Andante con Brio

V

He had never seen Brett move quite this fast before. He ran towards him at speed over the gravel path. 
"Jesus, Eddy, what happened?" he panted as he skidded to a halt in front of him, before he had even had a chance to sit down next to him on the bench. Eddy cleched both sides of the wood with his hands as if it could support him through this. Or maybe it did? That bench was pretty much a third party in their relationship by now? Brett sat down opposite him, one leg on each side, and waited for him to start talking. 
"My sister heard, yesterday." Eddy said after a beat, his voice strangely flat. "So she confronted me in her room, just now. She's.... she's super pissed."

He could feel the shock flowing off Brett and he had to stop himself from wrapping his arms around his boyfriend. Look, they had been made before several times. First by Todd, years ago. Then by Steven, Brett's pianist friend from school, and by their conductor friend John Davids, of course. But that was okay, because two of those were gay themselves and one of them had turned out to be a lip reader. But never, ever, had they been found out before by anyone where it made any sort of difference. He was so screwed, he didn't even have words to describe how screwed.  

"Jesus." Brett said. "Do... do you think she'll talk?"
Eddy shook his head.
"I don't think so. She said, if I thought she would I didn't know her at all."
He shook his head despondently and stared down at the patterns in the worn wood of the bench they were sitting on. Birds were singing all around them and the sun was beating down on his back already. It was poised to be a lovely day in Brisbane. So how was he finding himself in such a giant mess? 
"I'm such a fucking coward, Brett, I couldn't even stay there and fix it on the spot. Look, I get why she's pissed. We were always so close and I pushed her out. I didn't trust anyone enough to know the truth. And I hurt her in the process."
"No, Eddy, you can't think that way." Brett said instantly in his calm way. "Look, it's tough, being where we are. You've got to know you've done your best, right?"
Eddy looked up, not even bothering to swipe at the tear that rolled down his cheek. 
"Maybe. But I never planned on hurting people I love."
He could see the pain breaking through Brett's face, and he knew he had hit the nail right on the head there. Brett looked away, over to the where the pond with its colourful ducks was. There was a long while of silence before he turned back and spoke softly. 
"Look, you know it's not your fault, Eddy. You're doing the best you can. We both are. But we do need to figure out what to do now. Are you going to call her, or something? When is she going back to Sydney? I guess you need to try and talk to her before then?"
Eddy opened his mouth to speak, but then his head whipped to the left of its own accord. 

"Eddy."
The voice was still a ways away but it carried loud and clear. 
Fuck! His sister was here, coming towards them fast over the gravel path, and his heart stopped for the second time in less than an hour. How did she even know where he was? 
She came to a halt in front of them both, her face taut, her eyes cool. He found himself gripping the bench with both his hands even tighter. Why had she come here? And what was she going to say? Had she... had she told his mum already, despite what she had said earlier? 
"I figured I'd find you looking at ducks" she said in a weird tone that reflected her face. She glanced at Brett, but she didn't comment. "So I figured I'd come here. It's about time we should talk."