Nothing in This World Can Compare to You

1 week has passed since that horrifying night in the bar. I haven’t had a worse week of my life apart from the week straight after Nate and I broke up. He’s barely said anything to me and we haven’t been physical in any way. Not even kissing. I’m slowly falling apart inside and as much as I’m trying to hide it, I’m struggling. I think…I think it’s all coming to an end. For good.

Today at work I’ve been quiet, trying to come to terms for my more-than-likely future, and it seems that Dan’s noticed.

“Alright, what’s wrong? Something’s been eating at you all day, and I can’t stand it any longer,” Dan sighed dramatically, flopping down into the chair behind his desk.

I sighed and looked up at him, smiling weakly.

“Things aren’t going well with Nate. Again,” I mumbled.

“What?! What happened?!” Dan yelped.

“You know what my mom said in the bar, right?” I asked.

“About marriage? Yeah,” Dan nodded.

“Nothing’s been right since. Nate…Nate isn’t even holding me when we sleep. It’s been awkward and horrible between us all week and…I think he’s going to br-break up with me,” I choked, my voice cracking at the end.

“Woah, calm down – Nate wouldn’t break up with you over something your mom said,” Dan insisted.

“Yes, he would! He would over this! And what makes it worse is that I expect it! I know he doesn’t want to marry me and yet I can’t help but feel like everything’s just crashing down around me! Everything was so perfect and now it’s just in tatters! I can’t do this again. I can’t!” I sobbed, clenching my fists.

Dan ran over to my side and pulled me into a firm hug, rocking us back and forward to try to calm me down.

“You can’t think like this, Ash. You haven’t even talked to him,” Dan said softly.

“H-How do you know I haven’t?” I sniffed.

“Because I know you. You wouldn’t talk to him about what’s going on in your head unless you were forced to under Chinese water torture,” Dan teased.

“That is true,” I giggled.

I wiped my face dry, giving Dan one last squeeze before stepping out of his arms.

“Please don’t get down like this, Ash. I hate it,” Dan said with a sad smile.

“I’m trying. It’s just hard knowing that the relationship that’s taken up so much of my life is nearly over,” I sighed.

“You won’t know it’s over until you give up trying,” Dan said softly.

I didn’t really know what to say to that so I didn’t say anything. I carried on flicking through some of the pictures that I’d taken today while Dan pulled on his jacket and picked up his bag, only lifting my head when he walked in front of my desk.

“I’m going to leave now. You coming?” Dan asked softly.

“No, not yet,” I replied quietly, shaking my head.

Dan bit his bottom lip but nodded, leaving me alone in our office. I missed the determined look in his eyes.

*

[Nate]

I stared at my watch for what seemed to be the millionth time, but Ash still wasn’t home. Where the fuck is he?! It’s later than he usually stays at work…so I’m worried. Something’s wrong, I know it is. And I also know it’s because it’s what of his fucking mom said about marriage last week. Why did she go and ruin everything? Our relationship was just starting to get good again, but noooooo, she had to open her drunken mouth. Fuck it. I sighed and looked at my watch again, confused when I heard the buzzer for the front door downstairs, but walked over to the intercom.

“Uh, yeah?” I said.

“Nate? It’s Dan. I want to talk to you,”

I scowled at the sound of that Scottish fucker’s voice. There is no way in hell I’m talking to him!

“What would make you think I would ever fucking want to talk to you?”

He stayed silent, making me roll my eyes. Pfft.

“Look, if you’re just fucking around then you can…”
“Ash thinks you’re going to break up with him,”

Dan’s interruption made me freeze. W-What? Without thinking I pressed the button allowing Dan into the building, waiting until I heard it click to let go. What’s going on? Why does Ash think that? How does Dan know that Ash thinks that? I was brought out of my thoughts by three sharp knocks on the door, so I opened it, revealing Dan.

“Talk. Now,” I grunted.

Dan sat down and told me the conversation he’d had with Ash only minutes before he caught the bus over to this apartment. I held my head in my hands upon hearing Ash’s fears, sadness and dejection, hating that I’d caused it. He doesn’t deserve to be treated like this. When Dan finished he stayed silent, allowing me time to process his words.

“Do you know what the worst thing is about all of this?” I said with a bitter laugh.

“What?” Dan asked, confused.

“I bought a ring to propose to him. I bought it only a week before we broke up,” I whispered.

“Then why don’t you just re-use it?” Dan frowned.

“Because I fucking sold it for drugs! Drugs! Of all the fucking things! I could never tell Ash this because he would be so fucking heartbroken, especially with his mom setting everything off! I was going to ask him to marry me and I threw it all away!” I shouted.

Dan stayed silent as I fought to control my anger. I can’t believe I told him of all people something I’d never told anyone. I really had bought the ring for Ash, which is one of the reasons why I’d reacted so badly to see him with that Italian model. But to sell it for something so meaningless and then have the subject brought back up by his mom?

“If you still had the ring now, would you propose?” Dan asked suddenly.

“In a heartbeat,” I nodded.

“Then what’s stopping you?” Dan asked simply.

“The awkwardness between us at the moment? Him thinking I’m going to break up with him? His mom being the royal bitch that she is? The fact that I don’t have another ring?” I listed.

“Those aren’t real reasons, Nate. You know that,” Dan mused.

“I can’t just propose out of nowhere. Ash will think I’m just asking him because of what his mom said. I don’t want that at all,” I said firmly.

“Then ask him when this all blows over,” Dan shrugged.

What’s the catch here?

“Why are you so interested?” I frowned.

Dan sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.

“You know I like Ash. I know that he’ll never like me like that. If I can’t have him, then I want someone who deserves him to have him. You deserve him, Nate. You love him in the way that no-one else can. I can’t see him heartbroken and torn apart again like he was when you two broke up. I want him to be happy and I know that he’s only happy with you,” Dan said sadly, smiling weakly.

I rested my hand on his shoulder and squeezed gently. The extreme dislike I have for this guy may have just lowered a great deal, and that’s rare for me to say that.

“Thanks, I appreciate that,” I said sincerely.

“Just wanted to be honest. Please, make things right with Ash again. Soon. He’s falling apart,” Dan pleaded, smiling.

“I will, don’t you worry,” I nodded, smiling back.

Dan didn’t hang around for too long after that, so I was left alone with my thoughts. I know I need to fix things with Ash…but how?