Chapter 2: The Breakup
Disclaimer: Strong language and content not suitable for young children.
Auggie stepped into his loft and slid the door closed. "Tash?" he called out.
"Over here." she called from the bedroom.
Auggie folded up his cane and laid it on the kitchen island. "Could you come here, please?" He heard her footsteps come towards him and stop suddenly.
"What's wrong, Auggie?"
He sighed and started towards her voice only to run into something smack in his shin. "Goddamnit, Tash! What the hell! What is this?!" He reached down and felt his coffee table, with a bunch of odds and ends on it, had been moved to right beside the island.
She started towards him again, hurriedly. "Oh, shit, Auggie, I'm sorry, I forgot! I was just trying to move some things out of the way to pack them." Tash reached for him but he smacked her hand away, furious.
"Damnit, Tash! This is exactly what's wrong and I was a fool to think otherwise! You don't think! Ever! All you care about is your damn codes and be damned who you hurt in the process of getting what you want!" He waved in the general direction of the coffee table before adding, "And you'll never be able to adjust to life with me and I shouldn't have asked you to." He sighed and felt his way around the table over to her and reached up to grasp her hands. Quieting, "Tash, I can't go with you. This is just confirmation to me of one of the many reasons why I can't. I came here with the intention of trying to talk myself out of this but I know now that I can't do that. Not to you, or me, or... Annie."
Tash pulled her hands away from his in a flurry of motion so fierce he nearly lost his balance. "What does Annie have to do with this?" She stared up into his eyes, searching for the truth she already knew to be there. She backed away some more and started waving her hands in front of her in a gesture of utter defiance and denial. "It's always been about her, hasn't it? You love her don't you?"
Frozen in place by the truth of her words and the fact that even Tash could see it, Auggie simply nodded.
"Did you ever intend on coming with me? Or was this just some cruel joke the two of you came up with?"
"Oh, Tash, no! I love you... loved you, a long time ago, and I thought we could get that back, but we're just too different now. We've both changed." He implored her to understand his words.
"No, Auggie, you've changed. You're the one who went and got himself blinded and started working for the fucking C.I.A. of all things! I'm still the same as I always was. You're the one who's too chicken-shit to admit his feelings to himself, let alone anyone else. You know what? I'm done. I'm outta here."
Auggie heard her stomp away towards his bedroom and start shoving things into a bag. The blind thing had been a low blow but that was Tash for you. She came back moments later.
"Tash, stop for a minute and just listen to me, will you?"
"Why? So you can lie to me some more? Like you've been doing all along for the past 5 years? Auggie, you're right, we're too different. I know what I want. I want you to come with me, away from all this spy shit and the States and just be with me!" Her voice started to tremble.
He didn't want to hurt her but this had to be said. "Be with you how, Tash? As your loveable, blind, devilishly handsome sidekick?" He couldn't help but quip at her, it was a coping mechanism he'd had for eons. "I'll do nothing but slow you down and you know it. Besides, you'll never be willing to live by the letter of the law and I don't intend on spending the rest of my life in some shitty cell somewhere because you couldn't keep your ass out of trouble, as always. And yes, I do love Annie. I always have. It was never my intention to hurt you, I swear, but isn't it better that this happen now and not weeks, or months, or years from now when one or both of us comes to our senses?"
Tash sniggered at him and threw her duffle over her shoulder. "Whatever you say, Auggie. You're always right, aren't you? The 'all knowing Auggie'. You've done nothing but use me since coming back into my life, Auggie. And now that you're done with me you're kicking me to the curb. Fine. That's just fine." She stormed over to the door and slid it open. "Don't you dare try to contact me again, I won't answer if you do. Good-bye, Auggie. I hope you find whatever it is you think you're looking for with her." Then, with a flurry and a slam, she was gone.