I was still in a state of shock. The whole scene flashed vividly in my mind. I ordered the driver to take me to a place where I could find some solace. I didn’t want to be bothered with questions at home from Lucy.

I paid the cab driver and entered the house with my key. I was on autopilot as I headed for the stairs. When I reached the top, I saw Kyle come out of his bedroom. His huge grin turned into a questioning frown as he got closer.

“Sienna, what’s wrong? What happened?” My knees buckled and Kyle caught me before I landed on the wooden floor.

“He’s engaged, Kyle. I’ve fallen in love with a guy who’s promised to someone else.” I started to laugh hysterically at the situation. I reluctantly followed my heart and look where that left me. The dream of having Blake in my life—waking up next to him and seeing him smile lovingly at me—was gone. All gone and soon he’d be doing all those things with the wretched Camilla. That image hit me quite literally. I howled from the pain. I cried, like how I cried when I found out my dad had died.

Kyle held me until I stopped sobbing with my pain and gently carried me to his bed, covering my body with a comforter. He didn’t even bother taking my shoes off. He placed himself on top of the comforter and held me as I cried myself into unconsciousness.

I woke up later feeling like I had drowned and been brought back to life. I checked the clock on the side table, five thirty-six a.m. I felt Kyle still holding me. Bless him, he never asked about what happened. It was always like that with him. I liked how he never asked and always waited for me to initiate it.

I was just about to slide off the bed when he stirred. “Hey, why don’t you wash up and I’ll make some breakfast? You didn’t eat last night. You have to eat something.”

Pursing my lips, I nodded. “Okay, let me just wash my face and brush my teeth then I’ll come down.”

Padding my way to the bathroom, I looked for a spare toothbrush and found one in the very last drawer. I didn’t even bother checking what my face looked like. I knew my eyes were red and swollen. I just couldn’t bear seeing it and looking myself in the eye. I just might have had a nervous breakdown.

After washing up, I took a scrunchy from my purse and tied my hair up then headed downstairs, barefoot and in my same clothes from the day before. Kyle probably took my shoes off in the middle of the night. I sighed.

I found him making two cups of coffee. There were two plates with ham and cheese omelets on the breakfast table. I took a seat as he placed a hot, freshly brewed coffee next to me. “Thank you, Kyle, but you didn’t have to wake up this early and make me breakfast.”

“You’re talking crazy. That was nothing compared to your usual crazy PMS days.”

I smiled. “Geez, why do you always bring that up? Either way; thank you.” I took a huge sip of my coffee and a hefty bite of the omelet.

We were silent for a while until he spoke, “I’m actually leaving for Heathrow to go back to LA today, for two weeks. My flight’s at ten-thirty. So I had to wake up anyway.”

I paused. He was leaving for two weeks? “You never said. Why didn’t you say anything?”

“You’ve been busy with Blake since Saturday and I didn’t want to bother you. It was irrelevant.”

“How can that be irrelevant? You should’ve told me at least. I would’ve showed up at work Friday and found you gone. What the hell?”

Kyle shrugged. “I honestly didn’t think it was a big deal. I just didn’t want to bother you, ’kay?”

“Well, we’re best friends. You should tell me every time you plan to leave the country. I worry, too.”

“Fine, okay. I’ll do that if it makes you happy.”

I murmured thank you and took another sip of my coffee. I didn’t have much of an appetite and I had to force myself to eat. Kyle wouldn’t have it if I didn’t eat and I couldn’t deal with another argument at that point.

Blake… was he hurting, too? Maybe, maybe not. I didn’t know him anymore. I thought I had, but that simply wasn’t the case. That mask he put on sometimes never came off. I never knew which one I’d get when I was with him. He could be deceiving. I had been dangerously playing with fire and I had gotten burnt.

Kyle took both of our plates to the sink and cleaned up. I got up and sat on one of the stools that faced him. “Hey, I was thinking… would you mind if I go home with you? I don’t want to stay here. I just want to get away for a bit. I can email my teachers and tell them that there’s an emergency back home.”

“You sure? You’re not going to get in trouble? I know you’re hurting, baby, but you can’t mess up school. You’ve worked so hard to get here; don’t mess it up. But, if your teachers are going to be okay with it, then who am I to stop you?” I went over to his side and gave him a big hug.

“Thank you! Thank you! Now, I have to go and pack. I don’t want to miss our flight.”

He called me a cab and we agreed that it would be easier for him to pick me up from the flat and we’d head to the airport from there. He’d pick me up around seven-thirty and it was already quarter past six. I technically had an hour to shower and pack.

The idea of going home with him came out of nowhere, but I was glad I thought of it because I couldn’t stand staying around after the break-up. The thought of seeing Blake terrified me. The idea of seeing him with someone else so soon was definitely going to kill me. I knew I was running away from it all, but I wasn’t strong enough to face any of my friends and explain the situation.