Katrina's life is at a crossroads after learning about her husband's infidelity she serves him divorce papers. Will it be finalized or will he win her heart back? Time isn't on his side and the man that want to shoot their his isn't either. Katrina...
As Keir watched Chloe paced in their loft he felt like an asshole. It had been hours since the party ended. A party that was meant as celebration but was far from enjoyable for him. When he returned to the party after Katrina left, she avoided him—his words, his presence, and his eye contact.
"I'm a fool." Chloe's words yanked him out of his turmoiled mind.
"No, you're not." He adamantly said, still in the suit as the time on the microwave displayed it was half past one in the morning.
Chloe's footfalls paused halfway to the closet and for the first time she trained her sight on him. The look of hurt and sadness swelling in her features made him quiver with disgust. It was him that delivered pain into her life and for that he felt terrible.
"Then what would you call me?" She threw up her arms, peering at him with disdain. "Because I believed you. You lied to me and I believed you. I love you, Chloe." She uttered the words he'd told her repeatedly.
"I do love you." He reiterated.
"No, you don't."
"I do."
"Bullshit!" She shouted, pacing towards him with fiery disgust. "I stood on the sidewalk. I saw you. Heard you. The way you wiped her tears away. The way you looked at her. You have never looked at me like that."
He dug his teeth into his bottom lip as words bubbled in his mind. A truth that he ignored for days, months, and years. A realization he didn't want to accept because there was nothing he could do about it all those years ago. So, he worked hard to bury those feelings and emotions. But after seeing her just once he no longer could abandon the way he truly felt. It was time to be completely honest and accept his reality.
"I care about you." He started and she shook her head. "I really do and I love the person that you are. You're brilliant, charismatic, and fun to be around."
"Save your adjective. I don't want them." She fanned her hand as if she could bat away the words before they reached her ears. "All I want is one thing and be real with me. Can you answer this one question for me, Keir."
"Yes." He nodded with absolute certainty.
She held her waist with narrowed eyes, "That day at the country house I asked you if you loved me and now I know that wasn't the right question. What I should've asked you is, if you still love Katrina and do you love her more than you love me." Her voice wavered at the end and tears brimmed in her eyes as if she already knew the answer.
"I—" He stopped, sealed his mouth closed and clenched his jaw letting his sight journey past her.
"Your silence is loud."
"I don't want to hurt you."
"You're hurting me, RIGHT NOW!" She yelled as tears rolled down her face. "You can't even tell me you love me more than you love your ex. So, what have you been doing this entire time? Settling because you can't have her."
"Not settling." He said. "Moving on."
"But you haven't because you still love her." She wiped the tears from underneath her jaw. "Just admit it. Because I already know the answer. Please give me the truth. I need the truth because I feel crazy...just be honest with me, Keir. If you really do care about me."
He swallowed hard, balling up his hands in the pockets of his suit pants. "I..." He paused, taking in the look in her eyes knowing what he was going to disclose would shatter her. "This has nothing to do with you. You are a great person...it's my baggage. But I never stopped...loving her."
Her chest quivered as more tears poured out her eyes. But he couldn't stop because he was realizing something he tried to avoid. The truth. Speaking the words aloud made them real and something he could no longer refuse to accept.
"I chalked it up to another relationship that ended." He continued. "It wasn't my first so I was adamant that with the passing time I could move on so I tried to do that but..." He held his heart as if it was in pain as tears burned in his eyes. "And pushed away those lingering feelings and pursued you. But I know my love for you and my love for her are not the same. I love you as a person." He let out a shaky breath. "But the love I have for her escapes definition. It's imprinted on my soul. When she's hurt, I feel the pain. When she's happy, I feel joy. When she's in my presence, I'm the moon orbiting her. That's my truth."
Chloe's tears were steady as she pulled the engagement ring off her finger, "Then this isn't for me." She handed him the ring. "I'm a runner up. I deserved to be someone's first choice."
"You do." He plainly uttered.
"I know." She nodded to herself. "So, I guess...thank you for reminding me of that." She turned on her heels, walked back to the bedroom, shut the door and resumed packing her things.
Keir collapsed on the couch feeling like a drained battery; empty. He dropped the ring on the coffee table knowing only one person could recharge him. And there was no way he could sit in that loft sinking into despair knowing she was near and distraught. He needed to find her. Fix everything.
He did something he hadn't done in years; fished his phone out his pocket and called Katrina. But he went straight to voicemail.
Why do you think Chloe told him 'thank you'?
Why do you think Keir needed to hear his words about how he felt about Katrina aloud?
Do you think he was trying to move on or settling?
Do you think he'll be able to get in contact with Katrina? Why is his call going to voicemail?
Is there pain in clarity?
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