The next morning found Kathy at the kitchen table with a huge cup of coffee in hand and a monster headache. Her night had been plagued with dreams of an alternative Donnie and a perfect relationship which ended with her somehow screwing everything up. It left her aching and missing Donnie like crazy which was so unfair.

She looked at the dark blue mug and wondered if filling it with strong booze would flush him out of her system. The pain was so annoyingly powerful, she'd try anything at this point. Even talking about it.

Except, she hadn't seen or heard anyone since she woke up. Kyle was not on the couch and she wasn't sure whether Joey and Kelly were still in their room or not. Plus, getting into this with Kelly might put quite a damper on her mood, and Kathy didn't want to sabotage hers and Joey's big night.

The screen door to the patio opened behind her, scaring her half to death. Kyle walked through, swinging an axe from his right hand. He still wore trainers and the cargos but had a black tank top on which showed off his toned arms and shoulders.

She blinked, a little taken aback by how good he could look just wearing normal stuff and moving around like any normal person.

"Morning, sleepy head," he said cheerfully, as if he wasn't twisting a potentially lethal weapon around.

"Morning. Been to the cabin next door killing teenagers?" she asked, nodding at the axe.

He chuckled. "Nope. We actually have a grill outside." He punched his chest and grunted. "Man chop wood for fire. Women prepare steak. Men grill steak."

Kathy would've laughed, but it felt wrong. Her mood was so foul, she couldn't even properly enjoy a Neanderthal joke. Kyle dropped the axe out on the patio and joined her at the table, looking a little worried.

"What's up?"

"Where are Joey and Kelly?" she asked instead.

"Having coffee, marshmallows and kisses down by the lake. They're going swimming after, so if you want to join them, we could do that." He tilted his head as if detecting she'd probably refuse.

"I can't go swimming, I didn't bring a swimsuit because no one told me there'd be a place to swim," she said, seething a little. She would've loved to swim. Why hadn't Kelly warned her about all this?

"Oh." Kyle scratched his head. "Maybe Kelly packed a spare."

Kathy huffed. Even if she had, it's not like it would fit her. Though they were similar in size, Kelly had a B cup while she had a D, but that wasn't something she was going to share with Kyle.

"I'll ask later." She looked at the bottom of her cup miserably, fully aware that she was being annoying. But she couldn't help it.

"Are you okay?" Kyle asked carefully.

She raised her eyes to him, feeling even worse. Of course he was weary. She'd shot him down so many times, refusing to talk, yet he still asked every time and read her mood better than anyone she'd ever known.

"I think I'm ready to talk." She returned her gaze to the coffee cup. "And I think I want to talk to you about it."

Kyle got up, closed the screen door behind her, then retook his seat in front of her. She dared sneak a peek at him. He didn't frown or smirk or even look concerned, just focused and ready to listen, and it was that more than anything that gave her the courage to raise her head and look at him while talking.

"First," she said, taking in a big breath, "I want to know how you knew Donnie was doing drugs."

Kyle frowned slightly. "I had someone tailing him."

Kathy's mouth fell open. "What? How? Why?"

"Had a freshman do it, because I wanted to get to know him a little before--" He stopped himself and looked away from her, his jaw tense.

"Before what?" she insisted.

"Before I knocked his teeth out," Kyle said, exasperated. "I know this probably sounds creepy as hell, but after I saw you so worked up, I wanted to get to know the guy. See what gave him the right to treat you like shit."

Kathy stared at him, unable to believe it. He'd tailed Donnie because he was worried about her. The old Kathy fumed at his nerve. She didn't need him to look after her or butt into her relationship. Except, if he hadn't, who knew how many more punches Donnie would've gotten in before someone got the nerve to stop him?

"I'd just found out when he attacked you," Kyle continued. "I'm sorry I didn't come to you sooner."

She waved away his apology, still trying to process this new bit of information. "The thing is," she started, "he came over that night, after everything, and he was sober."

Kyle tensed and his eyebrows joined. Kathy almost shivered because she only then noticed how big he actually was, how well built and powerful and that he could've done so much damage to Donnie but chose not to.

"And I realized I hadn't seen him sober properly in maybe months," she whispered. Her mother's words danced inside her head making her nauseous. "What if this is somehow my fault? I mean, what kind of girlfriend am I, failing to notice that my boyfriend is stoned all the time?"

"No." Kyle leaned in his chair, draping one arm over the back. "Don't blame yourself for his dumbass decisions. Any of them. He was probably doing a good job hiding it, like most junkies. This is not your fault, just like none of his dumb stunts were."

Kathy had to admit that his dumb stunts had worked wonders in distracting her from the real issue. Was it intentional? Did Donnie know what he was doing?

"But I still feel like it is. And when I saw him that night, he was himself again and he left for rehab and I felt like he was leaving me, and..." Her voice cracked and she buried her face in her hands. "I sound so pathetic right now."

"You sound hurt. And you're making me feel sorry that I didn't punch his face in." He reached across the table and pulled her hands away from her face. "Look what he's done to you. To your self-esteem, to your confidence. He didn't pull this off in three months."

Kathy stared back, tears flowing down her cheeks. The dark blue color of his irises was fascinating, and it seemed to swirl, like storm clouds. He still held her hands, keeping them away from her face. The warmth of his touch made her slightly dizzy.

She pulled her hands back and stared at them. She almost felt better, except for that thing she was most afraid had ruined everything. "Was he cheating on me?" she  whispered.

Kyle frowned and pulled back. "Not that I'm aware of."

"So he was telling the truth about that," she mumbled to herself, then raised her eyes to look at him. This was going to be very hard, but if she didn't get it out, it would keep haunting her. "He cheated on me at least once."

Kyle's mouth twisted into a disgusted snarl. "I know. Cecily told me about him and Darla, but I wasn't sure you knew." He shut his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm sorry, this probably sounds terrible, but what the hell, Kay?"

"Wha--?"

His eyes shot open and the intensity of them made her swallow her words. "If you chose to forgive him, he should've been kissing your feet for the rest of his life. When he didn't, you should've dumped his ass, not let him keep trampling all over you."

"I know," she whispered. "But..." Big breath. Here it came. "A part of me felt guilty because..." Nope, she couldn't tell Kyle this. She'd take the stupid guilt to the grave.

"Because what? You cheated on him, too?" Kyle asked impatiently.

"Of course not," she said outraged.

Kyle froze and his eyes widened. It would've been funny to see him so surprised if it wasn't tragic. His expression settled into one of disbelief. "Let me guess. Mr. Asshole thought that if he didn't get it at home, he had the right to get it somewhere else because he has needs. Because you weren't doing your job."

It was Kathy's turn to stare. How the heck did he guess? She nodded and he rolled his eyes.

"Please tell me you didn't sleep with him just to shut him up." He relaxed a little when she shook her head. "Good. It would've been a real pity to damn your beliefs for his sorry ass."

"It wasn't that. I don't have anything against sex. It just didn't feel right with him, you know."

"Seriously? And that didn't trigger a huge alarm bell about your relationship?"

Damn, now it sounded so obvious, but back then it had made sense. "I thought it felt right to wait until marriage with him. Everything was so pure, so innocent."

Kyle gritted his teeth and she couldn't tell if he found her naivety annoying or he was mad at Donnie for ruining her fantasy. "You need to flush that asshole out of your system."

"I agree, but how am I supposed to do that?"

"I don't know. Go to a few parties, make some bad choices, take up yoga... You know what works for you."

Kathy rubbed her chin. As much as she hated every word coming out of his mouth, he had a point. Having sex with someone would surely trash the sanctity of her relationship with Donnie and her former self in one easy, possibly pleasurable way.

"Are you suggesting I have sex with a random stranger?" she asked.

Kyle shrugged. "Whatever floats your boat."

"Where do I find a random stranger?"

"Really, Kay? Half the school wants you and the other half wears skirts."

She took it as a compliment. Her mind spun and her body hummed with more life than it had in months. This actually didn't seem like a bad idea and it could serve as a way to bury her heartache, bury herself. She'd probably come out of it as an entirely different person. And she wanted to be anyone else right now.

"Give me your car keys," she said, reaching her hand out.

With a crooked smile that looked like a challenge, Kyle reached into his pocket, pulled out a thin black keycard and gave it to her. She hopped off her chair, opened the screen door, and darted to the Ferrari.

"Shit," she heard Kyle say and the sound of his chair toppling over.

Gravel scrunched under her trainers as she raced down the path. Adrenaline pumped through her as she heard Kyle's running footsteps right behind her. She pressed the card thing and the car beeped to life. She dove into the driver's seat and closed the door just as Kyle bumped into the car. She locked the doors.

"Kay, come out of there. I didn't mean that. Sleeping with a random stranger is a terrible idea," he called. "Especially now."

"No, it's not. It might actually work." She searched for a slot to put the card and start the car. The sooner she got it over with, the sooner she could feel less like a pathetic toerag. She would be reborn!

Kyle moved to the front of the car and put his hands on the hood. "You're not going anywhere until I knock the sense back into you."

"Get out of my way, Kyle!" She finally found the slot and inserted the card. She reached out for the start button.

"Look, just come out and we'll talk. And don't start the car because I left it in gear."

Her finger hit the button the moment his last word was out. She stared with wide eyes as the car jerked forward and hit Kyle head on. He rolled over the hood and fell to the ground as the car gagged and the engine died.

"Oh God!" She stumbled out of the driver's seat and hurried around the car. "Kyle!"

He lay on the ground on his side, one arm bent behind him at a rather odd angle. Kathy rushed to him and tipped him on his back. He didn't stir and his eyes were closed. There was blood staining the white gravel next to him. Bile rose to her mouth and she fought the urge to be sick. What had she done?

Focus on what you have to do now. Think. She lay his head in her lap and started feeling his face and head, looking for the source of the blood. His hair was so soft. No, focus! There didn't seem to be any open wound. What else could she do? CPR? He wasn't suffering from heart failure. Mouth to mouth? He was breathing, so no.

She became more tense with every second when she realized she had no idea why he was unconscious. Maybe he hit his head when he fell and got knocked out. Maybe he had a concussion. She remembered how wonky Donnie was after his. It took him days to recover. They needed a doctor.

She lay Kyle's head down gently and ran in the direction of the lake to get Joey. She'd only taken a few steps when it happened.

"Why? Have you waited, to embrace me, my dear?"

Kathy twisted around, her fists clenched, her jaw locked. He was still on his back, but his hands were under his head. He wasn't talking, he was freaking singing.

"Cold is your silence, denying what is real."

She marched towards him, each step faster and firmer than the last.

"I'm still wondering why I'm still calling your name and I wonder--"

What exactly he was wondering she never found out because she reached him and kicked him in the ribs.

"You complete and total jerk, Kyle Grant!" she screeched, aiming another kick at him.

He blocked it and turned over, laughing his head off. "I've got another one. If I stand in front of a speeding car..."

She groaned and stomped her foot then simply turned away from him, her arms crossed over her chest.

"It was unorthodox, I'll admit, but it worked, didn't it?" She heard him standing and walking to her. "Do you still think sleeping with a random stranger is a good idea?"

She'd completely forgotten about that. And without the heat of the moment, the idea was beyond stupid. She shook her head.

"I'm sorry for scaring you, but I had to stop you."

"You're a bit of a hypocrite. It was your idea!"

"I was testing you."

She wheeled around and almost bumped into his chest. He was closer than she'd thought. "Testing me?"

"I'm not brilliant or flawless or full of wisdom. I'm a stupid teenager, just like you. Or even stupider. The thing is, do what's best for you, not what some idiot tells you they think is best for you."

Kathy stared. He was brilliant, flawless and full of wisdom. How could she be so pathetic? Expect others to figure out her life and her feelings for her? She clenched her fists. This had to stop and she'd do anything to become more independent.

"Thanks. You're right. And sorry, you know, for running you over with your own car."

Kyle smiled and scratched the back of his head, and that's when Kathy saw the blood on his forearm.

"I hurt you."

"Huh?" Kyle looked at his arm as if he couldn't even feel it. "Oh, it's nothing." He turned toward the lake as the sound of laughter reached them.

Joey and Kelly were making their way uphill, holding each other and being just plain adorable. Kathy turned away and headed for the cabin.

Yes, Kyle's little stunt had driven most of her pain out of her mind, but that didn't mean she could stand being around Joey and Kelly. They were too adorable to handle right now.

🧩🧩🧩

I had a lot of fun with this one, so I hope you will, too.

Plus, I adore the song. The attached one and the one Kyle started thinking which is The Cross by Within Temptation.

I'm really curious what you think about the whole situation and especially how the characters react to it.

Don't forget to vote comment!

Cheers!