It's hard to even pick up books titled 'It's Called A Break-Up Because It's Broken' and 'Getting Past Your Break-Up' without feeling a pang of shame, much less hand them across the counter to a total stranger who would no doubt see the titles of said books. It'd been a few weeks now since Beau had went back to Ohio, and only a week and a half since Ollie had settled into his new apartment, but things weren't getting any easier. He was working himself so hard he was almost passing out at his small desk in the mornings, just because working meant he didn't have to think about it. That plan wasn't coming through for him anymore. He was being forced to deal with what happened and while usually, writing would help him scrape through it, he couldn't get past how exploitative it felt to write about his relationship and break up with Beau. It wasn't something he wanted people to know about ---- not yet, anyway.
Which was why, as he passed the books across the counter, he quickly rushed to explain away any ideas that might pass through the stranger's mind. "Got a friend going through something rough. Thought these might help," He lied, topping it off with a smile that reeked of awkwardness. He just hoped that the awkwardness seemed like the kind that would come from a guy embarrassed to be seen buying these books even for a friend, rather than someone lying about their reasons for buying them. "Think they'll be any good?"
