Ashton

How can just a few days and one conversation really change my opinion on someone? Oliver is gone, for all intents and purposes. I keep thinking he'll just appear in the office and want to talk again, but he doesn't. Sure, I have his number, but I don't even know what I'd say.

Hey. I missed you too. A lot. I was hurt that you never asked my side so the story?

I did try to hurry the job to get rid of him. He's right. But it was because feelings and emotions were starting to take over. Now that we've actually talked and he knows his brother cheated on me, maybe things are different. I don't know.

Oliver's gone, anyway.

It's Friday and my mind is on the fact that I only have five days to wait until Christina is back. I've been distracted and busy but I've missed her so much. I can't wait for our upcoming movie nights. And I have so much to tell her. Why I've been keeping so much from her over the last few weeks is beyond me.

    "Ashton?" Angela peeks into my office just before I'm planning on leaving for the weekend.

"Hey." I look up and smile at her.

She's wearing her infamous pant suit - beige - and a small smile. She looks tired.

"I just wanted to say... I'm proud of you for the great work with the Santos project, and for sticking with it," she tells me, still just barely in my doorway.

I close my computer and take a few steps closer to her. "I'm sorry about that first day... when I barged into your office-"

She's already shaking her head. "No, no. I get it. Emotions were high and you were unsure. But that's why I'm happy you stuck it out. Working with him wasn't so bad, was it?"

I swallow hard. "It was fine."

"Good." I'm sure she can sense my hesitation, but ignores it.  "Mr. Santos was fond of your work ethic. He called me to tell me himself."

I smile again because I do like when I'm appreciated.

"Why don't you take a long weekend to relax? Take Monday off," she goes on, and it doesn't really hit me what she's saying.

I must just be staring at her, because she goes on.

"Yes? You deserve an extra day off."

"Oh. I'm fine, um, I need to get going on the-"

Angela puts her hand up to stop me. "Take Monday off. Do nothing. I'll see you Tuesday."

I nod, because what else am I supposed to do, and then she disappears.

*

The following day is spent at home, mostly watching TV and trying to relax. I end up pulling up some work on the new account, because for some reason I just can't not work on the weekend. I talk with Christina for an hour or so, and she seems a bit off. I mean, I'm sure she's just ready to get home. I would be, for sure.

On Sunday, my mom comes over for dinner.

"How's work?" she asks me, opening my fridge only ten minutes after she arrives.

I don't know why she insisted on coming all the way here for dinner. I usually go to her or we meet in the middle. I don't mind, though. I like her here, in my apartment. I like getting to spend time with her in general.

"It's good. I just finished that big project," I pause, because I wonder if I should tell her more about it. "My boss actually gave me tomorrow off."

   "Wow. You must have done well. Not that I'm surprised." She flashes me a smile as she puts the wine on the counter.

"Yeah. It was good. Um..." I reach for two glasses in my cupboard and then turn back to her.

    "Ashton? What is it?"

Instead of answering, I go over to the frying pan and flip the chicken, just for something to do. Now I have to tell her something. I have been keeping this all to myself and suddenly it needs to come out. It's like I'm bursting at the seems, not telling anyone.

"The company I was doing the work for... it was Santos Home Reno's," I say, and she nods. "Um, the owner... Mr. Santos... he's actually Oliver's... I mean Tyson's... uncle."

   "Tyson?" Her head snaps my way and the look on her face is a mix of surprise and excitement.

"Yeah. I didn't know it until I was already starting the work. Oliver, Tyson's brother, he works for the company," I explain.

    "Oliver..." she says, as if she's trying to remember him.

I'm sure I talked to her about him here or there, but I'm not sure they ever met. With my mom living two hours from here, she only saw Tyson and I once or twice a month while we were dating.   

"Well, that's a small world isn't it? How are they? Tyson and Oliver?"

She's acting like I didn't have a month or two where I barely spoke to anyone, after my break up. She's forgetting that I was a mess when my relationship ended, just over a year ago.

"Oliver is... he's good. But... well... Tyson died. This past spring," I tell her, but turn away so I don't have to see her reaction.

    "Oh my god." Just as a expected.

"Yeah. He was in an accident," I tell her, because that's all the details I know.

"That's terrible. It must have been so hard for Oliver and their parents." She's shaking her head in disbelief.

Her and I went through this, ten years ago. It was absolutely the most difficult time of my life, when my dad died. She had a mental breakdown, for Christ's sake. But still she feels for Oliver and his family after hearing that Tyson died.

That's the type of person she is.

"Tyson was in Maine for awhile, in the last year. I mean, that's what Oliver said," I go on.

"So was it... weird? Working with him? Talking about Tyson?"

I shrug and turn away again. "We didn't talk about Tyson. I mean, other than that."

"Oh. It's really such a shame what happened between the two of you." Now, she's setting the table. She hasn't brought this up in a very long time, so I'm surprised by this now.

"Mom. Don't," I say quietly.

"I know. Sorry. I just miss you being... happy." She's adjusting the plates and cups. "What you and Tyson had, it was special."

"Mom," I spin back around to face her. "He cheated on me. And he denied it."

She blinks hard and then swallows slowly. "I know."

We go back to finishing making dinner and then sit down at my table together, to eat. Pretty much since it happened over a year ago, we haven't talked about Tyson. We haven't spoken about my love life. It's been off limits. Now that I'm the one who brought it up, she must think it's fair game again.

I won't let her talk about it anymore, and it doesn't seem like she cares to.

She leaves by 8P.M. because she has to drive two hours to get home and I tell her next time I'll come to her or we will meet in the middle. She laughs and says she's just happy to see me. I give her a big hug and wait until she's out the door and down to the elevator before even letting my door close.

I'm in pjs a few minutes later, and then fire up Netflix and climb into bed. I'm rewatching Gilmore Girls so I find the next episode and start it, then get comfortable with some pillows behind my back, just as my phone dings.

It's way across the room on my dresser, where I left it. Once again, I want to ignore it, but it could be something with my mom, or even Christina. Shoving the blankets off my body with a sigh, I cross my room to retrieve my phone.

Oliver: Hey, can you talk?

My hand shakes almost immediately. My heart's already beating too fast. I haven't seen him since Wednesday, when we went to Starbucks to talk. He let me walk away just like that, and he hasn't been in touch since. I was nearly sure that that was the end of whatever that reunion was between us.

It was nothing.

But now? Now, five days later, he's texting me that he wants to talk? I try to ignore it. I put my phone down and start my show again. I watch for ten minutes, but my focus isn't on the show. I pick up my phone again. I read the message, like, five more times. He knows I've seen it. He'll know I'm ignoring him.

My fingers are racing around the keyboard before I can stop them.

What's up? Good, Ashton. Casual.

Oliver: I'm sorry I have been MIA. I didn't mean to... can I call you?

Why in the world does he want to call me, now? It's late, it's Sunday night, and we haven't talked in five days. We aren't really friends. The last time we talked, he said he had missed me. I hurt his feelings by telling him there was no point in drawing out the work that needed to be done together.

Oliver: Please, Ashton

Me: Okay, sure.

My phone is ringing a few seconds later. He didn't waste any time. I let it ring in my hand for a minute before I answer, which is just silly. He knows I'm right there, waiting. It's not a video call, thankfully.

"Hey."

    "Hi."

    "Um, what's going on?" I want to know. This just feels weird.

He's quiet for a second and then he sighs heavily. "I really... I just... the rest of this week has been... argh."

He sounds really upset all of a sudden. Like, it feels like he's about to start crying. I'm confused. Did I do something to make him react like this?

    "I'm sorry that I finished up the work early, so we could be done with the project-"

    "Ashton, no. It's not that," he says quickly. "I know why you did that. I know that things were weird between us."

    "Well... yeah..." I sigh and push my laptop off my lap.

That's the moment that he breaks. I don't know why or what's wrong, but suddenly Oliver is sobbing and breathing too heavily and I'm just silent, waiting. I don't know what to do or say. I'm not a comforter. Christina is my comforter. But I'm awkward with this type of thing.

    "It's over... with Sable." The words come out quiet and through quiet sobs.

He's this upset over a break up with his girlfriend he was only with for a couple months? It must have been more serious than I thought. Also, it's weird that he's calling me and telling me how upset he is about this, right?

    "Oh. Oliver, I'm sorry," I say, because it feels like the right thing to say.

He sighs and then I can hear him wiping his face and clearing his throat. "That's not why I'm... I'm sorry, I'm a mess."

    "Oh, no, it's fine," I tell him, but I'm really, very confused.

    "Sorry, I shouldn't be putting any of this on you. I'll let you go," he says, sounding exhausted now.

I should want to hang up from this call. I should be fine with telling him goodnight and that being that. But I'm not. Even after a year, I still feel something for this man. I care about him, and he's obviously hurting. I don't know why he called me to tell me he broke up with Sable, and I don't know if what I say next is appropriate or not, but I don't really care.

    "Oliver, do you want to come over? If you need to talk, I mean?"

He's quiet, besides his heavy breathing, for a long minute. Maybe that was not what he wanted at all. Maybe he just didn't have anyone else to talk to about his break up. While I wait for his reply, I hold my breath.

    "Yes," he finally says. "Yeah, is that okay?"

I release all the air from my lungs and nod, even though he can't see me. "Yeah. I'll text you my address."

    "Okay... okay, thank you, Ashton."