Right Back to You

22. Bright Future

"This is a little odd, I'm not gonna lie. And uncomfortable."

Kay felt bad, but there weren't really many other options. "Jessie's nice enough. After all, she's Jimmy's girlfriend."

"Is she though?"

Angie's question was definitely not needed. All Kay had to do was raise her eyes and look at Jimmy and Jessie who had pauses in front of their new room to know it was true. They were just talking, and yet, he held her hands. Their body language spoke volumes and Kay was sure that, had Angie and Tom not been involved in this, they'd probably claim one of the rooms for themselves.

But Angie and Tom were there, young, and still in some form of denial about the nature of their relationship. Kay wasn't exactly sure why, because even she could tell Tom was crazy about her friend. Angie was just having none of it and she ached to ask why. Truth of the matter was, they couldn't share a room.

Maybe Kay should've given in and offer to share with Angie. After all, Kyle and Jessie were technically engaged and have been sleeping in the same room for weeks. But she couldn't. She'd missed Kyle too much, and she was convinced that Jessie would be great to Angie.

"What's the deal with you and Tom?"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Nothing. You just seem a little tense around him. So I want to be sure you're fine and you're not doing this out of peer pressure."

"I..." She bit her lip, looking away.

"Angie?"

Kay didn't really want to push. Hell, in normal circumstances she would be leaving Angie alone to manage her relationship like she saw fit. But given how things were, she was painfully aware that her friend was merely sixteen, making a decision that could flip her life upside down. And as much as it pained Kay to abandon her, their circumstances were very different.

"I'm afraid," she finally whispered. "Because my life has sucked so badly for months, and now, all of a sudden there seems to be more to it than school and plans for the future."

"But that's not a bad thing."

Angie raised tearful eyes to her. "You'd think, but that is all I know. It's how I keep things in balance, how I go on every day. And here he comes, breathing so much more into my life and I don't know want to do with that. I don't really know what to do with this."

Kay could totally understand that. She had no idea what to do with this, and somewhere in the very back of her mind, Max's cryptic warning followed her like a vengeful cloud. Kyle had brothers he had no idea about. Was this part of the skeletons I'm the closet? The ones that would come out and hurt him?

But despite that, her choice was easy. She loved Kyle with everything she was and she would stand by him.

"The thing is, Angie," she finally said. "Does he make you happy?"

"Yes." The answer came without hesitation. "When he's with me, I'm fun and cheerful and interesting. I'm not just a worry wart fixated on studying."

"But that's the point. To find someone who makes you happy, who makes you feel better about yourself."

Angie groaned and sunk her hands into her hair. "I know. But I'm so afraid. Because I don't make him better. What if it's just me? What if he doesn't feel the same way?"

Legitimate question but she was blind as a bat. "Oh, Angie, he clearly cares about you."

"I know that!" Her voice lowered to a whisper. "But does he love me?"