A talk...and a sigh
Frank stepped onto the rooftop with the ease of a man who had done it a hundred times before. The night air was sharp, cutting through the lingering warmth of the city below.
Matt was already there, standing near the ledge, arms crossed as if he had been waiting. He didn’t turn when Frank approached, but Frank knew he was aware of every movement.
“Didn’t figure you for the brooding type,” Frank said, voice low.
Matt’s lips pressed into a thin line. “I could say the same about you.”
Frank huffed a dry chuckle. “Yeah, well. Guess we all got our habits.” He took a step closer, glancing out over the city. “You wanna tell me what this is about, or are we gonna dance around it all night?”
Matt exhaled slowly. “It’s about Karen.”
Frank tensed. He had figured, but hearing it confirmed still sent something sharp through his chest. “What about her?”
“You need to leave her alone.”
Frank turned his head slowly, eyes dark. “That so?”
Matt finally faced him, his expression unreadable behind the red lenses of his mask. “She’s been through enough. And you—” He hesitated, but only for a second. “You’re dangerous, Frank. You drag death with you wherever you go.”
Frank clenched his jaw, his fists itching at his sides. “You think I don’t know that?”
“Then why keep her close?”
Frank took a step forward, his presence heavy, deliberate. “Because she ain’t some fragile thing that needs protectin’. Karen’s strong. She makes her own choices. And you? You got no right to make ‘em for her.”
Matt stiffened. “I’m trying to keep her safe.”
Frank’s laugh was rough, humorless. “Safe? From what, exactly? Me?” He shook his head. “I’ve never been the one to lie to her. Never treated her like she’s made of glass. You, though? You kept her in the dark. You let her think she was just some reporter who got caught up in your mess. I’m not calling myself a good man, and I’m definitely not saying I’m good for her. But if I’m not, neither are you.”
Matt’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t respond.
Frank stepped back, giving him a long, measured look. “She don’t need you decidin’ what’s best for her. And she sure as hell don’t need you tellin’ me to walk away.”
Finally, Matt turned away, his shoulders stiff. “She deserves better than your war Frank. If she gets caught in the middle of it-.”
He shook his head.
Frank didn’t let Matt walk away from that,
“You’re gonna what? See that’s the difference between me and you, Red. If Karen got caught in the middle of anything, I’d kill anyone involved, including myself.”
Matt didn’t respond. He didn’t need to. They both knew that no matter how much he cared for Karen, he cared about his morals more.
Morals that Frank didn’t share.
———
Karen’s apartment felt different without Frank there. The dog laid curled up at the foot of her couch, ears twitching occasionally.
She reached down, running a hand through his fur. “You miss him too, huh?”
The dog huffed, settling deeper into the cushion.
Karen exhaled slowly, leaning back against the couch. Something was coming. She could feel it in her bones, the way things were shifting, the way Frank was watching her just a little differently, like he was bracing for something he hadn’t quite figured out yet.
And Karen knew better than to ignore a feeling like that.