Andrew stood frozen in the doorway, his eyes meeting Kelly's with a mixture of weariness and a flicker of something else that was difficult to decipher. He had heard the commotion, the raw emotion in Kelly's voice, and the accusations that had been hurled at him. He knew that this moment had been coming, that the simmering tension between them could no longer be ignored.
"Kelly," he said, his voice low and measured, "please, let's calm down."
"Calm down?" Kelly scoffed, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "How can I calm down when you're throwing me out like I'm nothing? You're not even giving me a chance to explain!"
"Explain what, Kelly?" Andrew asked, his voice weary. "Explain what you've been doing for the past year? Explain how you've been trying to manipulate me, to use my grief to get what you want?"
"I'm not manipulating you!" Kelly cried out, her voice rising in anger. "I love you, Andrew. I always have. I just want to be with you."
