Chapter 7)

BRIAN

A month after Chloe died, I thought I saw a glimpse of her rounding a corner. I chased the fantasy until it was clear there was nothing there and nothing left worth living a good life for. I collapsed onto a park bench, hopeless and desperate for a miracle.

"Brian?" I looked up to see it was Alek who had said my name. He looked jumpy.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Alek." It appeared he had something to say, but he was holding it back. I knew it was wrong, but I got pleasure out of his discomfort. "There something you gotta say?" I fiddled with the corner of my jacket, eyes boring into his. Staring at me he shook his head, then turned around and walked away as strangely as he had come. What a weird dude. With eyes wide open, you couldn't see the scar that plagued my life, but it was there and I felt it while I was awake and even in my dreams.


ALEK

Finding Brian on a Sunday afternoon wasn't exactly a coincidence. I deliberately found him. I wanted to see what condition he was in. I have grown tired of waiting for Chloe to tell me just once that she could live without Brian; that she loved me. I thought maybe if I saw him, I would know how to be more like him. All I wanted was for Chloe to accept me as I was, but if that didn't work, I would be someone else for her.