Just for Show

25. Ghost

Author's Note: Ugh, I'm a day late, and this might be the only update this week. I'm sorry, life is crazy these days, but I appreciate everybody's patience!

25. Ghost

"You look like shit," Kirstin muttered. The contents of her words were cruel, but her tone was nothing short of sympathetic.

"Tell me something I don't know," Mitch mumbled, rubbing his eyes. He hadn't slept terribly well in the past week or so.

Getting ghosted would do that to a person, Mitch supposed.

"Do you need something? I have a deadline," Mitch added, shooting her his best glare.

"Wanted to know if you wanted to grab lunch," Kirstin replied, her tone soft, as though she was walking on eggshells.

"Not very hungry," Mitch replied, continuing to type on his keyboard.

"You're never very hungry lately," Kirstin pointed out, perching herself on the edge of his desk. "You need to eat something. You need to move on. You need to forget him-."

"Kirst?"

"Yes?"

"Shut the hell up."

His friend openly cringed. "I miss you."

"I'm right here."

And with that, Kirstin retreated back to her own office, her shoulders slumped, giving up on the argument for the time being.

His mind wandered as he worked. He thought back to three weeks ago, when they left Hawaii. Everything seemed so... right.

And Scott had met up with him three times since then. They went to dinner, out to a club, and Mitch showed Scott his place.

And all three times, the night had ended much as their final night in Hawaii had. Sweating, panting, and with Mitch being completely and totally smitten as they placed lazy kisses to each other's skin.

And in between those visits, they would text. They would text often.

Mitch felt like he was back in middle school. He couldn't remember the last time someone had made him feel this way.

Until the texts stopped last week.

At first, Mitch had been worried that something had happened. That Scott had been harmed. It wasn't such a far-fetched idea, with what had happened in Hawaii.

But that fear was laid to rest when Scott posted on Instagram a mere three days after those texts stopped.

Mitch had texted, asking if he had done anything wrong. When those went unanswered, he called and left precisely five voicemails of varying anger levels.

He was certain that Kirstin had done the same.

And here he sat now, in silence, wondering what he had done, and if Scott had ever even wanted anything to do with him at all.

He felt stupid.

He felt betrayed.

He felt... downright angry.

He finally gave in a few days later, allowing Kirstin to take him out for coffee. He needed a break from thinking about nothing but work and the nuisance that was Scott Hoying.

Because he had started to convince himself that this is all that Scott was. A nuisance. 

And every time he thought this way, he ignored the pain in his heart.