He fesses up . . . with some encouragement

Oh Ella smelled something fishy and it sounded like it had to do with Rena, she was gonna get Ed to come clean. Mom always said to you attract more flies with honey, so lets butter him up. Ella move closer to Ed clinging onto his arm looking up at him

"Oh Eddy, you can tell me. We could help Alex together we'er all friends after all, but . . ." she pauses playing up the sweet voice of hers the best she could

". . .but I would like to be more with you" She leans up on her toes to kiss his nose, his face imminently growing beet red. Ella hugs onto him feeling his heart race, she totally got him, smiling mischievously to herself.

Ed stammers "I-I want that too Ella, but . . . well ok, but you have to promise to not tell Alex. It would break his heart"

Ella nods, what in the world could be so damning?

"Around a month or so ago Rena, Alex's girlfriend at the time, popped by the apartment to surprise Alex. He had left for home at the last minute and me and Nate were the only ones there that weekend. I went out training before she got there, but the workout just wasn't the same without Alex, so I headed back early. When I got home I heard Nate with some girl in his room, they were going at it pretty hard" Ed took a breath

Ella's heart sank as she realized where the story was going.

Continuing Ed sounded more a more downtrodden with each word. "I didn't think much of it, Nate has girls over all time, but maybe an hour or so later Rena stumbles our of his room. She seemed embarrassed, made some excuse, and ran out of the apartment. Me and Nate never talked about it, I didn't know how to bring it up. I had hoped it was a one time thing, but they kept sneaking around poor Alex. I just didn't know how to break it to the guy. I mean his best friend and high school girl both fuckin' him over."

He shakes his head in shame "I guess the guilt got to her, that or she just wanted to move on, now she is dating some weight lifter. At lest Alex still has Nate and me."

He sighs "and now when he finally moves on and finds a new girl I do the same thing to him. Fuck"

Ella listens quietly to Ed's story. The shock of so many emotions over the past hour is messing with her new brain. Her and Ed stand for a moment in silence in the empty gym as they both process their current situation.