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Oscar gave a sad smile. “I think...that’s one of the questions I’m unsure how to answer.”

“I bet if you answer it, you’ll get the answer to all the other ones too.”

“And that’ll solve all my problems, huh?”

“Don’t be an ass. Look, I’ll be honest with you, Oscar, you’re probably going to be at the base for however long you stay in the military, or you’ll be there for a while anyway. So, to me, there’s not much in your way of getting together with this girl except for you. Does she want to be with you?”

“God, save me, yes, and I don’t know why,” Oscar said.

Gabriel grunted. “So, that’s it.”

Oscar looked around in bewilderment. “What?”

“Look, Oscar, you need to be willing to love, but you also have to be willing to accept love. Speaking as someone who knows you pretty well, you’re not so great at doing that. Figure out where your heart is, stop being an idiot, and do what’s right once you figure it out.”

Oscar’s mind whirled, now fully awake and dragging up images from the past. Troy’s face bubbled up in his mind, and Oscar’s heart squeezed.

“And when you do? Go talk to them.”

“I will,” Oscar promised.

TROY

Despite not making the promise, Troy kept his distance from Oscar for a few days following their argument in the street. Considering how fate seemed intent on making them run into one another, Troy had limited himself to going to work and returning to his apartment. Even his food had been ordered, as he was desperate to ensure Oscar had all the space he needed.

However, he was not a man to be caged in, and having stayed home Friday night, Troy felt ready to climb the walls by Saturday evening. Troy stared at the wall above his TV, wondering vaguely why there was nothing on for him to watch. It always felt like, no matter how interesting something sounded, he could never stick with it for long.

“Maybe I should take up gaming,” Troy said to himself.

His eyes fell to his keys, and he seriously considered driving to the store. The knowledge that it would cut into his budget was a minor concern, especially when the sense of crippling boredom weighed on him like a thick cloud. It seemed unfair that he felt trapped in his apartment just because life didn’t know how to give him a break.

He was spared having to make the decision by a knock on his door. Troy practically leaped up from the couch, eager forsomeone to distract him. He flung open the door to a startled-looking Oscar.

“Jesus, Troy, you always answer the door like you’re under attack?” Oscar asked.

Troy blinked, looking around. “Oh, you?—”

Oscar raised a brow. “Were you expecting someone else?”

Troy frowned. “Don’t be an ass. I just?—”

Wasn’t sure if Oscar was ever going to speak to him again.

Troy shook his head. “Wait, how did you get my address?”

“I was sworn to secrecy.”

“You mean, Dean.”

“I mean, Dean.”

Troy sighed, stepping out of the doorway. “I swear, that man likes to act like I’m nosy, but he’s just as bad.”

Oscar stepped in, closing the door behind him. “He seemed quite eager to give me your address. Is this some sort of revenge?”

“Probably, the little shit.”

“Which means he knows about everything.”