Work seems timeless.

Time is passing but I can't feel it; I'm untouched by it. It's just flowing over me. It's strangely peaceful, this numbness. It's just a matter of time before I lose it again.

Harley hasn't said anything to me so far. He hasn't even looked at me. And I appreciate that, though I don't understand why. Maybe I should be worried, because I'm his friend. But I'm afraid of losing this numbness I've held on to.

I place a clean dish down on the counter and wipe the sweat off my forehead with the back of my hand. That's the last of them. The restaurant will keep bustling till the end of time, but this is the end of my shift; this thing I've been trying to lose myself in.

A hand touches my shoulder. I don't bother to look at him. All that I ever get from everyone is blind sympathy. But they're all wrong. I am over her. I don't need any sympathy.

"Good day, Braxton." Boss says softly before leaving.

Sympathy.

"We have to leave now, Brax." Harley comes up behind me. "The others have shifts too."

"Yeah." I am reminded of how it all used to be; the way he says the same thing he used to when it was simpler. I almost smile like how I used to respond, but my muscles are tired.

I lose my sense of equilibrium as I step outside. I see nothing. Nothing where Christina and Taylor are supposed to be parked in front of us, on the curb, with Taylor's navy Acura TL.

Nothing.

The image I saw fades from my eyes.

Memory.

"I know; sometimes I find it hard to believe things have changed." Harley sighs quietly. He isn't looking at me. "We just bury them when that happens—we don't even know when and... the next thing you know, something happens and they just come out of their cave and haunt us."

"And we wonder when they become demons," I add.

"We make them. They don't just become demons." Harley looks at me and scowls. "You're not a demon for me, Brax. You don't haunt me."

I let out a shaky breath and look away. I see what he's trying to do.

"I'll stay away from you as long as you like; if you just know what's best for you. But you don't even know that." He goes on.

"If you're asking me what to do, you're knocking on the wrong door. I'm just running away. You aren't. I wouldn't know."

There's silence for a moment. We don't move at all.

"Christina never told us why you two... broke up. She kept brushing it off. And we didn't get to talk to you enough." Harley says quietly. "Could you at least tell me why?"

I take in a sharp breath. I feel like he just shot me.

Why did we break up?

Do I tell him the truth?

That love doesn't work the way it should?

The way we want to love?

***

A/N: Alright! I hope I get the benchmark to change things up a bit here and progress on the story 😁.

Hope you liked this chapter!

Signed,

InBlack