Chapter Text
ONE
*Magnum*
He realized as he drove away from Robin’s Nest, that he had been dating Lia long enough he could have fallen in love with her.
But he hadn’t.
In fact, how Juliet had described her relationship with Ethan… it was almost identical to what he felt about him and Lia. She was a good person. They had a good thing. Maybe it could be something more.
Maybe.
Except unlike Higgy, he hadn’t really expected it to be more. He’d fallen into the relationship. Not in a romantic way. But in an accidental unplanned and almost unwanted sort of way. Because he’d been lonely. Because he’d missed… Higgy. And Lia had been fun and attractive and liked him. Had time for him.
Now that Juliet was back though, he didn’t need Lia. He still enjoyed parts of their relationship, for sure, but he also knew he could live without them. And it wasn’t really right to just drag along something that couldn’t ever be anything more than good-ish sex with the occasional pleasant conversations.
Because just like he’d told Higgins she deserved something where there was no choice. Where she was so sure, she didn’t question or second guess or wish for a different relationship.
He deserved that too.
To get that, to ever have a chance at that, he'd have to end things with Lia. Maybe not tonight. That’d be a little odd. The guys would tease him about it. Say it meant something that as soon as he was fairly sure Juliet was breaking up with Ethan, he’d broken up with Lia.
The two were totally unconnected.
Right?
Reaching an intersection he slowed but kept going as the light went from orange to green.
Maybe it had a tiny bit to do with Higgins.
He smiled because it had plenty more than a tiny bit to do with her.
Suddenly bright lights were coming at him and then... pain and darkness.