The last strands (#Tronnor)

Prologue

-“You promised you wouldn’t tell anyone. You gave me your word…”

His eyes were accusing. His breath was shaking, causing his whole body to vibrate. Yet again there was nothing that could be done. The blow had hit, the damage was made, and whatever hope the young man had of keeping the secret between the two of them, had been lost.

-“You gave me your word, Tyler. You had promised me that. Doesn’t that mean anything to you?”

Connor was standing outside of the entry to Tyler’s apartment building. It was showering, which is pretty odd for Los Angeles, yet he stood there drenching in the cold, because he had to confront his friend. Because he had trusted him with his deepest demon… and it had all been a farce.

-“Connor, it’s not like that!”—Tyler said, wearing only his underclothes and staring at the weeping boy under the rain as he stood dry and safe in the lobby—“Please come inside, you’ll catch a cold! Let me lend you some clothes, and let’s talk this out…”

-“NO! LET’S NOT TALK ANYTHING OUT!”—Connor snapped, weeping and getting more anxious by the second—“YOU HAD PROMISED ME, TYLER! I TRUSTED YOU! NOBODY WAS MEANT TO KNOW! I TOLD YOU BECAUSE I WAS AFRAID! I AM NOT JUST AFRAID I’M TERRFIED! CAN’T YOU SEE THAT!?”

Despite how visibly distraught Connor was at the moment, Tyler could not care any less. He had been comprehensive and supportive to the end, but this was it.

-“That’s what’s wrong with you! There is NOTHING to be scared of, Connor! That’s what YOU don’t understand! I did you a favor, don’t you see? I did what YOU could NOT, and I am even taking all the SHIT you’re giving me for it!”

Connor was not expecting such a comeback. So not only was Tyler betraying his trust, he was also putting himself above Connor for being scared.

-“Not everyone had the same luck you did.”—Connor said, solemnly—“Not all of your friends can be as sure of their issues the same way you are. You can’t force me to act how you see fit.”

-“Do you think I was lucky? You think that’s the reason I am the way I am? Because I was lucky?”

Tyler couldn’t help but snort at the statement. It was on.

-“I was far from lucky. But I was brave. I grew some balls, if that’s how you want to put it.”—It seemed his rant was going to stop that far, yet in a barely audible whisper, he added—“Not that you would know…”

-“What… what do you mean by that, Tyler?”

Tyler did not respond. He just swallowed and stayed quiet, avoiding Connor’s gaze. Because he meant what he said, but he didn’t want to repeat himself. He felt that if he did, then whatever was left of Connor and his friendship was going to be over there and then.

But Connor was not having it.

-“If there is something you want to say, say it.”—Connor said, this time with no tears, standing with a straight face—“But say it to my face.”

Tyler looked at Connor in the eye, arms crossed, red with rage. This was it, if he had asked for it, then he would be happy to oblige.

-“I’ve been asking you to tell the truth to our friends for months now. Yet you refused.”—Tyler took a deep breath, and then continued—“It’s just that I expected many things from you Connor, but never for you to be such a coward.”

It was then when Connor struck Tyler with his right fist.