Beautifully Broken

Chapter 40

Tyler was sitting on the other side of the door. Waiting. He had already said he would wait forever if he had to and he knew I would need to use the bathroom eventually. It's been 7 hours so far. I was not ready to see him so soon and I wasn't prepared for him to appear so clueless to why I'm upset.

I hear footsteps down the hallway. It must have been Harry because I had texts from both Mason and Kara telling me they had gone home, but that I needed to put my big girl pants on and talk to him. 

I didn't want to.

"Bro, leave her be for tonight. Hopefully, she will be ready to talk in the morning. We only just got her out for the first time in over a day not long before you walked in" Harry said.

"What the hell have I done? I thought she was ok with me needing to get away. We talked a few times, I text her nearly every day."

I was confused, he genuinely didn't know what he had done. I mean, he obviously knew that he had seen Natasha, because she answered his phone. Was he intending on hiding that from me?

"Look, it's not my place to get involved. She will tell you, she just needs time. I just hope you two can work it out, otherwise it's going to be a long year in this house. Night man"

I was happy Harry had my back, allowing me the time to be angry, to sort through my feelings. 

I heard Tyler stand up, I was sitting against the other side of the door after all. Like I was torturing myself by being close to him without letting him know that we were still physically close.

"Kayla, please, please talk to me. I'll leave it tonight, but we need to work through whatever this is. I love you" he said through the door.

I lost it, I reached for my pillow as I sobbed, big, ugly crying. I cried into the pillow to try and muffle the sounds so Tyler wouldn't hear me. Hearing him say he loved me with such hurt in his voice. That just about broke me. I knew though that I needed a night to think and process everything. I turned my phone off, climbed into bed, shutting off my lamp and cried myself to sleep.

Morning arrived, the sunlight streamed in between my blinds. I slid out of bed and took in my appearance in the mirror. Oh boy. My eyes were puffy, my whole face actually, was swollen. My hair a mess. I don't remember ever looking this terrible, but then again, I have never cried this much over a boy. A stupid, incredibly good looking, blonde boy that I loved and who was just down the hall.

I hoped it was early enough that no one else was awake as I took a pair of sweats and a loose t-shirt, making my way silently to the bathroom. Thankfully for me, Tyler wasn't outside my door.

Once in the shower, I relished in the feeling of the hot water on my skin. I needed this. I knew my puffy face wouldn't calm down much, but at least I felt fresher than I did the days before. I smelt better too.

After my shower, I went back to my room, but this time left my door open. A sign that I was ready to talk, but that I wasn't ready to leave the room. It didn't take long, he must have heard the shower.

"Kayla" I heard softly from the door.

I looked up at him, seeing his worried face, which only fell more when I turned, and he could see my face. A look of guilt washed over him, knowing, without actually knowing why, he had caused such pain.

"Close the door, Harry might still be asleep" I said quietly, gesturing for him to sit on the bed.

He did as I asked, then made his way to the bed, sitting on the opposite side to me.

"Kayla, what have I done? I thought you were ok with me needing to get away? I thought you understood."

"I did. But you told me you were alone, that you needed to be alone and that's why you left without me."