Broken Mirrors
By Rin
©Rin August 2002
Disclaimer: I don’t know any of the members of 98°, or their sexual preferences but I sure wish I did!! I am making no money off of this. I am doing this for my sick and twisted entertainment as well as for those who read it. <Grin>
Summary: Drew deals with Jeff leaving him without any warning.
Archive: Only with permission.
Walking into the house, Drew called out to his partner of four years as he hung up his jacket. “Jeff! I’m home!” Turning from the hall closet, he heads back through the house heading for the kitchen.
Walking in, he looks around to see if Jeff might be getting ready to make dinner and sees nothing. No pots on the stove or even in the sink. The kitchen was spotless. Hm, didn’t he eat lunch today?
Leaving the kitchen Drew heads upstairs. Once at the top, he sees their bedroom door open and smiles. I bet he’s taking a nap. Lazy boy.
Walking down the hall, he pushes to door completely open and freezes. The room is in a shambles. Everywhere he looked there were clothes and other items scattered around the room. The bed was a mess, Drew remembered trying to make the bed this morning around Jeff’s sleeping form as he laughed and Jeff grumbled at him. The two chests that held some of the lighter clothing were missing some of their drawers while the remaining ones where open, clothes splling out onto the floor. Walking over to the closet, Drew saw that Jeff’s side of the closet had been stripped bare. There was almost nothing left. On the floor were the missing drawers, now empty of the contents they once held.
“What the…?” Drew looked around, lost in a daze of fear and confusion. His first thought was that someone had taken Jeff. But, once seeing the clothes gone he was beginning to wonder if Jeff had done this himself.
*RING!*
Drew heard the phone ring and sped for the stairs. Reaching the bottom step in a run, he grabbed up the phone and answered it in a winded voice. “Jeff?”
“Um, no sir. I was calling to tell you about this great new offer we have just for you!”
“Oh…um…no thanks.” Drew hung up the phone, not even hearing the protests of the telemarketer on the other end. Turning from the phone, he looked around the living room. There wasn’t anything missing from here.
As he walked out into the dining room, he noticed the photo album lying open on the table. Looking down, he noticed that one of the pictures was missing. At the moment, he couldn’t place which one it was though. He flipped through the album and didn’t come across any other missing pages.
Closing the album, he headed out into the backyard and looked around. The backyard was a riot of color. Roses were blooming along the back fence while the wildflower garden in the back corner was abuzz with bees and hummingbirds alike. Reaching up, Drew brushed away at a fly and went back inside.
*&*&*&*&*&*
Coming back into the bedroom, he sat down on the bed and heard the distinct rustle of paper beneath him. Moving aside, he picked up the wrinkled envelope and opened it.
Drew,
I’m sorry. I can’t explain it. I wish I could. I had to get out. I don’t know why but I just had to. I know this is lame and doesn’t make any sense but I felt like I was drowning. I’m sorry. I don’t know where I’m going or even if I’ll be back. It’s not anything you did or anything like that. It’s me, or at least I think it is. Hell I don’t even know what to think anymore.
I don’t know if I’m coming back or even where I’m going. No one knows that I’m leaving, I thought it might be easier that way. You know, that way you wouldn’t feel like anyone’s betrayed you. Well, except me that is. I have never betrayed you in the literal sense of the word but I feel like I am by doing this. But it’s something I have to do.
I know this isn’t making any sense but I can’t seem to think too clear right now.
I love you.
Jeff
Dropping the note onto the floor, Drew let the tears fall silently down his face as his heart left. Rising from the bed, he walked across the room and looked into mirror above the dresser. Instantly he felt a rush of anger, fueled by the pain in his heart. The next instant, he was staring at his hand resting against the wall behind the dresser, the mirror now broken, it’s pieces littering the top of the dresser and the floor around it.
Pulling his arm back, he cradled the bleeding hand against his chest and sank to the floor, letting the flow of grief close in on him. Looking down on the floor, he saw his reflection stare sadly back at him, shown in a myriad of shards.
So this is my life now. Broken.
END
I know, most people don’t like endings like this but it’s something that popped into my head the other night.