You Were Always Mine

Long Time Bestie

The boxing gym hadn't changed.

The same faded sign hung above the entrance. The same cracked concrete steps led inside. The smell of sweat, leather and disinfectant greeted Oscar the moment he pushed through the doors.

Some things refused to change no matter how many years passed.

The rhythmic sound of gloves hitting punching bags echoed through the building. Somewhere in the corner, a coach barked instructions at a teenager whose footwork looked more enthusiastic than coordinated.

Oscar barely noticed as his mind was somewhere else entirely.

"Well, look what the storm dragged in."

Oscar turned toward the familiar voice.

Echo stood beside one of the rings, already wrapped and dressed to train.

He hadn't changed much over the years. Still broad shouldered and he still had that looped grin that had pulled him women way above his league back then.

But he had a short beard lining his jaw now.

Oscar recalled how often the freak had whined and complained about not growing a beard. At least his dream is finally coming true.

Echo folded his arms.

"I was beginning to think I'd hallucinated that phone call."

Oscar walked over.

Echo looked him up and down before breaking into a grin.

"Damn."

"What?"

"You actually look older."

Oscar raised an eyebrow. “I take back my compliment.”

“You haven't said anything.”

“Until you opened your mouth.”

Echo chuckled and they pulled each other into a brief one-armed hug before stepping back.

It was awkward.

Hell, four years was a long time for things to be slightly awkward.

"So..." Echo shoved his hands into his pockets. "We're pretending you didn't disappear?"

Oscar shrugged. "I got busy."

Echo laughed. "Busy?” He asked. "You ghosted everybody."

Oscar didn't deny it.

After everything that happened in university...

He had stopped answering calls, stopped showing up to parties that ran in the same circles as Vivian's.

His world had narrowed down to work. At least his work wouldn't betray him or lie to him or throw his feelings in his face like it meant nothing.

Echo studied him for another second.

"...You really did get older."

Oscar smirked. "I'll take that as a compliment."

Echo chuckled and shook his head. He grabbed an extra pair of gloves and tossed them toward Oscar.

"You still know how to use those?"

Oscar caught them easily. "I remember carrying you."

Echo barked out a laugh. "You won one spar and you won't let me live it down"

Oscar arched a brow. “I do pack a good punch.”

"You hit after the bell." Echo corrected.

Oscar shrugged. "You should've defended yourself."

Echo pointed at him. " You're still an asshole."

Oscar's smile grew just enough to notice.

Maybe coming here hadn't been a terrible idea after all.

—

A few minutes later the bell rang.

They circled each other slowly inside the ring.

Echo bounced lightly on his feet but Oscar barely moved.

"You've gotten stiff."

Oscar answered with a jab. Echo slipped to the side.

"Still rude."

Another jab. Then a cross. Echo blocked both.

"You know..." he grinned. "I almost missed getting punched by you."

Oscar finally spoke. "Talk less."

Echo laughed. "There's my roommate."

Oscar lunged. This time the punches came faster, swing left right and hook.

Echo absorbed two before answering with one to Oscar's ribs.

A dull thud echoed through the gym but Oscar barely reacted. Instead he kept moving closer, swinging at him again and again.

What the hell was he thinking? Kissing her like that? Feeling all those gratuitous emotions?

Why, because she was scared of thunder? What business of his was that? Why does he keep throwing himself into her arms like a f*****g b***h?!

Echo's grin slowly disappeared and seeing Oscar’ punches weren't normal anymore. His eyes were focused with a concentration that made his friend lightly unsettled.

Echo blocked another hook before stepping backward.

"Damn."

"What?"

Echo shook his head once. "You really are in a mood."

Oscar threw another combination.

Echo barely ducked. That right hand would've knocked out most people.

The bell saved him and both men stepped back into opposite corners.

Echo pulled out his mouthguard. "You trying to kill me?"

Oscar took a long drink from his water bottle. He wasn't planning on it.

Hell, were his punches that aggressive?

He didn't bother to ask because Echo had his eyes fixed on his face in silence like he was reading

The years hadn't changed Oscar's face much. They had changed his eyes and he looked relatively…distant.

And tired. Emotionally. Like someone carrying around a weight nobody else could see.

The second round began but this one lasted less than a minute.

Oscar landed a clean right hook across Echo's guard.

Echo stumbled backward. "Bloody hell." He laughed despite himself. "I thought I recognized that look.”

Oscar frowned. “What look?”

"The i***t that bottles everything up until somebody ends up eating leather."

Oscar lowered his gloves slightly while Echo leaned against the ropes.

Sometimes, it's best you don't let people know you all too well because that is in full display right now with Echo.

"You done pretending?"

Oscar said nothing.

Echo sighed. "You didn't call me because you missed me."

“Ypu think.”

"You called because something happened."

Oscar chuckled. “Now isn't that a way of hurting my feelings?”

Echo peeled away from the corner, “I am disappointed that you don't. But the fact that you came to me.”

He bowed dramatically, “I'm honoured.”

Oscar chuckled, wrapping his hands again just to distract himself.

“You ready to talk?” Echo asked in seriousness. “I heard you married your girl.”

Oscar froze mid wrap, his playful eyes seemed to turn into something darker.

Hell, she used to be his girl. She used to be everything he thought of and dreamed of back then.

"...How's married life?" Echo asked again.

Oscar's jaw clenched.

Echo noticed immediately. "That bad?"

Oscar grabbed his wrap tighter as he continued at a much faster pace.

"It's complicated."

Echo snorted. "That's billionaire language for disaster."

Oscar didn't argue.

Echo rubbed the back of his neck, a bit hesitant. He used to be Oscar's wing man back then, helping him to plan the perfect get away from him and Vivian.

"...Have you two talked about it?"

Oscar already knew what he meant. “What is there to talk about?”

Echo blinked. "Is that a no?"

Oscar stepped toward the punching bag hanging beside the ring instead.

He hit it hard once, sending the chains rattling violently.

Echo climbed out of the ring and followed.

"Oscar."

He ignored him, drake eyes focused on the punching bag as he punched it again and again with a force that was almost alarming.

Echo folded his arms. "It's been years."

The bag swung violently as another punch hit it.

Of course he knew it had been years! Bloody hell, he was keeping count without meaning to!

“Oscar, you need to ask the right questions. Ask her the right questions.”

Oscar stopped, his chest rose and fell steadily.

"No."

Echo looked genuinely confused now. "Why?"

Oscar laughed once, there was no sense of humour in that sound.

"Why?" He repeated as he turned to face Echo. "Because I saw her."

His voice remained calm.

"I saw her. And heard her. With him. What bloody explanation is there to give?”

Echo closed his eyes briefly. Oscar had taken this a bit far after that night and had humiliated her in front of the whole school.

Hell, he thought this mess would have been resolved by now.

"You know what the worst part was?" Oscar asked. "I believed her. She lied to me and I believed her."

Echo exhaled deeply.

Oscar laughed bitterly. "I actually believed she loved me."

Another punch, his knuckles hit the leather so hard the bag twisted sideways.

"I would've married her back then."

Echo stared, he knew that because he'd gone ring showing with him. His overhanging ass couldn't decide what worked and what didn't.

"I had the ring." Oscar mutttered. "I was going to propose after graduation."

Echo nodded. “I understand. I do. But you still need to resolve this. I mean you're married to her now. You live under the same roof..”

“I called her that night.” Oscar offered, eyes staring down at the ground. “It rang. I was right outside the door. It rang and she picked up the call. When I asked her where she was…she lied to me.”

He glanced at Echo. “She threw the one thing I begged her never to do to me right in my face, Echo. You think talking things out will fix that?”

Echo exhaled, he was right. Damn, he felt so helpless not knowing what advice to give.

He rubbed the back of his neck. “I don't know man. I just…”

Oscar taps his shoulder playfully. “I didn't come here for advice.”

Echo raised an eyebrow, “You came here to take out your aggression on me?”

Oscar's silence was answer enough.

“Never in my two decades of living have I been told to my face that I was remembered just to become someone's punching bag.”

He pointed at the exit. “Get out of my gym. Out!”