They started walking and with out a word they headed towards the beach.
Kay could not believe that she was walking hand in hand with Miguel. She wasn't sure how it had happened so she asked.
" Miguel what happened to bring us here to this point?"
" I guess it started with that dress so many months ago."
"This dress?" Kay asked looking down at it.
"Yes when I first saw you in that dress I didn't recognize you! That and
the fact that you broke up with Reese and I didn't even know. Well it
reminded me that I hadn't been much of a friend. I didn't know you any
more. And I wanted to Kay. We've always been so close. Then Charity came
along and I dropped you like a hot potato."
"Yeah Miguel you did." Kay said softly. Even now it still hurt that he had discarded her so easily.
Miguel nodded, hearing the hurt in her voice and hating himself for being the cause of it.
"When I tried to make amends and make plans with you, you gave
me quite a hard time. But once we finally got together, I had such a
great time. I realized how much I had missed you and just hanging out
together. I also missed the group things we used to do. I know now that
Charity and I cut ourselves off. We thought we didn't need anyone. It
wasn't good for me and it wasn't good for Charity. Once I got back into
the swing of things I found time for my family, my friends and Charity.
And then came that day in the field. Kay I don't know what happened. I
guess all these feelings that I never knew I had for you surfaced in
this uncontrollable urge to kiss you. I did and you kissed me back and
it was wonderful. Then you pushed me away and reminded me that I had a
girl friend. I felt like such a heel. I was so guilty, that I pushed my
feelings for you down and tried to make up for it by smothering Charity
again. It didn't make things better. It made things worse. Then when you
called me on it. I mean Kay you were so right! I had gone back into
hiding. While I was hiding I missed you. I thought you obviously didn't
miss me. You had a boyfriend by then."
Kay looked over, shocked.
"I didn't have a boyfriend!"
"Charity said you did that's why you were never home." Miguel looked at Kay with a puzzled face.
"Well Miguel you don't have the monopoly on hiding. I was never home
because I was avoiding you."
They were silent for a minute they had gotten to the board walk. The night sea air invaded there senses as they tried to find the words to say to each other.
"I'm sorry I made you feel like you had to avoid me. and I am even more sorry about home I acted when you tried to talk to me again."
Kay shuddered remembering the venom in Miguel's voice as he yelled at her.
"Kay I was hurt that you had been ignoring me. That our kiss meant nothing to you. I yelled at you. I wanted to upset you because I was upset. and I got what I wanted. but I hurt so much more. I have never in my life felt as bad as I did when I saw the pain on your face. It wasn't just guilt about what I said either, Seeing you hurt made me hurt. I ran after you and that day on the beach as I held you in my arms I knew I was holding my heart. It was in that moment that I realized I loved you."
Kay gasped, shocked. After all these years of pining could it be true. Their feet touched the sand and Kay reached down and pulled off her heels. Miguel paused and supported Kay. His heart was racing at his declaration of love and he wanted to finish before he lost his nerve.
"But I thought back to the field and how bad that turned out. I wanted
to be honest and talk before I acted. I was in danger of becoming the type of guy I hate, the kind that toys with girls emotions. But I knew in that day you were the one for me. So I did the only honorable thing: I told Charity. At least I tried I think she knew before I told her. The tears in her voice as she asked me if we would ever live in our house together… It hurt Kay. I never wanted to upset Charity. I never wanted to betray her trust. She was my first love but I was never in love with her. I didn't know how things would turn out. I didn't think about the ramifications. I should have. I wasn't prepared for that first meeting at the book café. Charity was so cold and when you agreed with her I
thought my life was over. I deserved it. I know I did. I was so bad to you and then so unfair to Charity. I didn't think I would ever get a chance to make it right again. I know by Charity's action tonight that she forgives me. But do you Kay? I offer you my love and I ask for your forgiveness."
Kay smiled as her heart moved. Finally she could tell Miguel everything she felt.
"You have it Miguel and I
have to ask yours. Miguel I have loved you for almost three years now. At first
I was afraid to tell you. We were friends and I didn't want to ruin that. I
decided to tell you at the carnival.
"The carnival?"
"Yeah that was the day I was
going to tell you how I felt, But it was also the day you meet Charity and I
just couldn't compete. I wish I could say that I took it gracefully but I
didn't Miguel. I became a horrible person. I was constantly trying to break you
guys up. And Miguel the truth is Reese and I were never a couple. You and
Charity just assumed and I never corrected you. I kissed Reese once by accident
because I thought he was you. I mean I was leading him on and scheming against
my own cousin and best friend." Kay paused for a minute and looked out to sea
still slightly ashamed of the things she had done. Miguel squeezed her
hand as if trying to reassure her.'
Kay took a breath and then
continued. " Then Simone asked me to go to New York with her and see
Les Miz. I was looking forward to having a day with out you two. And there you
were again. It hurt to see you guys together all the time. Then I saw that
play!"
Kay turned her head to look right at Miguel. " I was Eponine. You were Maruis and Charity was Cosete. I saw what happened to Eponine and I didn't want to become her."
"I remember you were crying. It upset me to see you like that."
"That night on the bus I realized that you loved Charity and not me. I was being bitter and evil and I had to stop. I had to be a better person. The first thing I did was to set things straight with Reese. He deserves a girl who loves him and I couldn't be her. I had been hiding too. I blamed Charity for the way my life was and that wasn't fair. So I started over I stopped being a brat and started hanging out with my friends again. I liked me again. I was getting over you. And then out of the blue you wanted to hang out again."
"Well I missed you." Miguel said with a small smile.
"I was trying to get over you, Miguel. I didn't want to spend time with you, but you made me feel guilty. I didn't want to cut you out of my life the way you had cut me out of yours."
"I'm sorry Kay." Miguel said squeezing Kay's hand.
"I know. Then we were friends again. Everything seemed okay. Until that field! It threw me. As much as I wanted to believe that I was over you, when your lips touched mine I knew it was a lie. At first I thought that I had kissed you and you were going to know how I felt but when you kissed me the second time. It was heaven and at the same time hell. I couldn't be dishonest again. I thought of Charity and then I ran off. I was so embarrassed to how I responded to your kiss that I went into hiding. You never came after me. You went back to Charity. I thought it was all just a mistake. I would have stayed away forever if Reese hadn't cornered me. He told me that I was no better than you to abandon you in your time of need. It was hard to talk to you, but I did and when you said that we were no longer friends. That hurt. I ran off to cry over the boy I had promised I would not cry over ever again. But this time you did come after me. When you held me everything was right in the world and the fact that you wanted to kiss me… Well that was great. But there was still Charity between us. I had to say it. And when you walked me home that day I did not know what would become of us. Boy was I in for the shock of my life when Charity came home."
"I guess she was upset."
"Miguel she decked me!"
"Charity?" Miguel stopped walking and stood still in shocked. He tried to picture frail looking Charity punching Kay. "I guess I did not know her as well as I thought."
Kay faced Miguel looking him straight in the eye "Well people will do crazy things for love. And yes Charity did hit me. Mom and Jessica had to pull her off me. Then my mom talked to me. She wasn't mad, but she reminded me that Charity was my cousin and that this situation was very delicate. Miguel when you saw us at the book café that day it was the first time I had gotten Charity to talk to me since she hit me. She wouldn't even eat diner that night. I wanted to be honest with her so I told her everything about how I used to love you and even that I tired to break you up."
"How did she take it?"
"Well not too bad. She pointed out the irony of the situation."
"Which was?"
"When I tried to break you up I couldn't do it to save my life. When I stopped chasing after you I succeeded. Then she asked me to never talk to you again."
"Did you agree?"
"Before I could answer you were standing by our table. I didn't want to never talk to you but then wasn't the time. I am sorry if I hurt you by sending you away."
"It's all right. I should have known better. Charity had every right to be upset. I was just afraid that despite your wanting to kiss me on the beach that maybe you didn't want a relationship with me. That you wished I had stayed with Charity."
"When Charity and I were fighting Mom sent me upstairs. I thought it was unfair since she started and it yet I was the one getting in trouble. But later my mom told me she wasn't mad. It was just that I was the calmer one so I had to go. You were the calmer one Miguel so I sent you away. "
Miguel nodded trying to take it all in. He was standing on the beach with the woman he loved. Charity wasn't mad anymore and Kay's delicate hand was in his. He took off his jacket and spread it on the sand. Kay sat down on it and he sat behind her. she leaned against him. Miguel wrapped his arms around Kay and for a few long minutes they just stared at the ocean watching the white surf crash against the background.
Miguel spoke first.
"So where do we go from here?"
Kay had been wondering that herself. Miguel had admitted that he loved her and Charity had wished them luck. Could they be together the way she had yearned for? Kay turned in his arms so she could face him.
"There is a poster that my mom keeps in the bed and breakfast. It' s been there forever. It has a picture of a flying eagle and it says
If you love something set it free
If it comes back to you it is yours
If it doesn't it never was. "
"I remember that poster.' Miguel said
"I set you free Miguel."
"And I came back."
"Does that mean you're mine?"
"Forever and ever"
Miguel leaned in for a kiss as the waves crashed in the back ground. Kay's heart felt lighter and happier than it had in a long time. Miguel's heart raced as his soul danced with the knowledge that he was home.
THE END