Life was happening in slow motion.

It had only been three days since Kong walked out on me, Adam and James and not returned until now. But everything was just not the same. Time seemed to slow down, nothing interested me anymore. Not work, not school, not even ice cream.

I missed Kong. Terribly.

"Why do you look like suffering and doom?"

I whirled to the side to see Tasha staring at me like I had two heads. She'd dyed her hair electric blue and gotten rid of the bangs. Her lips were coated with a deep shade of hot red.

"Why do you look different?" I asked her.

She shrugged. "I ended things with Roy. Just couldn't see a future for us."

"Oh. Um. I'm sorry, I guess," I fumbled.

She smirked. "Don't be. I got to boss people around because they thought being their manager's girlfriend gave me an automatic promotion." She snorted. "Plus, we had good-"

I cut her off in a frenzy, leaning away. "Don't say it. We're at work."

She rolled her eyes. "We had good reason to end. Get your mind out of the gutter, Camden. And where the heck is your other annoying half?"

I bit down on my lip and studied Tasha. She was trying to hide it, but her lips were twitching as she stared back at me. "I don't know."

"You don't know? I thought the both of you were joined at the hip." We were but I was not having this conversation with Tasha.

"He just needed a break. I'll cover for him."

Tasha have me a one over before turning on her heel. "Whatever. I'm not payed to babysit my coworkers."

The rest of the day dragged on painfully slowly. I served table after table, taking orders and delivering said orders. All the while everyone wanted to know where Kong was and they all came to me for answers. Even Annie was worried that all twelve cupcakes in her batches were intact.

And I kept telling them the same thing: that Kong needed a break.

It wasn't until I was covering Kong's shift at the counter, smiling at a nice olive-skinned lady who seemed to be in her late forties that I caught the silhouette of someone at the door. My smile fell immediately as I watched Kong usher Pat in, find a table for her walk away. Right into Roy's office.

Okay. So he disappears from my life for three days and then shows up only to go see Roy. Totally understandable.

My eyes were still on Pat as I served the woman her order and turned to Brad, the other barista. "Hey, Brad!" I called.

He looked up from his phone and hummed in response.

"Could you cover for me? I need to check on something."

Brad stared at me for a moment, enough time for me to steal another glance at Pat. Still there.

"Five minutes. You're buying me a milkshake if you take any more time."

I grinned at him and nodded, squeezing his forearm as I hurried past. Brad was a solid piece of ripped meat, kind of like Adam. They were about the same height even.

"Thank you," I called to him, all but running to Pat, determined to find out what she was doing here with Kong.

Her eyebrows kissed the ceiling on seeing me. "Hey, Avery."

The way she drew out that "hey" made me believe that she had not expected me to still be here.

"How come you're still here."

"Covering Kong's shift. By the way, what are you doing here and why did Kong just enter my manager's office?"

Pat bit her lip, contemplating whether to tell me something or not. Eventually, she motioned for me to sit down and leaned forward when I did, speaking in a low tone.

"He wants to quit." What?! "I tried to convince him not to but he's hell bent on the idea of 'having his own life'" she made air quotes with her fingers around the last four words.

I felt my face crumple up. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Pat shrugged. "I have no idea, but it has something to do with you lying to him all this time." She lifted her eyebrow with suggestion. And when I let out a breath through my mouth, she took it as confirmation. "You let him find out from someone else?"

"Technically, I was there when he found out. Adam just yapped it all out to him while I stood and watched with James by my side-"

"James was there?"

I shook my head. "-Point is, he found out. And now he hates me and wants to cut me out of his life completely." My hands flew up in frustration and I leaned back into my seat. "Fucking great."

"He doesn't hate you." I gave her a flat look. Pat rephrased. "Not anymore. He just needs a break."

A break. Yeah. I could give him a break. It's the least I could do after lying to him and stringing him on.

"And since he's moving in with me, he's going to have a fresh slate."

I shot forward in my seat, eyebrows hitting the sky. "He's moving in with you?"

Pat looked genuinely confused. "He hasn't told you yet?"

Oh, deja Vu. Touché, Kong.

And... speak of the devil. "No, I haven't." He would appear right behind you.

Pat stuttered with her words, but Kong put her out of her misery. "It's fine," he sighed. "I'd have told her eventually."

I stood up and faced Kong. He looked different. Not physically, his aura. Kind of unreachable. But still, I reached out to him.

"You're leaving me?" Unbelief was heavy in my voice, heartbreak as well.

"I need to not be everywhere you are for five fucking seconds."

My voice broke. "Do I suffocate you that much? I said I was sorry. I am sorry."

Kong finally locked gazes with me. And that was all it took for us to reach each other. Suddenly, everything felt right in the world again. That glint in his blue eyes still burned bright, but they were sullen.

He took my hand and squeezed. "I know you are, and I do forgive you. It's just hard to forget." A pause. "You know, everything I've done in the past years could always be traced back to you. The apartment, this job, James, breaking up with Pat." He motioned to Pat who was sliding down in her seat, watching us.

Then his gaze came back to mine. "I just want to do something for myself and in order to do that, we're going to have to separate from one another for a while."

I ran my tongue over my lower lip, breathing fast. I would not lose Kong. He'd forgiven me, I could mend us. "I'll move out then. I'll move out for a month if that's what you need. I could even quit here. It'd certainly make mum happy. I-"

"Avery,"

"I can't lose you too!" I was breathing hard and fast now. My heart pounding against my ribcage, tears on the brink of falling. "I can't. I won't be able to bear it. Holding on to the fact that you'll come back is the only reason why I'm still sane right now."

Kong engulfed me in a hug, planting a kiss on my forehead as he did. "I'm sorry, Avery. But this has to happen. You're stronger than you give yourself credit for and trust me when I say you'll get through this." He pulled away to study my eyes. "All you have to do is open your eyes, Avery. There are tons of people who love and care about you, not just me."

I swallowed and shook my head. "I can-"

"You can. And you will."

"Please don't leave me," I croaked.

Kong cracked a smile, the first one I'd seen in days that felt like decades. "Who said anything about leaving you? You're stuck with me, till we grow old and have to use plastic as teeth."

I chuckled and sniffled. "I don't want you to move out."

"Neither do I. But I have to. For me."

For him. It was selfish of me to hold him back when all he'd done was for me. I needed to let go. No matter how hard it was going to be.

"I'm still the bestest best friend you could ever have," said Kong.

"That's the reason why this is so hard," I replied, stepping away from him but still holding on to his hand. I turned to Pat. "He never does the laundry and he can be a pest. He's going to be a lot to put up with but please take care of him for me."

It was a small request I knew Pat would grant. She loved him after all. This was a step forward for them and me too. Even if it was hard to see right now.

Pat slowly smiled and nodded. "I promise."