The Ex's Blind Date

4: How we broke up

Despite the uncomfortable night, Theo made it an effort to make it feel like Stain hadn't just ruined their date.

Kaia was more embarrassed to even sit through it, but she tried to hide it so she wouldn't mess it up.

It was a matter of how well she can fake that she's okay.

"I had a great night." Theo smiles down at her as they walk further away from the car.

After their dinner, Theo decided to be a gentleman and take her home, though he decides to park a little far from her home so that he can have the chance to walk with her the rest of the way and get to talk to her a little more.

"I did too." She smiles back at him and runs her hand through her hair, loosening the tight curls she struggled to make before the date. "I'm still sorry you had to go through that... He hates me for cutting things off."

"It wasn't your fault he's such a child." He explains as he reaches his hand down to hers, taking them in his as he laces their fingers, already smitten by her beauty that he'd rather risk being desperate on the first date.

He barely knows her, but he already wants to make her his and if she'd say yes, they'd be together by daybreak.

But he knows she's not in the mood for it, not after the ex ruined everything. And it'd only make him look like he's rushing things.

"You did great leaving him." Theo shrugs his shoulders as Kaia smiles slightly with a small nod, though she can feel a little ting in her heart when she knows she still hasn't forgotten Stain. "You can move on to a relationship that can actually lead somewhere."

"Hm." She nods her head slightly once more as they finally get to her door. She unlaced her hand from his, getting him to glance down at his empty hand before glancing up at her, frowning when he notices she looks slightly annoyed.

"So, are we up for a second date this Saturday?" He asks as he glances up at her as she makes it to the door of her house.

It is a small house, but perfect for someone who's looking for a comfortable home just for themselves.

"I'd like that." Kaia smiles back at him with a small chuckle, getting him to nod in agreement as he grins out and shoves his hands into his trousers.

"Then I'll be looking forward to it." He winks while taking a step back. "See you then." He smiles and turns, though leaving reluctantly when he still wants to spend more time with her.

He knows she's still bothered about her ex. So it would be a mature thing to let her think about it first.

Kaia watches as Theo walks back down the road to where he left his car. Though he wanted to walk her home, he just made his walk back more lonely and cold.

It's not a night to stay out too long or someone could catch a cold. But it isn't alarmingly cold either.

So he would be fine.

Kaia unlocks her front door and steps into her home, taking off her shoes by the door before locking it shut.

She remains standing at the door as Stain crawls into her thoughts, getting her to sigh out in frustration as she leans against the door.

He's changed.

The tattoos around his arms seem to have multiplied. They weren't as many back then but she can remember them all, since he explained them to her.

Someone would think they have a meaning, like a loved one. But he's not that type of person and rarely puts people's names or anything about them on his skin. He puts things that he likes on there. Nothing too deep and personal. He just likes seeing them apparently.

Aside from his new and fresh tattoos just on his neck and somewhere on the back of his right shoulder, Kaia noticed he hadn't been cutting his hair like he used to.

It's not too long and ends right above his shoulders which he tied this evening with a black ribbon, though a few strands were too short and made his hairstyle look messy.

He only cut the sides of his hair short to the sculp with a fading look to it, though he used to prefer shorter hair.

His dark lashes around his were thick enough to make it look like he's wearing some dark liner, which gives his grey eyes a smoky outline.

Eyes that have always left a sharp memory in her head.

She bites onto her lower lip and drops her gaze down to the floor, feeling the knot in her stomach tighten when she finally realizes Stain, her ex, is back in her life.

When he vanished the week after they broke up, she thought it was the end of them.

She could vividly remember how she had to end things with him.

The memory was and is still painful for her. She didn't want to leave him, but he left her no choice. He was too toxic and she couldn't keep up.

It was a Friday. A night like this one, not too cold to chill you to the bone. It was the perfect night to stay out with someone you loved and enjoy the soft breeze.

The moon was bright and grinned down on everyone, welcoming them as they embrace the night, prepared to have an epic break into the weekend.

The bars were full, the bartenders barely had any rest and she had to stay in late at the diner. The days when it's usually packed with college boys and girls, trying to enjoy a fun game of spin the bottle while keeping the diner full of energy.

Kaia was tending to a customer when Stain walked into it, being as he's always been, overly protective.

He'd nearly gotten her fired that day. But she had managed to hold him down, got things under control by telling him she can't be with him any more.

He was too untamed. Too wild and too much of a switch.

She didn't know how to control him anymore and it almost seemed to have gotten worse.

She had to give herself a moment of rest.

But when she finally said the words she didn't want to, she could see the life drain from his eyes. He didn't say anything or put up a fight. It was as though his soul left his body and he was unresponsive, like a doll.

Their eyes didn't leave each other for what seemed like eternity before he suddenly left the diner and never walked in again.

He simply left.

And in a week, he was out of the country.

Just like that, Stain left her life.

Not a word, not a fight to ask her back, ask her why...

He left.

But she knew he was holding back far more than he was showing. She knew he'd come back to get his last say.