"You guys know each other?" Tyler asked as Tom came into the apartment.

"Can we talk alone?" Tom asked Charlie.

"Um...yeah. Sure."

Tom at on Charlie's bed as Charlie closed the door behind them.

"I just had to tell you...you were right. About everything." Tom said.

"Excuse me?"

"Remember when you said that you were the only thing in my life that ever made sense?"

"Sure..."

"You were right. I fucked up. And I just...had to tell you."

Charlie remained by the door, silent. "What am I supposed to do with that?"

"I don't know," Tom said lamely.

"Do you know how many nights I lay awake, hoping that one day you'd come to your senses and want to get back together?"

"Well...is it a possibility?"

"Do you know how long it took to get over you?"

Tom got up and took Charlie's hand. "Are you?"

"You've got a boyfriend, Tom..."

"I'm breaking up with him."

"And I..."

"I just want to know...that when I do...that there's a possibility that you and I might..."

"It's not that easy, Tom."

"At least think about it?"

"Why now?"

"Because I had to know. Because I realize that reason I broke up with you was because I was scared."

"And you're not anymore?"

"The only thing I'm scared of is that I might have missed my chance. And that you won't consider..."

"Well technically, that's two things."

Tom chuckled, then kissed Charlie's hand. "Charles Parker, you are the only thing in my life that ever made sense. Will you at least think about it? Please?"

"I'll think about it, sure."

Charlie walked Tom out. Tyler and Hunter sat watching from the coach.

"Was that your ex?" Tyler asked. "The big one, the one you thought Hunter or I hooked up with that one night?"

"Yeah."

"That was the night I hooked up with Brad," Tyler said.

"It was so weird," Charlie said, recalling the night that seemed three lifetimes ago. "Tristan specifically texted that one of you had hooked up with him."

Hunter shifted awkwardly in his seat and they both looked at him. He looked Charlie in the eye and said: "It was me. I hooked up with him."

Charlie held Hunter's gaze for a moment. All the old hurt came pouring back, compounded with the sense of betrayal for what had just happened between him and Hunter added with the guilt of betraying Ben. When he finally turned his gaze away, his eyes fell on the lease renewal, still on the table.

"I've got to get out of here," Charlie said, bolting out the door.

 

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