Locked Out of Heaven

Living a Secret

I was starting to wonder if it wouldn't just be easier to move away from New York, and go someplace where no one knew us. That would solve so many of the problems I could see us having.

~{}~

I was dozing in the corner of the couch when my phone vibrated in my pocket, pulling me from my near slumber.

It was Chris, texting me to ask if it was safe for him to return home yet.

I chuckled as I replied, telling him it was his place, and that he didn't need permission to come back.

I tossed my phone next to me, and stretched my legs out in front of me, reaching my arms over my head and yawning loudly as I felt my muscles contract.

The day was half over, and I'd done nothing productive.

At least, not physically productive.

But I couldn't say I hadn't accomplished anything.

I smiled, wondering if it would be crossing a line to ask Sam if I could start staying with her right away.

Not that I didn't enjoy Chris's company. I did, he was a great friend, and a fair and generous boss. But I would still be working with him, so we would still get to hang out. Besides, he would only be across the hall.

I wasn't sure what Samantha would say if I suggested such a thing already, but I wouldn't know unless I asked.

The door opened, Chris coming in with a bag from the deli two blocks away.

"I brought lunch. I don't know about you, but I'm starving." He said as he set the bag on the table, grabbing two bottles of water from the fridge and placing them on the table as well. "I didn't want to eat something without you, but I was damn close to it."

I suddenly realized that I was, in fact, hungry.

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it," he said with a smile. "So how did things end up between you and Sam. Everything still okay?"

I nodded.

"Yeah, I think so. She has some valid concerns, and she's pretty emotional over the whole situation, but I can hardly blame her."

"Absolutely, I couldn't even imagine being in her shoes. I think I would just figure that I'd finally gone insane if Olivia suddenly appeared in front of me now. I'm not even sure why I haven't told you that you're crazy, and sent you on your way."

I looked up quickly from my sub, but he was smiling a goofy smile, and I knew he was just teasing me.

I let out a sigh of relief as he laughed.

"I'm glad you know I'm kidding. Seriously though, if it hadn't been for certain things, I may have done just that. But between what I've gone through in my own life, and what I've experienced since meeting you and Sam, well, it's kind of hard not to believe you. You've given me no reason to doubt you, and plenty of reasons to believe that you're telling me the truth."

I sat there thinking for a minute, back to a story I'd listened in on during the children's story time. It had been about a lonely old man, long widowed after his wife had died during childbirth many years prior. He had eventually met someone who tried to be his friend, but he had pushed him away due to his grief, not willing to let anyone else into his life after also losing his only son to a senseless accident a few years before.

The new "friend" tried and tried, not giving up on the man, because he knew that he could help him with things that were becoming difficult for the man to do, due to his increasing age and not so good health. He couldn't force the man to accept him, but he would continue to try being there for him, until hopefully, the man decided to let him into his life.