Bromance Moment

KNOCK.

One powerful knock echoed throughout my apartment, even over the sound of shooting and grenades blowing up from my video game.

I didn’t want to get up. I knew it was Samuel.

“Nate! I know you’re in there!”

I didn’t answer. I heard the lock on the door click.

“What the fuck, Nate.” He barged in.

I kept playing my game. Shooting as many enemies as I could.

“NATE!” Samuel chucked a pillow at my head.

“What the fuck man!” I looked over at him.

He was in his workout clothes with a duffel bag hanging on his shoulder.

“What the fuck?” He questioned me. “Are you serious? You ditched Mike and me yesterday and I had to spend the night with him. Do you know how horrible it is to hang out with Mike one on one when he’s horny? He basically wants to fuck anything that moves.”

He dropped his duffel bag and sighed loudly.

“Get dressed. We’re going to the gym.” He looked over at the TV screen. “It’s better than what you’re doing.”

I didn’t want to leave. I still had some faint hope that maybe Lily will come back. Samuel let out a loud sigh and sat down next to me.

“What’s up with you?”

I quit the game. I looked over at him.

“It’s Lily.”

“What happened?”

“We had a fight and she left.” I felt my heart break as I replayed what happened. “I don’t know where she is. Or if she’s safe. Or anything. I don’t know anything.”

“I’m sure she’s fine. She’s probably at a hotel or staying with someone.” Samuel reinsured me.

I looked over at him and he was playing with his watch. He only fidgeted with his watch when he had something to hide.

“You know.”

“What?” He stopped playing with his watch.

“You know where she is.” I gasped.

He didn’t say anything. Gotcha. I started to feel a little more at ease knowing she was safe.

“You need to tell me where she is.”

“She’s safe.” Samuel avoided my eyes. “Don’t worry.”

“When did you talk to her? Where is she staying?”

I needed to see her. I need to talk to her and make it all right.

“I talked to her and she is safe. Don’t worry about it.” He repeated.

“You need to tell me where she’s staying Samuel.”

He shook his head, “She doesn’t want to see you.”

“But I need to talk to her Samuel,” I begged. “I need to explain to her-”

“Nate. I think it would be best if you gave her some space.” He took a deep breath.

“She’s staying with you? Isn’t she...”

“Don’t worry about it.”

I was righ. She was staying with him. I sighed, relieved that she was in good hands.

“Nate. Please just give her some space. She needs it right now.” Samuel begged.

I knew this wasn’t Samuel talking. This was Lily talking. She probably knew that Samuel was going to talk to me. If space is what she needs. Space is what she’ll get. I want her to trust me again. If she ever trusted me again.

“Do you know what happened?” I asked Samuel.

“I know enough.”

I knew he didn’t want to be in the middle of this drama, but I was glad that he was helping her. We didn’t say anything for the next few minutes.

“After we hit the gym and you’ll feel a lot better. The better you feel the faster you will get over her and move on.”

And just like that, Samuel went back to his emotionless self.

“I don’t want to move on!” I snapped. “She was much more than just a fuck!”

I hated the fact that Samuel and Lily both thought the same thing.

“Nate. It wouldn’t have worked.”

I looked over at Samuel. I wanted to punch him in his perfect little know it all face.

“You know it was more than just a fuck!” I yelled.

“Well, what the fuck am I supposed to say?” He yelled back at me.

“I don’t know,” I shouted.

“It’s not like I could say: You’re being a pussy and you need to win her back even after you pulled that bullshit with hacking. Do you know you could have gotten fired if the company found out what you did? Worse, you could have gone to jail. Oh my god. You could have gone to jail-”

He was overreacting and thinking of the worst.

“Samuel! Calm down.”

He was breathing heavily thinking about all the different scenarios that could have happened. I started to laugh, but it hurt.

“What!” He snapped. He pushed his glasses up.

“Nothing. It’s just, I didn’t think about that.” I picked up my phone to see if I had any new messages.

No new messages.

“Of course, you didn’t! You never think about the consequences.” He scolded me.

“I didn’t think about the possibility of getting fired or going to jail or whatever else you’re thinking. I was just thinking…”

I looked over to Lily’s room. Her door was still open. Her closet was still empty. Her bed was still covered with the clothes she couldn’t fit inside of her box.

“I was just thinking about Lily and how happy it would make her if she got that job.”

I started to chuckle as I walked over to the fridge and grabbed two bottles of cold water for Samuel and me.

“You know I am not going to get caught, right?” I asked Samuel.

He chuckled with me. “It was a moment of weakness. I just got caught in all the different ways you could have fucked up your life.” He took the extra water bottle from my hand. “The getting fired part was not an overreaction though. If they find out. You’re done.”

“Doesn’t seem too bad.” I laughed.

Samuel gave me a sharp stare. “Don’t even joke about that.”

I didn’t want to tell him about how I felt about the job. That was for another time.

“Let’s just get you out of your PJ’s and hit the gym. Let’s get the lively cocky Nate back.”

“Yeah,” I mumbled.

I changed and came out with a box that was sadly wrapped with green wrapping paper.  

“What’s in the box.”

“It’s a gift for Lily.” I handed it to Samuel. “Just make sure she gets it.”

He nodded. I’m still not going to give up on her if, especially if I might have a small chance.

“Hey. Samuel… Thanks.”

We embraced in a hug that lasted a little too long. We both coughed.

“Let’s go work out.”

“Yep. Working out.”

We both talked over each other.