- Text Size +
Story Notes:
As of now, just a random one-shot idea. If inspiration hits, Id' love to take this forward.

“I was just…”

This is it. This was the end, of everything. All the hope, all the pain, all the love. All of them.

“I was with Jan, and…”

She was looking up at him, and for a moment Jim thought that he saw it in her eyes-- the love he longed to see every day. The words sitting on his lips, waiting to spill for five years now...now felt the right moment to say it all...

She tucked a strand of hair behind her, her ring shiing in the dimly lit parking lot.

“She’s offered me a promotion.” He couldn’t do it. Chicken? Yes.

“Oh my god, hey! Way to go, Halpert.”

“Hah, yeah. In Stamford.”

“Oh.”

Her smile deflated, and despite everything, Jim’s hopes inflated—would she ask me to stay?

“So are you taking it?”

He shrugged. “I kind of asked for it.”

She took two steps away, at once starting to twist her ring. “Oh.”

That damned ring. 

He wanted to reach out to her, hold her hands, beg her to stop him.

“It’s a much better pay, you know. And Stamford is a much better market. Dwight was telling me, and it seemed a good idea…” He was blabbering…did he just mention Dwight?

She was nodding. Her lips were shaking. Was she crying?

“So you’d move? To Connecticut?”

He shrugged, again. He couldn’t manage to say yes. He wasn’t moving. He was running. Running away.

“Why?”

It was said so softly that Jim thought he had imagined it, but Pam’s parted lips and shiny eyes confirmed that he didn’t.

Why was he moving? Why was he running?

“I have no future here.”

It’s what he told that documentary guys earlier today. And that’s the most honest he could be with Pam, or anybody.

The tears finally drew a beeline across her cheek as she stared at the ground, kiciking off some loose gravel.

“Come on, you were about to send me to Maryland. Connecticut is better.”

He could swear his throat itched, and speaking took up all of his body’s energy, but he could not let her cry – not right now.

Now, it was time to start letting go.

“Don’t do that.”

Let go, Jim.

“Jim, you have no idea what your friendship means to me…I, can’t, I don’t get it.”

Yes, this was happening. Without him every saying it, she was giving him her decision. She can’t.

It was all ending.

“I am sorry, Pam. I don’t want to do that. I can’t, either.”

He was surprised at the conviction in his voice…but he couldn’t. They couldn’t.

“We’d still be friends, right?”

“We’ll always be friends.”

 

 ******************

 

Chapter End Notes:

I hope the speaker-dialogue thing is clear!

Please review! :) 



bottomlesschampagne is the author of 2 other stories.



You must login (register) to review or leave jellybeans