“This is a hot fucking mess,” was the first thing that James ground out as soon as Nora took her leave, with the book in tow. In a way, he was glad to see it gone. He had gotten what he would need from it, but felt cheap now that the deed was done. Or at the very least stored away until later. The last few days, the alchemist had more than enough time to count his sins, and found them to be many.<br/><br/><br/>Now at least to attempt to make one right.<br/><br/><br/>Relief drained into his face when the door clicked shut, leaving the two alone in his apartment. Though remorse was quick to take the place of the thick tension that had filled the room as he turned around to look Lane in the eye, his features tightening. This time, he didn’t hesitate when he stepped forward, his arms wrapping around her petite form to embrace her in a hug. His voice dipped close to her ear as he uttered his next words, “I’m sorry, Lane. What can I do to make this right?”<br/><br/><br/>He had also had a few days to swallow his pride around the admittance, though aware that she might not appreciate his touch, dropped his arms and stepped back to give her space. Even though his darker green stare met her brighter one, he was still fighting the urge to look away, his discomfort transitioning to other areas. His hands fidgeted, fingers running through his hair, then dropped down to shove into his pockets, followed by the back that he paced a couple steps.<br/><br/><br/>“You aren’t really going to meet that woman, are you?”<br/><br/><br/>He let the question stand pointedly out in the air between them, then sucked in a shuddering breath. “Look, I don’t know what the right thing is to say here. I feel like if I try and pour my heart out, it’s not going to the right time right now, but I--” He looked searchingly at her. “I want you. And I… want you to be safe.”