The Game of Hearts

38 // My Father Was Right

Chapter 38 - My Father Was Right

"But you broke me

Now I can't feel anything

When "I love you"

Is so untrue

I can't even convince myself

When I'm speaking

It's the voice of someone else

Oh, it tears me up

I try to hold on but it hurts too much

I try to forgive but it's not enough

To make it all okay

You can't play on broken strings

You can't feel anything

That your heart don't want to feel

I can't tell you something that ain't real"

Kiara's POV

My father was right. That was the only thought that occupied my mind as I ran out of the boathouse and out of the rowing complex. I couldn't stand to be near James, the mere thought of simply being in the same place as him made me sick.

My father was right. He was right when he told me he didn't trust James. He was right when he told me to be careful and to not let myself being fooled by any boy. He was right when he warned me that it had to be for some reason that James and I had been rivals for so long and that people didn't change overnight. Yet I didn't listen to him thinking he was just being overprotective and that James was indeed different than what I had always thought.

But now I knew some people simply couldn't change.

I didn't know with who I was angrier at: at James, at Andrea or at myself. Taking a deep breath, I sat on the grass outside the rowing club, praying to God that James wouldn't have the brilliant idea of following me. The grass was soaked from the rain but I didn't care. I wouldn't even care if it started raining right away.

"What are you doing out here, girl?" Moments later, I recognized Lori's voice. She was probably with Roxy and Ellie, and as my back was facing them, they couldn't see I was crying. I wiped the tears off my face but didn't turn to face them.

Once they took a look into my face their eyes widened and preoccupation filled their features.

"Kiara, what's wrong?" Roxy asked, kneeling down in front of me as Ellie and Lori sat beside me.

"What is not wrong?" I questioned instead.

Ellie pursed her lips.

"Did James do something to you?"

"I don't want to talk about it." I said in a quiet whisper.

"Well, that's the thing, Kiara, you never want to talk about it." Lori, being the frank person that she was, had to be sincere even when I was a mess, and I was honestly relieved and thankful for that. "But we're your friends and I think it's time you finally open up to someone. Whatever is bothering you must be something big because it's not everyday that Kiara Raven cries." She lowered her voice into a soft tone. "So please... just tells us."