The Dip and the Resurface

Part 15

Josh

I let Tyler cool down for a few days before I decided to no longer ignore the elephant in the room, "Hey Ty, can I ask you something?"

He looked up from his notepad with a dreamy expression on his face, "hm?"

"By the way, how's the song coming?" I had heard him hum a few notes here and there over the last couple of hours.

"It's shit. I can't seem to get the words down on paper," he said and threw the notepad down on the table in front of him, "what's up?"

"I've been wondering...have you talked to Ivy? Like at all?"

Tyler looked away from me with a sigh, "No Josh. Why?"

"I just think you should contact her..." I shrugged, "text her and explain everything leading up to your fight."

"And why would I do that?" Tyler crossed his arms.

"Don't play dumb. We both know why you can't put your words down on paper. You should reach out to her. It would make you feel better."

"I stand by my decision," he said as if he was a politician who had been caught red-handed.

"Your decision of not only ruining your own chance of happiness but hers too?" I was getting irritated now.

"Stop meddling in my private affairs. This doesn't concern you."

"Actually, it does. I'm sick and tired of your self-pity because you took a shit decision!"

"Leave it, Josh. I don't see it as a shit decision. Quite the contrary, actually."

"Please elaborate!" I snapped at him.

"You know what?" Tyler stood up from the chair he'd been sitting in and looked at me with his fists balled up, "I don't care if you're sick and tired of watching my every move. You have no idea what it feels like to be a ticking bomb that can go off at any minute with the potential of destroying everything around you. I did her a favour. I realise that. She probably realises it by now - and the sooner you realise it too, the sooner you'll let it go and the sooner I can get out of this hell hole of a mental state! You're not helping me get over her by constantly bringing up her name. So back the fuck off!"

I shook my head and spoke with a voice that was calmer than expected, "I'm not saying that I know what's best for you - I just don't believe that you're thinking straight right now. I know that you're trying your best to get over her but if you keep bottling up all your feelings for her, you're gonna explode - Or worse; some day you're gonna wake up one morning and realise it's too late to take back the things you said to her," I held a small break before continuing, "You won't get over her by feeling sorry for yourself and doing nothing."

Tyler looked at me without saying anything.

I continued my rant, "Dude, I have seen you around plenty of girls before. But I have never seen you like this with any other girl. Please remember that you weren't the one who had to endure the goofy expression you were wearing whenever she was around. And please consider that you have only spent three nights in total with this girl and she's already got you looking like a fool in love."

"I'm not in love," Tyler interjected.

I decided to ignore him, "I just think you made a huge mistake letting her go like this."

"I'm not going to call her," Tyler said through gritted teeth, "She probably hates me right now and I'm not in a position to confront her after what I did. I just don't have the energy for it."

"Just consider it, okay?"

"I have considered it," he stated bluntly

"Fine. Wallow in sorrow, if that's what you want."

"I'm not wallowing in sorrow. This is what's best. For the both of us. It's not a shit decision. It's just a shit situation."

"Yeah, whatever dude."