Page 7 of Kian's Devotio
He pulled her arm gently, “Wait, Kara, wait.”
She finally glared up at him, tears in her eyes. “What do you want from me Kian? I hate this. You used to be my friend and I believed that you and I were close. And yet, all of a sudden you are short with me, can barely talk to me and now you are taking me to prom? I just don’t understand you. You make my head spin with all of this back and forth. Figure out if you hate me or like me. I won’t keep playing this game with you.”
Kian felt his heart break and he leaned down, “Karalee, I wasn’t trying to,” and she cut him off. “No. I don’t want to hear it. Okay? I am done. I just don’t want to anymore.”
She pulled free from his hold, and he watched her walk further away from him, and he couldn’t stand it.
He ran after her, grabbed her elbow softly and turned her, then took her lips in a kiss. It was unexpected and perfect.
Her soft mouth was a haven. Something he had dreamed of since he was younger and tasting her for the first time was everything.
He pulled away and remembered his promise to his mom and hung his head.
“That was a mistake. I shouldn’t have done that.”
The heartbreak crossed her face so fast it physically made him want to jerk.
She let out a whisper, “Take me home. Please.”
He nodded and turned from her, “I will find Emery.”
She didn’t say anything, just turned away from him and it took every single ounce of willpower he had to leave her outside alone.
By the time he found Emery and went back out to get Karalee, she was gone.
He wanted to scream at the whole thing. But just drove to her house and saw her in the window of her seldom used bedroom.
She was crying and her mother was standing in the doorway, her face was red, and she was sneering and yelling at Karalee.
Emery let out a gasp, “Kian, we have to get her.”
Kian gave a tight nod, and Emery jumped out of his car and ran up to the door.
He followed close behind and when Emery knocked on the door, Karalee opened it moments later.
“Come on K. You can’t stay here.”
Karalee looked back at her mom and Kian saw her hateful stare, and Karalee shook her head, “I'm going to stay tonight.”
Emery shook her head this time, “No. I don’t want you to stay here. You ran off. What's going on?”
Karalee shook her head again, “Not tonight. I just need a minute.”
Then she shut the door and Emery pounded on it again, until Kian pulled her away.
His sister turned on him, “What did you do? If you ruined my friendship with K, I'll murder you in your sleep.”
“I, I.” He had no words and Emery punched him in the shoulder and walked to the car.
He took one last look at Karalee’s door and then walked down the stairs, leaving his heart behind him, shattered into pieces.
* * *
Over the next few months, he threw himself into school and did everything he could to stay away from Karalee.
It hurt every day seeing her beautiful face, but he never spoke to her and gave her the space she needed.
She had come back to stay at their house again, but he would stay in his room until absolutely necessary and she never looked his way again.
