We're Sempiternal, Baby (Kellic)

Chapter 5

Chapter 5 - Kellin - Extraordinary

I don’t pack. I just leave.

I run out of the room, out of the house, ignoring any exclamations or questions. I jump into the car and drive.

I hate him. I hate him so fucking much.

This is the thought that I repeat in my head, over and over again. I focus on nothing but that thought, so I don’t have to dwell on the fact that I’m still not happy. We broke up, the source of my anger gone from my life for good. I should be happy.

Before I know it, I find myself parked in front of the same hotel that Alan was staying in earlier. I have nothing with me, but I go inside anyways and request a room. For a second, the woman at the desk looks at me like I’m crazy, but then she seems to understand.

As soon as I enter my room and close the door behind me, my hatred for Vic starts to fade. And it fades fast, leaving me with an empty feeling.

We broke up. It’s over. It’ll never be the same again.

I slowly make my way over to the bed, falling into it face-first. An unexpected sob forces itself out of me, and from there, it all goes downhill.

I cry loudly and steadily, unable to even slow down no matter what I do. I’m screaming, too, and hyperventilating—I can hardly breathe, and whenever I try to form words, they just come out like a broken wail.

I hate him. I hate him so fucking much.

Even as the thought passes through my mind again, I know it’s not true. After everything that has ever happened, it’s still not true. I don’t hate him.

And the reason I’m not happy is because I know this. I know that I regret walking out on him. But if we can’t stop arguing, then what does it matter if we still care about each other? Shouldn’t we just let it go?

Maybe. But I don’t want to.

My phone rings, and after a few moments of taking deep breaths, I take a chance and answer it. “Hello?” I say, then wince when I hear my voice crack.

"Kellin? It’s Alan," says the person on the other end. "Where are you?"

"Uh, the same hotel you were at earlier," I tell him, still wiping away tears. There aren’t as many now, but they still fall down continuously. "Room 155. First floor. Why?"

"Well, because I wanted to talk to at least one of you, and I wasn’t getting anywhere with Vic. Austin’s been at the grocery store. I’ll be over in a few minutes."

"Wait, you don’t have to—"

But he has already hung up.

I sigh and try to focus on making myself look at least somewhat calm and normal, though I know it’s a lost cause. Vic keeps popping back into my mind, and every time, it causes a new wave of tears. Finally, I give up and sit down on the bed, pulling my knees up to my chest and resting my head on them.

A few minutes later, there’s a knocking on the door. I sigh, flipping my hair over so that it covers more of my face. Then I get up and let Alan in.

"Kellin," he says, closing the door behind him and sitting down on the bed. "You would not believe the traffic out there. Completely nonexistent.”

I force out a little laugh, and then Alan gets more serious. “You and I both know what this is about,” he says.

I nod. “Yeah.” There’s no way he couldn’t have heard us.