time's up

"I dunno what I should do." Roger called Ellie and went there right away. Naturally, he was sitting there at her kitchen table letting Charlie wallow all over the leg of his jeans leaving a wet animal cracker everywhere. He just stared at him, wondering if he was anything like that when he was a baby.

"Are you sure you should have left?" Ellie poured him some lemonade.

"I guess. She was so mad and well, I guess I shouldn't see Doyle," he sipped the tart lemonade then. It stung his throat, but he was thirsty. "For awhile."

"He might need you." Ellie told him.

"I know. I didn't mean to walk out like that, but I can't try to save him. I just can't. I'm done with that. You know, with Olivia and everything. And that just turned out. Wrong." He winced.

"Well, if he's important to you, you should, you know." Ellie pulled Charlie off of him then who was wanting to lay his head in Roger's lap. He couldn't exactly push him off. Yet at the same time, it was as if Charlie knew he needed a hug of some kind.

"All right, I get it."  Roger squinted hard. But Doyle's mother. Her voice. It hurt his ears so much. He could hardly stand it. Why did she had to make such a big deal about the two of them? There were worst things.

"So did you just-" Ellie started.

"What do you want to know? Huh!" Roger suddenly got agitated. She wanted to know if he forced Doyle into this. As if he'd coerced  him some how.  "I'm the girlfirend, in this. All right! Do you get it, now!"

Ellie just stared at him, not knowing what to say.

Roger felt himself shaking. He noticed Lon come in then from work. He had to go. He couldn't stay here. As it was, he was pretty sure he'd fucked this up, royally.