Beautifully Broken

Chapter 39

"It's been 10 days now! I know he needs his time, but this is getting a bit much, right? Like tell me I'm not being ridiculous and selfish" I said in a huff as I sat down at the table surrounded by my best friends.

The gang were over for dinner as usual, only we were still minus Tyler. He had text me every few days and called me twice, just to hear my voice he said. However, he was still away and I didn't even know where he had gone. He had taken his surfboard, so I can only imagine he went up the coast. I already knew about his love for the ocean and how it calmed him. Given he had just gone through the death of his mother, I was trying really hard to be understanding.

It didn't make it any easier though because I wanted him here. He could grieve here with me, surely. Madi was missing him too. I had spent a few days with her, Mrs James saying it was the only time she had a smile on her face.

"He will come home when he is ready. He knows this is his home now, plus he wouldn't leave you like that" Harry assured me.

"He told you he loves you; he will be back. Please stop stressing" Kara added, exasperated as she had been the one dealing with me the last 10 days.

When I first saw his note, I cried, hurt that he would just leave without saying anything. Once I calmed down, I knew he was right. I would have insisted on coming with him and probably smothered him when he needed this time.

"I'm just going to call him, just check in" I said, getting up from the table to head outside.

"Whatever helps you to shut up" Kara said, rolling her eyes.

Stepping outside, I clicked on his contact, putting the phone to my ear while it rang. In moments the call connected.

"Kayla" a female voice answered, dragging out my name. What? Who? I checked my phone screen to make sure I had actually dialed the correct number. Tyler.

"Who's this? Where is Tyler?" I replied, immediately defensive.

"It's Tasha, he is uhh... a little busy right now"

"What do you mean a little busy? What is he doing? Why on earth are you answering his phone? He is meant to be alone, taking time for himself" I started getting frantic.

"I don't know what to tell you Kayla. He came back to what he knows, who he knows. He is here with me, I guess whatever pity relationship you two had is over" she said.

"Pity relationship?" I questioned, venom clear in my voice now.

"Yeah, you know, he was the sad boy with the messed up family sent to live with his cousin and you the poor girl who was sexually assaulted and needed protecting. So, you took pity on each other. It wasn't real Kayla and now Tyler knows that"

"Where. Is. Tyler?" I said through gritted teeth.

"I told you, he is busy. I think you probably shouldn't call him again, let him work it all out on his own"

"Don't you dare tell me what you think I should or shouldn't do" I yelled, but it was no use, she had hung up on me.

I stared at my phone screen for a moment, not sure if I could believe what just happened. He was with her, Natasha, of all people. What could he have been doing that he was too busy to speak to me and allow her to even answer his phone. I had so many questions buzzing through my head, I just stood there frozen.

"Kayla, everything ok?" I heard from behind me, Mason had obviously drawn the short straw to check on me.

"Natasha answered his phone" I said quietly, "He was meant to be alone. He said he was taking time for himself. Alone" tears now silently falling.

"Maybe it's not what you're thinking. Try not to jump to any conclusions before talking to Tyler. He loves you Kay" Mason assured me.

I nodded, ready to accept that advice. 

Then my phone buzzed in my hand and I looked down immediately hoping it was Tyler, willing to explain what had just happened. 

It was an unknown number and a photo. I opened it, seeing a photo of Tyler sleeping on a bed... with Natasha.

I gasped, dropping my phone, tears falling even faster now. Leaving my phone, I pushed past Mason and ran up to my room. From behind me I heard everyone asking me what was wrong, but I ignored them all.

How? How could he do this to me. My heart instantly broke into a million pieces. Of all people, it was Natasha. I don't know if I would be more hurt if it was some other girl, but then if it was anyone else, I probably wouldn't find out. She relished in this opportunity to rub in whatever was going on between them. Part of me was refusing to believe it was true, that Tyler wouldn't do that, and it must be a big misunderstanding and Natasha playing with my head. But then, there was the photo.

"Kayla, come on. You have to leave this room" Kara says, through my closed door.

Since locking myself in my room, I had only left it to go to the toilet and I only did that when no one was sitting outside my door. For the last 36 hours, all four of my friends had taken turns sitting outside my door trying to get me to open it and at least talk to someone.

I had left my phone downstairs when I got the photo and had no desire to get it and check it. Last night I cried myself to sleep, but only slept for a few hours. 

I had woken up from a dream about Tyler and Natasha getting married. This made me cry again. 

Most of today I either sat on the bed staring at the wall or moved to the window and watched some birds playing in the trees. I felt bad that my friends were worrying about me instead of enjoying their summer. That's all that seemed to have happened this summer, drama with me and then my friends helping me.

"Kayla, I'm going to bash this door down soon if you don't come and at least eat something. No boy is worth this" She calls, getting slightly frustrated now.

Feeling bad that I was doing this to my best friend who was just trying to be there for me, I open the door slowly, "You would say that, you have never been in love and had your heart smashed into a million tiny pieces" I sniffed.

She immediately wrapped her arms around me, "I'm going to forgive that comment because you are in pain. Come on, have something to eat" she said, pulling me downstairs.

We sat at the breakfast bar, the only thing I would agree to eat was some toast with butter on it, so Kara reluctantly agreed to start me with that. Mason and Harry were in the lounge, playing Xbox, or pretending too. I had a feeling they were actually keeping an eye on me.

Kara watched me, making sure I actually took bites of food. Studying me.

"Here's your phone back. He tried calling you this morning" she said hesitantly.

I narrowed my eyes at her as I took a bite of toast, wondering why he would bother calling me. It gave me a glimmer of hope that maybe this was just Natasha messing with me. Or he was calling me to break up with me. Either way, I wasn't ready to face any of it.

"You need to speak to him Kayla, not just let your imagination run wild. He deserves the chance to explain himself"

"Pfft. Are you on his side now? He doesn't deserve shit" I spat out. 

"You know what, I change my mind. I'm not hungry" I said, pushing my food away and standing up, deciding I would rather go back and sulk in my room.

I turned around to walk to the stairs and as I did, the front door opened.

Tyler was standing there. He had the nerve to smile at me as his eyes landed on me, but that smile quickly faded as he took in my puffy face and red eyes from crying.

"Kay, babe, what's wrong?" he asked, rushing towards me.

"Go to hell" I said, pushing him away and running back up to the safety of my room.