Just Like That

16. "glad it's over"

Breanna Michelle Santana

"I gotta say, I knew you'd pick me over him again-"

"You need to leave. First thing in the morning, I need you outta here." I bursted Kaign's bubble as soon as we got inside of the house after the incident with Grayson.

"What? I'm confused, I thought we were getting back together?"

"You. Thought. Wrong. Please, don't make this harder than it has to be, Kaign."

"Brea, I love you."

"Who are you trying to convince, me or yourself?" I saw Kaign gulp and his eyes became glossy. If I cried I didn't know what I'd do.

"Is this a bad time," my mother walked in at the wrong time, in fact. I shook my head and she took the hint to leave but not before asking if we could have a talk later to which I agreed.

I wasn't angry or upset, not even disappointed, I just really want Kaign gone because we could never be together again so it was no use in leading him on.

"Can't we talk about this?"

"We've done enough talking, we talk too much. All we do is talk. Enough is enough, I want you gone and if you don't leave, I can get my dad to handle this." I threatened him. It would bring my father a lot of joy to get rid of Kaign, he'd consider it "taking out the trash".

"What is it, Brea? Why didn't we work?" Kaign asked me.

To that, I had to reply with the truth. "We don't love each other."

"I do love you, Brea," he said, making me look at him blankly. He continued to say,"just not in that way." It was no surprise, I knew it all along. Just wish we could've gotten to that conclusion a long time ago.

I nod my head. "Do you love Dylan?"

Kaign nodded his head, too. "Do you hate me?" I had no idea where that question came from.

In response, I shake my pounding head. "Have you told him?" I asked.

"I don't think he's into me." Kaign frowned, hanging his big head.

"You'll never know if you don't ask, but trust me, he is. I see how he looks at you."

"We have too much history, he'll probably turn me down."

I put my warm hand on his and looked deep into his eyes so he knew I was being sincere. "You miss one hundred percent of the shots you don't take." That was advice my father had given me a long time ago.

"What does that mean?" He asked me to elaborate which I gladly did.

"It just means that if you don't try then you'll never have the opportunity to know what could be. Why didn't you just tell me, Kaign? Why'd you keep this up for a year?" That was the million dollar question.

He shrugged like he didn't have an answer but he knew. "I thought I could learn to love you."

"Is there something wrong with me?"

"No."

I nod my head again. "How'd you know?" I questioned him more.

"I didn't, but you never wore your promise ring so I just thought you were seeing someone else." At the mention of the promise ring, I looked down at the one still on my finger and twisted my mouth.

Kaign's eyes start to water and he pulled his thin, cracked lips into his mouth. He started to rock back and forth and put his fist into his other hand then brought it to his mouth to bite his knuckle and mute the cries. "It's just that-" he broke down.