Chapter 18
"Hey Kay, how's it goin'? Miguel asked her over the phone.
"Oh, hey Miguel, I was just gonna call you. What's up, babe?" she replied.
"Umm... not too much. Do you wanna come over and chill for awhile?"
"Uhh, yeah, sure," Kay responded. "Is anything wrong, you sound kinda funny."
"No, nothing's wrong, I just want to see you for awhile, you know, talk and stuff."
Kay shut her eyes and pictured him as she answered, "Yeah, I want to talk to you too." She squeezed her eyes shut more tightly than before and continued. "I'm just gonna get dressed and I'll be over in a sec."
"Okay, see you soon." Miguel hung up before she could hear the emotion in his voice. He hastily threw his clothes off his desk chair and into his closet. He could see an awkward repeat of Kay's first time in his room, and wanted her to have options about how close she wanted to be to him after everything was out in the open.
Kay rushed down the stairs of her apartment in sweat shorts, a baby tee, and some old running shoes. She ran the entire way, carrying the mini canister of mace Miguel insisted she have when walking alone at night.
Miguel opened the door after her first knock and, rethinking having the discussion in his room, where Kay might feel trapped, asked if she'd like to take a walk. She agreed and they headed back towards campus, gravitating toward the benches in front of the university library. They walked in silence, enjoying each other's company, but both recognizing a tinge of finality to the short journey.
"Miguel," Kay began.
"Wait, Kay, can I say something before you do?" They were both surprised at his initiative, Kay always began such discussions.
"Of course, Miguel, please, I want to know what you're thinking right now."
"Kay... Kay, I love you," he began, and then continued quickly as he felt the tears come to his eyes. "I'll always love you, Kay... but I just... Kay, honey, I love you, but only as a friend... Let me finish, please," Miguel said, seeing her about to interject, "Kay, please don't be hurt, this has been the best relationship I've ever been in and I really hope that the friendship we've developed along the way won't be affected by this... Kay, please, I really need to say this," Miguel pleaded as he saw her about to interrupt again. "I just want to be fair to you, and not lead you on, and to let you know where I stand on things and how I'm feeling... Kay, please, don't cry," Miguel felt tears slide down his face as well as he watched them roll down Kay's cheeks.
"Miguel, I..." Kay took a deep breath to hold back the heaving sobs she felt coming. "Miguel, I'm crying because I didn't think this would hurt so much..."
"Kay, I'm so sorry..."Miguel began.
"No, now let me finish," Kay said. "Miguel, I wanted to break up with you too. I know things aren't right in this relationship, and I really do think we make better friends, I just didn't think it would hurt so much hearing it said aloud... by you." Her tears came freely now, and he gathered her in his arms.
Miguel tilts her head up and leans in for one last kiss. It ends quickly, and Kay looks down, unable to interpret her own feelings at the moment, and certainly not ready to deal with the ones racing across Miguel's features.
"You bastard," they hear coming venomously from behind them.
For a millisecond, Kay thought it was Nicholas intruding once again, but then quickly realized that the low voice was a female voice growling from behind Miguel.
"How could you make her cry like that," an extremely angry Charity shouted. As Kay looked up, she was stunned at the ferocity with which Charity shot mental daggers at Miguel. "Don't you think she's cried enough over you? You had to get one last one in, didn't you?" Charity moved closer to Miguel.
Seeing Charity's intention, Kay moved to block her, but too late. As she grabbed Miguel's hand to pull him out of the way, Charity's palm whipped across his face as she smacked his soundly.
Blue light crackled through the air and all three were thrown onto the ground.
Instantly, Kay understood what had happened. Miguel was completely confused, and Charity thought she understood, but she was wrong.
"Hey Kay, how's it goin'? Miguel asked her over the phone.
"Oh, hey Miguel, I was just gonna call you. What's up, babe?" she replied.
"Umm... not too much. Do you wanna come over and chill for awhile?"
"Uhh, yeah, sure," Kay responded. "Is anything wrong, you sound kinda funny."
"No, nothing's wrong, I just want to see you for awhile, you know, talk and stuff."
Kay shut her eyes and pictured him as she answered, "Yeah, I want to talk to you too." She squeezed her eyes shut more tightly than before and continued. "I'm just gonna get dressed and I'll be over in a sec."
"Okay, see you soon." Miguel hung up before she could hear the emotion in his voice. He hastily threw his clothes off his desk chair and into his closet. He could see an awkward repeat of Kay's first time in his room, and wanted her to have options about how close she wanted to be to him after everything was out in the open.
Kay rushed down the stairs of her apartment in sweat shorts, a baby tee, and some old running shoes. She ran the entire way, carrying the mini canister of mace Miguel insisted she have when walking alone at night.
Miguel opened the door after her first knock and, rethinking having the discussion in his room, where Kay might feel trapped, asked if she'd like to take a walk. She agreed and they headed back towards campus, gravitating toward the benches in front of the university library. They walked in silence, enjoying each other's company, but both recognizing a tinge of finality to the short journey.
"Miguel," Kay began.
"Wait, Kay, can I say something before you do?" They were both surprised at his initiative, Kay always began such discussions.
"Of course, Miguel, please, I want to know what you're thinking right now."
"Kay... Kay, I love you," he began, and then continued quickly as he felt the tears come to his eyes. "I'll always love you, Kay... but I just... Kay, honey, I love you, but only as a friend... Let me finish, please," Miguel said, seeing her about to interject, "Kay, please don't be hurt, this has been the best relationship I've ever been in and I really hope that the friendship we've developed along the way won't be affected by this... Kay, please, I really need to say this," Miguel pleaded as he saw her about to interrupt again. "I just want to be fair to you, and not lead you on, and to let you know where I stand on things and how I'm feeling... Kay, please, don't cry," Miguel felt tears slide down his face as well as he watched them roll down Kay's cheeks.
"Miguel, I..." Kay took a deep breath to hold back the heaving sobs she felt coming. "Miguel, I'm crying because I didn't think this would hurt so much..."
"Kay, I'm so sorry..."Miguel began.
"No, now let me finish," Kay said. "Miguel, I wanted to break up with you too. I know things aren't right in this relationship, and I really do think we make better friends, I just didn't think it would hurt so much hearing it said aloud... by you." Her tears came freely now, and he gathered her in his arms.
Miguel tilts her head up and leans in for one last kiss. It ends quickly, and Kay looks down, unable to interpret her own feelings at the moment, and certainly not ready to deal with the ones racing across Miguel's features.
"You bastard," they hear coming venomously from behind them.
For a millisecond, Kay thought it was Nicholas intruding once again, but then quickly realized that the low voice was a female voice growling from behind Miguel.
"How could you make her cry like that," an extremely angry Charity shouted. As Kay looked up, she was stunned at the ferocity with which Charity shot mental daggers at Miguel. "Don't you think she's cried enough over you? You had to get one last one in, didn't you?" Charity moved closer to Miguel.
Seeing Charity's intention, Kay moved to block her, but too late. As she grabbed Miguel's hand to pull him out of the way, Charity's palm whipped across his face as she smacked his soundly.
Blue light crackled through the air and all three were thrown onto the ground.
Instantly, Kay understood what had happened. Miguel was completely confused, and Charity thought she understood, but she was wrong.
