Chapter Text
New York was cold. Not cold like Moscow, but winter had certainly come to the city; wind pushed at her open jacket, and the trees she remembered as being colorful last time she was here were now bare. Thinking of Benny driving her to this airport all those months ago, Beth took a deep breath and hailed a cab.
…
The cab drove off quickly, leaving Beth hesitating on the sidewalk with her bags, looking down at the basement walkdown. Hoping that if she could manage to beat Borgov at barely twenty, she could at least face Benny Watts.
When he opens the door he doesn’t seem surprised to see her. He just opens the door, letting her in with a blank expression.
Setting her bags down, Beth says “I’m supposed to do interviews and stuff… in the city… so I… ”
Deciding the let down the facade, she looks up meeting his eyes, “I let you down.”
Now she thinks she has surprised him, “What? You just beat Borgov. Beat the Russians at their own game.”
“No, not then, in Paris; I got drunk and I lost. I thought I could have just one drink and be fine, but I couldn’t.”
Maybe seeing her shaking, Benny takes her hand and leads her sit at the table, sitting at the chair across from her, arms crossed, silent and looking at her intently, letting her speak.
“I could barely face myself, let alone you. And then my father tried to take the house back, and I just kept feeling more and more alone. And mad, at myself, and everything around me, and… and… ”
Finally coming to the most important part, “I’m sorry Benny, for not coming back to you, and for letting you down. And I don’t know if you want to forgive me, but you should know I beat Borgov sober no booze no pills, nothing -”
“I know,” Benny interrupted, reaching out to hold her shaking hands. “I knew it was the only way you could have done it.”
Beth stares at their clasped hands.
“I want to be with you, Beth, more than I want to admit,” Beth starts to open her mouth in hope.
“But Beth, I can’t, if you’re going to run away again. Even if you mess up, even if you lose when you shouldn’t or you go on a bender, I need to know you won’t run away.”
“I won’t. Not anymore. Not from you.” Beth promises staring directly into his eyes.