“Soon to be ex-wife,” Oscar says as he breathes heaving, controlling his raging emotions. Everyone could tell he fought everything within him to say those words. But he soon turned away as began to lose control as he tear up. He quickly tries changing the topic. “So, where are you working?”

“At that place two blocks down,” Andrew replies as Oscar interrupts him.

“That’s cool. I heard it’s a great place to work,” Oscar says now beginning to regain his composure.

“What place two blocks down?” Ben says sounding irritated. “Is there even a place there?” Ben looks at the confused Andrew and says, “I’m sure it exists but you know… go on.”

“Like I was saying, it’s this place…,” Andrew is interrupted once again.

“What do you mean by ex-wife?” Ben says spitefully. “You’re declaring yourself single before even signing the papers?”

“No,” Oscar says wanting desperately to change the direction of the conversation. “Like I said I just don’t think we would work things out.”

“So, you’re just giving up after one bump in the road? You said and I quote: “I will break every wall, cross any path and do everything in my power to make you happy?”” Oscar tries rolling his eyes but just can’t get himself to.

“That’s poetic, you came up with that by yourself?” Andrew asks.

“No, he did,” Ben says now looking directly at Oscar who looks like he wants to run away. “You didn’t just come up with that, you kept thinking for weeks about putting your feelings into words and now I find out all that was a lie.”

“It wasn’t!” Oscar says finally bursting. Ben’s condescending tone along with the memories he has been trying to supress now rip open his heavy heart. His trembling voice portrays a lot of what he wants to be running from, his anger, his fear.... “I can’t, I can’t…” Despite wanting to say so much this is all he manages to say. He finds himself having reached the end of the cliff and all he can do is imagine the very thing he’s been running away from right below. Now, all he needed was one push.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"You can’t divorce her?" Andrew says with an alarming calm voice. Ben and Oscar now stare at Andrew as he continues. “You love her, but things are just difficult now. You still want to be with her.”

“No,” Oscars small voice tickles Andrew’s ear.

“I don’t know exactly what’s happened and but, just try not to run from her.” These words slowly touch Oscar like a gentle refreshing breeze. Oscar takes it in with open arms and as he begins to let himself feel everything he avoided. But it was not overwhelming, but just a pinch painful with a whole lot of comfort, yes, he wanted to comfort her. He wanted to tell her everything will be ok and she did what she had to do, even if it wasn’t the truth. He remembers his sister crying in his arms, all he wanted to do was protect her, just like Ben wants to protect Fiona.

“What kind of advice is that?” Ben utters.

“Just something I picked up,” Andrew replies and chuckles. “So, how’s Ann?” Andrew feels like he stepped on a landmine with that question as the men stare at him. He tries to ignore it and begins talking about work, the men calming down eventually and commenting every now and then.

‘Run away from her,’ those words chime in Oscar’s head as he knows no matter where he goes or what he does, he can never run away from her. And just then it hit him, maybe…just maybe this was how his sister felt.

That evening Ben is working out harder than ever, alone in the gym. It was very late that night and he told everyone that he would lock up. Not slowing down despite his shortness of breath, he pictures himself face off against everyone who annoys him. He continues as he hears the gym door open slowly, ignoring it he works out even harder making it difficult for his body to keep up with his mind.

“Ben?” His name was spoken gently but it echoed in his mind as he began to slow down and eventually stop. “Ben?” the concerned voice asked.

“I’m fine,” Ben replies as he hears footsteps approaching him. “Thanks for coming.”

“Well, I didn’t expect to hear from you. Or think you’d want to meet at the gym, so late.”

“Guess I just wanted to talk alone,” Ben replies as he sits down and now turns around. His face red as drops of sweat run down his forehead. His chest contracts and expands as he is trying to control his breathing.

“You don’t look good.”

“I was just working out,” Ben replies. “It’s normal if you come to visit me at the gym. This is usually what I do.”

“I have and this isn’t what you usually do.” After a small pause and a sigh, Fiona continues. “Why did you call me here Ben?”