fucked it up royally. Ruined a perfectly good day because of my own stupidity and hang-ups. Instead of calling her I grabbed my helmet and headed out the door for work. This was a day I thanked my lucky stars she was not working with me. We both needed our space, me more than her. I knew if we saw each other now I would hurt her even more.
It was just Frank in the garage when I walked in.
“You look like shit,” he remarked.
“Thanks, appreciate your input into my appearance.” I glared at him.
“I’m assuming this has something to do with Scarlet coming home in a huff this morning?” He shot me a questioning look.
“I don’t want to talk about it ,” I muttered and walked back to my workbench.
“I don’t give a rat’s ass if you want to talk about it, get rid of the shitty attitude and get to work ,” he yelled.
“Fine.” I slammed my tool box down harder than I should have. The clanging sound echoed in the quiet garage.
“Watch it Langer, my patience is thin today.” He walked back into his office, leaving me alone.
I lost myself in cleaning up an old engine for the better part of the day. Working had always been my escape from my problems . Well, that and fighting. I stepped away from the bench and wiped my hands on my coveralls. I hadn’t noticed Frank walk up.
“Feeling better?” he asked cautiously.
“Somewhat.”
“What happened?”
“Frank, I really don’t want to talk about my relationship with Scarlet with you. It’s weird. I messed up, okay, and now she’s pissed. That’s all I’m going to say about it. If you want to know so badly you can ask her.”
“I’m going to stay out of it, you both are old enough to make your own mistakes. Just be careful with her will you? She’s only strong to a point, and I don’t want you to be the one to make her fall apart again.” He squeezed my shoulder and walked away.
He was right, I didn’t want to be the one to make her fall apart. I just needed to figure out how to dig myself out of the mess I had made.
A week went by without a word from Scarlet. I knew I should call her, but the more time that passed the harder it was for me to make the call. We saw each other at the garage, but she avoided me there too.
I decided to send her a text message instead, taking the coward’s way out.
Me: Hey, can you come over tonight?
She answered a few minutes later.
Scarlet: I don’t know that I should.
Me: Why not?
Scarlet: You know why.
Me: Look, I’m sorry.
She didn’t respond for a while, which made me nervous.
Scarlet: What are you sorry for?
Damn her, she wasn’t going to make this easy on me.
Me: For pushing you away. Forgive me?
Scarlet: I told you the last time that I wouldn’t stand for you pushing me away. I don’t know that I can do this. It’s been a week and instead of calling, you text me? This is all so fucked up. I need some space okay?
There it was. I really had ruined things with her. I felt hollow inside.
Me: Yeah, okay.
I was right, I didn’t deserve her love. I grabbed my jacket and helmet and fled my apartment. Tom was just coming up the stairs as I started down them.
“Whoa, you okay?” He took in my expression.
“No I’m not. What do you want, this really isn’t the best time.”
“Come to dinner with me.”
I opened my mouth to say no, but instead I agreed. “Yeah, okay.”
He blew out a relieved breath and led the way down to the parking lot. “Follow me?”
I nodded and hopped on my bike, waiting for his beat up old Honda to back out of the spot. He led me to some sandwich shop down by the beach.
“So, what’s going on?” he asked me.
Despite myself , I let it all pour out, the whole situation with Scarlet.
“I’m sorry. I know you’re the way you are in part because of what I did all those years ago.”
“In part?” I laughed.
“You know what I mean. What are you going to do about it?”
“I don’t know, she says she wants space to figure
It was just Frank in the garage when I walked in.
“You look like shit,” he remarked.
“Thanks, appreciate your input into my appearance.” I glared at him.
“I’m assuming this has something to do with Scarlet coming home in a huff this morning?” He shot me a questioning look.
“I don’t want to talk about it ,” I muttered and walked back to my workbench.
“I don’t give a rat’s ass if you want to talk about it, get rid of the shitty attitude and get to work ,” he yelled.
“Fine.” I slammed my tool box down harder than I should have. The clanging sound echoed in the quiet garage.
“Watch it Langer, my patience is thin today.” He walked back into his office, leaving me alone.
I lost myself in cleaning up an old engine for the better part of the day. Working had always been my escape from my problems . Well, that and fighting. I stepped away from the bench and wiped my hands on my coveralls. I hadn’t noticed Frank walk up.
“Feeling better?” he asked cautiously.
“Somewhat.”
“What happened?”
“Frank, I really don’t want to talk about my relationship with Scarlet with you. It’s weird. I messed up, okay, and now she’s pissed. That’s all I’m going to say about it. If you want to know so badly you can ask her.”
“I’m going to stay out of it, you both are old enough to make your own mistakes. Just be careful with her will you? She’s only strong to a point, and I don’t want you to be the one to make her fall apart again.” He squeezed my shoulder and walked away.
He was right, I didn’t want to be the one to make her fall apart. I just needed to figure out how to dig myself out of the mess I had made.
A week went by without a word from Scarlet. I knew I should call her, but the more time that passed the harder it was for me to make the call. We saw each other at the garage, but she avoided me there too.
I decided to send her a text message instead, taking the coward’s way out.
Me: Hey, can you come over tonight?
She answered a few minutes later.
Scarlet: I don’t know that I should.
Me: Why not?
Scarlet: You know why.
Me: Look, I’m sorry.
She didn’t respond for a while, which made me nervous.
Scarlet: What are you sorry for?
Damn her, she wasn’t going to make this easy on me.
Me: For pushing you away. Forgive me?
Scarlet: I told you the last time that I wouldn’t stand for you pushing me away. I don’t know that I can do this. It’s been a week and instead of calling, you text me? This is all so fucked up. I need some space okay?
There it was. I really had ruined things with her. I felt hollow inside.
Me: Yeah, okay.
I was right, I didn’t deserve her love. I grabbed my jacket and helmet and fled my apartment. Tom was just coming up the stairs as I started down them.
“Whoa, you okay?” He took in my expression.
“No I’m not. What do you want, this really isn’t the best time.”
“Come to dinner with me.”
I opened my mouth to say no, but instead I agreed. “Yeah, okay.”
He blew out a relieved breath and led the way down to the parking lot. “Follow me?”
I nodded and hopped on my bike, waiting for his beat up old Honda to back out of the spot. He led me to some sandwich shop down by the beach.
“So, what’s going on?” he asked me.
Despite myself , I let it all pour out, the whole situation with Scarlet.
“I’m sorry. I know you’re the way you are in part because of what I did all those years ago.”
“In part?” I laughed.
“You know what I mean. What are you going to do about it?”
“I don’t know, she says she wants space to figure
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