It All Started With a Diary

the past|part 2

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"Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it." — Charles R. Swindoll.
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Chapter 26|part 2
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Kade's eyes flickered between his mother and I before eventually landing on me.

His brows lurched up. "What are you doing here?" Accusation was far more evident than the curiosity in his tone.

I stood up so quick, I thought I'd turn the chair over. "I was looking for you." I had to stop from grimacing at how creepy I sounded.

His expression was blank, but I thought I may have caught a glimpse of shock. By his sweat drenched hair, and dirt smudged face, I could tell that he wasn't expecting me.

"So...I'll just go," I murmured awkwardly.

I turned toward his mother, who was sitting right behind me with her eyes on her son. "It was nice talking to to you, Mrs. Ryder, and thank you for the food. It was amazing."

She smiled, placing two arms on the island. "You're very welcome, it was nice to talk to someone. Come by anytime you would like, dear."

I looked back to Kade, whose eyes were stuck on his feet. I headed toward the open front door, ready to flee the tense atmosphere. Raven would take a while to get back here but the outside had to be better than this right now.

"Kimberly," I heard Kade call out. "Uh...you wanna come upstairs?"

I turned around at Kade's choked voice. He tilted his head, burying his dirty hands in his jeans. "I mean...you know, if you want."

I contemplated the offer in my head. A part of me knew I was skeptical that by the end of today, we would end up right where we started. Arguing and holding hatred toward one another.

But, another part of me begged to differ. Susie's words were pressed into my brain now, and there was no way I would be able to forget so easily. I could run, I could pretend it was all for my diary, but in reality...I didn't think it was.

"Sure," I accepted with a thin smile.

He nodded, motioning for me to go up before him. As I walked up the stairs, I glanced behind me swiftly.

He was running a battered hand through his damp hair, hard eyes on the wood. I only had one step left, but I was so sure that I would fall right from it if I continued to watch him.

His room was the same as it was the last time I had seen it. Big and silent.

I turned to face him but felt my face flush. Kade looped one hand around the door, ducking his head as he entered the room behind me. It was a quick notion, but I blamed my attraction on the fact that he was far too handsome to be real.

He didn't catch it, to my gratification. "What did you want?" he asked, shutting the door behind him.

I gulped, my throat returning back to it's dry state. I beat my mind into pieces for a response, before finally answering.