Three Years

five

Avi kicked at old, melting snow on the sidewalk as he walked home. Kevin had told him that she was returning today after three years, and he didn't know how to react. Was she still angry with him? If she was, he didn't blame her; he really messed things up. As hard as Avi tried to get over Kirstin, it just seemed impossible for him. Every date he want on lacked sparks and as cliche as it sounded, he'd only ever felt those sparks when he was around Kirstin. 

His chain of thoughts was interrupted by the sound of distant giggling that sounded far too familiar for his liking. He craned his neck ever so slightly so that he had a good view behind him, and almost dropped dead when he noticed exactly who it was, talking on the phone and wearing YSL winter boots.

Kirstin Taylor Maldonado.

She looked completely unrecognisable. If it weren't for the giggling, he would've never known it was her. Her long, black hair that used to cascade down her shoulders was gone and was replaced with short, blonde hair. She still had the same face and she hadn't grown in three years which made Avi chuckle lightly to himself. 

Avi was so caught up in his ex-girlfriend that he hadn't noticed the large rock standing in his path. He let out a short yelp before his back connected with the cold, unforgiving concrete. His mind went foggy and he didn't know whether to focus on the sound of heels clicking towards him, or the sharp, stinging sensation spreading throughout his entire back.

"Avi?" Kirstin breathed out, vapour escaping her mouth as she stood shocked beside the man on the ground. When she noticed someone with brown, luscious curls hidden under a beanie was walking in front of her, she tried hard to ignore the odd feeling inside her stomach. However, literally standing next to him and watching him in pain on the ground, she could no longer deny the fact that it was Avi. Her ex-boyfriend.

The father of her child.

Seeing him after all these years felt like she was flipping through a photo album. When she glanced down at him, she remembered how they used to have meaningful, never-ending conversations at midnight, how he loved attacking her neck with kisses and when she finally had the strength to look in his eyes, she saw Sierra in them.

Kirstin still greatly despised him, what he did to her was unforgivable, but she did have a heart. Gently, she helped Avi to his feet and asked, "Are you... okay?" Avi was too dumbfounded to reply, not to mention the extreme aching in his back; it was as if he didn't know how to use his mouth anymore. 

"Uhh, um, I, uh..."

Kirstin stared at him impatiently, waiting for an answer until she noticed something. "Shit, you're bleeding," she said as she noticed dark, red liquid ooze from the side of his face. She sighed, "Come on, I'll fix you up." She grabbed his arm, weary of the hand that used to fit in hers, and dragged him all the way to her hotel.