He Missed the Funeral... For Her - Chapter 5: Chapter 5

Carol was all smiles, but Damon wore a frown, clearly uneasy. I nudged him—if we didn't get moving, we'd be late for work. Only then did he finally start the car.
This wasn't the first time something like this had happened.
Back when Carol first transferred to our hospital, she'd asked Damon for a ride home after shift. We all headed down to the parking garage together, but Carol sped ahead and casually slid into the front seat like it was no big deal.
It bugged me, but I bit my tongue to keep things civil.
Once we got home, though, I let Damon have it. That front seat meant something—it wasn't just any spot, and Carol had no business claiming it.
He shot me down hard: "It's just a seat. Why are you making such a big deal out of it? She's new—cut her some slack."
Cut her some slack?
At this rate, I might as well hand over my wedding ring too.
I was fuming, convinced he didn't care. But now? Eh, it's just a seat. Not worth the drama.
I turned away, staring out the window.
Up front, Carol was in full chatterbox mode. "Damon, that place we went to last time was so romantic! We should totally go back." Her voice dripped with this shy, flirty vibe—like she was auditioning for the role of his wife.
Too bad for her, Damon wasn't playing along. Just a grunt in response, eyes glued to the road.
Undeterred, Carol kept throwing out conversation starters like confetti.
Damon shut her down hard, turning to me instead. "Honey, you eat breakfast?"
Honey?
That froze me mid-breath. Even Carol's motor mouth stalled. He'd never called me that before. I gave a quiet nod. "Yeah."
This time, it was me keeping my distance, not him.