Song: Almost is never enough -Ariana Grande ft Nathan Sykes
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I stared at the clock, fidgeting in my seat. It was already time to leave the office but I wasn't moving. Taking in a deep breath I tried to calm myself down.

"Hey, wanna go back together?" Asked Blake from beside me.

He had already shut down his computer, his bag slinging around his shoulder.

"You go ahead, I'm going to stay for a while" I replied.

He looked at me strangely.

"Do you still not trust me?" He asked solemnly.

"What!? No, its not that."

"You haven't done one thing since you came here in the morning. Is everything okay? Is your mom okay?"

I glanced at Blake and was surprised to see concern on his face. This sudden change between our dynamic wasn't bad but was very shocking.

"Yeah, everything is fine. Mom is doing really good. I just could not sleep last night."

He nodded at my words. His cap slung over his head.

"Okay, then I'll be heading out."

I smiled at him and muttered a goodbye. After few more minutes it was only me and Kaisey left in the office. Finally finding the time perfect to talk to her I stepped towards her office. She had pretty much stayed in it the whole day. Not even going out for break.

I knocked on her door gently, hoping that everything goes smoothly.

"Come in" came her voice from inside.

Opening the door slightly I stepped in. She looked up from the documents she was reading and froze upon seeing me.

"Anything wrong?" She asked professionally.

I stepped forward and walked over to her desk.

"I just wanted to talk about what happened yesterday-" I started.

"I don't want to talk about it, if that's all you can leave" she said coldly, shifting her gaze back to the papers on her desk.

I stood there for a moment contemplating if I should just leave or finish what I came here to do.

"I'm sorry about Leigh. What she said to you was mean and she acted very rude. I don't know what got into her. She isn't actually like that. I'm truly sorry for what happened."

I was relieved to let that out in a flow without stuttering. Ever since yesterday I had this guilt built inside me because of what happened. Although Leigh's intentions were good the way she did it was wrong.

Kaisey looked back up at me and stayed quite for a few seconds.

"Me and Carter have a really great relationship Eva, he means everything to me and I won't let an outsider tell me otherwise" she said looking at me directly.

"Your right, I apologise for Leigh's behaviour" I repeated, I didn't know what else to say to her hoping this would end the conversation and I could leave.

Kaisey stood up from her chair and walked over to me. Standing in front of me she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Carter is in a relationship with me because he likes me, he asked me out because he was interested in me. I don't care what your history was with him but his present is me and I won't let his ex girlfriend make me feel insecure about that" she said sternly.

"I didn't say anything to you-"

"I don't know what you have told your friend. But the truth is that you were the one who left. You could have stayed but you didn't. That is not his fault, you can't hold it against him."

Hurt and anger started bubbling inside me now. Of all the people in the world, I didn't want to hear this from Kaisey. She has absolutely no right.

"He has been nothing but nice to you ever since you came back. Gave you lifts when you needed them and checked up on your mother because he respects you and what he had with you."

I raised my eyebrows slightly, surprised that she knew about all those things. Not that I had hoped Carter would keep them a secret, I just didn't take him for someone who would share things like that.

Or maybe that was just for me. Carter didn't share stuff only with me. Ally was right, he had dated Kaisey longer than he dated me of course she was more important.

"Just because he had a different relationship with me than he had with you doesn't mean he has no feelings for me. We are not kids in high school, we are adults. He trusts me and is loyal to me. He doesn't need to say that out loud for me to believe."

I looked up at her intently, done with her words. Just because I stay quite doesn't mean I don't know how to speak up.

"Kaisey your relationship with Carter is none of my business. Like my past relationship with him is none of yours. You don't have to comment on that neither do you have to rub it in my face because it doesn't matter to me. Carter doesn't matter to me. He is just a past fragment in my life right now."

Kaisey didn't say anything back and I was done with this conversation anyways. I didn't come here so she could insult me, I would never allow that.

"What happened yesterday was wrong and that is all I came to say here. I am not here to listen to your rant or how ideal your relationship with Carter is. You are my boss and I would just like to have a professional relationship here. I don't like hostality in my work space. That is all I wanted to say. Have a good day"

With that I turned around and left. Not waiting for her to say anything because I wasn't interested in listening. I knew this meeting would be unpleasant but I was done with it.

After what Leigh said yesterday in the car and then later at night when my anger had dissipated made sense. I cannot be in love with Carter and I won't be. I always felt like I was to blame for what happened between us, for our breakup. But I wasn't.

He was the one who gave up on us not me. He was the one who didn't have faith in our relationship not me. I was ready to make that relationship work no matter how far apart we were.

He broke my heart brutally and never looked back. He moved on from me and is living a great life without me. From today I was going to do the same.

I gathered my stuff from my station and quietly made way to the elevator. From the glass windows I could see the sky turning dark. I just wanted to go home and spend time with the twins and Millie. They were going to leave soon.

As the elevator door binged open I turned my face away from the view outside. Infront of me I saw Carter standing in the elevator, holding a small bouquet of flowers in his right hand.

He was a little surprised seeing me, probably because it was late and I never stayed here that long. However, he soon turned his face into the blank canvas it always was.

I turned my eyes away from him and shifted away slightly so he could step out. I refused to meet his eyes or acknowledge him. He walked out and passed me by, stepping in the elevator I was I press the ground floor button, keeping my eyes away from his retreating figure.

..........................................

I pressed the door bell again, this time longer than before. I was waiting outside Ally's house, my last stop of 'apology tour' as Leigh labelled it.

I felt like I owe her an apology too for whatever happened that day. She had planned to spend time with me and it was the first time she wanted to hang out ever since I came back. It was a pity that it got ruined. She was already going through alot and the only reason I agreed to go with her was because I wanted to cheer her up a little. I never wanted things to turn out the way they did.

Furthermore, I also decided to talk to her about Kaisey. Me and Kaisey can never be friends, not even acquaintances and it was high time she realized that. We both were a different part of her life and did not fit together. In future if we ever meet or hang out, which seems impossible now after that day, I would like it to be just her and me.

When no one came to open the door I figured that Ally wasn't home. I was about to turn around and leave when the door suddenly jerked open.

I was surprised to see Drake standing on the other side. He was wearing pajamas and had a bed head. It looked like I just woke him up from all the bell ringing.

"Oh hey, I...I came to see Ally. I'm sorry I woke you up" I said.

Right now as I looked at Drake I couldn't find my friend in him. It had been a long time since I have really but this version of him was just so different from who he truly was.

For starters, the Drake I remembered had a great fashion sense. He put in a lot of effort in the way he looked everyday. And here he was standing in front of me with a grown beard and wrinkled clothes.

"She's not home. Staying at her mom's for the night" he replied curtly. 

I nodded at his words. Awkwardness started gathering in the air, I wanted to leave but not this abruptly. He didn't look pleased to see me but wasn't going back inside either.

"How are you?" I asked, hoping this would dissipate the awkwardness a little.

"Been better" he replied. "And worse" then added.

I didn't know what to say to that. The serious expression on his face was giving me chills. The Drake I remebered smiled every five minutes.

"Ohkay, I'll...I'll get going then. Tell Ally I'll come by again" I said, not wanting to drag the conversation any longer.

I was about to turn around and leave but Drake spoke up.

"Heard what happened at the shopping mall. Your friend was pretty rude to Ally and Kaisey."

I took in a deep breath. Drake of all people was not the person I wanted to have this conversation with. I was tired of everything that happened anyways.

"I know, that's why I'm here. I wanted to apologise to Ally" I said calmly.

"You think an apology would fix it?"

I stared up at his eyes. He held boredom in them.

"That is not for you to decide" I replied looking away.

"Kaisey deserves an apology more than Ally"

"I have already apologised to her-"

"You can go around telling people stories about how Carter broke your heart and left you. You can gain sympathy and pity but that doesn't make it true, that doesn't make the pain you gave him disappear"

I whipped my head back to Drake. His eyes now contained resentment and anger.

"You can't come back in lives of people you left. You can't expect everything to be the way you left it"

"I don't-" I started but Drake cut me off, he was fuming by now.

"I don't even understand why your here? You came back for your mom, not for us. Then why are you coming back into our lives uninvited? Carter finally moved on from you. He is happy in his life with Kaisey and now you come back out of the blue and try to destroy that for him. Why can't you let him be happy for once? Are you back here to get together with him again? Do you finally realize that he was the best you ever had and ever will-"

"SHUT UP" I screamed finally hitting my limit.

Drake steps back a little, taken aback by my sudden outburst.

"I am SICK and TIRED of people talking about me. Deciding themselves WHAT I feel and WHAT I am. My BLOODY life does not revolve around CARTER or ALLY or KAISEY. I don't want to be part of your MESSED UP worlds, I have my own for that. Stop assuming things about me, stop talking about my past relationship cause its NOBODY'S business. This is MY LIFE and I get to decide if I want to stay here OR leave to support MY FATHER and I WON'T let anyone make me feel bad about it."

Drake just stared at me, stunned by my violent reaction.

"And you're the one to talk Drake? You're the one who will give me a lecture and throw insults? Have you looked at yourself? Have you seen the way you treat Ally? Have you seen how you HAVE DESTROYED HER?"

I stared at him bluntly, daring him to speak. He didn't, probably because he had nothing to say. He casted his eyes downward, like he was embarrassed. I didn't have any energy left to continue this.

Taking in a deep breath I turned around, walking towards the car. Drake didn't utter a word.

..........................................

I was sitting in the park, the night sky glistening with stars. The wind was cold as it blew slightly around me. There weren't many people left in the park.

After visting Drake and getting my mind riled up by his words I decided to spend some time alone away from home. Everyone would automatically guess something was wrong and I didn't want to handle their questions and concerns. So I came here instead.

I took in a deep breath and closed my eyes. Feeling the wind hit me from every direction. Here, under the night sky, the world seemed so peaceful. Like there was nothing wrong with it, what a hypocrite.

As I enjoyed the wind and quite, I suddenly heard movement from my left side. Opening my eyes I jerked my head towards the sound. A little further away I saw a man clearing the ground by his shoes, pushing the leaves that had gathered around the tree away. He was wearing a grey jacket and holding a sleeping bag, another bag slung over his shoulders.

I don't know why but the man and his bag looked familiar, I squinted my eyes and moved my head towards his direction.

No!? It can't be!!

Getting up I slowly walked towards the man. It was only when I was in a close proximity to him, he turned to face me and my suspicion was right. In front of me stood Blake, looking like a dear caught in headlights.

"What are you doing here?" He asked flustered.

"This is a public park...." I said eyeing the sleeping bag that he was trying to hide.

"What are you doing here?" I asked looking back up at him.

"None of your business" he replied, not meeting my eye.

He was acting weird, embarrassed and awkward. Like I had caught him doing something which he wasn't suppose to do.

"Did you get kicked out of your house?" I couldn't help myself asking.

He was quite for a while and for a moment I thought I had offended him. But then he looked straight in my eyes and said:

"I don't have a home"

............................................

Hello everyone!! Hope you are all okay. I know this is a rather short chapter comparing to how long I usually write. But adding something else felt unneeded.
The last chapter and this one are very important since they represent a major turning point in the story. I won't explain more because I want you all to figure things out yourself.
The next chapter will have lots of Carter and Blake ;) it will be a long chapter too.

Hope you like this. See you on Monday

Comment and Vote

Love,
S. Maham Fatima