down...it's my pattern. And...I just..." She takes a deep breath, forming the words slowly and deliberately. "I don't want to lead you on because you'll just end up like every other guy in the last three years - disappointed...because I can't make myself vulnerable again."


Carson scans an email, quirking an eyebrow. He knew about this...the TJY agent was asking about a Kirk Malleroy over in Utah. Carson recognized the name, and knew of the situation going on there.

Inserting himself into the contact, he hits 'reply.' Reese wanted him to help, so he would.


Clint glances over to Angel, conveying a look that told her he understood her daughter was going through a rough time, and all he wanted to do was offer support. He looks back down to Wendy and speaks to her quietly. "You want to go for a walk?"


Mick stands up and paces in a small circle, thinking. He knew what it was like to raise kids. It had been a lot of work. Certainly worth it, but it hadn't been easy, and two parents had been involved. He couldn't imagine taking on the responsibility alone - that would be a huge thing for Damien to do.


Austin can see the tension on Jamie's face, and knows this must have been hard for her. He'd been told a little bit about what had happened back in Nevada, and surely she was still feeling the effects from that trauma.

He makes his way slowly to her, putting a hand on her shoulder. "How about we break up for a while and let this settle. Later we can get together and talk more after we've thought things through." He cocks his head, knowing one thing that might make Jamie feel better. "Maybe Con would like to know that we all know now."