C21 Our Favorite Place

Chris hurried off and returned with a bottle of water. “Drink,” he said. I took it and forced myself to calm down.

After a few minutes, I finally managed to speak. “It’s fine, brother.” The words felt heavy. “I’ve moved on. We shouldn’t worry about them anymore.”

The moment I said it, Chris knew I was lying. He knew me better than anyone. He knew that I wasn’t only hurt because Samantha was pregnant. I was hurt because Ben had been my friend, my brother and somehow both of them had disappeared from my life without giving me a single answer.

Chris offered to take me home. I refused. Instead of heading home, I rode my bicycle to a place that held countless memories.

The old tree. A large, beautiful tree where Samantha and I used to spend hours talking about life. I stood beneath it for a long time. Thinking. Remembering. Hurting. Eventually, I broke down. The tears came uncontrollably.

I cried louder than I ever had before, hoping that somehow the pain would leave with them. But it didn’t. If anything, the pain grew stronger.