A Broken Heart

Part 3

Ooooo this chapter is going to have a lot of boy drama. Should be fun! Ttyl guys!

I stand up, suddenly aware of everything around me. I pause, breathing in the earth-scented air, and listen to my surroundings. A bird chirping from the gigantic redwood by me, the rustle of leaves in the wind, and...a twig snapping. I whirl around, coming face to face with Kiaran. He doesn't say anything, just grabs me by the waist and pulls me to him, pressing his soft lips to mine. I melt into Kiaran, unconsciously forgiving him for everything that he had ever done to me, just to have this one moment. He breaks our kiss off too soon, and tenses. Another man steps out of the trees. Tanner. I try to wrench away from Kiaran, my emotions all colliding and making me lose feeling in my legs. I crash to the ground. I feel Kiaran wrap his warm, strong arms around me and pull me up, holding me. I bury my face in his soft cotton shirt, smelling his delicious scent. I can feel Tanners eyes on us as I silently cry into Kiarans chest. When I finally stop I look back to Tanner. His eyes are a cauldron of pain.
"Tanner, I-" I stammer
"Don't even." He looks away, putting his hands to his face, the way boys do when they don't know how to express themselves.
"Kiaran, you were always jealous of me. And now, you have to take Piper out of my life." He brings his hands down from his face to his side and clenches it into a fist.
"Brother, I have stolen nothing from you!" Kiaran screams as he flies towards Tanner. From there it was fists flying.
"Stop, stop! Both of you stop it!!" They both turn to look at me with a feral look in their eyes that makes me raise my hands in surrender.
"Um...I..um...crap." I look at them for a second, then turn and sprint off only to run face first into a tree.
"Oof." I huff out as I fall to the ground, pouting like a 5 year old.
Tanner suddenly appears in front of me, jerking me up and slamming my back into the rough bark of the tree. He puts his arms on either side of me so I can't escape.
"Why'd you do it, Piper!!" He screams into my face in anguish.
"I don't know." I reply, on the verge of tears. I look down.
"I loved you Piper! I desperately loved you, and you betrayed me! Why! Tell me!" His voice cracks with anger, depression, pain. Tears stream down his face as he releases me. I start to sob too. I want to escape this agonizing moment. So I turn around and run. After running for a few long, pain-filled minutes, I fall to my knees and scream while I sob. My chest feels as if someone has plunged a barbed knife through it. I sat there, wishing this never happened, wishing I never met these boys, wishing I was never born in this world that was collapsing around me.
I feel a warm hand on my back and shiver against it. "Adaline?" A voice softly whispers. I turn my head towards the sound, expecting to see Tanner and Kiaran, but instead I see Esme. How'd she get here? "Darling, Kiaran called me when you ran off. I just got here." She pauses for a moment. "Are you ok?" I'm suddenly no longer mad at her. I just need the comfort of a maternal figure. I sniffle and she pulls me into a hug. "I'm broken inside." I sob, my voice muffled by her coat. "Aw, sweetie." She holds me for a long while until I suddenly lean back and wipe my eyes. "You know what? I can't do this anymore. I have to find my true feelings and go with it. My heart feels as if Tanner is a close friend or a brother, but Kiaran seems to be more of a boyfriend. I just don't how to tell them. How do I know Kiaran anyways?" Esme's face grows blank.
"Oh sweetie, I wish I could tell you that. But, you will have to ask Tanner and Kiaran, they know." I don't think I have the heart to go back to them, and thinking about them made me sad again, but I refuse to cry again. I am a strong girl, I can handle a little boy drama. Besides, it's not like love ever ruined anyone's life completely, right?
I turn around and find Kiaran's marble white house. When I walk in, I don't hear fighting or yelling, I hear laughter. True laughter. It warms my heart. I turn my way through the maze of a house and find the dining room where Tanner and Kiaran were laughing. But when I walk in the room, they stop and stare at me with faces impossible to read.
" I have a few questions I would like you two to answer." I say.
"Ok." Short, blunt answers. Something is wrong.
"I'm so sorry, guys." I break down. "Tanner. I DO love you, just more in a brotherly way." I turn to Kiaran. His jet black hair is messed up like he ran his fingers through it multiple times. His amber-rimmed dark eyes are blank. "Kiaran. I...I..." He stands up and walks towards me. He wraps his strong, leather-clad arms around me and I fall into them weeping. He stares down at me, eyes still like a puzzle with no solution. Fingers brush the tears from my eyes and he leans down, pressing his lips to mine. He leaves them there for a minute then abruptly pulls away, still holding me but with a little more life. He turns his head to look at Tanner. "Well, now that that's settled. How about we go to the village? They are holding their annual festival today." His smile is wide and it reaches his eyes. I laugh, a real genuine laugh. "Now about those questions." I say, feigning stubbornness.
"C'mon Flute, can't we leave them till after fun times?" Tanner asked mock pouting. Flute was a nick name he used to call me when we were little. He said my name was Piper, like a pipe, and flute was a pipe instrument. His logic was crazy, but it stuck until we grew more mature and, well, more into fighting. Hearing him joking again felt good. I walk over and hug him quickly before pulling back. I punch in the shoulder.
" Race y'all!" I scream excitedly. I race out of the house with them closely following. I howl into the cool wind with my hair whipping into my face. My break is short and quick as I run up the hill. Kiaran grabs me and throws me over his shoulder, spinning, then drops me on the ground. I laugh harder than I have in a long time. We run to the top of the hill. The village was on the other side, but I stop abruptly to pull both of the brothers into a hug. I then laugh manically, thrusting them down towards the ground, screaming my way down to the bright, joyful village.