Another stretch of silence."I eh...I've met someone."
Met someone.It had only been three months."Okay."
"I wanted to tell you because...well, we were talking about keeping the house."
Nikolai straightened."Our house?"
"Yeah, I talked to the Realtor and asked her to take it off the market.I love this house, and Peter likes it too."
"Peter?Peter from work?"Julian had always talked a lot about Peter at the office.
More silence."Yes, Peter from work.Nothing ever happened while we were together."
But the attraction Julian had denied when Nikolai had asked had been there."You said you weren't attracted to him."
"Yeah, well, things change."The snappy tone sure hadn't.
Nikolai shook his head."So you and your fuck buddy from work want to buy my house."
"Fuck you, Nikolai."
"Mmm.How do we go about this?"
Julian took a deep breath."We give you half of the market value minus your half of the mortgage.I can set up a meeting with the bank."
"What if there would've been a bidding war?"
More silence."How much do you want?"
Nikolai was shaking his head before he could find any words."No, I won't be made into the bad guy here.If you want to keep your new boyfriend in my house, then by all means, pay me a suitable sum to go away."
"Nikolai."Some of the old Julian was back.
"I have to go.Let me know what I need to sign."
"Nikolai."
"Bye Jules."
"Nikolai!"
But he hung up.There was a lump blocking his throat, and he drew in a long, shuddering breath.
"Come eat before it gets too cold."Frode turned and walked into the TV room.
Nikolai followed and sat on the couch next to Frode instead of in the armchair where he'd first placed the plate.
"You okay?"Frode pushed the salad bowl toward him.
He wanted to say yes, but his voice had gone into hiding, so he shrugged."He's fucking his colleague."
Frode nodded."It's often how it goes, isn't it?People you spend a lot of time with."
Nikolai looked at him."You're saying if I'd spent more time with him, we'd still have been together?"
"No.Only it's easy to catch feelings for someone you're spending a lot of time with."
"I asked him, more than once, if there was something going on between him and Peter.He always said no."
