Take Me Back

Chapter 7

Beep

"Hey I haven't heard from you in a while, give me a call"

Beep

"Hey, I'm really sorry about the other night, I don't know what to say, I'm an idiot"

Beep

"Hey Kayla, starting to feel a bit like a psycho here. Give me a call"

Beep

"Hey, me again. Just....just let me know you're okay"

It was three weeks before I heard from Kayla again.

Three weeks.
Two days.
Thirty seven voicemails.
I was officially a stalker.

I'd all but given up when I heard the knock on my door and to be honest, at that point I was half expecting a restraining order.

It was a Tuesday evening, it had been storming heavily so it took me a few moments to realise it was someone knocking and not the thunder that had been echoing throughout the house all afternoon.

Kayla stood on my doorstep, her blonde hair damp and frizzy from the rain. A smile on her face that I had come to realise was a near permanent fixture, though at this moment it wasn't quite touching her wide grey eyes.

"Can I come in?"

I opened the door and gestured inside, "Of course"

She made her way to my couch and sat down, she was chewing her lip, "I'm sorry I ran out the other day"

I seated myself on the coffee table opposite her and reached out, holding her small hands in my own, "I'm sorry I was such a jerk, we'll do whatever you want for as long as you want. Just don't run away, please"

She ran her thumb along my own, then brought her hand to my face, "oh Jace", she paused, "I want to give this a go, more than anything but I'm so fucking scared"

I kissed her palm, "I'll shut up, promise, just tell me why"

So she told me, she told me about how, until recently, she was in a relationship with her best friend. I bit my cheek, staying quiet, fighting the jealously, the feelings of inadequacy.

He was her best friend and it was all great in theory. It seemed natural to take that next step, to date the guy that had been by her side for years. She told me the feelings she had were ones she wanted to be romantic and maybe at one point they were but they just faded into her feeling trapped.

"I like you so much, I just didn't want to feel like that again"

"So what do you want to do?" My mind was running a million miles an hour. I wanted to give her space but there was no fucking way I could share her. I didn't want her to be trapped but the thought of her with someone else made my blood boil. I'd never been possessive in relationships before, but then again, I had never cared this much before.

She looked me right in the eye and I felt my heart stutter. It was becoming a habit with her, my world ceasing turning while I waited for her to speak, "I want to give this a try"

oOo

I pushed my way through the crowd, the sweaty bodies moving to the pulsating music. I heard the chorus of groans and swearing as I made my way straight toward Kayla, I didn't care how many drinks I knocked or people I barged past, all I could see was her.

In our history as it was, I was still about six months from meeting her. Her hair was littered with pastel highlights and her face slightly rounder than what I knew. She was different but so familiar at the same time.

She was here, she was real and for the first time it struck me that maybe she had been in the same position that I was, that maybe she remembered me. Perhaps she was lost too, having woken up in this time and unsure of what to do. Frightened of rewriting the course of history lest we not end up where we should be.

This was what was going through my head as I broke through the crowd and threw my arms around her.

It took her a moment before she held me back, a soft laugh radiating from her body that eased my doubt, she was here, she was in my arms where she belonged. The smell that I could never identify but was simply Kayla brought a comfort I didn't even know existed until that moment.

That was until she spoke, "ah buddy, all for hugging it out with an attractive stranger but I think my boyfriend might need you to let me go"

"I second that", a deep voice sounded from behind her.

I took a step back and saw a tall guy step forward, wrapping his arms around her, his chin resting on her head as she relaxed back into his broad chest. Now I say this without hesitation as a dude that is completely comfortable with his sexuality, I can state plainly that the guy was a fucking adonis. An adonis that had his arms around Kayla, staking his claim, and god the way she was looking at him. The smile that I loved beaming up at someone else had me frozen and all I could do was stare at them blankly.

"Hey baby", she cooed at him. My stomach was churning and as things started making sense, why she cringed at the endearments. Not because she was repulsed by them but because the names and the sweet nothings were already given to someone else.

My eyes flicked from her to him and their ease with one another. These people standing in front of me, the ones who looked at each other with such affection couldn't possibly break up in a matter of months, it made no sense.

"Hey buddy are you alright?" she waved a hand in front of my face.

"Sorry, I confused you with someone else" was all I could make out before making a beeline for the door.

I made it to the street before I vomited, tequila and self pity spilling from my stomach onto the street, the bear of a bouncer shaking his head at my antics as I stumbled away.

What I had witnessed was not how Kayla had described her previous relationship on that stormy night. They loved one another, anyone could see that and she had lied to me about it.

I didn't know where I was going but I knew it was as far away from her as possible.

oOo

A/N; oh Jace you melodramatic little guy! Sorry for the delay though it will more than likely happen again. This chapter unfortunately was one that was originally written over 18 months ago but deleted in the great iCloud back up disaster of 2015. If you liked the chapter please don't hesitate to hit the star and comments are always loved. Until next time, Caitlyn x