Re: Great Gatsby: Jude/Clem/Shane/Graham
He didn't take it personal, that she stayed back. Much as she might want to minimize things, pretend what happened wasn't as bad as it was, he knew she had to be hurting something fierce under that mink. Graham could hide it, but he was in pain too, and he figured there were other things wrapped up in the way she didn't move forward to meet him. So no, there was no ache in his chest that wasn't already there, and he didn't see fear in her expression, which was good. He'd thought, maybe, after what he'd done... but she was pretending, and besides, he'd done it to protect her. It was nothing less than those men deserved, to die choking on their own blood.
Thing was, he didn't push. He'd never pushed. Lorelei had, but Lorelei wasn't here; he wished she was, wished she was more than just a ghost, because she'd know what to do. She'd know how to talk to Clem, whereas all he could do was play along to placate her because he knew nothing else.
He nodded when Jude said he'd been telling him about the storage units and their belongings. "Might take a look," he told her, and he noticed that pretty, vacant smile; he didn't like it. He didn't know how to fix it, though, and he let his mind wander as Jude babbled on about food and whether or not she was hungry. But he snapped back to attention when he heard his name, and there was something about the question that rubbed him the wrong way. Like he was some kid, and the Murphy boy was trying to decide whether or not he was good enough for his daughter. Which was damn stupid, and his shoulders went back. "Plan on finding work. Place to live. Same things anybody would do." He glanced at Clem, assuming she hadn't told Jude yet that she was going with him. Or maybe she had, and the man was playing dumb. "Got people to take care of," he added, just to see.