Paralyzed (ON HIATUS)

Two Are Better Than One

Felix returns forty minutes later, taking a lot longer than he had mentioned. I carefully watch him in silence as he drives towards the park. A small frown settling on my lips as I recalled what had occurred earlier. Something about him seemed off, he was more distant than usual. The barking in the back seat gets my attention and causes me to turn around. I smile as I watch Max and Edgar playing, relief washing through me as I see Max not being difficult for once. I turn back around towards Felix but he continues to ignore my existence as he keeps his eyes focused on the road. After a short but awkward ten minute drive, we finally made it to the park.

Felix pulls into the surprisingly vacant parking lot and turns off the car. He grabs the leashes and quickly exits the car. I sigh before doing the same and opening the door for the dogs. We leash up the dogs and walk in silence to the beginning of the trail.

Maybe I had upset him but how? I traced the past couple of days in my mind but couldn't come up with a valid reason. Or maybe it's because I didn't want to admit what could have upset him.

I mentally scolded myself, we were just friends. Felix was a natural flirt, I was used to his comments by now but I couldn't deny the fact of how they had affected me lately. Not because they made me uncomfortable but because I had started to look forward to his flirty banter. I keep telling myself that I feel like this because I miss Mark and the trauma associated with Felix was the cause of the sudden erratic feelings I was experiencing.

Felix has always been there, constantly vowing to keep me safe. It was the classic damsel in distress situation.

"What's wrong?" Felix's voice had cut through my thoughts and I looked up towards him. He had his hands in his pockets as he glanced at me sideways.

"What do you mean?"

"Something is bothering you. You're very quiet and you seem tense." I am tense, I didn't know what to say or how to address the situation.

"I'm okay, just thinking I guess."

"Thinking about what?" You.

"On why you took so long." My voice sounded more bluntly than I had intended. He stops walking with Edgar and I turn around in confusion. His facial expression seemed serious and I mentally cursed myself for prying.

"And why does that concern you?" I frown at his harsh tone. He was right, it wasn't my concern but I couldn't help but want to know.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be intrusive, I just meant it as a friend who was concerned-"

"A friend huh?" He scoffs and walks past me as I stand there wondering why he was getting so hostile all of a sudden.

"Yeah, a friend. Why the sarcastic tone?" The question came out a little more defensive than I intended. Felix turns around quickly and I'm taken back. He had this look in his eyes but I couldn't place what it was exactly.

"Why do you keep asking all these questions? I don't have to answer you." He spat. I stood there in disbelief as I didn't know what to say. Why was this such a big deal for him, or for me even? Felix had his own life and he didn't have to answer me, but I also didn't have to deal with his attitude. He was acting like a dick and I didn't want to play the guessing game with him.

"Okay then." He looks back at me and I start to walk the other way with Max.

"Where are you going?" Felix asks behind me. I hear the ground crunch with his footsteps as he gets closer.

"Giving you space. When you're ready we can talk, right now you're acting like a moody teenager." I didn't know why it bothered me having Felix shut me out. Maybe because I wanted him to be as open with me as I was with him and for a while, Felix was doing that. He was open and honest with me and we were spending a lot of time together, our relationship had definitely grown stronger. I considered Felix as a really good friend so I had assumed he would come to me for help or at least talk about what was bothering him. But now he was back to being his old self, mysterious and cold.