Jace and Kate

Chapter 29

Kaat

It has been a few days since the night of the party, and my heart still hurts. I haven't been able to listen to the message that Jace left me. It was probably his drunken attempt to apologize, knowing my track record. After his first call, I just turned off his phone. He was persistent and that probably included when he was calling someone. He wouldn't stop until I answered and I didn't want to give him the satisfaction of getting a hold of me.

I haven't even brought myself to turn my phone on since the morning after that night. He has sent flowers to Naomi's place, how he got his hands on her apartment number I have no idea. They were nice gestures, but they weren't going to win me back. He kissed another girl in front of me. Maybe not intentionally, which makes it all the more worse. And it was his ex- girlfriend of all people! How could I compete with an old flame?

You know what? I'm glad he finally has what he wants. I may not be happy about the way he chose to get it, but at least I'm free from his enchanting claws. I knew that he was bad news. My first impression of him would have been enough for me to have run away in the very beginning, but my curiosity got the best of me, and you know how the saying goes: Curiosity killed the cat. Well he definitely killed me, but he doesn't have me anymore. Nothing could change my mind about staying away from him for the rest of the trip, and if that means drinking Naomi's horrible tea, I'll do it. That's how much I don't want to see him. Although a lot of it is because I know that if I see him again I will want to hear everything he has to say. And I will take him back, and I just don't think my heart can take that. I barely got out with my heart beating. When I saw him kissing her it was as if some one just grabbed my heart and squeezed as hard as they could. Not holding back one tiny bit of strength.

Naomi and I had been spending the last few days eating a lot of ice cream, watching old romantic movies where the girl never gets the guy, and doing retail therapy. But that only goes so far.

The next day, I finally turn on my phone. I figured it was about time I listen to his message.

I put my guard up and put in the code to my phones voicemail. I wait a few seconds before the automated voice starts telling me I have one new message.

"Kaat? It's Jace. I don't know what I can say to convince you that what happened tonight was a mistake. Brooklynn is my ex-girlfriend. She wasn't even supposed to come to the party tonight. She has been stalking me ever since she got back to California. What you saw was her kissing me... which probably wasn't the right thing to say." I heard Jace swear quietly to himself. "Kaat. What you do to me. Kaat, you're the one that I want. I know that tonight didn't go as well as either of us planned. Nothing I tell you will earn your trust back. I understand, now, that it was a privilege, and I threw it away. I just want you to know that I'm sorry. What we had, was unlike anything I have ever had or felt. I know that sorry doesn't cut it. And anything I say after this wont cut it either, but Kaat, I love you. I'm not just saying that so I can get back together with you. I just wanted you to know that even if that wasn't what you were feeling, that's what I felt. I-"

The message was cut off abruptly and I was crying. My wounds freshly cut open. I didn't know what to think or do or say.

I blew him off, and I probably blew my chance with him. In two days I would be leaving to go back to New York. We couldn't fix the whole thing by then, could we?

I didn't want to wait to find out. I grabbed a rain jacket and ran out of the apartment. I ran outside to my rental car and tried to start the car. It wouldn't start and I had to try a couple times, coaxing it to life with the key and my words.

"Come on, baby. Please work. This is important."

Finally the engine roared to life and I quickly backed out of my parking spot and into the pouring rain. I drove to Jace's apartment hoping that he was there. I ran up to the door getting soaked by the rain and pressed the buzzer that was for his apartment. I pressed it about three times, maybe even leaned against it, I'm not really sure.