“Oh yeah? You two weren’t meant for each other?” Alice scoffed.

“No, I don’t think we were,” Dana responded, ignoring Alice’s light tone.

“Jeez, Dane. You have high standards for a relationship,” Alice mumbled, looking down.

“I just think that my cancer has changed my perspective on a lot of things.”

Alice looked up. “Yeah? Like what?”

“Like I value lots of simple stuff a lot more now,” Dana started. She alternated from glancing between the floor and Alice. “And, most importantly, I value you a lot more.”

Alice raised her brows. “Me? What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You were the only one who could still make me laugh… make me happy… make me want to keep going on,” Dana said, biting her lip.

“Dane, don’t say that. You have so many other people who love and care for you as much as I do. Shane, Howie, Bette, Tina… need I go on?” Alice sighed.

“But I need you the most, and you’re there for me the most,” Dana said, smiling and bringing their hands up.

“Okay… you know you don’t have to say this stuff right? I told you, I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“I want to say this stuff,” Dana insisted. “Also… I want you to know, I’m sorry.”

“Sorry for what?” Alice asked guardedly. This didn’t look good.

“Sorry for the way I treated you when we broke up.”

“What? If anything, I should be apologizing about how I acted when we broke up. You didn’t do anything wrong,” Alice replied bitterly.

“Actually, scratch that. I’m sorry I broke up with you.”

“Dana… don’t tell me that shit,” Alice muttered, turning away.

“I need to. I made a mistake, and– ”

“Don’t,” Alice interrupted, dropping her hands and moving away. Dana grabbed her arm, trapping Alice against a wall.

“Why not? Why can’t I?” Dana asked quietly.

“Don’t tell me you made a mistake after a year. I can’t let that mean something to me again,” Alice whispered, tears in her eyes.

“Why?”

“Because I’m almost sure that it’s another one of your games. Remember when you told me you loved me? Funny thing about that, a month later your ex shows up and that all goes to shit,” Alice hissed.

Dana grasped Alice’s shoulders. “I didn’t leave you for Lara.”

Alice scoffed. “Bullshit. You were fucking her a week later.”

“When she showed up, you went crazy on me. You didn’t trust me at all.”

“Yeah, well, I obviously had good reason not to trust you. I was right, wasn’t I?” Alice sneered. That was a victory she’d gone over in her head plenty before.

“I left because it wasn’t working!” Dana cried defensively.

“If you loved me, you would’ve stayed and made it work,” Alice ranted. Angry tears were now pouring down her face.

Dana sighed. “The Alice I loved wasn’t there anymore. In her place was a suspicious, insecure, clingy woman I didn’t know.”

Alice closed her eyes. This hurt too much. “I only became that way because of you. You were having dinner with Lara! You two only broke up because you were in the closet! Obviously, that wasn’t a problem anymore!”  

“What’s so wrong about me wanting to be friends with an ex?”

“You were never friends! You were together, and then you weren’t.”

“Okay. You’re right. But–”

“But nothing! If you see that I’m right, then you can see why I can’t be with you. You were never in love with me,” Alice whispered, sliding across the wall and out of Dana’s grasp. She walked down the hallway, calling over her shoulder, “We work much better as friends. When you’re done with this bullshit about making a mistake, call me.”

“Alice! Stop! I’m sorry!” Dana yelled, but to no avail. The door slammed shut with a resounding thud.

Dana brought a hand up to her head, leaning against the wall. “Fuck,” she whispered, letting her own tears fall.