the recovery project [2]

3 5

everett

fiona had sensed that something was off right away.

it had been five weeks since aidan kissed him, five weeks since he came over, five weeks... and yet five weeks has felt like five years.

she cuts up some bananas for a smoothie, not taking her eyes off the fruit. "so where's aidan? something happen between you two? are you ever going to talk about it, or are you going to keep leaving me in the dark?

"no!" he responds too quickly. "i mean... it's complicated."

she dumps all of the fruit into the blender, glancing up at him before pressing the button. "you're still in love with him, aren't you?"

the whir of the blender sends chills down everett's spine, and he swallows, his dry throat after she turns it off. "i don't know what i feel."

"you aren't good at hiding your feelings, everett," she says, not tearing her eyes away from him. "you never have been. not even on day one. so what, something romantic happen that wasn't supposed to?"

"how did you know?"

"i'm your caretaker," she dumps the smoothie into two glasses. "it's my job to analyze you. i know you aren't in love with me because of the way you look at him. i get it."

"i'm sorry," he whispers, his hands shaking, because his past is sneaking up to meet him, like when he broke up with eve. "i'm so sorry."

fiona holds his hand, handing him a glass despite the fact that her jaw is locked tightly. "i'm just... disappointed. was i not good enough? were you ever in love with me, or was i just going to be some long-term rebound?"

"i loved you," he says, and his eyes water at the asshole behavior. "i'm not going to make any excuses for what i did. i know it sounds stupid, but i was going to tell you right after it happened, yet every time the words would form on my tongue, i couldn't get them out."

"okay." fiona says, and her face is cool, expressionless as she sips on her smoothie. "i guess we'll just... break up, then."

"yeah," he replies, and the glass of the refreshment does nothing to dull the pounding in his ears and the sinking heart in his chest.