Split Right Down The Middle

Meet Me At The Overpass

   "Ry, I'm sorry." Brendon pushed the hair away from Ryan's face. "The label... Pete thinks it would be better this way." Ryan was emotionally numb with no expression on his face.
    "Yea yea. I know. I know. Things got wildly out of hand."
   "We just need to lay low for a bit. Just until the hype about us dies down and everyone forgets.  Ok?" Brendon pressed his lips to Ryan's. "We just need to sign this." He pushed the stack of papers towards Ryan and set a pen on top of it. Ryan began reading over the contract even though he already knew what it said. He was hesitating. Ryan knew that signing this would remove him from the band and the public eye. It would protect his rights to the music that he was involved in. But it also meant that he and Brendon couldn't be seen together by anyone. As he got lost in the words, the pen slid across the bottom of the paper. 
  "I love you. I always will. Ry." Brendon tried to get his attention. "Ryan, are we ok?"  Ryan looked up slowly and stared blankly through Brendon's eyes. 
   "Yea." He breathed and stood up. 
   "Ryan, I need to hear you say something, anything." 
   "No, Bren. You were given an ultimatum. Me or the band. And somehow you've figured out how to keep both. But for me? I'm walking away with nothing really. I get to disappear. I get to hide in the shadows. I love you, but I need some space." 
   "Ry, Please." Brendon pleaded. "You don't have to lose me." 
   "And what? Sneak around? Not go out on dates? I want to kiss you in public, smile at you across the table during dinner, hold your hand while walking down the Board Walk. I can't have any of that now." A tear fell from Ryan's eye as he opened the door to the office.
   "Then why did you sign the contract?"
   "Because if I didn't, you would have never chosen me." Ryan slammed the door behind him and let the tears fall harder. The door opened quickly and Brendon ran after him. Brendon grabbed his arm and spun him around. Their lips crashed and Brendon whispered against Ryan's cheek softly. 
   "When you're ready, meet me at the overpass." Taking off his leather jacket, he draped Ryan in it. "Here. Take this. This will always be my reason to see you." 
   "Bren. Stop." Ryan touched Brendon's face one last time. "I'll meet you. Soon. Just not yet."
   "I'll be waiting. Always waiting." Brendon watched Ryan walk off into the cool fog not sure if he ever actually would. But Ryan was right, this was a huge mistake.