The Distance Between Us
710 Words
Olivia sat on the edge of their bed, staring at the dim glow of the city lights filtering through the window. The sheets beside her were cold—Ethan hadn’t come to bed. Again. She had spent countless nights reaching for him in the dark, only to find nothing but empty space. The silence between them had grown deafening, stretching further with every day that passed.
She couldn’t take it anymore.
Slipping into her robe, she padded out into the living room. Ethan was there, sitting on the couch with a glass of whiskey in hand, staring blankly at the TV. His shoulders were tense, his jaw clenched. The weight of everything—his father, his past, the distance between them—hung heavy in the air.
“Ethan,” she called softly, hoping for some kind of response. But he didn’t look at her.
She moved closer, standing in front of him. “Talk to me.”
Ethan sighed, rubbing his hand over his face before finally meeting her gaze. “What do you want me to say, Olivia?” His voice was hoarse, tired.
She swallowed hard. “I want you to tell me what’s going on in your head. I want you to stop shutting me out.”
A bitter chuckle escaped him as he set the glass down. “You wouldn’t understand.”
Her heart clenched. “Try me.”
Ethan ran a hand through his hair, exhaling heavily. “I don’t know how to be what you need. I don’t even know who I am anymore.” He shook his head, his eyes dark with frustration. “I thought I could leave the past behind, but it keeps dragging me back. Every time I see my father, every time I hear his voice, I feel like I’m that broken kid again, begging for something he was never going to give me.”
Olivia kneeled in front of him, taking his hands. “You’re not that kid anymore, Ethan. You’re a man who has survived more than most. But you have to let me in.”
He swallowed hard, his fingers tightening around hers. “And what if letting you in means hurting you?”
Her heart ached at his words. “Then we deal with it. Together.”
For the first time in weeks, something in Ethan’s eyes shifted. He let out a shaky breath, his grip on her tightening as if afraid she might slip away. “I don’t want to lose you.”
Olivia cupped his face, pressing a soft kiss to his lips. “Then don’t.”
Ethan pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her as though she was the only thing keeping him grounded. But even as he held her, the war inside him raged on, leaving him caught between the love he didn’t believe he deserved and the fear of losing her to his own demons.
The next morning, Olivia woke up alone.
Her heart clenched as she pushed the sheets aside, stepping into the quiet of their apartment. Ethan stood by the window, shirtless, a cigarette dangling from his lips. He rarely smoked anymore, only when something was clawing at him from the inside.
She crossed the room and slipped her arms around him from behind. “Stay with me,” she murmured against his back.
Ethan exhaled a cloud of smoke, his muscles tensing under her touch. “I’m right here, Liv.”
“No,” she said firmly, stepping around him to look into his eyes. “You’re somewhere else. And I don’t know how to reach you.”
Ethan looked away. “I don’t know if I want to be reached.”
Pain lanced through her chest. “You don’t mean that.”
He sighed, rubbing his thumb over his lips. “I don’t know what I mean anymore.”
“Then let’s figure it out together.” She reached for him, but this time, he stepped back. The space between them was small, but it felt like a canyon.
“I need time,” he said finally, his voice barely above a whisper.
Her breath caught. “Time for what?”
He didn’t answer.
And in that silence, Olivia knew. She was losing him.
- Writer
