Lightning

Chapter XVI

.Age 17. Part 2.

I looked at the screen of my phone as Kyle's name appeared.

Emily knew something was up.

"What is it?" She asked walking toward me. Her long brown hair brushed her tan skin as the summer wind blew.

"Morgan and Haven told Kyle how I feel and now he's calling I'm gonna go for a quick walk and take this." I say and begin walking toward the sidewalk.

"Not alone you're not." She said following right behind me.

I swipe the green phone icon and place my phone at my right ear.

"Hello." I say.

"Hey man what's up?"

"Boat building what about you?" I return.

"Nothing much, just got off the phone with the girls." He says.

My heart sinks into my stomach. This is it.

"Oh." I shakily say.

"Yeah, they told me something very interesting." He says.

"Like what?" I light my half of my cigarette.

"That you have strong feelings for me." He says.

I didn't know what to say so I said nothing hoping he would break the silence.

"You there?" He asked.

"Yeah."

"Is it true?" He says.

"I don't know what to say." I simply answer giving Emily a terrified look.

"You don't have to say anything. They also told me that you were afraid I would never talk to you again." He says sounding genuinely concerned.

"Yeah." I answer.

"I'm not gonna lie, I was kinda hurt by that. This won't ruin our friendship. You're still my bro and nothing will change that but I just don't feel that way about you." He says

Forget my stomach, my heart was gone. Shattered. The final words that pushed me over the edge.

"Okay I am sorry about all of this." I say trying not to cry.

"Don't be sorry. You can't help how you feel."  He says.

Emily placed her hand on my back to comfort me.

"I know. I just don't want things to be weird." I say.

"They won't. Are we good?" He asks.

"Yeah. Yeah we're good." I say genuinely meaning it.

We were good. My heart felt destroyed but as to be expected when this moment came. I couldn't avoid it forever.

"Alright, I gotta go but I will talk to you later."

"Okay. Me too. Got a boat to build." I laugh out.

"I love you bro."

Fuck my heart. I know he didn't mean to hurt me but it did. It hurt so fucking bad.

I look at Emily and throw my cigarette out not holding back my tears anymore but not letting Kyle know.

"I love you too." I say. As strongly as I could.

"Bye." He says.

"Bye."

.....

I hung up the phone and slowly let one tear out at a time as I tell Emily the phone conversation. I need to call the girls and just ask them what 'not bad at all' meant.