Nate had to cancel their date because of a work emergency, which disappointed Shay immensely. Part of her wondered if he was lying. Maybe he had had second thoughts after Shay had opened all her baggage at his feet and let him see all the dirty bits.

She could have called Ellen, but that somehow seemed disloyal to Nate if he was telling the truth.

A week later, when she still hadn't heard anything from him other than the repeated apology text, she started to accept the fact that she had never stood a chance and did her best to stop thinking about what might have been.

Part of her knew it was probably her screwed-up mind and horrible self-esteem where men were concerned that was affecting her judgment on the matter, but she couldn't help it. It was what people meant when they said we are often our worst enemy.

Sawyer had invited her to stay with him for a while, and Shay took him up on the offer. For some reason, seeing Corey and knowing that she had at least been on a date with Nate when she hadn't started to smart a little.

Of course, she immediately regretted it and wondered if Sullivan would pay her bail for attempted manslaughter. Something or someone was affecting Sawyer as badly as Nate was affecting her, and all they did was snip at each other.

LouLou had invited her over again for dinner, but Shay had turned her down. If Shay found out that Nate had returned and hadn't told her, it would devastate her.

Ellen invited her for lunch at the end of the second week, and Shay accepted. She had to know one way or another, and Ellen would be honest with her. Shay wondered if there was a way she could get Ellen to catch her up on what was going on without her having to ask about Nate directly.

Shay met Ellen in her office on Friday, and Ellen spent a considerable amount of time catching Shay up on all the latest baby news before they even made a move to leave the office.

"Ellen, shouldn't we go and get something to eat. I'm sure Nate wants you back eventually." Shay forced a smile to her lips.

"Oh, there's no rush. Nate has been gone for the last two weeks. He had to go to Hong Kong, and the time difference is playing havoc with communicating effectively with him. It was the easiest return to work ever. You had everything caught up, and Nate left right away, so no new work was generated."

"I'd ask what's going on, but I know you can't tell me, especially now that I don't work for the company." Shay stood with a hint that they should go.

"Ellen reached for her purse and followed Shay's lead. "How is the new job going?"

Shay immediately launched into some of the challenges she was facing with international finance law, which got them through the elevator ride.

"You know, you should talk to Nate about that when he gets back. He's a wiz at the international stuff." Ellen smiled sweetly, and Shay couldn't help but think that it was a little too sweet.

By the end of lunch, Shay had the truth out of Ellen. Ellen had purposely asked Shay to temp for her because she trusted Shay and knew she would do a good job and because Nate had mentioned the beautiful woman in the elevator.

"It didn't take a rocket scientist to put two and two together and realize that you two were talking about each other. The day he lent you his jacket only confirmed my suspicions." Ellen smiled again.

"That was the day you pushed me to interview," Shay recalled.

"Yes, but it didn't really work out with you two, did it?" Ellen sighed.

"I wouldn't say that," Shay softly responded.

"No?" Ellen hopefully asked.

"You know Nate well enough to know that he's not going to make a move on an employee."

Ellen nodded eagerly and leaned forward. They had chosen to eat at a sandwich shop a few blocks away from the office building.

"If you knew that, why did you think it would work?" Shay asked in exasperation.

"Because you two are perfect for each other, and love finds a way!" Ellen insisted.

"Love?" Shay asked thoughtfully. Was it love?

"Anyway, go on!" Ellen begged.

"I went to see him on the same Friday that I resigned, and we agreed to a date the next day." Shay shrugged.

"And what happened?" Ellen begged again.

"I got a text the next morning canceling that date. I've only heard from Nate a few times that he was sorry but still caught up with work," Shay shrugged as if it was no big deal.

But Ellen must have read the disappointment in her.

"Oh, Shay! He is! I only get emails from him, and those are sparse." Ellen grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze. "I'm sure he's just as disappointed as you are!"

Shay forced a smile. It was nice of Ellen to say, but she didn't know the whole story.

Ellen started talking about all the times Nate had done the same thing in the many years she had worked for him in an attempt to reassure Shay, but Shay was only half listening. The majority of her attention was still stuck on the word love.

Did she love Nate? Was that why she was so upset? She certainly missed him and wanted to be near him.

Ellen's phone dinged, and she stopped talking as she checked it.

"Do you mind coming back to the office with me? I found a few of your things in one of the desk drawers, and I wanted to give them back to you," Ellen said as she stood.

Obviously, lunch was over.

"Sure," Shay agreed as she and Ellen made their way leisurely back toward the office. Shay had thought maybe it was an emergency that made her end her conversation so abruptly, but the slow way they made their way back to the Wright building implied otherwise.

It felt odd to be back at the Wright building even though she had only been gone for two weeks. Shay had spent six weeks away with Nate, but even that hadn't felt as long. Maybe it was the knowledge that she no longer worked in the building that made it feel odd.

"Maybe you should stop by and say hello to The Dragon," Ellen jokingly suggested.

"No thanks. That's one woman I'll never miss." Shay made a face, and Ellen laughed.

They entered the outer office laughing, and both women stopped when they saw Nate standing in the doorway of his office looking at them.

He looked exhausted. He must have lost some weight as well because he looked almost gaunt. Whatever was going on must be bad, and without thinking about what she was doing, Shay walked over to him and wrapped her arms around him. When he hugged her back, she knew everything would be alright.

"I'll give you two a moment," Ellen said before she withdrew into her own office.

"I was worried you would be mad at me," Nate sounded weary.

Shay hated that she had in any way added to his worry. Was that love? It must be. The last thing she would ever want to do was hurt Nate.

"I was never mad. I was concerned that you had changed your mind," Shay shrugged as if to say no big deal while Nate led her into his office and closed the door.

"No, Shay. I didn't. I was angry and frustrated beyond belief when I realized there was no way to put off leaving. I tried, but my father wouldn't hear of it." Nate pushed a piece of Shay's hair behind her ear as he looked down at her.

"Is your father in Hong Kong?" Shay asked.

Nate raised her eyebrow at the fact that she knew that much.

"That was all Ellen told me, and it was because I did a little digging. I came today because I had to know if you were back and hadn't told me." Shay's voice dropped on the last few words.

"What did he do to you?" Nate asked as he pulled Shay close.

"Abuse is hard for anyone, but it's especially hard on an impressionable young girl. I am only starting to realize the scars that it left. The worst is that my self-confidence is shit because I never really had any to begin with. He only ever confirmed what my teenage mind believed." She hugged him back.

"I-It will be my pleasure to help you find it," Nate whispered.

"But not right now, Nate. You look exhausted." Shay reached up and allowed herself to place her hand on his cheek and feel the stubble there. It was the first time she had ever reached for a man before. Perhaps he was helping her without even trying.

When he turned his face into her palm and kissed it, she felt a lick of fire trace up to her arm, and she swallowed hard and closed her eyes. He took her hand and laid it on his chest between them, then wrapped his arms low around her waist as he pulled her closer, allowing Shay's entire body to brush his.

"Look at me, Shay."

Shay opened her eyes and met his mossy green ones. "I want to kiss you, but not here, not with Ellen on the other side of the door."

Shay nodded as she felt his thighs brush her own.

"I'm a goal-oriented person, and I want you to do me a favor." Nate let his hands slip a little further down her back, and Shay nervously cleared her throat.

"A-alright," she agreed. It seemed a serious thought and a little odd since he was so tired, but she would go with it.

"I've had some time to think about how I can help you, and I think if you set a goal for us, anything you want that makes you feel uncomfortable, unsafe, or uneasy that you feel shouldn't under normal circumstances, then we will work together to achieve it." Nate watched her, making sure that she understood.

"Like in general or between a man and a woman?" Shay frowned as she thought about his request.

"Either, or, or both." Nate smiled.

Shay nodded. She could do that, and it would probably be a lot more than one goal.

"Now, I have a lot of catch-up work to do, but I want to hear all about your new job. I'll call you later, and we'll fix a time for dinner?" He let his hands slip a little lower, and Shay gulped as the action pressed her even further into him.

Such a simple move turned her knees into jelly. There was no doubt that Nate knew what he was about.

"No elevator needed, Shay," he whispered in her ear, and it sent goosebumps down her arms.

Shay licked her lips and wished he would kiss her.

"Go!" he insisted as he set her away from him. "Before I change my mind and get too distracted by your beauty and this whole place falls down around my head!" There was heat behind his words.

"Nate, your stutter seems better." Maybe she was helping him too.

There was an immediate change in him, and she was sorry that she brought it up.

"I just spent two weeks with my father, and after that, my anxiety about your beauty is a piece of cake, albeit a delicious piece of cake." He let his eyes wander over her as he slowly opened the door.

Shay stepped through it, wondering if his odd behavior was based on exhaustion or if he had been hiding who he was from her as much as she had been hiding who she was from him.