Chapter Three: "I don't wanna be anything other than me." - Gavin DeGraw
Kyla swallowed hard as she watched him talk to Haley James, who stood behind the counter. They conversed for a few minutes then, when she finally got the guts to start to stand, he turned and left the cafe.
"Ky, do me a favor and go talk to him."
"Huh?" She turned to face Brooke.
"Go talk to him, cause, if you don't, you'll lose him to Peyton."
Kyla nodded slowly then stood up. "You know, the same could be said for you and Lucas. I saw the look on your face when you mentioned him. You're not as mad as you seem." Grabbing her bag, Kyla slung it over her shoulder, turning and walking out of the diner.
Jake had just laid Jenny down when a soft knock sounded at the door. He jogged across the living room then opened it slowly. Shock was very evident on his face when he saw her. "Kyla."
"Hey Jake." She fidgeted, wringing her hands nervously. "Did you miss me?"
He opened his mouth to say something but shut his lips. "What brings you back?"
Kyla sighed heavily, shoving her hands into the pockets of her coat. "I'd hope the answer to that was obvious."
Jake sighed and, against his better judgement, stepped aside. "I think I know. Come on in."
She blinked in suprirsed and nodded slowly walking inside. "Wow, everything looks exactly the same."
"Yeah," he followed her into the living room, stopping when she did to peer into the crib by the wall. Jenny lay on her stomach, deeply asleep. "She's still as beautiful as ever."
"Just like her mom." HE winced when he realized the words had left his mouth. This was all so weird for Jake, to have her here, to have the only girl he'd dated and loved, standing in his living room.
She heard his words but she couldn't bring herself to tear her eyes from the sleeping baby. "I'm surprised you even let me in."
"I didn't want to." He said with a sigh, sitting on the couch, his eyes still on Kyla. "But I can't keep you from her. I just...wish I knew why you left."
She finally looked at him, laying a hand on the wooden side of her crib. "I didn't have a choice, Jake. I whouldn't have left if I had been given a choice."
"What are you talking about?" He looked up at her Curiously, watching as she walked around the coffee table and sat on the couch adjacent to her ex.
She sighed softly, looking at her hands as she slowly slid the sweatguards off her wrists. "Some things happened that I'm not proud of. You know how I was before I got pregnant."
Jake frowned as his eyes fell to her arms. "I also know how you were after Jenny was born."
Kyla swallowed hard and nodded, flipping the undersides of her wrists up to display two neat scars across her veins. He simply gaped at her, instinctively reaching a hand out to lightly touch a scar. "W...why?"
"Cause I was losing control?" She shrugged weakly. "I was, uh, diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Everything just mounted up, I stopped sleeping and eating. When...my dad found me, he let the hospital staff lock me up. I was in Raleigh as soon as the stitches were set."
"Why didn't you call?" He finally looked up at her, apin and vulnerability evident in his eyes.
"I wasn't allowed to talk to anyone, Jake. I was on lockdown until I finally agreed to do therapy. My parents made it so that I was totally isolated. When I completed therapy, I was allowed to come home."
"How long have you been back?" He asked as he ooked back down at her wrist, his index finger sliding down the scar, fingers soon lacing with hers.
"I came home Friday night. Dad kept me pretty busy Saturday and Sunday. I had to prove to him that I could handle school."
"And what about Jenny?" Jake questioned, fighting to keep control of his voice. "What about the little girl you left me to raise?"
"I'm here now. I want to be healthy for my baby. I wanna be healthy for...you." She bit her lip and looked down, her heart aching when his hand slid from hers.
"You can't back and expect us to pick right back up and be one happy little family."
"I realize that. But...I want to try." Kyla looked back up at Jake. "I will do anything to get our life back."