only way to describe how she looks at the moment. She’s on a mission and marches straight into Brandon’s office. I get up and walk over to the door, listening. “You promised me, Brandon. You promised!” She is mad.
“That was before I found out that you’re seeing someone you work with.” He sounds angry, too.
“It’s my decision to make!” she yells.
“It’s the wrong one!”
“Every decision I make is wrong, according to you. If it was up to you, you would keep me locked away from the world!”
“Yes, I would. You know why! Because I love you, and I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“You’re hurting me, Brandon. No one else, but you.” I hear the tears in her voice.
The office goes silent. Erin comes out, eyes red, and storms out of the office. I don’t even know if she saw me standing here. Chancing a look into Brandon’s office, I see him sitting in his chair, slummed forward, head down, and hands clasped together on the desk. He reaches up and rubs his face.
“Close the door, Cole.” He doesn’t even look my way. I close the door and go after Erin. I don’t see her, and I’m scared that I’ve missed her, when I spot her by her car.
“Erin,” I quietly say behind her. She wipes her tears away, looks up at me and rolls her eyes.
“Come to kick me while I’m down?”
Shaking my head, “No. I’ve come to make sure that you’re alright.”
“Do I look alright to you?” she snaps. I’m at a loss on what to do. I want to hug her, to hold her, but what if she doesn’t want me to. I can’t tell what she wants anymore.
“Sweetheart.” I take a step toward her.
“Don’t ‘sweetheart’ me, Cole. You think that you can swoop in and pick me up when I’m having a weak moment? You haven’t spoken to me in weeks, and now I have a fight with Brandon, and you think that what? That I’ll act like you haven’t acted as if I don’t exist?”
“You’re the one who told me to stop!”
“Because Brandon was listening to the conversation!”
“You didn’t say that he was there!”
“How could I? He was listening!”
“I told you to tell me if he was there, and you hung up!”
“You don’t get it. God.” She places her hand on her forehead and spins around, her back to me.
“I thought that you and Brandon....”
“Me and Brandon?” she laughs, turning back. “Seriously, Cole? I thought we...” she closes her eyes, a tear escaping.
“You thought what?” I ask quietly.
“It doesn’t matter now,” she whispers.
“What’s going on over here?” Brandon’s voice sounds from behind me. He’s angry and coming toward us.
“Great,” Erin mumbles, gesturing toward Brandon’s direction.
“Erin, go home. We’ll talk there,” Brandon tells her.
“You can’t keep telling her what to do,” I tell Brandon.
“This has nothing to do with you, Cole.”
“It has everything to do with me. If it wasn’t for you, Erin and I would be together right now.”
“Oh my god! I’m right here!” Erin yells. “I am not some consolation prize, awarded to the last man standing. No one wants me until the other can’t have me. I’m sick of this. I’m so sick of this,” She whispers the last part.
“Erin,” Brandon whispers.
“No, Brandon. No. Go off and be with Beth. I don’t care, anymore, and you, Cole, just go and keep on doing what you do. I’m done.” I watch helplessly as Erin gets into her car and leaves the car park, and me, behind as fast as she can.
***
I enter Ryan’s house, slamming the door behind me so that he’ll know that I’m here. Going past the bedroom and the lounge room, I hit the kitchen, the room I’m looking for, and help myself to a beer. I take a seat on the bench, facing the threshold of the kitchen and the hallway as I wait for Ryan to come and see who is in his house. He doesn’t disappoint.
“What brings your ugly mug here?” He spots me on the bench with the beer in my hand. Entering the kitchen, he heads over
“That was before I found out that you’re seeing someone you work with.” He sounds angry, too.
“It’s my decision to make!” she yells.
“It’s the wrong one!”
“Every decision I make is wrong, according to you. If it was up to you, you would keep me locked away from the world!”
“Yes, I would. You know why! Because I love you, and I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“You’re hurting me, Brandon. No one else, but you.” I hear the tears in her voice.
The office goes silent. Erin comes out, eyes red, and storms out of the office. I don’t even know if she saw me standing here. Chancing a look into Brandon’s office, I see him sitting in his chair, slummed forward, head down, and hands clasped together on the desk. He reaches up and rubs his face.
“Close the door, Cole.” He doesn’t even look my way. I close the door and go after Erin. I don’t see her, and I’m scared that I’ve missed her, when I spot her by her car.
“Erin,” I quietly say behind her. She wipes her tears away, looks up at me and rolls her eyes.
“Come to kick me while I’m down?”
Shaking my head, “No. I’ve come to make sure that you’re alright.”
“Do I look alright to you?” she snaps. I’m at a loss on what to do. I want to hug her, to hold her, but what if she doesn’t want me to. I can’t tell what she wants anymore.
“Sweetheart.” I take a step toward her.
“Don’t ‘sweetheart’ me, Cole. You think that you can swoop in and pick me up when I’m having a weak moment? You haven’t spoken to me in weeks, and now I have a fight with Brandon, and you think that what? That I’ll act like you haven’t acted as if I don’t exist?”
“You’re the one who told me to stop!”
“Because Brandon was listening to the conversation!”
“You didn’t say that he was there!”
“How could I? He was listening!”
“I told you to tell me if he was there, and you hung up!”
“You don’t get it. God.” She places her hand on her forehead and spins around, her back to me.
“I thought that you and Brandon....”
“Me and Brandon?” she laughs, turning back. “Seriously, Cole? I thought we...” she closes her eyes, a tear escaping.
“You thought what?” I ask quietly.
“It doesn’t matter now,” she whispers.
“What’s going on over here?” Brandon’s voice sounds from behind me. He’s angry and coming toward us.
“Great,” Erin mumbles, gesturing toward Brandon’s direction.
“Erin, go home. We’ll talk there,” Brandon tells her.
“You can’t keep telling her what to do,” I tell Brandon.
“This has nothing to do with you, Cole.”
“It has everything to do with me. If it wasn’t for you, Erin and I would be together right now.”
“Oh my god! I’m right here!” Erin yells. “I am not some consolation prize, awarded to the last man standing. No one wants me until the other can’t have me. I’m sick of this. I’m so sick of this,” She whispers the last part.
“Erin,” Brandon whispers.
“No, Brandon. No. Go off and be with Beth. I don’t care, anymore, and you, Cole, just go and keep on doing what you do. I’m done.” I watch helplessly as Erin gets into her car and leaves the car park, and me, behind as fast as she can.
***
I enter Ryan’s house, slamming the door behind me so that he’ll know that I’m here. Going past the bedroom and the lounge room, I hit the kitchen, the room I’m looking for, and help myself to a beer. I take a seat on the bench, facing the threshold of the kitchen and the hallway as I wait for Ryan to come and see who is in his house. He doesn’t disappoint.
“What brings your ugly mug here?” He spots me on the bench with the beer in my hand. Entering the kitchen, he heads over
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