Sorry (In which Mick has discovered that Beth asked Josef to 'handle' Dean Foster)
moonlightmick started following you
"Mick, please," Beth's voice broke. It was the third time she'd knocked against the heavy, metal door and her knuckles throbbed from the effort. She sighed, a thick sound that hitched with emotion in the middle. "I'm so sorry. Please... just open the door." She rapped again, five quick strikes in 1/8 time; 1-2-3-4-5.
She smacked impotently at the satin metal with the flat of her hand and leaned her forehead against the door. Her tenor sounded weak though the fact that she was still standing there talking to architecture affirmed her tenacity. Her hand patted the door again, a defeated woman's plea. Still nothing.
She turned her head so that the cool surface chilled her cheek. It felt like maybe this was all she was going to get. Maybe she'd gone too far. Check that; she knew she'd carried it way over the line, but if she was being honest with herself, Beth had to admit that she'd have done it again and again given the same choices. There was no doubt that the soul darkening favor she'd asked of Josef had saved Mick's life in one way or another and kept him close to her. That last part was wrong, selfish. That didn't change anything about where she was standing that night.
If that moment in the hallway was it then she was going to make her case. The indomitable blonde wouldn't leave before she had, no matter how much it stabbed at her heart to think he might be standing on the other side disgusted by her, judging her a monster. "Mick, you have every right to be mad at me right now. I know that and I'm," she struggled for words, " I'm ashamed of what we did. I'm sorry that I asked for Josef's help, okay? I am, but I'm not going to lie to you either, alright, because you matter to me, Mick. I want you to be able to trust me because nothing's more important to me than you." She was crying softly, only sniffles and slow, hot tears, really, but clear sorrow slid down her face.
"Dean Foster was never going to stop. He was going to ride you, expose you, turn you into something you've never wanted to be. I don't like what I did, Mick; I haven't had a good night's sleep since and I hate myself for it, but I won't lie and say I regret it." She whispered, "You've been saving my life since I was four-years-old. I couldn't fail you when my turn came. I did the right thing. I just hope someday you'll see it that way too."
Beth stayed attached to the door, sliding down to her knees and eventually simply sitting with her back against the doorjamb with legs outstretched.
