Almost Easy

"I kissed Hollis" Zacky said out of the blue, breaking the silence in the car as the three of them drove away from the cemetery.

Hollis felt all of the color drain from her face as she sat in the back seat of the SUV, watching Brian to see how he would react. She noticed his grip on the wheel tightened significantly, his knuckles slowly turning white.

"...What?" He asked in a voice that was remarkably calm and unexpected by both Hollis and Zacky.

"...I kissed her." He repeated, his voice surprisingly strong.

Hollis saw Brian look at her in the rear view mirror, but she turned her face away, not wanting to make eye contact with him. She stared at her feet, scared of what might happen.

"When?"

"A few weeks ago."

Brian caught Hollis' eyes in the rear view mirror, "Is this true?"

She nodded and went back to looking at her feet.

"Why...why would you do that Zacky? We're best friends. She's my girlfriend, and has been for the past two months. Why would you do that and why would neither of you tell me?" They could both hear the anger in Brian's voice, but his voice came out smooth and even - a false calm. His knuckles were now pure white as he gripped the steering wheel with all his might.

"I'm sorry. I...don't know what I was thinking when I did it. I wanted to tell you...I feel terrible..."

"Then why the hell would you do that to me?!" He said, his anger finally showing in his voice, "If you feel so terrible about it, then why would have done it in the first place?"

"Because I had told you that I was falling in love with her and you went ahead and started dating her!" Zacky shouted.

"But you knew full well that I am in love with her!" Brian shouted back. The outbursts scared Hollis in two ways. Brian's shouting had frightened her, but it was not shocking. She had already heard Brian yell before and she was surprised that he hadn't starting yelling earlier. It was Zacky that had scared her. The tone of his voice was one that Hollis had never heard before, she had never heard him talking above a loud whisper and now he was yelling at his best friend. After the shock of his voice sunk in...her brain was able to absorb their words...

They were both in love with her.

Like clockwork, Brian's eyes looked at her in the rear view mirror as Zacky whipped around to meet her gaze, fully understanding the gravity of what he just said. She was sure that the look on her face matched the semi-horrified look on his.

"I...I..." He stuttered, not knowing what to say while Brian sat silent in the driver's seat. He pulled into the driveway in front of his and Zacky's house and turned the car off...but no one moved.

"...I...I don't think I can handle this..." Hollis managed to stutter out in a quiet voice.

It was then that both men turned to face her. She wrung her hands in her lap as she stared at her feet. "I mean it."

"What are you saying?" Brian asked, all the anger about the kiss gone from his voice and now his voice was heavy with worry.

"I'm saying that I can't be in your lives anymore. I'm tearing apart a friendship and I'm tearing myself apart over the two of you."

"But you can't...you're the best doctor I've ever had."

"Zacky. I can't. I'll give you a list of doctor's I recommend, you'll fine at least one you'll like. I promise."

"So you're leaving me too" Brian stated.

"I have to. Don't you understand that I can't choose between the two of you? I love you both so much and it kills me to have to choose. I...I can't choose."

"You...love me?" They both asked at the same time and Hollis began to cry.

"I have to go." She whispered and climbed out of the car.

Like lightning, both Brian and Zacky were out of the car and running after her as she hurried down the street.

"Leave me alone please" She pleaded with them as they caught up with her.

Brian put a hand on her shoulder and she shrugged him off, "Brian, please." Tears were rolling down her cheeks as she looked at the men she loved, "Just let me go. Both of you. Just let me go."

And they did.