Blank Canvas

March 5, 2019

Doubt

It was a year and a half since it ended. A year and a half of unknowing, doubt, fear, loss. I thought I was doing fine until one day, His name appeared on my phone. He was calling me. It rung once, twice, thrice, until. . .

"Hello?" I answer, scared of the voice that would come next. No one answered. "Hello?" I repeated.

I closed my eyes and breathed. I was about to hang up, when I heard it. "Hi, Kaila."

My heart broke. I hadn't heard that familiar voice in what seemed like forever. "Hunter, I—"

"Kaila," He said, a hopeful gleam in his voice. "I'm so sorry.. I.."

"So it was true?" I choked.

"No! My—" He stopped himself, "No. I was just hurt, and I was scared. I didn't want to lose you."

"And you lied? Hunter that's the last thing I ever expected from you." And it was true. I never excepted him to lie, especially not about this.

"I know, I know. I'm so sorry. Can we please, talk in person?"

I was wary of my next answer. Would I forgive him if I saw him? Or would I run away.. Neither of those things I wanted right now. "No, I can't." Was what I wanted to say. Instead I said, "Fine."

"Good! Meet me at Starbucks in a half an hour." He hung up. I kept the phone close to my chest. It rising up and down. Calm down, Kai. You still have a half an hour.

A half an hour went by, and I got in my car and waited. Hunter and I had been together for years, why was it so hard now to go and see him? I needed answers. But, what if he couldn't give them to me?

I shook my head, and turned on the ignition. Driving down that road, I found the park we used to sit and talk at, and the roads we used to walk, just laughing. Tears flooded my eyes.

Where did we go so wrong?

When I ended up at the Starbucks, I saw him sitting at the table we used to sit at, before he went away for college. . and then I did.

My heart raced as I got out of my car, my shoulder length bleach blonde hair, brushing my shoulders. I felt his eyes, his dashing, baby blue eyes I fell in love with all those years ago. This was gonna be hard. Eighteen months of no contact, and here I was still not over him.

"Hi," I greeted. Butterflies pouring my stomach. His hair was shorter, and scruff was growing on his lips and chin. When he stood, his stature was more built, but not too strong. He was still Hunter alright.

"Kaila." He breathed. "You look amazing. And your hair is so short."

My heart became heavy, I wanted to hear those words. But they hurt. I twisted my hair in my fingers. "Thanks, and you look good also."

He smiled. "Thanks. Alex got me into the gym after we broke up." That was only a year and a half ago.

I sighed, trying to skip the small talk. "So, what did you want to talk to me about?"

"Oh, right yes." He motioned for me to sit. I did so cautiously. "I wanted to talk to you, about that night."

Ah, the night before we ended it. More like, I ended it.

"I want to tell you my side of the story. This has been bothering me for months and months, and I never got the guts to text or call you."

"Just get to the point." Begging only in a whisper.

"Yes, right. So, that day, Amber, Alex, Jordan, and I all went to the movies, because I invited you, but you couldn't come."

"I remember."

"Okay, well, after the movie was over, Alex suggested we get ice cream, so we did. And I never expected you to be there, but that gives me no explanation why.." He always did this when he was nervous. Rambled about useless details. It was so like him. "So, after we ate, Alex and Amber left, and Jordan couldn't get a ride home, and I offered. So we were walking to the car, and she grabbed my hand and kissed me. Right there, in the middle of the sidewalk. And that's what you saw, and I didn't know. She got the wrong impression, because I had asked her to the movie. So I lied to you, because I didn't want you to be hurt that she kissed me. I didn't even kiss back."

I was slightly confused at how he explained it, but I knew the events of that night very well. "Hunter," I chose my words responsibly. "Do you know how hard it was for me, to see you do that? You always had my trust. You said that you were always mine, even those nights at camp. And. . I felt betrayed. And you broke it." And that's when the tears broke loose.
I began crying right there, and Hunter came over to me and hugged me. "I doubted everything you told me, and.. if anything you said was even true back then."

"Lah, of course they were true. Gosh, that's one thing, in the entire expansion of our story, I would take that back. Because, I love you Kaila. I always have, and I always will. No one can come in between that."

I backed away slightly, and looked him in the eyes. I didn't know how I felt, I knew in my heart that I still loved him. And it was one mistake. "Hunter.."

Before I knew it, his lips were pressed against mine. And I felt safe. All those feelings of doubt, and worry washed away. I forgave him, right there. Because this, I knew in my heart, was what I wanted. I always knew.

~~
okay, you're a real OG if you know these characters. And if you don't, I suggest you do find out and read their story (:

im glad this one was so long, because i haven't written a Kanter scene in a very long time and it felt so good😭 i missed my babies

anyways, i hope today was a good day for everyone & you enjoyed today's prompt (:

❤️Ari