Kathy admired herself in the mirror as she got ready for her double date and sighed.

Kelly was right. She had killer legs. Why should she always hide them under jeans? Annoyed with her stupid lack of confidence, she pulled off her jeans, changed her underwear from cotton briefs to something lacy, and pulled out a short, silky dress with a plunging neckline and a colorful, geometric pattern.

She was sick of dressing to appease Donnie's height and jealousy. And after what had happened earlier that day, she was frankly sick of him as a whole. If he wanted a show, she'd give him one. Four inch heels included.

So what if a few guys will turn their heads and maybe look at her? She'd show Cecily she wasn't just a boring school girl.

As she looked in the mirror, Kathy raised her chin and turned her head. She looked beautiful and stylish and confident. And that's who she wanted to be, not someone who got bullied by her own boyfriend. Sort of boyfriend. She needed to have a chat with dear ole Donnie. Signing her up for a double date without consulting her first was a bad move.

She trotted down the stairs and stopped in the kitchen where her mom was making dinner.

"I'm going out," she announced.

Cassandra raised her eyes from chopping up onions and her mouth feel open. "Kathy, that dress. It looks gorgeous on you! I'm so glad you're finally wearing it."

Kathy blushed and sat on a stool at her mom's indication. She hoped her mom wouldn't grill her too much to find out what she was up to, but she did need to ask for cash.

"So," Cassandra asked, chopping away. "What's the occasion?"

"Donnie and I are going to Verdi's. It was sort of my idea and it's a fancy place, so can I get some cash to pay for my meal?"

"That's nice. Sure, grab a fifty from my purse. You and Donnie deserve a nice evening out. But don't forget that it's a school night, so you kids be home before midnight. And..." She stopped chopping and looked at Kathy, the concern obvious in her eyes. "Have you heard from William lately?"

Kathy frowned. "No. Why?" Her brother had been gone for almost a month, but it wasn't the first time he was away that long.

"I just keep calling and it goes straight to voicemail." Her mom wiped her eyes, but whether it was from the onions or worry for William, Kathy couldn't tell. "Anyway, you have fun tonight."

"Thanks, Mom." Kathy hopped off the stool and headed out, a heavy weight in her stomach. She hoped nothing had happened to her brother.

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The way to the restaurant had been extremely awkward and Kathy promised herself to seriously look into getting a car. She was used to Donnie driving her around, but that had to stop. He'd glared at her the entire ride, as if her dress offended him. She'd kept her mouth shut too, looking away from him pointedly.

Finally, Donnie parked his Corolla in front of Verdi's, cut off the engine and heaved a deep sigh. "You look beautiful."

"Thank you," Kathy answered stiffly. She would have appreciated the compliment more if he hadn't sounded like he was doing her a favor by saying it.

"I hope we'll have a good time."

Yeah, the likelihood of that happening was in the vicinity of zero. "Don't worry. I won't embarrass you in front of them. I know how to pretend to be civil."

"I mean it." He took her hands. "We're supposed to be starting over and I really want this to work. We're so good together."

"If you want this to work, stop being a jealous ass." She pulled her hands away. "Stop speaking for me. And especially stop disregarding my opinion."

His eyes widened as if he hadn't realized he was doing that. But he lowered his face like a guilty toddler and admitted defeat and Kathy wasn't sure she liked him being a toerag either.

"Okay, point taken. I'll do my best to keep my jealousy under control. But it's hard when you're so beautiful and every man would be crazy not to want you."

Warmth spread through Kathy's cheeks and she actually gave him a small smile. He had a long way to go to get her to trust him and be comfortable around him again, but this at least was a step in the right direction.

So she let him help her out of the car and hold her hand inside the restaurant. The reservations were under Kyle's name, and once inside, he and Cecily were easy to spot. Look for the gorgeous Hollywood couple everyone was staring at.

Cecily wore a tight black lace dress which complimented her figure and Kathy was so glad she'd decided on a dress, too. Kyle had black jeans and a button down on, his sleeves rolled to his elbows, looking all relaxed and confident.

"Hi!" Cecily greeted them enthusiastically. "You look so good!"

"Thanks, so do you," Kathy replied as she and Donnie took their seats. The night was already off to a weird start.

"Looking really handsome too, Donnie." Cecily winked at him and Kathy had to fight the impulse to gag. Fortunately the waiter showed up to take their order.

"Dinner's on me, so order whatever you like," Kyle announced before ordering a giant bowl of seafood spaghetti for himself.

Kathy went straight for the lasagna while Cecily got a seafood salad and Donnie ordered lobster. Way to be a hick with someone else's money, Donnie. She fought the embarrassment she felt for him. He wasn't her problem, not anymore.

The thought startled her a little because it proved that despite his efforts, she was steadily detaching herself from him. A sense of loss overwhelmed her. Was she letting go without a fight? Giving up and surrendering? Throwing six years of her life out the window? That was a third of her life.

"So," Cecily started, picking up a cherry tomato and putting it in her mouth. "How long have the two of you been together?"

"Six years," Donnie answered, swallowing the huge bite of lobster in his mouth. "Wow, this thing is really good."

"Six years," Cecily said thoughtfully. "You're so lucky to have such a good man," she said to Kathy, putting her hand on Donnie's forearm.

Kathy was overwhelmed by a sudden desire to laugh hysterically. This couldn't be happening. What was Cecily doing? Her phone vibrated inside the purse in her lap and she took it out and stared at it. She had an IM from an unknown number.

Cecily and Donnie were busy praising his supposed sporting achievements, so Kathy opened the app to see her message: Can you believe these two, flirting right in front of us? Her eyes widened and darted to Kyle. He seemed calm enough, playing on his phone under the table.

Kathy: how'd you get my number?

Kyle: Kelly, duh. I thought I might need it in case they get too sugary. Or in case my girlfriend decides to bore the hell out of me by praising your boyfriend.

Kathy: I'm killing Kelly.

Kyle: want me to delete your number?

Kathy hesitated. Of course not. There was nothing wrong with having Kyle's number. He was right, they might need to text plans to each other. Plus, didn't he say they were friends?

Kathy: of course not.

Kyle: I wouldn't have anyway

Kathy: you're an ass

She raised her eyes to see Kyle smirking at his lap. Donnie and Cecily were still discussing football tactics, so Kathy shoveled more lasagna into her mouth. She had no idea what those Verdi's people put in it, but it tasted like a slice of heaven. Her phone vibrated again, so she wiped her mouth delicately and opened her newest message.

Kyle: football is boring. Does Frodo like lasagna?

Kathy almost choked. The Merri and Pippin joke earlier was suddenly a thousand times funnier. But she shouldn't find this funny.

Come on, Donnie's not that short.

Kyle: what is he, 180?

Huh? She was halfway through asking when she realized why the number looked slightly familiar. Metric. She tried to remember the correct conversion information. Close. He's 178. After a short break, she typed I'm 180.

She knew she was really tall. Hell, the only reason Cecily could look her in the eye was because she wore four inch heels. It had bothered her at first, especially because Donnie was a little shorter, but she'd learned to accept and embrace it.

Kyle: you don't look that tall

Kathy: that's because I'm not, compared to you. She hesitated again, but decided to ask. How tall are you?

Kyle: 197

Wow, he had seven inches on her. No wonder she didn't feel like freaking Goliath next to him. She returned her attention to the conversation only to find Donnie and Cecily discussing Cecily's latest cheering routine.

Kyle: he's fun at parties. Though he's more fun when he's trying to kill himself

Kathy: it hasn't happened since. stop picking on him

Kyle: why?

Kathy frowned. She hadn't expected that particular answer.

Kathy: because you're mean. He's given you no reason to act this way.

Kyle: really now?

Kathy: at least not now. Look, I can see you don't like him, but let's just get through tonight, okay?

Kyle: oh, I don't dislike dear ole Donald.

Somehow, the way he worded it made Kathy seriously doubt that.

Kyle: I loathe him

A tight knot blocked Kathy's airways. She hadn't expected that answer either. The blunt honesty was sorta off putting and she wasn't sure how to answer. With trembling hands, she typed a why?

Kyle: think. What reason could I probably have to despise him?

Wow, he was using a lot of strong words. She was halfway through typing 'I don't know' when her phone vibrated again.

Kyle: don't dare tell me that you don't know

She raised her eyes from her lap and glared at him. He looked pretty pissed, still looking at his phone, waiting for her answer. She'd never seen him upset before and there seemed to be something menacing about him as if waves of chilly air surrounded him.

Kathy, put her phone away and forked more food in her mouth, but this time, she couldn't feel the taste.

It was none of his business. Why was he butting into her relationship? Except she'd totally butted into his and he hadn't gotten angry. But she hadn't said she hated Cecily, even if it was a little bit true.

She had every right to be upset with him and his lack of tact. But knowing why he didn't like Donnie made her sad rather than angry.

Kyle had seen how Donnie had risked his life for cheap thrills without any consideration for her feelings, how he'd gotten drunk and left her without a ride at the concert. He knew Donnie had called her a boring nag, that he'd agreed to this date without asking her.

In short, Kyle didn’t like Donnie because he mistreated her.

Her eyes stung and she put down the fork, her appetite gone. Her phone vibrated again, and she picked it up with shaking hands.

Kyle: still waiting for an answer

Kathy: just drop it an leave me alone

She put her phone away and looked at Kyle over the table. The frown on his face deepened and he started typing again. She couldn't believe they were fighting over IM. And he couldn't believe Donnie and Cecily were so oblivious to their moods, now discussing the prom theme. Good thing they agreed, or Cecily might've wrapped Donnie up in the table cloth and rolled him down the stairs.

Kyle: I'm only gonna ask this once. Do you really want me to leave you alone?

Kathy stared at the screen of her phone, her stomach clenching uncomfortably. She knew that if she said yes, he would back off and that would be it. It startled her a little to realize that she didn't want him to.

Why do you care? she typed instead.

Kyle: because you're my friend

Kathy grasped her phone tightly, hating herself for wanting to cry again. But it was easier to stand up to people who said mean things than face niceness.

Kyle: and on principle

Kathy: thank you

"Who do you keep texting?" Cecily asked all of a sudden and Kathy almost dropped her phone.

"Joey," Kyle said, not missing a beat. "Just laughing at him since he's stuck at home doing homework."

"You and Joey are joined at the hip, I swear." Cecily shook her head. "Anyway, as I was saying, light makeup would do wonders for you."

Kathy's eyes widened. She doubted Donnie needed makeup, so Cecily was actually talking to her.

"Just a thin eyeliner touch and some mascara. Lipgloss is enough."

Was Cecily seriously implying she needed makeup? Kathy clenched her fists under the table. "Thanks, but makeup is really not my thing."

"You should consider it," Donnie piped in. "It would make you look even more beautiful."

Kathy gave him a death glare. "Back off, Donnie."

He frowned. "Why do you always take things the wrong way? Cecily's just trying to help."

"Yes, trying to bond." Cecily crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against Kyle's shoulder. "Seriously, why do you have to be so boring?"

"Hey!" Kyle pulled away from Cecily and she almost fell off her chair. "That was totally uncalled for. What does she need makeup for anyway?"

Kathy's face caught fire as a plethora of emotions battled inside her: gratitude, satisfaction, annoyance, the very powerful need to thump Donnie, to push Cecily away from Kyle.

Cecily just raised her hands in surrender. "It was just a suggestion. She's free to take it or leave it."

Kyle's gaze turned from his girlfriend to Kathy, the intensity of it sending shivers down her spine. "I personally don't think you need any makeup."

"Thanks, but your opinion doesn't matter," Donnie said haughtily.

Kyle openly glared at him and he scooted back an inch. "Neither does yours or Cecily's."

"Ugh, we get it, you don't like makeup," Cecily said with an eyeroll. "Can we just drop it and talk about something else?"

The boys nodded. Cecily raised to whisper something to Kyle, her hair blocking them from view again.

Donnie took the chance and bent over to Kathy and whispered, "I'd forgotten how beautiful you are. You're so right. I've been really messing up lately."

"Gee, thanks," Kathy mumbled. It was much too little, much too late and this date was already a disaster.

The rest of the evening passed in a flurry of small talk, glares between Kyle and Donnie, Cecily pretending she couldn't feel the obvious awkwardness and Kathy counting the seconds until she could pull the curfew card. Finally, she excused herself and the two couples said goodbye.

"Well, that went well," Donnie said, starting his car.

"I'm starting to think you were on a totally different date," Kathy mumbled, strapping her seatbelt on.

"Cecily's right about the makeup. It would do wonders for you. And you should wear skirts more often."

His last statement caught Kathy off guard and she turned to him, shocked. "Wait, you want me to dress in sexy clothes?"

"Yeah." Donnie grinned at her, as he drove off towards her house. "The way Grant was looking at you was priceless. But he knows you're mine."

God how she wanted to get away from him. She'd had enough possessive, asshole Donnie for one night. They couldn't get to her place soon enough. "I'm not yours."

Donnie grabbed her wrist and looked at her. His skin felt clammy and his pupils were weirdly dilated. "Yes, you are. And don't ever forget that."

Kathy tried to pull loose, but his grip only tightened. He also kept staring at her with a creepy focus instead of looking where he was going, and fear ran down her spine.

"Okay, whatever, just take me home."

He smiled, let her go and thankfully turned his eyes back to the road. Kathy hugged herself and closed her eyes, pulling as far away from him as the car allowed. This was not okay. She didn't feel safe with him anymore. Didn't feel loved or respected. She was more than grateful when they reached her house.

She said good night to Donnie, let him kiss her goodbye and hurried inside the house before he could turn crazy and scary again. She shut the door and leaned against it, her heart thumping and her mind racing around the idea that she no longer wanted to see him. Ever.

A sob coming from the kitchen knocked her back to reality. Kathy straightened and walked towards the door slowly, afraid of what she might find.

Her parents were in there, her mom sitting at the table, crying into her hands, her dad on his feet, his hand on her shoulder.

"What happened?" Kathy asked in a shaky voice.

Her father looked to her while her mom started sobbing louder. "We've filed a missing person's report on your brother. No one has seen him in over a month."

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"What was that?"

Kyle gave Cecily a sideways glance, then refocused his attention on the road. "What was what?"

"That whole makeup thing with what's her name."

He really didn't want to go back there because that particular conversation had gotten on his very nerves. "It was rude to suggest she needed makeup."

"You got a thing for her or what?"

He gave her another glance. "I don't have to gave a thing for her to call you out for being rude."

"You basically called her beautiful," Cecily raged on.

"She is beautiful." The words were out before he could stop them, but fuck all that. He was sick of this game. "Objectively speaking."

"Objectively speaking," Cecily said on a mocking tone. "Honestly, how would you feel if I said I found Donnie attractive. Objectively speaking."

"I'd ask you if having a thing for Hobbits counts as a kink."

Cecily let out a huff of laughter. "I hate you! How you can always make me laugh, even if I'm mad at you."

He pulled over in front of her house and cut off the engine. "Why are you mad at me again?"

She looked at him, fire burning in her eyes, but it wasn't the angry kind. "I forgot." She leaned over and stopped a breath away from him. "Come on in. I'm sure everyone is sleeping."

The thought was exceptionally awkward. "I don't think so."

Her eyes narrowed and the desire became anger. "What are we even doing together then?" She opened her arms. "I don't know what's wrong with you, but ever since you came back you don't seem to give a crap about me anymore."

He could sense that the whole thing was about to escalate, but she wasn't right. "That's not true. We've spent a lot of time together lately."

"Yeah, talking."

Kyle felt like banging his head against a wall or any nearby solid object. "Yes, because talking is an important part of any relationship."

Cecily rolled her eyes. "That's not why we got together."

Even if she was right, the words still hurt. "Good to know where you stand," he mumbled.

"Oh, be serious! You knew very well what you were getting into."

Yes he did. Except he was way over that now. "I'm sorry, but you lost me. Weren't you the one throwing words like love around?"

"And aren't you the one who shot me down?" She placed her hands on her hips. "If you want to keep this casual, fine. But at least do your job."

"My job?" Anger wrapped an iron fist around him and his head started pounding.

"Why are we even going out? You know what? Don't answer that. I don't care."

He took in a deep breath and closed his eyes, trying to calm down. There was no point getting mad. She was right after all. Except their boundaries had changed and he had no idea what to do with this anymore. All he knew was that he wasn't a piece of meat with a job.

"Maybe it's better that you leave until you make up your mind."

"It's not me who needs to make up their mind." At least his voice was calm. "I know what I want. And part of it is someone to talk to."

"Yeah, yeah. Right. Talking." She sounded bored out of her mind already. "Talking is not enough, Kyle."

"Neither is something purely physical."

"I think you need a break."

Her words brought on a pain in his chest mixed with a strange sense of peace. "A break?"

"Yes, a break! To figure out what you had and what you could lose forever."

He opened his mouth, but wasn't sure what to say to that. Even if it was a little upsetting, it could be the best idea in the long run. "You want us to take a break?"

Cecily didn't look so sure anymore. She sank her teeth into her lower lip. Hesitence and regret battled on her face, but then the stubbornness took over.

"Yes, I think we should take a break."

"Okay." He opened the door and got out, then rounded the car and opened the door for her.

She didn't move, her arms crossed over her chest, her gaze trained forward. "You're not even fighting for it."

"I don't play games, Cecily. And I'm not going to force myself on you in any way." He moved out of the way and she finally got out. "And I also think you're right. Maybe we need some time apart to figure out what we want from this relationship."

Cecily hugged herself, her eyes a little misty. "Could you... Could we keep this between ourselves?"

He quirked an eyebrow. It had taken Cecily months to finally let anyone know they were dating. Now, she apparently didn't want anyone to know they were having issues.

Is your reputation really that important? Maybe at the beginning of their relationship, he would've asked this. But now, he already knew what her answer would be. There was nothing more important to her, not even her own happiness.

"Sure," he answered instead.

"Just so we're clear," she insisted. "We're on a break. Not broken up."

"What's the difference?"

She shrugged. "The difference is we may decide to get back together."

He nodded because with that he agreed. He did care for her, and he'd had fun. If it were up to him, this wouldn't be happening. But he wasn't about to question her decision. She'd been right. They weren't clicking anymore and maybe a break would help them figure out why.

"Um..." She hugged herself tighter. "Goodbye kiss?"

This made him smile, so he bent over and gave her one last kiss. He'd always liked kissing her. Then he got in his car and got the hell out of there.

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I'm really curious what you think about this chapter. Why do you think Cecily is fawning over Donnie? Did you enjoy the message exchange between Kyle and Kathy or was it annoying? How about the whole makeup conversation? What about the ending?

Also yes, I put Kyle and Cecily on a break because they obviously want different things from their relationship.

Thanks so much for reading.

Don't forget to leave a vote and comment. This story survives on death threats directed at Donnie.

Fun fact: the attached song is one of the first ones I had for this book and a fairly big inspiration for the storyline.