CHAPTER 28-It's over-for real

Craig POV

I was so miserable; I couldn't recall when I had felt so horrible. Kate was back with Ben, living with him, even marrying him. She was wearing the most expensive looking ring I had ever seen. Apparently Ben had been pampering her with gifts, something I couldn't afford to do. I decided to go to the Dot to hang out with Marco and Jimmy. As I got there, I saw that there was a huge crowd sitting at a table, including Jimmy and Marco. As I got closer, I saw who was at the center. Ben and Kate. Everyone was smiling and laughing, so apparently Ben had not only charmed my girlfriend, he had charmed everyone, including my friends. I looked at Kate again. She seemed to be radiating happiness, and Ben had his hand on her knee. That was my spot. I was supposed to be there, charming everyone with my hand on Kate's knee. I walked into the Dot.

"Hey guys." I said with fake cheeriness.

"Craig." Ashley said in a low voice.

"This is kind of strange. I didn't get invited." I said.

Paige and Hazel glared at me.

"Oh yeah, Hazel, we did forget to invite him. Let's check our guest list. Oh, right. Asshole wasn't on it. Sorry." Paige said.

I stepped back. No one stood up to defend me. Not that I could blame them. I was horrible to Kate. She probably told them about the time I grabbed her wrist. I turned and walked away. I had lost everyone. I turned back and looked at Kate. She gazed after me with tears in her eyes. I loved her so much. I felt like my heart was breaking into two. I couldn't believe that she was with Ben. I needed her so badly. I turned away and walked out.

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Kate POV

After the Dot incident, I didn't feel very well. Seeing Craig's face made me reminisce about our relationship, something I couldn't do anymore. After Craig had left, I couldn't take it anymore. I ran out after him and tapped his shoulder.

"Craig, I'm sorry about the way we ended It was awful. Please, just come back inside and join us. Can we be friends?" I asked.

"It isn't that simple Kate. You can't just be friends with someone who broke your heart. Have a nice life with Ben. He's rich enough to keep you happy for the rest of your life, right? Have fun." He said.

"Ben is not only rich, but he treats me well! Something you could never manage to do! All you were about was making out or sleeping over! You never spent anything on me! I was your cheapest girlfriend ever! He truly loves me, Craig. Something you could never say you did." I said.

"Kate, I loved you more than anyone could. I may not have bought you a diamond ring, but the feelings were real." Craig said softly.

"Yes, I'm sure that's what you'd like me to think. But I just can't trust you anymore. You've broken my heart one too many times." I said.

I shook my head and went back to the Dot. Craig turned me around.

"What is this? Don't keep playing these games with me, Kate. Are you serious about Ben or not? Because I could prove to you that I love you more than he does. We made each other happy, okay?" Craig said.

I swallowed and turned away.

"I should get back to…" I trailed off.

I walked away and headed for the hotel. I sobbed the entire way there. My heart was so torn. Craig had broken my heart so many times, and Ben was my first love, offering me everything I had ever dreamed of. I walked into our beautiful new suite and sat down on the couch and wept. After a few hours, I took a shower and changed into a hotel bathrobe. Ben came in as I was watching a soap opera in bed. He took off his shoes and climbed into bed next to me.

"Kate, Listen to me. Are you serious about this? Because if you're still in love with Craig…it's not fair to lead me on this way." Ben whispered.

I turned to look at him. Craig was dead to me. Even if I did still love him, that could change. I kissed Ben

"I chose you." I said.

Ben smiled as I turned back to the show. Our puppy, newly christened Tyler, pounced into bed with us and barked. Ben sighed.

"Okay, okay. Time for your walk." Ben said.

"Hurry home." I said sweetly.

Ben left with Tyler and I sighed. I felt a hundred times more badly about what Craig said when I was alone. I decided to call Ashley.

"Hey, Ash. It's Kate."

"Oh, hey. I'm sorry about what happened with Craig. I heard what he said to you." Ashley said.

"I hate Craig." I said.

"Are you sure?" Ashley asked.

"Why does everyone assume that I'm in love with Craig! I am completely in love with Ben!" I said.

"Because…you are." Ashley said.

"I'm not. I swear to you." I said.

"I believe you. Anyway, Ben is much better than Craig is. Everyone loved him today." Ashley replied.

"I know, he's great. He even bought me a puppy." I said.

Ashley sighed.

"That's too perfect. Hey, is Ben there?" Ashley asked.

"No, he walked Tyler…" I stopped after Ben walked back in.

"Kate, something happened. I need to talk to you." Ben said.

"Ashley, I'm going to call you back." I said.

I hung up and stared nervously at Ben.

"Kate, your mom called me on my cell. She's very upset, I think she was drinking. She demands that you go back to your home. She kept screaming, and screaming, I had to hang up. I'm afraid of what she might do. We're not exactly following the law." He said.

"I can't go back to her. I'm happy here. She won't do anything. She knows where I am, she'll come to the hotel, but she can't get in." I said.

I walked out to the kitchenette and grabbed some ice cream from the fridge. Ben followed me, and stared at me sadly.

"Maybe you should just go back until you graduate." Ben suggested.

I glared at him.

"You're not my dad. Stop ordering me around. Marriage is an equal partnership, not a dictatorship." I said.

"Kate, you're acting ridiculous. Your father would never do this." He said.

He kissed me softly on the lips and started to carry me towards the bed. I struggled against him.

"Ben, get off! I don't want to do this!" I said.

Ben backed off and took a few steps back.

"I'm going to go stay with Ashley." I said.

I ran around the hotel room, gathering all of my stuff, throwing it into suitcases.

"Kate, let's talk about this." Ben said.

"Okay, fine. I have a question. Why do you love me?" I asked.

"Kate, we were made for each other." He said.

"Ben, is that all? I feel so… fake when I'm with you. You buy me all of these things, like the puppy, and the ring. But I don't need this. And I don't think that I can do this." I said softly.

"Kate, I don't understand." He said.

"You are perfect. But I don't want to be the princess, living in the suite with the prince. And look, they have a puppy to add to the cuteness factor! It's just not real. I'm sorry. I'm too young for this. Now please, just let me go." I said.

I ran past him and grabbed my suitcases. I ran outside and got a cab to take me to Ashley's. When she answered her door, she didn't seem surprised.

"I'm so sorry." She said.

I nodded and she led me upstairs to her room.

"At least I grabbed the puppy." I said, laughing.

"He's adorable." She said.

Tyler bounded around the room and settled on Ashley's bed.

"I'm such an idiot." I said.

"What happened with Ben, anyway?" Ashley asked, picking up Tyler.

"He is just…very serious and he can be controlling. He wanted me to move back in with my mom. He kept ordering me around about it, and I got sick of it. Ben just kept buying me gifts, it was so suffocating. A part of me will always love him, but I just need to be single for a while." I said.

I sighed and sat down on the bed next to Ashley.

"I think we should forget the guys tonight. Do you feel up for something crazy?" I asked.

Ashley laughed.

"What exactly are we talking about?" she asked.

"Let's go party!" I yelled.

I whipped on some party clothes as Ashley put on some more make-up. We ran out of her house and hit Paige's party that she was having tonight. We ran in and started dancing near the front of the house. Ashley and I were laughing and having a great time until I felt my cell phone vibrate.

"Ash, hold on I have a call." I yelled to her.

I went outside and answered the phone.

"Kate, where are you? I've called everywhere! You're scaring me!" Ben said.

"Ben, I'm at a party, calm down. And about the whole scaring thing, I'm scaring myself. I can't believe I was getting married at seventeen! And live with you here. I'm sorry Ben, it's over. I'll talk to you tomorrow. " I said.

I hung up and went back inside, only to bump into Ashley, who was on her way out.

"It was Ben wasn't it?" she asked.

I nodded and looked at my ring.

"What are you going to do with it?" Ashley asked.

"Well normally I would have loved to run over it. But now, I think I'm going to save it." I said.

I slipped it off my ring finger and into my pocket. I smiled at Ashley and headed back inside. As we walked inside, Jay came up to us.

"Hey, getting married in the pretty white chapel yet?" he asked.

"Yeah, right." I laughed.

"So… the loser is gone?" he asked.

I nodded and Jay smiled.

"Want to dance?" he asked.

"Sure." I said.

He put his arm around my waist and led me out to the floor. We were dancing so close to each other that I could feel the heat from his body radiating on to mine. The music was dizzying, and I guess I let the excitement of the day get to my head. I put my arms around his neck and pressed up against him. He smirked and bent down to kiss me. His lips were so soft that I kissed them even more feverishly. He picked me up so that my feet were a couple inches off the floor. I wrapped my legs around his waist and he led me upstairs. He laid me down on the bed and began kissing me again.

" Get off!" I yelled.

"Kate, come on." He said.

"Stop!" I said.

He kissed me again as I was struggling under him. As soon as my hand was free, I used it to punch him. Unsuspecting, he fell off the bed as Craig was standing in the doorway. He yanked Jay out of the room and punched him in the stomach. Craig turned and looked at me.

"Kate, are you okay?" he asked softly.

I nodded and sat up.

"Where's Ben? Isn't he supposed to be rescuing you from rapists?" He asked.

I held up my newly bare left hand.

"Oh." He said.

"I'm so sorry, Craig. I was such an idiot. I ruined our lives, I'm not surprised that you hate me." I said.

Craig stared at me awkwardly and left. I sat back on the bed. I had to figure out how to get my life back.

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