Treachery

Treachery.

That’s all he felt as he looked at Travis. That’s all he knew as he watched him and the other man kiss.

They didn’t know he was there.

The second thing Mitch felt was an uncontrollable anger, swirling with his sense of betrayal and all he could do was whisper, “Travis?”

It didn’t make him feel any better when Travis leapt off of the brunette. It didn’t help that the man was particularly attractive. He didn’t feel any less betrayed when Travis looked at him, almost sorrowful.

Mitch was frozen to his spot in the doorway, and his eyes were glued to the terrible scene before him.

“Why?”

Travis ignored his question and instead asked his own. “Mitch, how long have you been here?” he approached him gently, but Mitch backed away.

“I saw enough.”

Mitch hated himself when his voice cracked on the last word. He needed to stay strong in front of Travis. He looked up at his boyfriend and regained a small amount of confidence. Mitch frowned at the other man’s expression. Travis looked almost afraid. Of what, Mitch didn’t know. “Mitch, this isn’t what you think it is, this is all a misunderstanding—”

“Why?” Mitch asked again, but in a stronger voice. Travis looked at him in shock. Mitch swallowed back tears and asked again. “Why, Travis?”

“I wasn’t, you don’t understand, we weren’t—”

“I think I understand well enough, Travis,” Mitch’s voice was louder this time, angrier. He sounded cold, even to his own ears.

Travis seemed to give up trying to deny what he did. His shoulders slumped and he looked down at the floor, appearing defeated.

Mitch advanced upon him. “What have I ever done to you? Why would you do this?”

Why would you break my heart?

Suddenly, Travis’s head shot up, startling Mitch. His expression was livid. “‘Why would you do this?’” he imitated in a cartoonish, squeaky high voice. Mitch flinched at the mocking in his tone. “Why? Because you spent so much time with Scott, and talked all about Scott, and everything was just Scott! Scott this, and Scott that. I was sick of it, Mitch! I still am!” Mitch stared at him, tears gathering in his eyes. Another burst of anger gave him the bravery to shout back at Travis. “He’s my best friend! You should have said something, you should have done anything but—” he broke off, unable to state what Travis had done out loud.

Mitch fought back the tears and whispered, “It’s over, Travis. We’re done.”

Travis’s expression went from angered to almost terrified. “No, Mitch, we can work through this—” Mitch turned on his heel and practically ran out of the apartment, the tears finally making their appearance. “Wait, Mitch! We can fix this!” Mitch didn’t respond.

He was slow enough to hear the brunette say, “You cheated on me? For two years?” And that was enough to send him sprinting down the street towards his own flat.

He was there in fifteen minutes flat, and as soon as he had slammed the door behind him he started to sob. He slid down the wall and onto the floor and curled into himself, his face buried in his knees and his shoulders shaking with the force of his crying.

“Mitch?” Scott called from the kitchen. “You okay?”

Mitch couldn’t bring himself to respond. Of course he wasn’t okay; he was feeling terrible. He wasn’t okay at all. “Mitch?” Scott’s voice was closer this time. Mitch heard footfalls as Scott went to him. “Mitch! Oh my gosh, what happened?” Then, suddenly, warm arms were around him and he was being pulled into a hug. Mitch tensed and then relaxed into the embrace, sobbing into Scott’s shoulder.  The comfort was just making him cry harder.