Charlie took a breath and logged on to Skype. The call from Ben came in as planned.

 

"Hi," Ben smiled wearily.

 

"Hi," Charlie smiled back. "You look tired babe."

 

"Thanks," Ben scoffed.

 

"That's not what I meant."

 

"I am though. Burning the midnight oil twenty-four seven."

 

Charlie immediately felt a pang of guilt. "Babe... we need to talk."

 

"I know."

 

"You do?"

 

"I tried to take down that picture on Facebook before you saw it but... I guess not."

 

"What picture?"

 

Ben's face drained of color. "Fuck."

 

"Ben... "

 

"It was just a picture... "

 

"Of... ?"

 

"It was just a kiss Charlie."

 

"With... who?"

 

"He's a nurse. He's from Boston. It was a party, and... "

 

"Who kissed who?"

 

"Charlie... "

 

"I just... I want to know."

 

"It was... sort of... mutual."

 

"Wow."

 

"Babe, I'm so sorry. Really, it didn't... "

 

"If you weren't with me, would you want to be with him?"

 

"Charlie that's not fair... "

 

"It's a valid question, Ben."

 

"I seem to recall a kiss between you and Hunter that I... "

 

"That's not how I mean it babe."

 

"No?"

 

"No. I'm not mad."

 

"Oh."

 

"Hunter and I... "

 

"Charlie. No."

 

"Just once. It just sort of... "

 

"I know."

 

"What? How?"

 

"It was just... inevitable I guess. You and Hunter, it was just... "

 

"Ben... "

 

"I just... don't want to hear about it."

 

"Right." They stared at each other for a moment, face to face, thousands of miles away. "I'm sorry."

 

"I am too. It was a lot to ask. For you to uproot your life."

 

"It was a lot to as ask for you to wait while I figured my shit out."

 

"I would've waited forever."

 

"Stop being wonderful."

 

"Make me."

 

They laughed for a bit.

 

"I really do miss you."

 

"Me too."

 

"And I'll always love you. I just wish... "

 

"The timing's just... "

 

"If you end up back in the States and you're still single... "

 

"And you're not with Hunter."

 

"Stop. That's not even a thing."

 

"Isn't it?" Ben looked at Charlie lovingly for a second, cursing the distance between them, wanting to reach through the computer screen and touch him.

 

"Thank you for finding me," Charlie said, tearing up.

 

"Thank you for kissing me in the rain," Ben said, tearing up as well. "You realize I'm the only thing in your life that made sense, right?"

 

Charlie laughed at the irony of being on the receiving end of that sentence for once. "I know," he said. "Ain't that the pitts?"

###