Love Is A road Trip Away

back home

Kayla's pov

The past two days had been rough. I couldn’t shake the sadness that had settled over me since that night. Staying at Jessi’s house helped a little, but my mind kept drifting back to Amy and the confusion between us.

Today was no different. I drove Jessi and myself to school, trying to keep my emotions in check. Everything seemed normal until lunchtime when I was called to the principal’s office. My heart raced, nerves tightening my chest. What could Amy want?

I hesitated outside her door before pushing it open. Amy sat at her desk, her eyes fixed on some papers in front of her. “Hi,” I said in a low soft voice.

She looked up, her expression softening when she saw me. “Hi, Kayla.”

I took a seat, and for what felt like an eternity, we just sat there in silence. Finally, Amy broke the tension. “I just wanted to check up on you and ask if you could come back home so we can talk.”

“Sure,” I replied, my voice steady despite the turmoil inside. I walked out, feeling a mix of confusion and relief.

I found Jessi and told her, “I’m going to drop you off at home, but I need to go back and talk to Amy. It’s time.”

Jessi gave me a supportive smile. “You’ll be okay, Kay. Just take it one step at a time.”

The rest of the school day dragged on, my mind preoccupied with what Amy might say. After the final bell, I dropped Jessi off at her house and headed home, my heart pounding the whole way.

When I walked into the house, I saw Amy sitting on the couch, looking as nervous as I felt. I took a deep breath and slowly walked in, setting my bag down by the door.

“Hey,” I said, trying to sound casual.

Amy looked up, giving me a tentative smile. “Hey, Kayla. Can we talk?”

I nodded and sat down on the couch, facing her. The air was thick with unspoken words, and I could feel my heart beating faster.

“I’m sorry about everything,” Amy started, her voice trembling slightly. “I’ve been thinking a lot about what happened, and I want to understand and fix things between us.”

“I’ve been feeling lost,” I admitted. “It’s been hard, not knowing what to do or how to feel.”

Amy’s eyes softened with empathy. “I know. I’ve been feeling the same way. But I don’t want us to be distant. We need to figure this out together.”

“I agree,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “I don’t want to keep feeling this way either.”

Amy took a deep breath. “I’m married to your father, Kayla. It’s wrong...”

“But it feels so right,” I added, unable to stop myself.

Amy shook her head, a sad smile playing on her lips. “Yes, it does. But I’m still married, and I don’t like cheaters.”

I nodded, understanding the conflict. “So, what are we going to do now?”

Amy thought for a moment. “How about things going back to normal? We just act like nothing happened.”

“But something did happen,” I countered. “I can't act like it didn't. You and I both know that kiss was magical, and it can't be ignored.”

Amy sighed, looking torn. “How about we just don’t do it again, okay? Since I’m married. Not ignore, but skip over that. Please, I really do like you, Kayla, as a stepdaughter, as a really close friend. Let’s not ruin that.”

I realized the truth in her words and nodded. “Okay, yeah, you’re right. Um, I’m just going to head to my room for the night.”

Once I was in my room, I closed the door and leaned against it, feeling the weight of the conversation pressing down on me. I needed an outlet for my emotions, something to help me process everything.

I set up my easel and started painting, letting the music in my headphones drown out my thoughts. The brush strokes were therapeutic, each one expressing a piece of the turmoil inside me. As I painted, tears streamed down my face, but I didn’t stop. I poured all my sadness, confusion, and pain onto the canvas until I could barely keep my eyes open.

Finally, exhausted, I set down my brush and looked at the painting. It was a chaotic mix of colors and shapes, reflecting the storm of emotions I felt. I crawled into bed, still thinking about everything that had happened, and cried myself to sleep, hoping tomorrow would bring some better clarity.