Gym Junkie

“Simon has a long road to recovery in front of him.”

“I know.”

“I’m going to be here for him for as long as it takes,” she says calmly, as if all this is some kind of prerehearsed speech.

“I don’t expect you to walk away from him, Tully,” I tell her.

“I know, baby.” Her haunted eyes hold mine. “I’m walking away from you.”

“What?” The ground moves beneath me. “What do you mean?”

“Simon needs all of me,” she whispers.

“What are you fucking saying?” I growl.

“I’m saying that it’s not fair to you to be constantly waiting for me at home while I sit at the hospital with my ex-boyfriend.”

“But you don’t love him.”

She scrunches her face in pain. “I know. I love you.”

“What the fuck are you doing, Tully?” I shout, losing the last of my control.

“What’s right, Brock. I’m doing what’s right. What anyone with a heart would do for their ex.”

My face falls. “You’re going back to him?” I whisper.

She shakes her head.

“Tell me. Tell me out loud that you are not going back to him.” I feel my chest beginning to close up.

A slow-moving tear rolls down her face, her eyes holding mine with a resolved strength. “I can’t,” she breathes.

I step back from her as pain tears through me.

She’s going back to him.

I grab the wall as I suck in air to try and stop myself from freaking out and completely losing my shit.

“This could go on for years with Simon. I won’t have you end up hating me for it,” she whispers as her tears continue to fall. “I care about you too much to leave you waiting at home for me.”

She doesn’t love me.

I drop my head so that she doesn’t see my blurry eyes. “Get out,” I whisper.

“Brock. Can’t we at least be friends?” he pleads.

I lose control. “I have enough fucking friends, Tully,” I yell, my own tears breaking free. “Get the fuck out.”

I drop my head, and my chest shakes as I try to regain control, but there’s no chance of that.

“I love you,” she whispers.

I turn on her like she’s the Devil himself. “You fucking liar! Get the fuck out of my life. Right now!”

She steps back from me, wincing and aching with emotion. “I’m sorry,” she whispers.

Our eyes are locked, and then she slowly turns and walks out the door, leaving it to click closed quietly.

I close my eyes. The room is silent apart from my thudding heart.

I drop my head and inhale deeply as I try to block out my emotions.

I need to get out of here.

Now.

I walk to the phone and dial reception.

“Hello, reception.”

“Organise a car to the airport, please,” I say calmly.

“Of course, sir. When for?”

“Now.”

The cab pulls up at my house. It’s 1:00 a.m. The street is dark and quiet now. I pay the driver and walk up to my door to let myself in. I flick the light on and look around the living room, exhaling heavily.

Same street, same house… only she’s not here anymore.

It’s been a long trip home—the worst. A five-hour delay on my stopover brought it up to thirty hours of travel.

Thirty hours alone, unable to get out of my own head.

I’m cut.

Deep.

I can usually fight my way out of any situation but this time it’s different.

And I keep going over and over that last conversation in my head, wondering if there was anything I could have said to have changed the outcome.

Tell me you’re not going back to him.

I can’t.

Two words have never hurt so much.

I walk into the kitchen and turn on the light, immediately spotting the two keys I had cut for Tully sitting on the counter.

Her keys to my house.

The keys she doesn’t want anymore.

A deep sadness fills me, and I run my hands through my hair as emotion overtakes me. I turn and run to take the stairs two at a time. I need to sleep. I need to get back to work. And I need to forget that I ever met Tully fucking Scott.

“Hi,” I call out when I walk into work. Everyone looks up from their computers in surprise.

“Hey.” Ben frowns as he follows me into my office. “What are you doing here?”

I dump my bag on the desk. “I work here.”

“I mean what are you doing back from London?”

“Just decided to come home.”

“Why?”

“Ben, shut the fuck up and stop hassling me,” I snap.

He raises his eyebrows. “Fine.” He turns and walks out of the office, and I close my eyes for a moment. Stop it.

I turn on my computer and begin to read the notes on all of our cases. Then I go to the notes on the interview with Meredith.

Verdict Was not a witness.

What? I stand and walk out into the office. “Ben and Jes. Can I see you both for a moment, please?” I ask.