To Say These Words

Chapter Two

Ross strode up the staircase, the box of Rachel's belongings in his hands. The cardboard handles pressed into his palms as he carried the lidded package.

He had made his decision, if he were to stop now it would most likely cause him to turn around and abandon this task.

These few items, exchanged between them, held so much power. They were officially over the moment he gave this box to her, and he didn't want to think about that fact. They would soon have no visual reminders of their relationship; it would be only memories.

Ross felt the need to do this. Somehow, he needed to stop being reminded of the relationship they'd lost. That feeling he got in the pit of his stomach when he saw Rachel was enough. Having constant reminders of her, scatted throughout his apartment, was too much. This was a step in the right direction.

Of course, his competitive side shone through, the driving force behind this decision. Returning this box to Rachel brought them closer to being even; they were nearly tied in the game of moving on.

Except Rachel was with Mark.

As Ross approached the forest green door, the brass 20 staring him in the eye, he took a deep breath. He carefully shifted the box in order to tuck it under his arm, freeing one hand. He quickly knocked on the wooden door before entering the apartment.

"Hey Ross," Monica greeted when she spotted her brother in the doorway. She was seated at the kitchen table, chopping up a few vegetables for dinner.

"Hi. I, uh, have a box to return to Rachel, is she here?" Ross asked. He walked further into the apartment, travelling into the living room where Phoebe and Chandler sat.

"No, she's still at work. You can put it on the coffee table if you'd like," Monica stated, revolving in the chair to face Ross.

"I'll leave it here then," Ross confirmed, bending down to place the box on the table. He stared at it one last time, when he returned to standing upright, before relocating his gaze to the floor.

Chandler noticed Ross' discomfort immediately.

Chandler couldn't get the moment out of his head, being frozen in place beside Ross as Mark and Rachel passed them in the hall. After that, Ross had acted strange all night, which was understandable. Who wants to see their ex happily dating someone else?

He remembered seeing Ross leave the night previous, saying he needed to be alone. Even if Chandler didn't show his sensitive side all the time, his humor often became a way to escape awkward situations, he cared about Ross' happiness.

Ross was taking this hard. Mark was replacing Ross at Rachel's side. There was not much Chandler could do to help Ross, help him feel better. He could only encourage his friend to move on. By letting go of Rachel, Ross would eventually stop hurting.

"You okay, man?" Chandler asked, putting his magazine down to focus on Ross. Phoebe eagerly listened to the conversation, wanting to hear Ross' response as well.

"Um, yeah, I'm okay," Ross declared, shifting nervously. Phoebe hid her smile, Ross was a terrible liar: he was certainly not okay.

"What's with the box?" Chandler questioned, pointing in the direction of the coffee table.

"I'm, well, I'm returning a few of Rachel's belongings... like she did for me," Ross explained carefully, shifting with nervousness.

"Do you have plans for dinner? You're welcome to stay," Monica said, changing the subject for Ross' sake.

"I need to get home - I've got some stuff to do. I just wanted to drop these things off for Rachel. It's only fair," Ross explained.

"She told me about the argument you guys got into, and Chandler told me about Mark," Monica spoke.