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“So, you are alive.” I speak, causing her to startle.
She turns around and her eyes soften when she sees me. “What are you doing here?”
I open my mouth to reply just as Bree comes out of the bathroom. She stops as soon as soon as she notices we’re not alone.
“Oh, you’re back.”
Kayleigh looks her up and down. “You okay? I never see you in sweats.”
Bree half shrugs. “I think I got what you’ve had. My head hurts and I’ve felt sick all day.”
Judging by the look on Kayleigh’s face, I’m completely certain that the sick excuse she gave Bree was a lie. Naturally though, she maintains her composure and frowns.
“I’m sorry. I hope you feel better.”
Bree comes over to the bed and climbs across me. She puts the computer halfway between us and starts to play the movie. I, however, can’t seem to focus on anything other than Kayleigh. My body has been craving to be near her since Tuesday. I’ve needed her like air, and even though I tried to give her space, it hasn’t been easy.
I subtly watch as she seems to fight some internal battle with herself. Finally deciding on something, she gets up and grabs a bottle of water from the mini-fridge. After, she goes into her nightstand drawer and pulls out a bottle of pills – taking one and popping it into her mouth. When she’s done, she puts the medication back and grabs her phone. Fuck.
As soon as it turns on, it starts to vibrate profusely. I can only imagine how many of those alerts are because of me. She waits until it finishes before picking it back up and inputting the code. My eyes won’t look away from her as she reads the screen. Finally, after what feels like forever, she turns to look at me. Our eyes lock and the only thing I can do is shrug and give her my best attempt at a smile. Unfortunately for me, it comes out looking exactly how I feel.
She looks away and puts her phone to her ear, I assume to play the voicemails. Bree shifts, which catches my attention. I quickly focus back on the computer screen. She lays her head against my shoulder and grabs my hand. I think about what Jesse said. That girl looks at you like you hung the damn moon. I don’t know what makes me more upset. The fact that it’s true, or that I don’t deserve it. I rub my thumb back and forth over her hand, feeling guiltier than ever.
Movement from the other side of the room catches my eye and I turn to find Kayleigh has rolled over and is now facing the wall. Perhaps Jesse was right. Maybe she’s just not into me as much as I thought. Letting that sink in puts a sickening feeling in the pit of my stomach, but I do my best to ignore it.
BY THE TIME BREE finally falls asleep, Kayleigh still hasn’t moved. I quietly slip out of bed, making sure not to wake her, and tiptoe to the other side of the room. My intention is only to kiss her forehead before I leave but she opens her eyes as I pull away. I place my finger in front of my lips, showing her that Bree is asleep.
“What are you doing?” She asks tiredly.
I sit down on her bed and can’t resist the urge to run my fingers through her hair, brushing it away from her eyes. “I was so worried about you. You disappeared. What happened?”
Her eyes begin to water as she shakes her head. “I just can’t do it.” When I don’t say anything, she elaborates. “I can’t be a part of you cheating on her. She’s my friend.”
Alright, so it wasn’t because she just doesn’t like me. The fact that she doesn’t want to hurt Bree is understandable, and honestly, a lot easier to handle.
“Okay.” I sigh, bending down once more to kiss her. Her lips are soft against my own, and the kiss is just enough to show I’m not the only one feeling something here.
After I pull away, I ignore the harsh feeling in my chest, and leave the room. Suddenly, I have a decision to make – one I’ve been putting off for a while now.
I LIE IN MY bed, tossing and turning for hours. No matter how comfortable this mattress may be, my brain just won’t shut off long enough for me to fall asleep. Every time I close my eyes, I see the expression on Kayleigh’s face tonight. She looked so broken as she chose being a good friend over being with me. I can’t even hold it against her. If anything, it only makes me like her more.
By the time the clock strikes 3:15 AM, I grab my phone and call the one person that will help me with this. He may kill me for waking him up, but this is urgent. The first call goes unanswered, but the second – he answers.
“H?” His voice is groggy. “What’s going on? It’s like three in the morning.”
“I know. I’m sorry.” I sound distraught. “I need your help.”
“Is this about Kayleigh again?”
“Is it ever not about Kayleigh?”
He chuckles sleepily. “Good point. So, what happened now?”
“I saw her tonight.” I explain. “I went over to Bree’s because she asked me to, and Kayleigh finally turned her phone back on while I was there.”
“Okay, first of all, this is me you’re talking to. You went over there because you wanted to see Kayleigh, not because Bree asked you to. Let’s be real. Now, onto the more important topic. Did she ignore you?”
I smile at his forwardness. “Not really. I mean I couldn’t talk to her because Bree was right there, but after she fell asleep, I was leaving and I tucked Kayleigh in and kissed her forehead. She woke up.”
