Scarlett, the Found One

Chapter 37: Maya

Sitting on the front porch steps with Kyle, I gazed out at the driveway, the warm afternoon sun casting long shadows. We traded snippets of our day back and forth, trying to keep the conversation light. Kyle, ever the perceptive one, decided to address the elephant in the room.

"So, do you still love Scarlett?" he asked, his tone casual but his eyes serious.

I shot him a snarky look, trying to deflect. "What makes you think I ever did?"

Kyle rolled his eyes, clearly not buying it. "Come on, Maya. We both know it's more complicated than that."

I sighed, the weight of his question pressing down on me. "Why do you care?"

"Because I care about you," he said simply. "And I think it's something you need to talk about."

There was no avoiding it. I took a deep breath, staring at the driveway as I spoke. "It's hard for me to be around her, Kyle. I hate that she broke my heart and ruined my chances of becoming a royal bodyguard. I hate that she gets to live her life like nothing happened while I've been heartbroken for years, with this scar across my throat as a constant reminder."

Kyle listened quietly, his expression empathetic. I continued, the words spilling out now. "I hate that my heart still skips a beat when she's around. I hate that I blush whenever she comes near and that I can't even look into her eyes without feeling something. And I hate that I still care about her, that I still want the best for her. She's still the most beautiful woman in the world, and she'll never want me."

The last words came out as a whisper, the admission stinging more than I'd anticipated. Kyle reached out, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"Maya, it's okay to feel that way," he said gently. "Feelings are messy and complicated, but that doesn't make you weak. It makes you human."

I looked at him, grateful for his support. "Thanks, Kyle. It's just... I don't know how to deal with it."

Kyle shrugged, "You don't really have to deal with anything. There's shit you can change and shit that you can't."

I couldn't sit still any longer. My frustration had me pacing back and forth on the porch like a caged animal, and Kyle, bless him, just sat there, sucking on his ice pop and watching me with a mix of amusement and concern.

"You know," I blurted out, waving my arms for emphasis, "I think Scarlett and Alexii are... fucking."

Kyle's eyebrows shot up, but he kept his cool, probably used to my outbursts by now. "Why do you think that?"

I stopped pacing long enough to roll my eyes dramatically. "Hickeys, Kyle. I saw hickeys on Scarlett's neck. And the way she looks at him... Ugh, it's like they're in a bad romance novel!"

Kyle chuckled, which only fueled my fire. "Is it really that bad?"

"Worse!" I threw my hands up in exasperation. "I hate how Alexii struts around here like he's some sort of prince. It's infuriating!"

Kyle tilted his head, clearly trying to keep a straight face. "Is it possible you're just a little jealous?"

I spun around, pointing a finger at him. "Jealous? Of that dick? No, it's deeper than that. I hate everything about Alexii. His conceited smirk, his arrogant walk, how he thinks he's better than everyone else. And seeing Scarlett with him... it just makes it all worse!"

Kyle bit back a smile. "So, you deeply hate everything about Alexii, huh?"

"Yes!" I exclaimed, resuming my frantic pacing. "I deeply hate everything about him. His stupid perfect hair, his annoyingly chiseled jawline... it's like he walked out of Vogue!"

Kyle couldn't help but laugh. "Maya, come on. You're describing him like he's some kind of supervillain."

"Well, he is in my story," I huffed, crossing my arms and stopping to glare at the sky as if it had wronged me personally. "He's the evil prince who's stolen the heart of the fair maiden."

Kyle shook his head, still chuckling. "Maybe focusing on yourself and your own growth will help. You have so much potential, Maya. Don't let your feelings for Scarlett and your hatred for Alexii hold you back."

I sighed dramatically, flopping down beside Kyle with a huff. "It's just so infuriating. And it makes me feel like I have zero control over anything."

Kyle patted my shoulder. "You can't control how Scarlett feels or what she does, but you can control how you let it affect you. Don't let Alexii's presence take away from your worth."

I rolled my eyes again but nodded. "Yeah, yeah, I know. It's just... ugh. Everything about him gets on my nerves."

"Maybe you should write a book about it," Kyle suggested, grinning. "The Evil Prince and the Warrior Maiden. I'd read that."

Despite myself, I laughed. "Maybe I will. And I'll make sure the prince meets a very embarrassing and fucked up end."

Kyle laughed too, and for a moment, the tension lifted. As we sat there, the driveway stretched out before us, the sun casting long shadows. Despite the turmoil inside me, having Kyle by my side made everything seem a little more bearable.