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Ch 27

Ryan: Are you okay bro??

Kiera: Are you okay?

Caleb: Yeah I am fine.. Kiera pulled the chair back by mistake.

Kiera: No.. It wasn't by mistake. I just wanted to tell you that it isn't your spot. Ian is right behind you, it was for him.

A knife would do a less better job in slicing whatever I have left in my heart than Kiera's words. Ian was right there, behind me. She pulled the chair for him. I gotta keep myself in some reality check. I am after all the replacement.

Ian: Are you okay?

I wasn't going to answer him. He knew I wasn't. He just wanted to rub it in.

Caleb: Are you stupid? You could have just told me. I would have gone in a different seat. Why pull the chair?

Kiera: I am sorry.. but you just said you were fine. Why is your anger always from 0 to 100?

Ryan: Hey, you should just let it go. He's always full of rage.

Caleb: Just shut up..

Maeve eyed me to sit next to her. As it was either that seat or a seat next to Kiera. And I didn't need one more humiliating situation to happen. Theo wasn't coming. He had a huge lecture the next day. After eating the food, Ryan came with desserts. And this was new. He never gave us desserts. Because we never paid when we ate here. Desserts meant only one thing. He needed help from us.

Ryan: So... Do you remember our teacher Oliver Watson? The club manager.

Kiera: What about him?

Ryan: I recently met his wife. His wife is the director of a child care facility, and he has been helping her with the work after he'd retired. I guess they run it together now. So he said he needs some help, so I agreed to help on this Saturday. Like day after tomorrow.

Ava: That's impressive of you..

Ryan: Do you guys want to come with me?

Maeve: I am human whose humanity has been dried up due to pressure of office work. So no.

Ryan: But I already said him you all will be there..

Maeve: You!!

Maeve was going to hit him. I wish she would. Ryan needed to get hit because of his frantic attempts.

Ryan: Ian would you like to come?

Kiera: Don't bother him.. He has other works to do.

Ian: I don't mind coming. This way we could spend more time.

Ava and Maeve started wooing at them. I needed a drink. And luckily on this table there was one.

Ryan: Okay set then. I will text Theo too. And I know he won't say no. So meeting at 11 a.m. on Saturday.

(in the men's washroom.)

My wrist brace was itching so I thought to put some water in it. It helped normally. I entered the washroom and there he was. Ian. Everywhere I go.

Caleb: Whenever I meet Kiera, you keep trailing behind her. Like some unnecessary sample.

Ian: Jinx... cause you know I feel you are the unnecessary one in my relationship with Kiera. Do you know why there are statuses to relationships? To define the boundaries to act within. You can just be her friend. The position of boyfriend is taken.

Caleb: What if I don't back down?

Ian: If you don't, you will be nothing but inconsistent in Kiera's life. So I will ask you politely, to leave.

Caleb: You're not confident, are you? You are scared so you want me to leave.

Ian: You haven't seen confidence. And don't get on my bad side. Latter doesn't suit anyone well. I didn't say anything before cause it wasn't my place to say but now I can. So leave her alone.

Ian left after completing his so called speech. I wasn't intimidated by him. Even though he acted like he'd murder me. But the only thing I heard and took seriously from the conversation was 'You can just be her friend.' And that was the truth. I can just be her friend. But I wanted to give a suitable answer back to Ian. He can't just come here and tell me my place. I went back to the table. Everyone was giggling on some joke.

Caleb: Oh right, Kiera I have to return that thing to you.

Kiera: What thing?

Caleb: The thing which you took off and left in my car.

I knew how that sounded. Maybe I wanted everyone to hear how it sounded. Everyone went quiet on the table.

Kiera: What are you talking about? What did I take off?

I didn't answer her. It was just her shoes. But then I didn't want to cause her trouble.

Kiera: It's not what you are thinking Ian.

Caleb: I am talking about the shoes. The ones Ian gave you.

Kiera: See there's a misunderstanding happeni--

Ian: I won't let it happen. It's fine.

KIERA

(outside ryan's restaurant)

Kiera: Why did you have to mention the shoes in that way? You have embarrassed me before and can do that as much as you want but not him. Don't make him laughable in front of others. I won't tolerate it.

Caleb: Is he that incredible? Is he more precious to you than yourself?

Kiera: Yes. He is someone precious to me.

Caleb: You're really easy, aren't you?

Kiera: Easy?

Caleb: How can someone become more precious to you than yourself so quickly?

Kiera: Wow.. sure, I am easy. I've always been easy. That's why probably I wasted my ten years hanging on to you. Did you want to rub that to my face?

Caleb: That's not what I said!

Kiera: You asked me before if you were bad to me... Yes you were. And you still are. You are a selfish asshole who ignores the feelings of others and doesn't know how to be empathetic. And that's why.. you will be lonely forever.

Ian arrived with his car and I didn't want to keep him waiting. He had to be upset. I would be if I heard that from a friend of Ian's. He was quiet during the drive.

Kiera: You were upset, right? On the day we went to take pictures, we walked around a lot, and the Jimmy Choos were new so--

Ian: You don't need to explain, I know it wasn't intentional.

Kiera: I didn't want to do anything that made me sorry but it keeps ending that way.

Ian: It's all okay since you are you. The Kiera Wood.

Kiera: Thank you for trusting.

CALEB

I was still at the bench outside Ryan's restaurant. Ava and Maeve came out of the restaurant. Ava said bye and left. Maeve was standing and staring at me. Probably one more person who wants to kill me tonight.

Caleb: What now?

Maeve: Stop being a kid and go home. Go to sleep and stop bothering Kiera. Ten of 28 years. Kiera spent more than one-third of her life liking you. Putting an end to those emotions must have been difficult on her, so don't let that effort go on waste.

She was right. It was just tit for tat for me. I sat there for one more hour not knowing how fast time goes by. Mom had a art gallery show in the morning. I knew visiting her will shift my mind. It could go very good or very bad. I was ready to take any chances.