The Kiss

Chapter 2 (From Ang's p.o.v.)

I'm running through the meadow as fast as my feet can take me. What did he just say to me??...he loves me? How? Why? At the start of this day he was just my friend...should he be something more?! I got to the town and slowed my pace down a bit. I walked briskly down the sidewalks of "Sher Street" and made it to the woods, just outside the town. Looking behind me, the meadow that I left Charles in was now the size of a penny. How rude of me to just leave him there! Maybe I should go back..,no! I can't, not now, I have to think through this.... I ran into the woods, came to where the path stopped and started climbing down a dirt cliff. Once I was down on ground again I walked to the area of full bushes and climbed through them, coming to a stream. After walking up the stream for a few minutes I came to the place that I have always runaway to. The waterfall, it's so peaceful here, I can think through my thoughts, process them and figure out what to do. Or I can come here to rest and be calm and quiet. But today, I would not be calm.
I sat down on a rock near the waterfall, the mist from it wetting my body and hair. I stay there, staring at it. Staring at the water flowing powerfully from above.
What if I did leave with him? What if I went on a trip with him. He would love it and maybe I would too. I... I can't see him as more than a friend. I care for him, yes, but not as a husband or suitor...
He deserves someone better than me, someone he can travel with and share exciting memories...I... I can't do that, I want to stay here, settle down and have a family, while he wants to travel and most likely never settle down....
Unknowingly I had come to my conclusion... I couldn't be with Charles, I couldn't marry, court or run away with him.
Tears came to my eyes as I thought about how much this would hurt him...
I stayed at the waterfall for a few more hours, before heading back home.
When I did get home, my roommate and best friend was waiting for me.
"Ang! There you are, where have you been?!" She said while standing up and coming towards me.
"I...I" I started sobbing and she grabbed me in her arms. She brought me over to the couch and sat me down.
"Do you want to talk about it, or?"
"I don't know..." I said, trying to hold back the tears.
"Why don't I make you some tea, will that help?"
"Ok," I said, while sitting up and wiping away the tears left on my face.
She went to the kitchen and I could hear her rustling around in there, opening the cabinets, filling the teapot with water, getting cups out.
She came back out when the tea was made, carrying two steaming cups. I took one, and it warmed by cold hands up, I wish it could heal the pain I was feeling in my heart, but it couldn't.
"So, Ang, what's going on?" Alivia asked me.
"Well... Charles and I spent the morning together but... I ran away from him.
"What? Why? Did he do something?"
"He..."
"He what? You can tell me" she said while placing her hand on mine.
"He said that he loves me"
Her eyes got big, "wow... Um, how do you feel about that? Scared? Nervous? Excited?"
"I'm surprised...I thought we were happy as friends, I mean I was happy as friends! And I'm freaking out"
"Why are you freaking out? You can either say that you like him back or you don't."
"But it's not that simple!" I said setting my mug down, "I care for him as a friend, I love him but not as someone to marry, and even if I did love him like That, he is made to travel and have adventures and I'm made to stay here and teach and settle down. If I wanted to marry him, I know he would stay here with me and settle down but I care too much about him to make him stay with me, and I can't travel. I don't want to take him away from something that he loves, traveling, and the life that he deserves, but....I don't want to hurt him. I really don't."
"Oh, I didn't realize how complicated this was," Alivia said, "I understand where you are coming from and I think it will take time but he will get over you. If you don't think you can be with him you need to tell him, and you should talk to him soon because ... You ran away from him right as he opened up to you..."
"I know," I ashamedly said," I feel so bad about, but I just didn't know what to say at the time. I think I'm too overwhelmed to talk to him now... Maybe I can talk to him tomorrow... Would that be ok? I don't know what to do."
"Don't worry honey, you're ok. You can talk to him whenever you feel ready", she smiled at me, took my mug and walked into the kitchen.