Part 2: Chapter 36

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(A/N: I know nothing about tech jobs so this is just my guess. Do not use info in this book as your guide.)


Chapter 36: Uh-yeah-no-maybe-sure-ummmm

The office was filled with the usual buzz of tapping computer keys and muffled conversation. The entire floor was covered in a sea of cubicles and among the mass of gray was Ethan. He was a senior programmer and should have been working on his most recent project. Finding an IT solution for the magazine company was proving to be particularly difficult and they were a big client. But, Ethan was distracted. Dropping his forehead into his palms, he let out a large groan.

"I can't believe I did that," Ethan muttered. He ran his hands through his short blond hair, connecting his fingers at the back for a moment, before setting them back over his face.

The previous day replayed in his head like a broken record. His surprise at seeing Chris. The ease he felt in talking to Chris. His anger towards Chris. His embarrassment at how he treated Chris. Another groan.

How could he have been so childish? Thinking about yesterday, he knew it should have been a celebration of Aiden, Aaron, and Chris being home again. Yet somehow, they spent the day walking on eggshells, waiting to see if Ethan or Chris snapped. It was silly, foolish. Ethan wanted to apologize to every single person who was there that day, especially Chris.

Ethan pulled his head out of his hands and reached for his phone. He needed to call Chris and apologize–try to make things right. He pulled up Chris' number, ready to call him before he froze. The number he had on him was from high school, before Chris moved to the US. There was no way he had kept the same number after all that time. Raising his thumb, Ethan began to nibble on the nail there. Maybe he could ask Aiden for the number and call Chris then?

The ringing of Ethan's phone cut off his train of thought. He frowned when he saw an unknown number but answered it anyway.

"Ethan?"

Ethan's heart stopped for a moment.

"Chris?"

Chris let out a soft laugh hearing Ethan say his name. The sheer surprise amused him and brought a smile to his face.

"Hey, sorry to startle you, is now a bad time?" Chris asked.

Ethan sat up. He dragged his body closer to his desk and rested his elbow there, trying to appear more natural. It didn't immediately occur to him that Chris couldn't see him.

"Yeah–no. This is a fine time," Ethan struggled to get out, wincing at his choice of words. "Uh, why are you calling?"

"I just wanted to, uh, catch up."

"Catch up?" Ethan repeated, frowning to himself. "I feel like we did a lot of that yesterday."

"Yeah, we did, but I–" Chris began before cutting himself off. Ethan's brows furrowed as he listened to silence from the other side. Finally, Chris sighed. "I honestly wanted to apologize for the way I acted yesterday. To be so rude after what we talked about was-"

"Childish," Ethan finished for him with a small chuckle.

"I mean, yeah, but I was hoping you wouldn't be the one to say it."

"Chris, I was thinking the same thing." Ethan explained, his laugh even louder this time. "I was just going to call you to apologize for being . . . weird."

"Oh."

"Yeah," Ethan added. "So, I guess I'm sorry."

"Me too."

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