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Eight

Thursday, January 9, 2014

The raindrops tapped lightly against the window, the only sound in the room the erratic rhythm of the tiny droplets. The floor of Kit's small flat felt as though it was covered in eggshells, the tension in the air thick as smog. Kevin sat across from Kit, his arms crossed over his chest as he scowled at his abashed girlfriend. Kit's head was down, sheepishly picking at a tear on the throw blanket covering her bare legs, unable to make eye contact with her boyfriend.

"So," Kevin spoke, his declaration cutting through the awkward silence filling the room. "Did you have a chance to think about your choices this week?"

"Yes," Kit answered meekly. Save for a single text message on New Year's Day, Kit and Kevin hadn't spoken for the entire week following the holiday. Kevin had, in a sense, grounded Kit from him, and told her he would not be speaking to her for a week, during such time she was to think about the error of her ways and how her actions had upset him greatly. If, he'd told her, she could show that she was truly remorseful for her actions at the party, he may be able to forgive her.

Upon reading Kevin's text message, Kit was convinced he'd caught wind of the embrace between herself and Harry. She spent the week with her stomach in knots as she thought over everything she'd done wrong - not just on New Year's Eve, but since the birth of their relationship. She thought about how she put no effort into looking nice for Kevin, how she was unable to cook him a proper dinner without burning something, how she was constantly speaking without thinking and making herself appear stupid. Her heart broke when she thought about how kind he could be - when he'd order pizza with half pineapple even though he loathed the fruit, because Kit loved it, or when he'd stay awake and play with her hair while they watched a movie she picked out, rather than passing out on the sofa. She thought about every moment they'd been together - every kiss, every embrace, every date, every argument - and knew she deserved to be exiled for the week.

Luckily, Harry hadn't texted her at all since they'd said goodbye on Alexa's front porch. She thought she would be eagerly anticipating hearing from him, but the radio silence made it easier to focus on fixing her relationship. She wished she could say she hadn't thought about him the entire time she was in exile, but he had been on the forefront of her mind the entire time - making her feel even more guilty for her New Year's escapades.

"And..." Kevin prodded, raising his eyebrow at Kit. She looked up at him for a moment before sheepishly dropping her head again.

"I'm sorry," she whispered to him, resembling a scolded puppy whose owner held a threatening newspaper in their hand. "I wasn't thinking, and... I'm sorry I hurt you."

"Well, you should be," Kevin retorted. "You need to realise how uncomfortable I was at that party. I would never put you though that," he added, though he had, many times, and would continue to do so.

"I'm sorry," Kit repeated, unsure as to what more she was to say to Kevin. She hoped he didn't ask her details about her time with Harry - she was surprised to realise she didn't want to share the details because the moment with Harry felt special to her, not because of what Kevin's reaction would be.

"I mean... I don't know why it took you so long to use the toilet, anyway," Kevin added, shaking his head in disgust at Kit. "It's gross to do that at other people's homes. I thought we talked about that."

With those words, Kit realized Kevin had no idea why she'd taken so long in the house. He assumed it was due to something she ate, not that she was about to kiss her childhood friend. She exhaled loudly, a sense of relief washing over her. Kevin eyed Kit curiously.

"No, sorry," Kit told him, dismissing her sigh with a wave of her hand. "You're absolutely right. I should have waited, and I should have waited with you. It won't happen again," she promised him, knowing full well it wouldn't. After the way Kevin behaved around Harry and his friends, Kit was certain she would never see any of them again.