Our Way

I frown as I listen. What? He’s going to just walk out?

“Sit back down, Nathan,” she demands.

Silence.

With a shaky hand, I sip my wine.

“I would like to talk about it if we can,” Amanda says.

“I can’t.” Nathan stammers and I can hear the stress in his voice. “I tried.”

Nerves dance in my stomach.

“Who did you try and talk to about it?”

“Eliza,” he replies softly.

“What did Eliza say?”

“She fobbed it off—said I was overreacting,” he whispers.

God, I did.

“She was more worried about my ex.”

“What about your ex?”

“He told her that he wanted me back, the day after I found out what she thought of me.”

“How did that make you feel?”

“I was too upset about Eliza to care about Robert. He’s irrelevant.”

“You don’t feel the same about him?”

“No. Eliza knew that. I told her many times I didn’t have feelings for him.”

“Does Eliza know how much she hurt you?”

Silence.

“Did you talk to Eliza about how you felt?” Amanda prompts.

“I couldn’t.” He pauses. “I didn’t want to be near her.”

“Why not?”

“Because I loved her with everything I had and still, it wasn’t enough.”

I get a lump in my throat.

Fuck.

“I don’t know why I couldn’t talk to her, but I couldn’t. I still can’t. I just… can’t talk about it to anyone, even though I want to. I don’t know. It’s fucking weird.”

“Nathan.” Amanda pauses. “Have you ever heard of burnout?”

“Like stress, you mean?”