Short Mini TwoSet Fluffs

The Breakup

Playing some scales, I hear my phone vibrate on the table. I know I should practice, but seeing his name on my display has higher priorities so I guess Mister Paganini has to wait a bit. Usually the calls with Eddy don't take long. So I put my lady onto the piano and pick up.

"Hey Eddy, everything alright? I'm sure you told me you would be out today?"

It's silent on the other side and I have a bad feeling.. My intuition generally doesn't fail me, so I get a bit nervous. I try to get a response, so I ask again "Eddy? Bro what's up?" and I hear a sigh and a small "Brett, I can't do this anymore."

Never have I ever heard Eddy this broken. My bad feeling intensifies and I ask quietly "Are you alright? What can't you do anymore?"

My mind is an enormous chaos full of ideas what could have happened and then it becomes suddenly still. I could hear a needle fall when he whispers "I want to break up."

I swear, I can imagine violas play in tune. Or trumpets play pianissimo. Or... I don't know. But I couldn't expect that one.

"Did you... tell Lily yet?" I try to speak so quietly, noone could ever hear me. But Eddy does.

It took me a good while to say her name without feeling the urge to cry. But after seeing them dating for almost five years happily I couldn't ask for more than being best friends with Eddy. I stuffed my (b)romantic feelings into a tiny box, shoved under my bed and left it there, to haunt me every night but hide away every morning.

Lily is a wonderful woman, caring, sweet, always smiling, and she's a musician, too. She can make Eddy laugh, she's also very sweet and kind to me and she would be a perfect girlfriend for everyone. Except me. I only love her boyfriend.

Before he can answer, I add "Or if you need to talk, I can come over, you know?" and make my way to the hallway, fetching my keys. But I'm not yet in my shoes when I hear a light knock and Eddy says through phone and door "actually... I'm here, if you would let me in?"

- - - - - -

I place the cup of hot milk on the coffee table. Eddy, sitting on my couch, face buried in his hands, mumbles a "thanks" and doesn't move. So I take a seat besides him and pat his back. Eddy told me he would meet his girlfriend later the day. And that hurt me. I don't know why but he seemed so happy with her and I genuinely thought that she would be the one growing old with him.

I am not sure how far I am allowed to go but I can't let it happen without knowing what's going on, so I ask "Did something happen? Is something wrong?"

Eddy inhales and leans back, my hand now caught between his back and the sofa but I still move my fingers to tap his back and not taking it away.

"You know, I love her, I really do." Ouch, that hurts. "But when I hug her, it doesn't feel right. She doesn't fit into my arms. When I listen to her play the violin, it doesn't touch me anymore. When we're making love, I'm not mentally there. When we talked about moving together yesterday, I knew it would have to end. She is a wonderful, extremely loveable person and I don't want to live without her. I love her like my second sister. But it's only that."

I ignore the pain in my heart and pull my hand out, stand up and walk into my studio. Tuning again, I return with my violin and position me behind Eddy and start to play.

With the first note he seems to recognize the piece and he smiles a bit, closing his eyes and letting his tears flow.

The last note flows through the room peacefully. His eyes still closed, he whispers "May I come back tonight?" and I don't know why I whisper too, but I do. "Anytime you want. I'm here."