3:24PM

Hey Tristan.

I look at my phone. David and I were out shopping. The rest of the Six Flags excursion was normal, borderline mundane. I was enjoying just being. No schedule, no deadlines to meet. On one hand I felt guilty staying at home, where ma and dad insisted on me staying without paying rent. On the other hand? It was amazing, just being an adult and doing what I wanted.

I reply quickly. Hey Jake. How're you?

Bracing myself for the worst, I wait for the reply. In the meantime, David slips his hand into mine and gives it a squeeze, smiling at me. I grin back.

"So why are we here?"

"My parents need a new dishwasher. It's the least I could do for them."

For a moment David puts his head on my shoulder. "Aw, that's so thoughtful of you!"

Now I really grin and shrug. My phone vibrates again.

I just wanted to let you know that Orion is going to be released in a few days. So everything is going well.

Thanks.

David peers at my phone. "Who're you talking to?"

Protectively, I quickly slip it into my pocket. "Just an old friend."

David frowns at me. I resist the urge to roll my eyes. "My friend is just letting me know how Orion is doing."

The truth was evidently the wrong thing to say, because David looks pissed. Crossing his arms, he raises his eyebrows. "Oh?"

His voice was ice. I flinch. "It's not like that—"

"Then please tell me what it's like, Tristan."

I open my mouth and then close it. I open it again, ready to reply, but luckily I find the perfect distraction. It's Matt; we're by the appliance area of the store on the way to the kitchen section. Matt is currently putting a—rather large—TV into his cart.

I fight down the immediate anger I feel. Taking a few deep breaths, I remind myself that getting angry wouldn't help anything. I don't allow myself to speak until we're right behind Matt.

"Hey Matt," I greet as calmly as I can, offering up a smooth smile.

Matt freezes, holding the large TV box at an angle, his mouth hanging open. "Tristan. Er, what're you doing here?"

"Shopping. Like you."

Matt squeaks. I step forward, still smiling. "Here, that looks heavy. Let me help you."

"No, I got it—"

"I insist."

Once we've navigated the large box into the cart, Matt mumbles a hello to David. By now Matt is a deep red, and he is looking at everywhere except me. Patiently I wait for him to say something.

"Uh, well, I should—I should get going."

I smile. "'Course. Have a good one, Matt."

"Thanks for your help. I mean, getting it into the cart."

Now I grin a little too wide, and I'm sure I look wolfish. "Sure. Just remember that I helped you."

Matt doesn't say anything. Instead he turns his cart around and all but runs away down the aisle. Once he's out of earshot, David turns to me. "What was that about?"

I let out a huff, still trying to be calm. When I speak it's a low grumble. "He owes me five hundred dollars."

David looks shocked. "What?"

I don't reply, instead just walking towards where I see refrigerators. David scampers after me. "That's a lot of money!"

"Yup," is all I say.

"Why? How?"

The truth is that for a while there Matt had a gambling problem and quickly got in over his head. He owed people some money, money he didn't have. I didn't want anything bad happening to him, so I lent him the money with the caveat that he wouldn't hang around with people like that anymore. He promised, and he promised he'd pay me back once he had the money to...

That was ages ago now. That was before I became a roadie, before I moved to Vermont temporarily. If he was buying a TV, a huge, expensive, state of the art TV, I guessed he had five hundred dollars he could spare. I've been told on several occasions that I'm too nice, and people tend to walk on me because of that. I'm guessing this is one of those times.

"Tristan?"

"Don't worry about it. He got himself in some debt, I lent him the money and he never paid me back."

"Tristan!"

I shrug. "He knows what he did. No need to brow beat him."

David looks at me in disbelief. As I pick out a dishwasher and set up delivery, David keeps his eyes on me. Once the salesman has finished up dealing with me, I turn to David.

"Look, he had a gambling problem and I helped him out, okay?"

David looks shocked. "You should have said something to him!"

I just shrug.

When we get to the car, my phone buzzes again. I pull it out, opening up the passenger door. As I sit, I read the message I got from Jake.

Look, Tristan...I just thought you should know he's doing better now.

I've never seen him like this before.

When I still don't reply, and we start to drive away, Jake continues.

He's actually trying.

That genuinely surprised me. And the fact that it came from Jake, his best friend, the guy who had known Orion since they were Freshman in High School...I suddenly found myself needing to reassess things.

"Orion again?"

I swivel my head to David, who looks pissed again. I sigh, text a quick Thank you, and then look back to David.

"If I tell you something, I need to be able to trust it stays between you and I. Forever."

David glances at me again, looking slightly less pissed.

"I'm dead serious."

David shifts in his seat.

"Well?"

Worrying his lip a moment, he says, "I promise."

"Orion is mentally unstable and I couldn't deal. It's why we broke up."

David looks at me, surprised. "Mentally unstable...?"

I sigh. "He's an alcoholic and he tried to kill himself. It's that last thing that made me break up with him—what're you doing?"

I'm slightly alarmed because David has abruptly pulled off to the side of the road. He put on his hazards and unbuckles. Now I'm really freaking out.

"What—"

To my surprise, David pulls me into a tight hug. I'm so stunned by his actions I don't hug him back. I feel rather silly, off by the roadside as my driver hugs me. After a moment David takes me by either side of my face, planting a sweet kiss on my lips. I'm still shocked.

"I am so, so sorry you went through that."

I shrug.

"I get it. I won't say anything. I'm sure you're worried about tabloids and shit."

All I can do is nod.

Giving me another kiss, David looks at me in admiration, stroking my cheek. He smiles. "You have such a pure soul, Tristan Smith."

How could someone who had left their destroyed boyfriend in the hospital when he needed him most possibly have a pure soul?