A Familiar Stranger

Chapter Ten

"Talk to me. Please?"

"Go away. I don't want to talk."

"Kyle, please. I'm not going anywhere until you talk to me."

Chris had driven me over to Kyle's house so I could talk him in person but Kyle just wasn't having it. I heard him sigh and he opened the door, leaving the screen door locked.

"You have a lot of nerve to show up here with your new boyfriend." Kyle said, crossing his arms.

"He's not...exactly my boyfriend. Just someone special to me right now but Kyle I wanted to tell you how sorry I am. And that I don't hate you, I don't. I was angry and it just came out. Please forgive me." I pleaded with him. He opened the screen door and stepped down, leaning his back against the brick wall.

"Okay." He suddenly said.

"W-what?" I stared at him in shock.

"You didn't mean it, I forgive you. Brooke, I love you and all I want is for you to be mine again. I knew you hadn't meant it in the first place, you couldn't go from loving me to hating me that fast."

"But you....you had looked so hurt, I felt terrible about that!" He leaned in a little closer to me.

"I had to make you believe me." He whispered. If he got any closer to me, he was gonna make Chris get out the car.

"You should probably keep your distance." I warned him, taking a step back.

"Why should I? You love me don't you?"

"Of course, Kyle but-"

"That's all I needed to hear." He grabbed my waist and tried to forcefully kiss me. I tried to push him and turn away but he had a tight grip on me and it was beginning to hurt.

"Hey!" I heard Chris yell and a car door slammed. Kyle was tightening his grip and I yelled at him to stop but he wouldn't.

"You better let her go right now." I felt more hands on me and in a small instance, I was about to shake Kyle off of me and he stumbled back but with the angry look he had on his face, he was about to charge.

"Why can't you let her go?!" Chris yelled at him.

"I love her! She was mine and everything was going just great until you showed up! Who shows up out of the blue declaring they love someone they barely know?!"

"I know her more than you think. We've been talking for weeks. I fell in love with her over that time and I knew I had to come over here and fight for her. We're leaving." Chris took ahold of my hand and started to lead me to the car.

"Brooklyn!" Kyle called and I turned around, looking at him. "D-don't go."

"I'm sorry, Kyle." I responded. "But, I'm just not right for you anymore. And you're not right for me. Sorry." Chris opened the door for me and I got in, buckling myself in. Once Chris got situated in the driver's seat, he started the car and pulled off.

I was thinking about Chris's offer now that I knew I'd never want to be with Kyle again. Some part of me did love Kyle but it was as my friend and not in a romantic way anymore. His ignorance and him being an ass made it easier for me to not love him. But everyone was here, my dad my friends and family. I loved New York with all my heart, I couldn't just up and leave it. I couldn't. But for now, I wouldn't tell Chris. He said he's going to be here until school was over because he wanted to come to my graduation. I wanted him to just be happy with me during the rest of the time we had together. Maybe he might change my mind later about leaving. But for now, New York was my home. And I couldn't leave it.

* 1 Week Later *

"So there's nothing I can say?" I shook my head and looked down in shame, feeling bad for not choosing to go.

"Well, that's okay. I enjoyed being here with you but I guess I should get going then." He said.

"Y-you'll still call, right?" I asked him and he smiled, giving my forehead a soft kiss.

"Always." He whispered.

Chris was leaving tomorrow and he had finally brought up the question that I had been dreading. Would I be going or not, so I finally told him how I felt about leaving and even though he told me he understood, he still looked heartbroken. And that just broke my heart.

The next day, I went to the airport with Chris to see him off and I told him to have a safe flight. But the second he waved for the last time and disappeared around the corner, I felt like breaking down in tears.

I left the airport alone and got into dad's car, starting it up and driving off. It wasn't that long of a ride back home but when I did get home, I just turned off the car and sat in the driveway, thinking. Had I made the wrong choice by staying? And if I had, was there anyway that I could fix it..?