But Cora didn’t seem to mind. She was staring at Frazer openly, a furrow between her eyebrows. Frazer had just wanted a break from that stare and that look she didn’t understand. “Have you seen Jack today?”

Frazer put the last bite of her burger down on the tray, her appetite gone. Why couldn’t Cora have left her alone? Had she seriously made a point of hunting her down here in the canteen? Just because she hadn’t answered her text yet?

Granted, Frazer hadn’t exactly answered any of the communications she’d received lately.

Why couldn’t she have ignored the attraction she’d felt to Cora months ago and simply used the woman for her social work connections and got her programme off the ground, sans raunchy affair?

“I did. He seems okay. We can discharge him tomorrow.”

“He just said he was looking forward to getting out of the hospital, so that’s good. He’s…fragile, for now. But I think he feels he did the right thing.” Cora said, still staring at Frazer.

Trying to break that intense look, Frazer took a sip of her water, considering her words. “Well, you helped him a lot. And he’ll have support over the next six months at least, as much of it as he’ll need.”

“First success of the programme.”

Frazer nodded and stared at Cora, giving up on the hope that she would stop. The bustle of the canteen carried on around them, background noise to a look far too intense.

This was exactly what Frazer couldn’t do anymore. She’d done her gross, very public work breakup years ago. She didn’t need anything like that again.

And neither did Cora.

Cora had enough to deal with.

“Cora—”

“Frazer—”

They both gave a soft chuckle, and Frazer watched Cora bite her bottom lip, eyes still intent on Frazer’s.

“I’m sorry for the other day, kissing you.”

Frazer had known she would be. “It’s okay.”

“No, it isn’t.” Cora tilted her head, watching her. “It wasn’t how I should have done it.”

Those words, loaded with meaning, did not go with Frazer’s plan. The plan in which they would move on, separately. Her heart sped up in her chest as that look in Cora’s eyes started to make sense. The way she’d stared with concern when Frazer had been hit in the head, her fingers soft on Frazer’s skin. The incredulous, oddly joyful look on Cora’s face as Frazer had ranted at her to stop watching her.

The same look on her face now.

Not how Cora should have done it. Why couldn’t she have just said she shouldn’t have done it at all?

But not how.

This was a terrible idea, one that couldn’t go anywhere good. Exhaustion settled over Frazer, layered and heavy.