Re: TWD, Cell: Shane and Clem (+ Graham)
It would have been so much easier had Graham only heard the end of the conversation. He could deal with her anger. Or what had been her anger, because she didn't seem like she blamed him for Lorelei's death anymore. Not like he'd expected, once upon a time, and that was okay because he had enough guilt and blame for the two of them. But that wasn't all he'd heard, and he knew he had to explain. When he and Clem were alone, maybe, when he could come up with the right words to explain something he'd never had to explain before. With Shane, he just knew. He got it. But he didn't communicate with anyone else like he communicated with Shane, so it wouldn't be so easy this time around.
"Figured you knew," he said, playing the pretense he was pretty sure Shane could see through even if Clem couldn't. He looked at his friend and his gaze was conflicted; he knew Shane was worried about his well being but he was reluctant to lose Clem, to distance himself even if it was for the best. And it was hard, near impossible, to cling to logic and reason when she was looking at him like she was, and the dress was her. All Clem and no Lorelei. "No," he agreed, hushed. "Wasn't on purpose. Wasn't... like that." His expression turned sad, and maybe one day he'd tell her the truth. Maybe.
When she kissed his cheek he forgot, just for a second, that Shane was there. His smile said as much and he realized too late what he'd done, and there was no time to agree with her suggestion. He could feel the other man's anger and, when Shane came to stand beside him, he was torn. Graham had never wanted her to know, never wanted her to wonder who he saw when he looked at her-- and now she did. Now she would. Guilt flickered and died, and he turned to Shane when he told her to leave.
"Shane." It was chastising, don't talk to her like that without being said for all the good it did, which wasn't much. He opened his mouth to say... something. An explanation, maybe, an act of mediation, but the look Clem gave him silenced any words that might have come. He hated it. Hated the hurt, the ache, and he was seized by the sudden desire to make it better. But he couldn't, and he just looked back in agonized silence, watching as she turned and left.
Graham had no reason to be angry, not with Shane, but he was angry at himself, frustrated too, and there was no one else around. "What the hell?"