You, Me, and Her

Verse 11: Far Away

"Hal, what happened to us?"

When Aidan came back to him with that question that day, Halwyn's mind went blank. Why did it need to sound like everything that he went through was his fault? Hal admitted to himself that he probably deserved whatever he went through, but he believed that he was punished enough yet something about the way Aidan asked those words struck him to the core.

"We drifted apart..." was all he could say.

"Did we?" Aidan asked once more.

In the corner of his room near the open door of his wide balcony, Hal conducted his interview with the now very famous rockstar, model, endorser, and entrepreneur whom he knew as Aidan Pryce. To others, he was a celebrity to be worshiped, adored, and loved. To Hal, he was something else and more.

Halwyn didn't know how to look into his eyes without revealing much of his feelings, so he lowered his gaze and played with the pen in his fingers as he stared blankly at the notebook that contained the lists of questionnaires for the interview.

"I always thought we'd be together for a long time," Aidan added, "I was really looking forward to a future with you."

Hal wanted to reply that he too was looking forward to a future with him. But their definition of "future" was different, and he knew from the start that he wouldn't be anyone else in Aidan's life than his best friend.

"Sometimes, we need to let go of the things that's holding us back..."

Aidan was surprised. "I'm holding you back?"

"We have very different paths," Hal said. "You chose yours and I chose mine."

"But we don't have to be apart."

Hal took a deep breath. "Dan...we're no longer kids."

To what he said, the other man's face fell and Hal found it more difficult to look at him. "I just want to understand why you suddenly disappeared from my life. I never meant to..."

"We grew up," Halwyn supplied, not wanting to proceed. "Let's leave it at that."

Halwyn could tell that it wasn't something he should say and that Aidan was now trying to knock some sense in his statement with the way his brows furrowed that it was almost forming one straight line. "You ghosted me," Aidan reminded him of this one bitter truth. "You left me when I needed you the most. I lost my dad, Hal! And Nia...she broke up with me. Everyone turned their backs on me. It was you I'm clinging to..."

There was an unexpected lump in his throat and Halwyn's eyes flickered and glistened with tears. He didn't want to cry in front of Aidan so he bit his lower lip so hard that it almost drew blood. Even his hands were closed into tight fists and his nails were pressing against the skin of his palms.

"You think I didn't lose anyone that time too?" Hal returned the accusation with his own, "My parents divorced and suddenly my sister became my only guardian. The world does not revolve only around you."

It was a cheap and hurtful way and Hal knew what he did was a low blow, but he did it anyway. Aidan snorted, glaring at him in both disbelief and apparent anger. "I know, Hal...I know," he pointed out, "Except that when your parents divorced, I was there for you. From the very beginning."

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"Hal, are you okay?"

Halwyn blinked back and turned to look at Eurig who was driving his SUV with Steffan, Cadi, and Maxen on the backseat. When he didn't say anything and continued to stare, Eurig repeated, "I'm asking if you're okay?"