The empty fell from his fingers and clinked against it's pile of companions on the dusty apartment floor. That last one was too much, made his stomach ache with bloat. He buried his head into the sofa despite the sweat already gathered on his cheek. He wanted to drown out the local news bulletin, but he needed it too, to prove the world was still spinning.

Will had never felt so much. He hated her for what she did. How could she marry him? Carl didn't love her, not like he could. Sitting up, he ran his fingers through his hair and wished for the past. When things were simple, when she beamed at him, battered her eyelids at him.

No, there was never a time when things were that simple. He was married or she was engaged. She was sick or he was foolish. He looked up to the roof and begged for peace. He'd settle for just a dream of her, just a few moments where there were no obstacles. A scene where he could put one arm around her waist and she would say out loud that she loved him back. Not with a smile or her eyes like she had before, with real words, so the whole world would know.

When it was light outside he contemplated going to work in his sweats, beer stains be damned. No, he couldn't give up. Not while he was still breathing, not as long as she stood in her office nurturing those plants and letting the light beam off her skin.

A clean shirt, a blue one. Dark jeans and a belt despite his beer binge. A little hair product, a fake smile and a deep breath.

A tap on the glass.

She looks different these days. Amazing, but deflated. Her hair a little flatter. That ring is weighing her down, he is sure of it.

"You look awful" she says and he agrees, grinning self-deprecatingly.

He sits without invitation and so does she. She looked nervous, ready for a rant, an angry accusing lecture. He fights back the urge to carrying her out of here and shield her away from all of it. Protect her from the pain and squeeze her hand. Keep her for himself. He shuts his eyes and aches with the cruelty of it all.

She tries to use words "Will, we-"

"Let me talk" he croaks, adjusts his collar for no reason. "I'm only going to say this once" he says.

"I need you to know Emma, that if it was me I'd never take you to Vegas" his eyes start to tear up already and he's fiddles his fingers in frustration.

"If it was me, I'd drive you to Virginia and stand in front of your parents and even your brother and you'd be wearing a white dress, because you're the most beautiful bride I've ever seen".

"Will-"

"Let me finish. Then we'd sit in their backyard on deck chairs drinking beer in the sun and I'd pull you into my lap, and even though you'd blush like crazy, I'd kiss you for a longest time".

"Don't-"

"I'm not done"

"Please stop-"

"No, Carl played you Emma. I know because if I didn't care about you so much, I would have done it too. Dazzle you with charm and false security until you said yes to anything".

"Leave."

"If he loved you like I do, he wouldn't have rushed you."

Silence. Breathing. Loud students behind the glass.

"I'm going to wait for as long as it takes. I mean it"

"Will I'm married…"

She is reaching for her tape measure, he is staring at the part of her hair.

"I know and I want you to be happy"

"Then why are you saying all this?"

"Because I need you to know that I'm always going to be here for you… as a friend"

"Just as a friend?" she looks him with eyes that can see right through him.

"If that's what you need, then that's what I'll be Em"

"Okay" and they cried. She thinks about touching his cheek but there is too much between them.

"So I'm going to walk out now and see you at lunch" he smiles that crooked grin and tries to shake his voice of the tears.

"See you then"

"Can't wait". He is gone and she is staring after him, longing for lunch to come quickly.