The Empty Half of the Bed.
Sometimes, beds can be filled, but sometimes, they have to remain empty.
Owen was a cynic. There had never been a truer word to describe him with, it was as though that word had only been penned after Owen's birth.
Sure, he could be happy. In fact most of the time he was perfectly happy. Happy, sarcastic, humorous, everything that made him human. When there was nothing to do at work he goofed off, played basketball, video games, had mind numbing conversations with the others, ate Chinese, devoured pizza, drunk coffee. Did the things that made him a normal, happy, human being.
But something was missing. Something that had been snatched away from him and not returned. What Owen really wanted, what he really needed, was somebody to love. He needed somebody to care for, somebody to share secrets with, gossip with, dance with, drink wine with, go out for dinner, watch pointless daytime television, lie in on a Sunday with. Somebody to love unconditionally.
And so he became a 'player'. Always looking for that one person, going out on any night, enduring the chit chat until, finally, they came home with him. Countless people temporarily filled the other half of his bed, but they all just reminded him of her.
He liked to pretend that he didn't care about any of his one night stands, was happy to let them believe that too, was fine with them thinking that as soon as they'd had sex that was it – he'd have gotten what he wanted and could go back to sleep, satisfied. But that was nowhere near the truth. He watched them all as they slept, the way their eyes twitched as they raced through innumerable dreams, the way they muttered about nothing and everything. He watched it all, and saw nothing but her. The way she had tangled her legs with his, the way her hand had lain splayed out on his stomach, the way she buried her face in his neck, her breath tickling his throat. It had been so long, so many days, and still Owen could never get Katie off his mind.
Then she came. Diane. She had taught him so many things, made him appreciate all aspects of life, showed him how to love again. But he had been scared, so scared. He didn't want to fall in love again, didn't want to give himself up so completely. He didn't have much choice though – after only a week, he was completely and totally hers.
She broke his heart. Flew away and left him more damaged and broken than what he had been before. His heart, barely healed from Katie, was left with another scar marring it's surface. And now Owen knew. He couldn't fall in love again, wasn't going to allow it to happen, couldn't allow it to happen.
Sometimes you can't fix what's broken.
Sometimes beds are supposed to stay empty.