Truce

Twenty Eight // Call It Off

Twenty Eight // Call It Off

Jacob

"Jacob." Kaia's voice; it drew me back like a magnet and even if I wanted to I couldn't have kept walking. I turned back to her, letting the others continue on without us.

We were Wednesday morning and Kaia had been acting strangely. At school we put up the act but it was becoming clear that Audrey had given up, but even then she wasn't all there. It seemed like she was constantly distracted, no matter what I did to try to cheer her up or get her to talk to me.

So hearing her after two days start a conversation sparked hope the silent period was over. I didn't get the opportunity to ask what she wanted before she was telling me.

"I need you to come for dinner tonight night.... With my grandmother."

"Your ulterior motive, hey?" I thought back to the moment on her front porch I'd taken her home and she'd introduced me as her boyfriend. It was the start of it all. Upon reflection, it was a turning point in our friendship. The one where she decided she could trust me enough for me to know an ulterior motive existed and where I saw a glimpse of the girl I'd fallen for so long ago.

She nodded, but was gnawing on her lip, her dark hair curtaining her face. Something was bothering her still, and again, I was too slow to ask.

"And then I think we should call off our 'relationship'."

My everything stopped. "Why?"

"Well," she started mumbling. "Audrey isn't bothering you any more, Marcus is gone, and after tonight, there's no use for it. What's the point of prolonging it? We got what we wanted."

No, we didn't. Maybe she did, but I hadn't gotten what I wanted. I wanted her.

I didn't want to accept it. What would happen when it ended? Would she still be a part of us or would she go back to her life before all of this happened? I didn't want to find out, but there was not much I could say to get her to rethink.

"I told you I had an ulterior motive as well," I reminded her, staring straight into her averted eyes. She couldn't look at me. "I need you until the end of the week." Saying it, like I would use her and then toss her aside like that's all she was good for made me feel ill. I wanted to leave it at I need you because I did, and I knew that in some way I always would. But I wasn't ready to admit how I felt, and I didn't think she was ready to hear it.

"Okay," I said, trying to keep my voice strong. "We'll break up Monday morning then."

"Five days."

"'Til March fifth."

It grew awkward and it was then I knew my fears were right; she would go back to wherever she was before I returned. Soon we'd stop talking, lose touch, and grow apart. Just like last time.

The hallways were their usual buzz but the silence between us was all I noticed, growing more and more to the point where I couldn't take it anymore. It already felt like whatever we were was over.

"I gotta go," I said, excusing myself and walking back the way we'd come. I didn't look back, no matter how badly I wanted to.

I caught Hayden at his locker, Ada beside him, both laughing and talking away. Thanks to Kaia and her words of wisdom, I had come to realize I was happy that they'd found each other and I was, but right now all I wanted was to get far away from here. She was in my classes and my only escape was Hayden, who had stopped talking upon noticing me.