The Heartbreaker Knows How to Love (#3)

21. the heartbreaker's breakup

Is Kaden there? I text Alec after work.

Yeah. Are you coming? He text back after a few seconds.

I've been avoiding Kaden all week, staying in my room and sneaking out of the apartment just to avoid him.

I don't want to get more attached than I already am. And I figure, if I avoid him, it'll make it more easy for me to let him go.

Throughout this week, aside from avoiding Kaden, I came up with a plan to break up with him. I would rather let him hate me and move on than get his heart broken and never moving on.

I managed to hail a taxi and arrive at Alec's party. 

After a few deep breaths in and out to calm me down, I enter the house and look for Kaden. My eyes land on him at the living room on the couch talking to some girls and watching a game of beer pong.

Now that I know where Kaden is, I search around for Alec. I find him in the backyard chatting and laughing away with his friends.

"Hey," he greet me with a smile once I approach him. "You made it."

I force a smile back. "Yeah...Can I talk to you?"

He gives me a strange look before excusing himself from his friends. I lead him inside the house and to the living room at the corner visible to Kaden.

"What's wrong?" He ask with a worried expression. I guess he could read the anxious look on my face. My hand starts to sweat as I fidget around.

I hesitate to tell him. "I have to do something...and I'm sorry to have involved you in this, but I didn't know what else to do."

I ignore his confused stare and nervously look around the room before it lands on Kaden's. I swallow the lump in my throat at Kaden's puzzled gaze.

"What's going on, Casey?" Alec asks. I break away from Kaden's gaze to Alec's. My heart is pounding and all I want to do is crawl in a hole and never come out.

"I'm sorry." I manage to whisper to him before grabbing his shoulder and crashing my lips onto his.

A split second later, Alec pull away with a bewildered look.

Everything else that follow happened so quickly. Kaden had managed to get over here within that split second and pulled Alec back, punching him right after, sending him down to the floor. He ignore Alec groaning in pain on the floor and turn to me with a cold stare.

In that split second, I could feel my whole world crashing down. Everything and everyone else is all so quiet and seem so far away. The only thing that mattered was Kaden's stare of betrayal, anger, and hurt.

"How could you do this to me?" His voice is low and sounds so far and distant. Even though he's standing right in front of me, I feel like we're worlds apart.

I blink my eyes and realize what I had done for me, for him, for us. 

I quickly put up a cold and unbothered facade and stare him straight in the face.

"I got bored," I tell him nonchalantly, like he doesn't even matter to me.

I watch as he clench his jaw in response and his stare turn into a glare. "We're done," he said through clenched teeth before walking away without a look back.

Tears starts falling down my cheek as I watch his back disappear into the hallway.

Finding it difficult to breathe, I rush out the door to the backyard, gasping for air. My legs give out and I fall down on my knees.

"Why did you do it?" I hear Alec from behind me and quickly wipe the tears away. He walk in front of me and I look up at him to see his hand reaching for me. I grab his hand and he help me off the ground.

I stare at him, noticing the bruise on his face from Kaden's punch.

"I'm sorry," was all I could say. I turn away and walk back inside, hoping he won't come after me.

I just want to be alone right now. I've been alone all my life and I was fine. So why does it hurt so much right now?

I spot an unopened can of beer on the table and grab it. I open it and gulp it down. The cold liquid easily goes down my throat. I stop halfway and put it down, realizing it won't take away this pain in my chest.

I walk out of the house and into the street, welcoming the cold air.

I keep reminding myself there was no other way. I had to do this. It's better for me to give him a reason to breakup with me, even if kissing another guy was the reason.

I stop in my track once I realize I have no idea where I'm going. I don't have anywhere else to go.

An unfamiliar car pull up beside me and the window rolls down to reveal Tiffany with an amusing smile. "I saw what you did back there at the party. You're brave. Cheating on a cheater."

I keep quiet and lower my gaze, wanting to forget everything.

"Do you need a ride home?" The tone of her voice is different now. Not amusing but concerned.

Her question made me realize what I had lost.

I look up at her, my vision starting to blur again from the tears threatening to fall. "I don't have a home," I tell her in an almost whisper.

I close my eyes to let the tears fall and I quickly wipe it away, getting rid of evidence of what happened tonight. I just want it to stop.

"You kissed Alec on purpose, didn't you?" Tiffany ask, her voice soft. "You wanted Kaden to break up with you? But why?"

I avoid her stare, not wanting to answer her questions. But mostly I was ashamed.

"You can stay at my place?" She suggests, sending me a reassuring smile.

I nod my head yes after a few seconds of hesitation. I have nowhere to go. I don't want to go back to Dad. I can't.

"Get in." She tells me. I walk over to the other side and get in.