Danger in broad daylight

[Cristoval de Azcarate]

"In other words, you're stalling," Cris mumbled to himself, because breaking up in person or over the phone, it was all the same. It was still breaking up. And he had a feeling—juuust a feeling—that Rey wouldn't take it well no matter which way Edel chose to deliver the news to him.

As for Jen...

Cris sat down on the bed and lowered his gaze to the ground. "I can't break up with Jen. She's going to be in my life for good."

[Edel Ziegler]

"I am not," Edel said stiffly, disliking what it implied for him to be stalling. He just... He didn't think it felt right to break up with a long term boyfriend that he lived with over the phone. It was... It left a bad taste in the back of his throat. And... selfish though it may be, some part of him hoped that they could remain friends.

As if that would ever happen. People broke up all the time, and often said they would stay friends... But there was bad blood, and there would be a lot of it when Rey realized why he was breaking things off.

That was, if Edel was even going to do it. Furrowing his brow, he moved away from Cris, even as Cris was perching on the edge of the bed. Edel couldn't help it; something inside of him recoiled at the way Cris looked at the ground and said that. Those words. It was like a slap in the face. Without even realizing he was doing it, Edel crossed his arms protectively over his chest and turned away. His heart beat in a nasty, sickening staccato and his head spun.

Then what are we doing here?

He didn't say it aloud. Just shook his head, moving away from Cris, as if placing as much distance as possible between them would create a more protective buffer than his arms alone could offer.

"That says it all, then, doesn't it?"

Sighing, he didn't wait for a response. He got up, slipping his phone into his pocket. "I... I have to... I don't know. Take a walk. Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone."

With that, Edel left, still feeling as if nothing had been resolved, heart heavy.