Samantha

                                    

                                          
She shakes her head at him, her guard simply refusing to believe anything he says, despite her heart crying out for her to just stop. "I always found it weird you insisted I stay here rather than another safe house, but now I get it—you just want to be in control. Make sure everything is set up perfectly so it's a smooth run to head of the division."
"I have worked my ass off for that!" he shouts. "Years of hard work! It has been anything but easy!" Lucas clenches the countertop and takes a breath, exhaling slowly. "I am sorry you feel like I lied to you, but I am not the bad guy here. I didn't expect to come to care about you, Samantha, but I do. Yes, I admit at first I kept you here because I wanted to make sure you would make it to the trial, but now," he closes his eyes, "you're all I think about, Samantha. I can't even concentrate on the actual case if I'm not sure one of the guys is right next to you. It's not about a promotion anymore."
"If that's the case, then why didn't you just tell me? Why keep it a secret?" Samantha asks. "How am I supposed to trust that you're not manipulating me right now? That you feel that way after only two weeks? I don't know what to think! I don't even trust my own thoughts now. I don't know what's a lie or a manipulation."
"I want the promotion; I have personal reasons I want it for, but I wasn't trying to keep it a secret. I just honestly didn't think to mention it. I am sorry, Samantha," he steps towards her again, "you are more than just a witness."
"Lucas, I want to believe you."
"Then do so," he pleads.
"Don't you understand? I can't. After so much bad in my life, I need trust and honesty at least in the person I am with. That's gone now. If I let a single thing pass, you'll take a mile," She wipes her eyes. "I'll accept this is partly my fault for thinking we could have what I thought in two weeks. It's unreasonable, and this has just proven that. It was all attraction, and I let myself go."
"No, don't do that," He shakes his head. "Don't try to rationalize what we have. It might be different, but it's bullshit to call it unreasonable."
"You want to know what your friend said? She said, 'He should have been preparing you to leave,'" she shrugs. "If one of your friends is saying that, then who am I to only have known you for two weeks? What am I supposed to do with that information? Anything is anything."
"I don't give a crap what shit someone fed you. No matter how much I want that promotion, I wouldn't bend my morals for it. I understand I was selfish, but I never did it to hurt you. Please believe that."
"So, ever the honorable agent. I'll make sure to tell Dixon."
Lucas holds up a hand. "Dixon started this?"
"No, you did, Lucas!"
Lucas looks away, thinking. "Why would she not want you to be a witness? It's not like her." His eyes grow wide. "Holy shit, it's Dixon. She was in that van." He grabs his jacket and puts it on. Samantha looks at him in disbelief. Is he leaving?
"I have to go, but we will continue this later," Lucas makes a move to the front door.
"Right, of course, go running back to your precious case!"
"Vaughn will be by—"
"I can't freaking believe this. You are really about to just leave!"
"Sam—"
"All the shit you say counts for nothing. At the end of the day, the case always goes first, doesn't it?" Samantha feels her hands shake with rage.
Lucas rubs his temples. "You're too angry to reason right now. I'll—"