Kiss & Tell ( Asa and Chiquita)

Chapter 29: The Distance Between Us

Chiquita's POV

I didn't sleep that night.

I couldn't. The hours dragged on in my empty apartment, the city lights flickering softly through my window, but all I could see was Asa's face — the sharp edges of her anger, the way her voice cracked as she walked away.

What had I done?

I was so wrapped up in my own world, so used to playing the social game, that I didn't even realize how deeply I had hurt her. How threatened she might have felt. I could still hear her words echoing in my mind, the cold bite in her tone.

Maybe I'd been too careless, too flippant with my interactions. I didn't mean anything by the conversation with that woman. It was just... harmless flirtation, the kind I'd always known how to handle, but to Asa? To her, it must have seemed like I was slipping away from her.

I closed my eyes, rubbing my temples, trying to find some clarity in the mess of emotions swirling inside me. I'd never been good at handling emotions, at least not like this. I knew how to charm my way through anything, how to smile and laugh and get people to like me, but Asa... Asa wasn't like anyone else.

I needed her to understand.

Asa's POV

The morning light felt heavy. It filtered through the blinds of my apartment, warm but oppressive. I could feel the weight of last night still hanging in the air — the tension, the anger, the jealousy that I couldn't shake. Every time I thought about it, my chest constricted.

Why had I reacted like that? Why hadn't I just trusted her?

The thought of Chiquita with that woman made something inside me twist. But I knew it wasn't just about her. It wasn't even about the woman. It was about me — my fear of losing control, of letting her slip through my fingers, of realizing that I might not be the only one who could have her.

I ran my fingers through my hair and stared at my phone. I hadn't heard from Chiquita since last night. I'd expected some kind of message, an apology, something to let me know that we could fix this, but nothing came. The silence between us was deafening.

I hated it.

I hated the distance that had grown between us in such a short time.

I couldn't deny that I was scared — terrified, even — but I also knew I had to fix this.

I couldn't stand being apart from her like this.

Chiquita's POV

I paced back and forth in my living room, my phone gripped tightly in my hand. I couldn't remember the last time I felt this unsure of myself, of us.

I had to talk to Asa.

I had to fix this. But how?

What could I say that would make her understand that it wasn't her I was pushing away, that it wasn't her I was looking for in the arms of someone else?

I grabbed my phone and stared at it for a moment. I typed out a message, but when I read it, it didn't feel right. Too formal. Too distant.

I wanted to call her, but I couldn't. I couldn't risk hearing that hurt in her voice again. Not after last night.

Instead, I typed a simple, honest message.

"I miss you. Please let me explain. Can we meet?"

I hesitated before hitting send, my finger hovering over the screen. This was it. I had to let her know how I felt — that I wasn't playing games, that I wasn't like everyone else.