Jim knocked on Karen’s door, feeling a sense of dread wash over him. He considered jumping into the bushes before she could answer, but he knew he had to be strong. When she opened the door, she looked tired and annoyed, even though she’d requested they talk. She’d actually wanted to have the discussion at Jim’s apartment, but he’d suggested her place. He didn’t want to think of it as a strategy—thinking back to Michael’s inane Wikipedia tactics of a few weeks before—but he knew that if it got bad, he’d be better off if he could make a hasty retreat back to his place and not have to wait for her to cut the conversation off and leave herself.

He felt cruel for thinking like this. He cared about Karen. He really did. She was fun and beautiful, and probably way too cool for him…so why wasn’t it enough? Karen waved him in impatiently, and he realized he’d completely zoned out in the doorway. “Sorry,” he said quickly, snapping back to consciousness.

They sat down on the couch together, and he suddenly felt awkward and staged, like he should’ve brought her a corsage and driven here in his father’s car.

“So,” he began, turning toward her.

“So,” she said, and she sounded weary. Her voice was softer than he’d heard it in a long time.

Jim felt a twinge in his chest, and found it difficult to meet her eyes. “Listen, Karen, I—”

“Jim,” she said, her voice serious and resigned, and he knew she needed to steer the conversation.

“Okay.” He gave her his full attention. A sick feeling settled in his stomach when he realized this was probably the first time he’d done that. He reached out to touch Karen’s knee, but her expression told him not to, and his hand hovered indecisively for a few seconds before ending up on his own leg.

“I suppose you’re wondering why I’ve called you all here today,” Karen began, giving him a small smile.

Jim laughed a bit too loudly, but he appreciated Karen’s attempt at levity. “Us all, huh?” he said, nervously returning her smile. “Did someone follow me in?” He looked around theatrically, but when his eyes settled back on Karen’s, his smile faded.

She was shaking her head slowly, humor having failed her. “I don’t think I’ve ever really been alone with you, have I?” she asked softly. “Wherever you go, however far you try to run, there’s always someone else there.”

“My shadow?” Jim said, knowing it was inappropriate, hoping she would let this drop. She could yell at him, call him a terrible boyfriend, a bad lover. She could criticize his hair or his taste in movies—anything, as long as she didn’t make him acknowledge this.

“In a way,” Karen said, looking at him directly now. Her stomach clenched as though she were about to jump out of an airplane. She didn’t want to do this. She wanted to grab him, throw him down on the couch, kiss him until he forgot about Pam. But she’d tried that, so many times, and it was futile. She’d never been one to waste her time. “Or maybe,” she continued, hating what she was about to say, “you’re hers.”

Jim lowered his head into his hands. “What do you want me to s—”

“Nothing,” Karen cut in. She put her hand on Jim’s bowed head, and he raised it, confused by her kindness. “You know, I don’t want to be that girl. I don’t want to be a bitch here, Jim, so I’m just going to…not.”

Jim’s face softened, and he frowned slightly. “I’d never think—”

“No, you wouldn’t,” Karen said, squeezing his arm. “You’re too nice. You’d never say anything like that. And maybe…maybe that’s the problem.”

“I don’t…I’m confused.”

Karen gave him a sad smile. “I don’t think you are. Not really. I think there’s one person you’ve never doubted your feelings for. And as much as I wish I were that person, I’m just not.”

Jim was petrified now, and he didn’t know what scared him more: that Karen was about to dump him, or that if she had figured out his feelings for Pam, they must be pretty transparent. “Karen, don’t—”

“Jim, somebody has to.” She stood now, uneasy. She ran a hand through her hair. “Look, I know you didn’t mean to hurt me, but you did. And at some point, you’ve got to be man enough to accept that sometimes you hurt people and there’s nothing you can do to fix it. Sometimes, you end up being the bad guy.”

Jim stood up and went over to her. He touched her arm gently; she flinched. “I never meant for this to…I swear, Karen, I never lied to you. No matter what it looks like, I care about you.” His expression was pleading, and words had run dry.

A tear slipped down Karen’s face. “I know.”

Jim turned away from her. He couldn’t watch her cry. “So, what do we do?”

Karen took a deep, shuddering breath and let it out. “I dump your ass, Halpert.”

“What?” Jim said, turning back to her.

“Come on, Jim,” she said, trying to keep her voice steady. “Don’t ask me to suspend my disbelief any longer. I can’t pretend away what is so obvious: you’re in love with Pam; that’s not going to change. And, I’m sorry, but I’m too good to be someone’s second choice. Just…let me end it. Please.” Her eyes were brimming now, her face hot. She couldn’t keep the tears back any longer. She went back to the couch and sat.

Jim sat next to her, careful not to touch her. “I’m so sorry. I wanted to be over her. I thought I could be. With you.”

“I’m pretty fabulous, Jim, but I’m not a miracle-worker,” Karen said, wiping her face. She straightened up and took a deep breath. “Look, I appreciate how ridiculous it’s gonna sound, but I have to say one more thing.”

Jim raised his eyebrows. “Yeah, of course. Anything.”

“You really need to go for it with Pam.”

“Karen!” Jim yelped. “I…what? I mean…what?”

Karen pursed her mouth and tilted her head. “Halpert, don’t be a pussy.”

“Hey!”

“It’s time.”

“I don’t think—”

“Jim,” she said firmly, putting her hand on his knee. “You got me to move to a podunk town for a dead-end job in an office full of nutcases. You then proceeded to suffer from unrequited love for a woman who was suddenly available again, but still out of bounds because you were with me. So when I let you go so you can pursue her at last, if you fail to do so, I will kick your skinny ass.”

Jim’s mouth dropped open, and he let out a shaky laugh. “Filipelli, you are…unbelievable.”

“I know,” she answered. “And it’s about time I found someone who appreciated that.”

Jim nodded thoughtfully. “You’re right. But you know Dwight’s got a girlfriend already.”

Karen laughed sharply, and the tension dissipated. “Dammit—really?” She shook her head. “Well, I guess I’ll have to go for the sea monster then.”

Jim’s eyes widened comically for a moment. “You’ll have to fight Kelly for him.” The air felt like a normal weight again.

Karen scoffed. “I am so up to that challenge. Sea monster’s been wanting to hit this for months.” She laughed again, more softly this time, and looked up at Jim. He wore an adorable frown, and she looked away.

“Karen,” he said, his voice low and unsteady.

“If you hug me, Jim Halpert, I’ll punch you,” she said with bravado.

“Um, no. Okay,” Jim said hesitantly. “Whatever you need.”

Karen nodded slowly, her eyes flicking shut for a moment before she continued. “Listen, I think what I need right now is…for you to leave. It’s going to be pretty uncomfortable at work tomorrow, and I need to do some thinking.”

Jim looked at the floor and shifted his weight self-consciously. “You’re not gonna…I mean, if that’s what you want, but I don’t want to see you leave the company.”

“Are you saying that as Jim, my ex-boyfriend who still thinks I’m hot and wants to keep me around as eye candy, or as Jim, number two in command at Dunder-Mifflin Scranton who doesn’t want to lose a good salesperson?”

Jim chuckled. “Both.”

“Well, in that case, I’ll tell both of you that I’m not sure what I’m going to do. Honestly, it might turn out to be too weird for me to stay,” Karen said evenly. Then she cracked a tiny smile. “You know, seeing you across a crowded office, day in, day out, knowing I can never have you…”

“Nice.” He reached forward and grasped her hand. “I really am sorry. For everything.”

Karen squeezed his hand. “Hey, don’t be sorry for everything. You did always pay for dinner.”

Jim slowly let go of her hand, and it dropped to her side. As he grabbed his coat from the hook by the door, he turned back. “If there’s anything I can do to make it less…weird? Just let me know.”

Karen surprised him by answering, “There’s one thing.”

He raised his eyebrows, asking her to continue.

“Try not to kiss her in front of me.” Her eyes were sad, but she would recover. “Well, at least not until after things get hot and heavy between me and the sea monster.”

“Kare, I—”

“I know. Bye, Jim.”

“Bye, Karen.” He walked through the door and closed it softly behind him.

Karen ate the pint of Ben & Jerry’s she’d picked up on her way home from work and fell asleep in her clothes.

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