Was this it? Maybe it was too late to reconcile anything – never mind as lovers, but even as friends – if this was them now. Reduced to stilted small talk. And all of it, Ari knew objectively, his fault. He had broken things off, after all: and maybe part of coming to terms with what he had been doing meant realising that not everything he had broken, be it within or beyond himself, could be repaired.
But then Ben spoke again, and sounded like a different person. Ari gave a pained smile. “I’m sorry,” he said (and he was certain he would want to say it again before this conversation was through, at least a thousand times over), and swallowed. “Well, I suppose that makes two of us.” It was a poor attempt at a joke – but being in a place like this did not lend itself to joking, much.
“Would you –” he added quickly, gesturing at the shabby wooden chair opposite him in a tentative suggestion, “like to sit?” It was a difficult place for anyone to feel at home in, Ari could see that plainly, but – this felt uncomfortable enough as it was, so it was worth a try.
But then Ben spoke again, and sounded like a different person. Ari gave a pained smile. “I’m sorry,” he said (and he was certain he would want to say it again before this conversation was through, at least a thousand times over), and swallowed. “Well, I suppose that makes two of us.” It was a poor attempt at a joke – but being in a place like this did not lend itself to joking, much.
“Would you –” he added quickly, gesturing at the shabby wooden chair opposite him in a tentative suggestion, “like to sit?” It was a difficult place for anyone to feel at home in, Ari could see that plainly, but – this felt uncomfortable enough as it was, so it was worth a try.
