Run to You

2

When Mitch crawls into my bed, I grab a cup of wine from the kitchen and sit down on the couch. I don't know how to feel. Should I feel betrayed or relieved? Happy or angry? I bury my head in my hands. There's no way I'm going to be able to sleep tonight. Taking a sip of wine, I stare at my bedroom door. On the other side of that door is the boy I used to have an unbreakable bond with. That is, until he broke it.

---

I make coffee in the morning. Mitch isn't up yet, but he's had one hell of a night, so I can't expect him to be up yet. I don't get breakfast. I don't think I would be able to eat if I tried.

What the hell am I supposed to do in this situation? I don't know what happened with Mitch and Travis. A year ago, I would've at least had an idea what was going on. I used to be able to tell what he was thinking or feeling, but he's so different now. He's more guarded. I can't read him anymore.

"Good morning," mumbles Mitch, going into the kitchen. I don't respond. I just watch him walk. He's skinnier than he was. Or maybe I'm just imagining it. But he looks skinnier. When he comes back in, he has his own cup of coffee.

"Why did you never contact me?" He looks up at me when I ask, as if he's surprised. But of course he's not. He had to have known that I would wonder.

"I... I just couldn't." I glare at my feet.

"Why?"

"That's not important now. It's in the past." I roll my eyes.

"C'mon, Mitchell, you left without explanation and didn't talk to me for a year. The least you could do is tell me why." He takes a deep breath and meets my gaze.

"Travis didn't like me to talk to anyone else." I stare at him, trying to read him. But I can't.

"You let him control you like that?" Mitch just sips his coffee, wincing when it burns his tongue. I can't tear my eyes away from him. He's so different. Before he started dating Travis, he would tell me every detail of what happened to him when we were apart. Now he seems reluctant to share even the slightest bit of information.

"I really would rather not talk about him. I came here to get away from him." I nod.

"Fine."

"So how have you been?" I shrug. "You have to have done something while I was gone."

"Nothing worth talking about." He gives a slow nod, but I can tell he's skeptical. Thankfully, he doesn't push. It almost feels like an unspoken agreement: he won't pressure me about what I've done in the past year, and I won't pressure him about Travis.

"Well, that sounds boring," he states, setting his coffee down.

"It was. I missed you a lot."

"I missed you too." He looks so sad. I just want to go over and hug him. But I won't. It's too weird right now. Yes, he was my best friend. But we haven't seen each other in an entire year. I wish I could just go and hold him like I used to, but I just can't.

It's strange. It's like one moment, I want nothing more than to keep staring at him forever, and the next, I can barely stand to look at him. I guess that's what happens when you get hurt by someone so close to you.

When I turn my attention back to Mitch, he's staring at his phone. He looks troubled.

"What's wrong, Mitchy?" His gaze jerks up to me, and he puts his phone back in his pocket.

"Nothing," he says quickly. I sigh, rubbing my temple. "Really, it's no big deal. It's just... I guess I'm just stressed out about being back here," he says, throwing his arms up. "I didn't think I'd ever be back in your house."

It used to be our house, I think. But I don't say it. It would just make things more awkward than they already are.

"Do you want to go get lunch later?" Mitch looks surprised at the randomness of the idea. I can feel my face getting pink with embarrassment. He probably thinks I'm weird now.

"Sure." I grin.

"Really?"

"Of course, Scooter." The nickname makes my heart flutter. Feelings that I thought I had replaced with distrust and hurt are starting to return. Damn it. I can't fall for him again. It'll never work.