He didn't sleep that night at all. The storm came early morning and rain pounded on the window sill hard. He pushed the covers back and shut the window.

He didn't know talking to her would have such a physical effect on him. He was short of breath, his muscles were tense, and his legs jelly. He stumbled back over to the bed and rubbed his face.

"Morning Halpert." her voice entered his already confused brain.

He shifted and turned to see her smiling, snuggled on a pillow.

"Morning."

She stretched a bit, and he saw she had put on his Scranton t-shirt. She seemed to do that every time she came over, put on his t-shirts. And when she left, they would smell like her...like jasmine.

"Oh it's raining?"

"Yeah, it's really wet."

She gave a devilish grin. "Oh I know this one. 'That's what she said.' Right?"

Jim gave a grin, but it hurt like hell. He hadn't meant to start something with Karen, she was funny, nice, intelligent. All the qualities one would appreciate in a woman. He didn't mean to sleep with her either. Well ok....after months of not having any, yeah he did. But he didn't mean to hurt her. He didn't think he would have to. In his mind, his fate was sealed, Pam would never be his, might as well move on. Except, fate had a funny way of smacking him around and making him the butt of it's many jokes.

"So....any plans today?"

Jim scratched his nose. He didn't know how to do this. Sure he broke up with Katy, kind shrugged off Brenda from corporate's advances, but he didn't know how to do this to Karen. And he wanted to kick himself for even getting involved with her in the first place, but it was hard to ignore her flirtatous smiles, and the way her skirt looked.

"Yeah I got big plans, I'm going to do laundry and then vaccuum, and if time allows and I'm not completely worn out from that excitement, I might drive down to Scranton."

Karen looked at him oddly. "Scranton? Is that guy Mark still calling you?"

Jim shook his head. "Naw, just-just something I need to take care of."

Karen nodded and he saw the look in her eye. She was going to try to seduce him so he quickly got up off the bed, dodging her eyes.

"I can't believe how much laundry I have to do." He was trying to think of words to say to her, to make her understand, to not hurt her.

"How about I stay and help you do some? It'll be faster." She replied, climbing out of bed and walking up behind him.

He felt her wrap her arms around him and he stiffened and took a deep breath.

"Jim? Is everything okay?"

"No. No it isn't." He turned slowly and took her wrists, holding them gently in between them.

Jim felt heavy, he closed his eyes but he could feel her staring at him, boring holes into his mind, looking for answers. He slowly opened his eyes and bit his lips.

"Oh god..." she whispered, her eyes glossing over with tears but he could tell she was willing them not to fall.

"Karen-"

"Don't. Just-don't." she replied, moving back away from him slowly. He watched her gather her things that were on the floor beside the bed, memories of them laughing and kissing and touching fleeing his mind, because now new images were about to replace them, images he only made up because the real thing had been running away.

"Karen, I-"

"Don't," she said sternly, pulling on her jeans. "I don't need to hear the damn words. I-I don't want to hear them, Jim."

He bit his lip and looked at his feet.

She stopped moving and stood in the middle of the room, her breathing quick and unsteady. "You have no idea how this feels. To think something could be- to want something to be...and to have that person not feel the same."

His eyes looked up to meet her tearful ones and he shook his head. "Oh I do. I wrote the book on it. I know how it feels to have your heart broken times 10. I never wanted to hurt you, I don't want to say the stupid shit people say when they are stepping on another person's heart. I don't want to be that guy."

"But you are that guy." Karen whimpered.

"Yeah, I guess I am." Jim said quietly.

Karen put on her other shoe and turned her head to look at the rain slightly drizzling. "I was starting to really like you. I mean...alot."

"I was starting to really like you too." Jim said, not looking at her. Wow, so this is how Pam felt Casino night? Except she was fighting two different feelings on either side. Jim had no choice, pure love, or liking someone alot? Doesn't compare.

Karen grabbed her purse and wiped one lone tear away. "Is she in Scranton?"

He looked at her then, seeing that she knew. "Yes."

"Well," Karen turned to walk out the room. "Maybe the fucking weather's better in Scranton."

Jim watched Karen walk out of his room, walk out of his apartment and walk out of his life.