Asher stared blankly at Liam.
"Asher, did you hear me?" Liam asked, frowning.
Asher nodded, dazed. "Yeah, I heard you." He sat back in his seat. "You're breaking up with me."
Liam sighed. "I think we both know this isn't working."
Asher's brows knitted together. "Do we?"
Liam pinched the bridge of his nose. "Please don't make this harder."
Asher sat quietly, waiting for Liam to finish. He had obviously made up his mind, there was nothing to gain by arguing. They only made it a couple months after Asher left NYU. Maybe things would be different if he had been able to stay.
"You aren't ready to do this, Asher." Liam sighed, leaning forward in his seat to rest his arms on the table. "You don't want to be tied down, you don't want to be out. You're fighting people." He stared Asher down. "You shouldn't be dating."
Asher winced. Perhaps Liam didn't mean for that to sting as much as it did, but that hardly cushioned the blow. He leaned in. "You came onto me, Liam. It's not like I was looking," he whispered angrily.
Liam rolled his eyes. "Oh please. Grow up." He stood and grabbed his bag off the back of the chair. He looked down at Asher. "I'm really sorry it didn't work out," he said dramatically, turned, and left the coffee shop.
Asher sat, staring at the door. He wasn't really sure what to do now. With a sigh, he heaved himself up from his chair and left.
He wasn't really sure where he was going. He spent around an hour wandering the neighborhood aimlessly, going nowhere in particular. Eventually his feet started to hurt, and he decided to go back to Lauren's apartment.
He unlocked the door and walked into the living room. With a sigh, he took a few more steps to the couch and flopped down face first.
Lauren poked her head out of the hallway. "Hey, I thought I heard you come in. How was-" She paused, noticing Asher's choice of position. "You okay?"
Asher groaned and turned his head so he could see her. "Liam broke up with me."
Lauren frowned, and crossed the room. She prodded Asher's legs away to make room for her to perch on the edge of the cushion. She put her hand on his back, between his shoulder blades. "I'm sorry, kid."
He shrugged miserably.
Lauren patted his back a few times, and stood. "I'm going to call Rachel, okay?"
He shrugged again. "Whatever."
It took Rachel almost an hour to get there. Asher barely moved during that time. Rachel let herself in, knowing the apartment well enough by now. She crouched down by Asher's head, a sympathetic frown on her face. "So, Liam's an asshole, huh?"
Asher shook his head. "No, everything he said was true. I was a shitty boyfriend," he said, his tone full of self-loathing.
Rachel sighed. "You just wanted different things. That doesn't make you shitty."
Asher pulled a pillow over his head. "I hate this. Dating is stupid."
Rachel nodded. "I agree."
He chuckled weakly. "I'm not doing this again for a long time."
Rachel patted his back. "That might be best."
