IF THIS WERE FIFTEEN YEARS AGO, JD couldâve proudly claimed that he knew Tyler like the back of his hand, like a book heâd read from cover to cover several times over, like his favorite song. But looking at the man now, no longer just a boy, he could doubt himself. He seemed so painfully different, and that wasnât taking into account how theyâd left things all those years ago. Or, rather, how he left things. A part of him had absolved himself from that mistake, angry at Tyler for being angry at him, but he knew an even bigger part still damned himself. He always would.
He settled into the seat opposite his old friend, resting back with his hands clasped over the table. The question, possibly asked as a formalityâhow have you been?âremained hanging in the air, unanswered, as JD stared at Tyler, corner of his mouth upturned into the subtlest smile, something like amusement, when there was nothing remotely amusing about this situation.
He blinked a few times, just discerning the otherâs appearance, letting all the years sink in. He inhaled a sharp breath, shifting in his seat, dropping his hands onto his lap. âMe? Oh, Iâm good, yeah, Iâm great.â He allowed his smile to grow wider, usually a gesture that easily charmed other people. With Tyler, it was anyoneâs guess. âYourself?â A beat barely passed before he was adding, âSo you work here, huh? Not bad.â He glanced around, noticed how different the place looked, too. He wouldâve continued with how they used to eat here as kids, but it was hardly the time.
Tyler remembered the way things had ended between them. It had hurt him a great deal, and to this day it still stung in his mind and pained him to think about. How could JD have jut left him like that? How could he break their connection so easily and go away? Ty never could have done that. That was part of the reason why heâd never left Del Luna. Leaving everything behind was too much for him and he couldnât bear starting over somewhere new. It just wasnât in the cards for him.
The feeling of JDâs eyes on him, staring, looking him over, made him nervous. He hated being stared at, a fear heâd gained in high school when some kid would look at him for too long and whisper about him, or come up and pick on him, or shove him and call him not-so-nice names. It always started with the staring, though. He didnât look at the other, instead keeping his eyes cast down at the cup of coffee in front of him, fingers picking at the sleeve of his shirt that covered his opposite wrist. He trusted that his old friend wasnât going to hurt him again, but that didnât stop him from considering that slight possibility.Â
Truthfully, Tyler hadnât changed much. Gotten a little older, a little slimmer, but moisturizer and a daily skin routine kept the years from giving him crows feet and wrinkles, thank-fucking-christ. âIâm fine,â He lifted his gaze, finally meeting JDâs. âIâve been fine.â There was no way he was going to tell the man about his stint in the hospital recently. He hated inpatient, and this hadnât been his first time going in, but it was the first time in a few years and it had been a disaster. Imagine it - Tyler, fucked up, losing his shit in the woods, waiting for something or someone to take his life before he had to do it himself. And then heâd been found, thanks to his mother, and then it was all downhill from there. Or would it be considered uphill? An uphill battle, maybe, he didnât fucking know. âYeah, still working here,â He said with a shrug of the shoulders. âIt pays the bills, yâknow? I can afford to live on my own now.â The last time heâd seen JD, heâd still been living with his parents, dealing with his dadâs bullshit day in and day out. âItâs nice to have a place to myself. I wish I could buy a place, but rentingâs just as good, I guess.â
