Elly and the Road Less Traveled

Chapter Four

Brandon took a step forward. "Elly—" 

"What's going on?" Elly interrupted. "Just friends? It looks like more than that. How long has this been going on?"

"It just happened—"

"I thought you were going to propose. Instead you're thanking Penny." She glanced at the spot on the sofa where the other woman had been sitting. "In more ways than one."

"Penny has nothing to do with this. It hasn't been working for us for a while, Elly. I've been trying to tell you this."

"You've been trying to tell me?" Elly's voice raised to a higher pitch. "How have you been trying to tell me?"

Brandon let out a puff of air and lifted a hand in a gesture of exasperation. "I've been trying to let you down easy."

"Let me down easy about what?" The skin around her eyes now ached from scrunching her eyebrows in distress.

"I think you should move out."

Elly sucked in her breath. She stared at him a long moment before her lips could form words. "Move out!"

"It just isn't working."

"It isn't working." All she seemed able to do was repeat him. Elly shook her head. "You're breaking up with me." She said it as a statement rather than a question.

Brandon nodded. "It's for the best."

"It's for the best?" Elly continued to shake her head. "This is...how long have you been wanting to break up?"

"A few weeks now. Months."

"Months." Elly swept her arms out, releasing her grips on the suitcase handle and belt. She looked away then back at Brandon. "So what was the other night, then? Breakup sex? Or just fulfilling your needs?"

Brandon raised his hand in a dismissal. "I'm not going to do this." He walked past her. "I'm going to the hospital. I'd appreciate it if you were gone by the end of the week."

"Seriously." Elly watched him take the coat from the rack. Her shock and anger dissolved into panic. "No, Brandon." She rushed over and took hold of his arm. "We can work this out. We're in a rough patch is all. I don't care about Penny. We can get counseling."

He put his hand over hers, but only to remove it from his arm. "No." He shook his head. "I'm ready to move on." He opened the door.

"But I apologized to your mom. And I'm not going to drink again. I'll do whatever you want. Please. I love you." Hot tears formed in her eyes.

"I don't love you." Brandon's eyebrows furrowed and he turned away. "I'm sorry." He stepped out to the hall.

Elly stared in stunned disbelief as he walked away, the door swinging shut behind him. She caught it before it shut completely. She ran after him. "No, no." She grabbed his arm again, this time with both hands. "Don't go! I don't want you to go." She choked back a cry, her voice squeaking. "Don't leave me. Don't—" She broke into blubbering incoherence.

Once again, he extracted himself from her grip, hissing in her ear, "Go back to the apartment. You're making a scene."

Instead, she dropped to floor, her legs tucked to the side.

Brandon let out an irritated breath. "Grow up, Elly. Just...grow up."

She covered her face with her hands, shaking her head, her shoulders jerking with sobs that echoed against the walls. When she looked up, Brandon was walking away. She remained on the floor. She didn't care if anyone saw her. She would stay there until Brandon returned. She didn't care how long it took. Days, weeks.