Chapter Ten
The Muse~
I want to pretend I never heard him. I want to pretend I don't know him. I want to pretend he still doesn't hold the place inside my heart he did eight years ago. I want to pretend I am not scared to face him. I want to pretend my breath is not shuttering. I want to pretend my heart is not beating so loudly in my chest. And I want to pretend that I am not affected by him. Not at all.
Because hell, I know that the moment I turn around and see him again, I will forget what he did to me eight years ago. Yes, I have a bleeding heart and I am not about to lie to myself about it. I am suffering and the pain has become numb, but it's still there.
So I am only hoping that Keith doesn't come in front of me, and even if he does, God has a chick in his arms.
I take a breath in and then out, calming my nerves before I think I am not about to barrel out of the door the moment I turn around and see him.
I slowly spin around and face him. I take in his form, bracing for the heartache I expect—but it never comes. Nothing comes. I am surprised that I am feeling nothing as I take in his long-form sandy dark hair and dark brown eyes. He has changed. He is not the boy I once knew. He is a man I have never seen. And it is a relief. Because I suppose that if he remains the same, I'd still be drawn to him.
"Just a week ago," I answer his question at last, letting out a breath I never knew that I was holding. My chest feels a lot lighter now.
Keith is all alone and there is a cup of cappuccino held in his hand. He is looking at me with wild astonishment and bewilderment. I wonder what he is thinking when he is looking at me like that. "You never contacted me after that night."
Of course, he had to bring it up at first.
I snort, my shoulders shaking with laughter from the absurd question he is asking me, "You know what, Keith? I don't think this should bother you at all. You barely even texted me or called me when we were together." I turn back, looking down at my own cup of coffee, my back is now facing him, "I was the only one who made any effort to keep us together. I highly doubt that you even made an attempt to reach out to me after I left."
Keith is silent. He is not silent because he is guilty, he is silent because he doesn't know what excuse he will make to defend himself from the shits he has done. I flinch when he slides onto the seat before me.
"I told you that I am very passive while texting someone." He looks at me and I feel disgusted by his sole presence.
"For fuck's sake, Keith, don't make these baseless excuses anymore." I slam my palm onto the table. "We both know why you did what you did to me." I am losing my temper but I am not about to let him see that he still has this kind of effect on me.
"Come on, Mimi, you are being so fucking irrational." Keith returns and I want to slap him, "You knew that I was busy."
"Yes, so fucking busy to shoot a simple text to your freaking girlfriend." I scoff but still keep my cool, "But in any case, we shouldn't bring up the past anymore." I blow out a sigh, "The past is the past and I am not your girlfriend anymore. So whoever you are dating now, I hope that you treat her better than you treated me."
Keith stares at me for a bit, making me sift in my seat uncomfortably, "I never said that we are through, Mimi." He states quietly, his every word squeezing my heart.
"What do you mean?" I frown, my breathing getting heavier. My head is spinning as well. There is a reason why this bastard always makes me feel disgusted and dreadful around him.
I look around to see people are still here so that when I scream for help, I actually find someone to help me get out of this suffocating place.
"You know what I am trying to say, Mimi." His gaze doesn't falter as he pushes away his cup and leans in forward. God only knows what this psycho is thinking about. I never knew and I am not sure that I will ever know. "We are not through. Do you really think that you can easily get away from me just by ghosting me like that? You ghosted me for eight whole damned years and I am gonna let you go? We never broke up, remember sweetheart?" There is a smirk on his face that drives all of the air out of my lungs and makes me choke on my breathing.
"Keith…" I rasp, trying to draw much-needed air in my lungs, "You know we are through. I am never getting back to you. Not now, not ever." Hot white fury burns my nerves and my fingers clench around my mug. I will throw this shit at his shitty face any moment now. "I am engaged and I doubt my fiance will like the way you are talking to me." I really do.
Keith opens his mouth to say something and a familiar voice comes through before him, making me breathe again. But soon I am in a chokehold again.
"Keith?" Kyler calls out as he approaches our table. "What are you doing here?"
"Kyler." Keith acknowledges.
I am having the worst kind of surprise I could ever have and my eyes widen, "Wait, you guys know each other?!"