Ste lay in the bath, allowing the hot water to soothe his aching muscles. He's been working flat out on getting the deli ready for the opening next week. He breathed in the steam, deep into his lungs. As his mind drifted, he began to think about that night with Brendan. How could a night so perfect have ended so badly?
Everything came rushing back to Ste like a slap in the face: the smell of Brendan's aftershave; the curve of his smile; the silk duvet on his skin. He remembered how Brendan left him in bed to answer the telephone. Next minute, he was kicking him out. The quick realisation dawned on Ste that Brendan hadn't changed. Ste was his guilty little secret. So when Brendan asked him to leave, he didn't ask why, he didn't hesitate. He just left.
Ste lowered himself into the bath and immersed himself in the water. Why couldn't he move on and forget about him? It was a self-destructive path that he kept walking on. He needed to take a different path, one that had nothing to do with Brendan Brady.
On the other side of the village, Brendan sat at the bar alone in Chez Chez with a glass of whisky. He stared at nothing in particular, an empty space. That's what he felt. Empty. As the alcohol pulsed through his bloodstream, his thoughts wandered. He thought about Stephen. He was confused about how they had left it that night. Ste rushing out like that. Brendan had asked him to leave so he could go to the hospital. The doctor had called him to say Cheryl had made some improvements and they wanted to talk to him. Before he could tell Ste the good news, he had walked out.
Brendan couldn't help but blame himself for the way Ste behaves around him. He would do anything to take back all the pain he had caused him. He needed Ste in his life and he would do anything to get him back. Anything.