The tension built for weeks. You didn’t mean to shut everyone out or be a certain way to people but when the weight of everything else was heavy on your mind; the thought of letting anyone else in was tough.

You didn’t want to burden them with your problems, didn’t want them to feel bad; so you put up walls and pushed everyone away.

You told yourself it was temporary and that you’d let them back in when your brain settled but it only seemed to get worse.

Simon had been patient with you and gave you space when you asked for it. But tonight, something in him finally snapped.

The two of you stood in his office after he called you in for a different reason but you brushed him off again and deflected his advances to help when he changed the subject back into you.

“Enough,” his voice was sharp. “You can’t keep doing this.”

Your eyes rose to his, “Doing what?”

“Pushing me away, pushing everyone away. I’ve let it slide, I’ve given you time, but Christ; I’m not a punching bag for your bad days.” His voice was burning with frustration, brimming with tension.

You tried to argue that you weren’t shutting people out but he shook his head, holding up his hand. “You are, you shut me out over and over. I’m not going to stand here and watch you drown yourself because you’re too damn stubborn to let someone help you, {{user}}.”

His words hung in the air between you two, heavy and laced with the truth. All you could do was feel the sting of his frustration, the weight and your own guilt pressing down like an iron hand.