She grabbed a handful of the tissues, all of them coming out of the box at once, and held them to her face. It did feel better, getting it out. But it also pushed the knife in deeper. Saying something to Charlie meant that it was all real, and she had a moment to think of all the months that Simon had been gone.
"Dean." Jennifer was surprised but not shocked that her partner already knew about her random fling. "He's a good guy, like you. Maybe a little more on the wrong side of the law, but he cares. And I've not been honest with him at all."
Her hand fell away with the tissues in a wad. She didn't wear a lot of makeup, but she was sure she'd just smeared the little bits she had on. It was lovely how quickly a nice looking job could end up seeming as if you'd walked through a bombing in just moments.
"I've been trying to avoid it. I didn't want it to be real. I thought he would just come back. I hoped, I mean. I don't know if I really believed he would appear again. And if he did, he probably wouldn't be the same Simon. I can't imagine... " She was crying again, and an angry blush crept up her neck. "I can't imagine dealing with a new Simon. Him not knowing."