The Final Goodbye
It had been two weeks since Kelly and Kiara's conversation where they finally acknowledged their feelings for each other. But during those two weeks, there was still something unresolved that Kelly had to deal with. He had to face the truth about his brief relationship with Samantha, the girl he had tried to date after Cherry.
In the quiet moments when he wasn't with Kiara, Kelly often found himself thinking about Samantha. He had started dating her out of a mix of frustration and confusion after his breakup with Cherry. She was kind, funny, and she seemed to like him a lot, which was flattering, especially after everything that had happened with Kiara. But the more time he spent with Samantha, the more he realized something wasn't right.
As she scrolled through her messages, her phone buzzed again, and she immediately saw a text from Cherry.
*"Hey Kiara, can we talk? I need to explain things."*
Kiara's fingers froze on the screen. She had no idea what Cherry wanted. Last time they spoke, Cherry had been dating Kelly. And now, Kelly wasn't with her anymore.
Kiara took a deep breath and replied, *"What's up?"*
It didn't take long before Cherry responded.
*"I know things between Kelly and me didn't end well, and I just wanted to apologize. I've been thinking a lot, and I know I hurt you by pushing you out of his life. That was wrong. I didn't want to come between you two, but I was jealous. I just want to make things right, if possible."*
Kiara stared at the message, unsure of how to respond. Part of her was still angry at Cherry for trying to come between her and Kelly. Another part of her, the part that was trying to be mature about everything, knew that Cherry had her own issues to deal with. But there was something else, too—something that made Kiara wonder if maybe, just maybe, there was room for forgiveness.
It wasn't that Samantha was a bad person. She wasn't. She was beautiful, smart, and charismatic—everything a guy like Kelly could want. But when he looked at her, he didn't feel the same spark, the same connection he felt with Kiara. With Samantha, there was no shared history, no deep bond that stretched back to childhood. There was no comfort in her presence the way there had always been with Kiara. It didn't take long for Kelly to recognize that he was only trying to force something that wasn't there.
It was one Saturday afternoon when Kelly knew he had to end it with Samantha. She had invited him to a cafe near the school to talk, and when he arrived, he saw her sitting at a table, waiting for him with that hopeful look on her face. She had no idea that, deep down, Kelly knew he couldn't offer her what she deserved.
"Hey, Sam," Kelly greeted, sitting down across from her. He tried to put on a smile, but it felt strained.
"Hey, Kelly," Samantha said brightly. "How've you been? It feels like we haven't had a chance to really talk recently."
She typed back, *"It's not just about what happened with Kelly. It's about respect. I don't know if I can just forget everything that happened, but I understand that things weren't as clear as they should have been. I'll think about it."*
Kiara put her phone down and sighed. It wasn't an easy message to send, but she knew it was the right one. She had spent so much time trying to protect her friendship with Kelly that she had neglected to deal with the hurt that came from Cherry's actions. Maybe now was the time to let go of the past, for her own sake, and move forward.
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That evening, Kelly showed up at Kiara's house. They didn't have a plan—they didn't need one. They just wanted to be together, to talk, to see where this new chapter in their relationship would take them.
But before they could settle into their conversation, Kiara couldn't help but ask, "Kelly, what about Samantha?"
Kelly sighed, his eyes clouding for a moment. "Samantha... I don't know. I thought I was into her. I tried to be, I really did. But every time I looked at her, I couldn't stop thinking about you. I felt guilty, like I was betraying our friendship. I've known you too long, Kiara. And when we weren't talking as much, I realized how much I missed you. It wasn't just about being your best friend anymore."
He paused, running a hand through his hair. "Samantha was never really the one, Kiara. She was just someone I tried to be with because I didn't know what else to do. I didn't want to be alone. But the more I tried, the more I realized that my heart wasn't in it."
Kiara studied him, seeing the vulnerability in his eyes that she had always known existed, but never quite like this.
"I told her that I needed space, that I couldn't be with her anymore," Kelly admitted. "I felt bad about it, because I didn't want to hurt her, but I couldn't keep pretending. She knew something was off, too. I don't think she was ever going to be okay with how close we were, Kiara. Not the way things are now, especially after everything."
Kiara's heart softened. She understood. She had known all along that Kelly's feelings for Samantha couldn't be real if his heart wasn't in it.
Kelly nodded, his fingers tapping the edge of his coffee cup nervously. "Yeah, I've been thinking about a lot of things lately." He paused for a moment, wondering how to say what he needed to. "Sam, you're amazing. Honestly, you are. But... I think I've been lying to myself."
Samantha's smile faltered, her brows furrowing slightly. "What do you mean?"
"I... I can't do this," Kelly said, finally letting out a breath he'd been holding for far too long. "I can't be with you. I thought I could, but the truth is, I'm still stuck on someone else. I can't move forward with you when I'm still not over my feelings for Kiara. And it's not fair to you."
Samantha stared at him for a long time, the hurt evident in her eyes, but she didn't say anything immediately. She took a deep breath, her fingers curling into a fist on the table. "You've been in love with her this whole time, haven't you?"
Kelly winced at her words, but he nodded. "Yeah, I have. I didn't want to admit it to myself. I didn't want to mess up what we had, but it's not right to keep pretending I'm over her. I'm sorry."
"I'm sorry, Kelly," Kiara said quietly. "I'm sorry for everything that happened."
Kelly gave a small smile, one that reached his eyes. "We're both sorry, Kiara. But I think it's time we let go of that chapter. It's you and me now, okay?"
Kiara nodded, a sense of peace settling in her chest. They had both been through so much, but now, there was clarity. Samantha was a part of their past—a lesson learned—but she was no longer standing in the way of their future.
---
As the evening came to an end, Kelly stood at the door, ready to leave. He looked at Kiara, his eyes filled with sincerity. "I'm glad we talked today. I'm glad we're doing this. I don't know what the future holds, but I know I want you in it."
Kiara smiled, feeling warmth spread through her chest. "Me too, Kelly. Me too."
As he walked down the driveway, Kiara stood at the door, watching him go. It felt like the beginning of something new, something real. And for the first time in a long time, Kiara wasn't afraid to face the future.
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End of Chapter 16
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