15-05-2021-052358It-Ends-with-Us

“Atlas, stop!” I yell.
Atlas releases Ryle forcefully, taking a huge step back. Ryle is
breathing heavily, staring at Atlas long and hard. Then his focus
moves directly to me. “Atlas?” He says his name with familiarity.
Why is Ryle saying Atlas’s name like that? Like he’s heard me say it before?
I’ve never told him about Atlas.
Wait.
I did.
That first night on the roof. It was one of my naked truths.
Ryle lets out a disbelieving laugh and points at Atlas, but he’s still
looking at me. “This is Atlas? The homeless boy you pity-fucked?”
Oh, God.
The hallway instantly becomes a blur of fists and elbows and my
screams for them to stop. Two waiters push through the door behind
me and shove past me, separating them just as quickly as it started.
They’re pushed apart against opposite walls, staring each other
down, breathing heavily. I can’t even look at either of them.
I can’t look at Atlas. Not after what Ryle just said to him. I also can’t
look at Ryle because he’s probably thinking the absolute worst
possible thing right now.
“Out!” Atlas yells, pointing at the door, but looking at Ryle. “Get
the hell out of my restaurant!”
I meet Ryle’s eyes as he begins to walk past me, scared of what I’ll
see in them. But there isn’t any anger there.
Only hurt.
Lots of hurt.
He pauses as if he’s about to say something to me. But his face just
twists into disappointment and he walks back out into the restaurant.
I finally glance up at Atlas and can see disappointment all across
his face. Before I can explain away Ryle’s words to him, he turns and
walks away, pushing through the kitchen doors.
I immediately turn and run after Ryle. He grabs his jacket from the
booth and walks toward the exit without even looking at Allysa and
Marshall.
Allysa looks up at me and holds her hands up in question. I shake
my head, grab my purse and say, “It’s a long story. We’ll talk
tomorrow.”