The Summer of Ryland

33. Eliza and Kai

Kai's POV

Eliza was getting ready to move to California with her family. I was happy for her but I was sad that she wasn't going to be in my life. We had been through a lot of things together but it was her time to be happy. 

She agreed to meet me at the park, a different park, before she left. I felt like I wanted us to end things between us the right way, well Kyle suggested it. So there I was sitting on the dark wood bench with string lights decorating the trees. There were people walking through it holding hands, letting the night air rush through their faces. White marshmallow jackets making a popular appearance. Winter was coming early, which makes sense because my sun was leaving.

Blowing hot air to see it become a small cloud, I saw her walk towards me. She looked so much better. She gained back some weight that she lost. The bruises that once littered her face was now healed, only leaving a few scars. When she smiled she meant it, most of the time. She was beginning to become like her old self. Actually, better. More confident and that's all I wanted for her. All I ever wanted was to her to love herself as much as I loved her, or even more.

She came up to me with a smile and I engulfed her in a hug. She still flinched a little but she was getting better at being touched. And I understood. She needed a little more time. As much as we would like, we can forget about our past that easily.

"Thank you for coming," I said. She looked at me with the purest face. I missed that look in her eyes. That person almost took that away from her.

"Of course. I think that we should talk. When I broke up with you, we didn't do that so I figure this could be the closure that we need," Eliza responded. I looked at my feet getting nervous. Eliza and I never had these types of heart to heart. Maybe this is why we didn't work.

"So what do you want to talk about?" I asked. She shrugged and I sighed quietly. I thought that this would be different than our other talks. Before I opened my mouth she said something that confused me. 

"Why did you talk to me that random school morning?" I looked at her. She stared at me intensely, hiding behind the pink scarf to fend off the cold.

"Why wouldn't I?" Eliza rolled her eyes and I almost heard a scoff.

"Kai. Please just give me a reason."

"Okay. Truth be told I liked you for a long time. Since freshman year, mid-freshman year I think. I accidentally bumped into Asia and you were walking with her. You were laughing at her and I thought it was so cute. I was still with Ellen at the time but when she left it kinda grew. But I never really saw you after that, at least by yourself. So when I saw you sitting there by yourself I knew that it was then or never." She looked down at her feet and I can tell she was smiling by how her body was hunched over.

"I never knew that," she confessed. I took her small hand in mine rubbing it with my thumb.

"Yeah. I was so scared. I thought you would have shot me down. And I was even more surprised that you would go to McDonald's with me. Oh, when you got mad at the girl for flirting with me I was so happy. Plus it was kinda cute." She gripped my hand a little tighter.

"I am so sorry that..."

"There's no need to be sorry."

"No. Let me finish. I am so sorry that I ever doubted you. Actually, that's the main reason we broke up." I looked at her with the quickness.

"What you mean?"

"I broke up with you because I was so insecure. I thought that since you were starting to talk to your ex again, that you would end up leaving me anyway. She was everything that I am not. I couldn't see how you could ever want me."