In the Unlikely Event

by L.J. Shen

But he shakes his head, sitting back and balancing his chair on its two back legs. “I’m an all-or-nothing type of lad, Rory. There’s no way in hell I can manage long distance.” His answer angers me a little. So he wants me, but only on his conditions? That’s shitty. If someone isn’t willing to wait for you, they don’t really deserve you. I can’t tell him to uproot himself and come to the States, to leave six siblings, his nephews and nieces, a mother, an elderly adoptive grandfather, and a mourning childhood friend who is pining for him and probably wants to wear my skin. And after the offhand way he treated me when I brought up long distance, I won’t even try. “We could stay friends on Facebook or MySpace—” I start, but he cuts me off. “And watch as you move on with other guys? Nah, thank you. I try to keep my self-hatred below suicidal level. And we both know watching each other fecking other people would be dazzlingly stupid.” I give him a hard stare, folding my arms. “Fine. Then we go cold turkey.” “I can’t go cold turkey,” he says. God, he is difficult. “You leave no room for much else,” I grit out. “False,” he retorts. “What do you suggest?” “A contract.”