Wrong Impression

15. Coming in Late

Even with the mild headache from her night of drinking and not sleeping enough, Angie couldn't get what she'd done out of her head.

She'd kissed Tom. His skin had been so warm and somehow soft and rough at the same time. And when she'd gone to bed, all she could think about was how she wished he were there next to her, holding her until she fell asleep.

"What does this mean?" she asked her coffee cup.

"It means that maybe, just maybe, you have at least a crush on him," Kay said from the stove, flipping pancakes. Her mother was out with some friend for breakfast so that meant Angie actually got to eat stuff from their fridge, curtesy of Kay.

"I don't know." She sunk her head in her hands, fighting the impulse to pull her hair out. "Crush seems like such an inappropriate word."

Every word felt inappropriate. Because what she and Tom had was beyond words. And she was afraid it was just a feeling brought on by the alcohol and it wasn't real.

That this warmth in her chest that made her feel more alive than ever was just inside her head and that it would fade together with her hangover. But if it wasn't... It was somehow even scarier, because it meant she'd given him power over her.

Kay put the plate in front of her, a worried look on her face. "I know it wasn't in the plan. But if you're falling in love, is it such a bad thing?"

Falling in love. Was that what love felt like? No wonder everyone wanted it. But it couldn't be love. Not so soon, not when she and Tom just danced around important issues and never told each other anything relevant. Sure, he was funny, smart and handsome and extremely talented, but was that enough to make her fall for him? Shouldn't he do more?

Like what? Give you his food? Help you with your homework? Take you home in the middle of the night? Offer you the chance to win five hundred dollars?

"I'm afraid of falling in love," she whispered. "What if it breaks me? What if it ruins everything?" Angie looked up to her friend and was shocked by the bitter expression on her face.

"Love does break you. And it ruins everything," Kay said. After a moment's pause, she sighed. "But that doesn't mean I wouldn't give anything in the world to see Kyle again." She looked away and rubbed her arms absently.

And that's when Angie saw the bruises on her upper arms. Long and thin, in the shape of fingers, as if someone had squeezed her way too hard.

"Kay, what happened to your arms?"

"Huh?" She looked at Angie frowning and then at her arms. "Oh, this. My parents were out last night and left me with Danny. We had a complete falling out."

"You can't leave things like this! You have to go to the police."

"No, there's no need..."

"Kay, he's abusing you. This needs to stop! You can ask for a restraining order."

Kay shook her head, and to Angie's utter shock, looked guilty.

"Do you honestly think I let him get away with this?" she muttered. "I'm a little afraid he'll actually press charges against me."

In a flash, Angie remembered Kay beating up those men at Tiana's place. Her blood froze. "What did you do to him?"

"I twisted his arm behind his back, kicked the legs from under him and..." Kay bit her lip.

"And?"

"I kicked him in the nuts. Really hard. I think I might've done some real damage. He's actually in the hospital now."