I trudged ahead of Kyle, snow spraying with each step I took. Despite the knee-deep drifts, I managed to keep a pretty good pace. Thankfully someone had already shoveled the driveway. Maybe I could make it to my car, lock the doors and speed away from my humiliation.
Kyle stayed on my heels. "Mollie!" he called after me. "Wait up!"
All I did was shake my head and keep going. Only a few yards to my car. Freedom was so close.
Who was I kidding? If Kyle wasn't there to torment me in person, he'd make an appearance in my dreams. Escaping myself would be much harder than escaping him.
He caught up to me just as I reached for the door handle. "Come on, Mollie," he urged, placing himself between me and my Toyota. "Come back inside."
"No. I'm going home."
"It's too dark to leave now." He sighed. "At least wait until morning. I can't let you go knowing that you could crash."
He reached for my keys, but I jerked away from him. "Oh, so now you care? When did this happen?"
His brow creased in confusion. "What are you talking about? I've always cared for you, Mollie."
At that moment, something inside of me snapped. Every one of the floodgates opened wide, releasing the emotions I'd bottled up for years. He wanted answers? I'd give him answers.
"You've cared about me as a friend, but it's never anything more." I tossed up my hands in frustration. "That's how it's always been, Kyle! I watched as you went off with the Natalies and Cecilias and Marissas, publicly cheering you on while silently praying that the relationship ends in disaster. I just sat there in the background while you trampled all over my heart."
He didn't say anything and didn't need to. The look of pure shock said it all.
"And you don't even know you did it! Honestly, did you really not know how I feel--" I caught myself. "--felt about you?"
Slowly, almost shamefully, he shook his head.
I swallowed, fighting to keep up my anger from melting into a mess of tears. "Well, I'm sick of it. I'm done with this." I ripped off the bracelet he'd given me not hours before and shoved it in his face. "I'm done trying to get you to see me as anything more. Obviously you never will."
I pushed past him, jamming my key into the lock. My hands shook so bad that it took a few tries to get the door open. I was about five seconds away from going into full-on meltdown mode. I had to get out of there.
Kyle stayed on my heels. "Mollie!" he called after me. "Wait up!"
All I did was shake my head and keep going. Only a few yards to my car. Freedom was so close.
Who was I kidding? If Kyle wasn't there to torment me in person, he'd make an appearance in my dreams. Escaping myself would be much harder than escaping him.
He caught up to me just as I reached for the door handle. "Come on, Mollie," he urged, placing himself between me and my Toyota. "Come back inside."
"No. I'm going home."
"It's too dark to leave now." He sighed. "At least wait until morning. I can't let you go knowing that you could crash."
He reached for my keys, but I jerked away from him. "Oh, so now you care? When did this happen?"
His brow creased in confusion. "What are you talking about? I've always cared for you, Mollie."
At that moment, something inside of me snapped. Every one of the floodgates opened wide, releasing the emotions I'd bottled up for years. He wanted answers? I'd give him answers.
"You've cared about me as a friend, but it's never anything more." I tossed up my hands in frustration. "That's how it's always been, Kyle! I watched as you went off with the Natalies and Cecilias and Marissas, publicly cheering you on while silently praying that the relationship ends in disaster. I just sat there in the background while you trampled all over my heart."
He didn't say anything and didn't need to. The look of pure shock said it all.
"And you don't even know you did it! Honestly, did you really not know how I feel--" I caught myself. "--felt about you?"
Slowly, almost shamefully, he shook his head.
I swallowed, fighting to keep up my anger from melting into a mess of tears. "Well, I'm sick of it. I'm done with this." I ripped off the bracelet he'd given me not hours before and shoved it in his face. "I'm done trying to get you to see me as anything more. Obviously you never will."
I pushed past him, jamming my key into the lock. My hands shook so bad that it took a few tries to get the door open. I was about five seconds away from going into full-on meltdown mode. I had to get out of there.
