“I thought I could fix things, say something to her.”
“How could you have kissed me?”
“I thought you would like it.”
“Katie, we have been over this a dozen times. We aren't hooking up. Don't you think we would have by now? I have known you forever. And I have a girlfriend.”
“That hasn't stopped you before.”
“This time it's different. She's different, and you probably ruined that for me. What kind of friend are you?”
“Look Jet, I'm sorry, okay? I wasn't trying to hurt you. I've just had a crush on you forever, and I just thought that we would make a pretty hot couple.”
“It's never going to happen. I'm sorry, Katie. I think you're great and really beautiful, but you're not for me. I'm with Natalie; she’s who I want. She’s who I've always wanted.”
She looked heartbroken, but that wasn't my problem. My problem was sitting in the house with my family, and I hoped to God I could fix that.
“I'm sorry, Jet. I really am.”
“Just fix it, Katie. Make it right. I want her to know that I didn't kiss you, that I would never kiss you. That it was you who kissed me, and that we weren’t making out or anything.”
She just nodded, and I walked away from her to go find Natalie. When I get back into the house I found her in the sitting room with my family. I walked up to her and smiled. She took one look at me, dismissed me silently, and went on talking to my family. I couldn't exactly talk to her about my problem with my family right there, and she wouldn't go anywhere with me. I had ruined my own girlfriend's Thanksgiving.
“Is everything okay? Can we talk?”
“No shot. Now leave me alone for the rest of the night.”
I turned away from her and saw Katie come in from outside. She went over to my sister and they chatted amongst themselves. It couldn't possibly be more awkward at that moment. I had no way to fix it and I had to accept the fact that the evening was ruined and try to mend things with Natalie another day.
We spent the whole night apart, but my family was none the wiser. Natalie put on a good show, even though she did avoid me like the plague. I wanted to kiss her or hold her hand, but I worried that if I tried to do anything like that, she would explode in front of everyone. Again, things would have to wait for another time.
We spent the night in the sitting room, chatting amongst everyone and playing a few family games. My mother offered for Natalie to stay the night, but she declined. She walked up to me with her purse and coat in hand.
“I would like to go home now.”
“Are you sure? I thought we were going to stay for a few days. Go sightseeing.”
“I have no interest in that. I just want to go home and be alone. It was a mistake coming here. Can you please just take me home?”
I smiled at her sadly. “Yes, sweetheart, I'll take you home.”
We said our goodbyes to everyone, and headed out the door. I walked with her to the car, and she didn't say a thing to me. I drove her back to her apartment and through the entire 45-minute drive, she didn't say a word. Neither did I. I just didn't have anything more to say, and I thought that she needed a break from me.
I pulled up to the curb in front of her apartment and turned off the car. I was hoping she was going to invite me up, but that wasn't going to happen.
“Goodnight, Natalie.” I smiled as I grabbed her hand before she went out the door. She paused before getting out, and rolled her eyes. She pulled away from me then and got out of the car without saying another word to me.
Chapter Nine
Natalie
I could barely concentrate on photography class that day. We had another op
portunity to go into the darkroom, and normally I would have been stoked, but I barely even smiled that whole day. Brenda had finally asked me what the hell was wrong with me, and I had just shrugged. The last thing that I wanted to discuss with anyone was my boyfriend’s infidelity. If you even wanted to call it that. I was aware that he hadn't full on cheated on me, but I definitely felt like he encouraged Katie's affections and flirted with her, which caused her to eventually kiss him, and that was bad enough.
It was easily the worst Thanksgiving I had ever had, and I wished that I had just declined the invitation. It was obvious that Jet and I weren't meant to be together, and I wished even more that I hadn't agreed to go out with him. He had turned out to be a far greater disappointment as a boyfriend than I had ever imagined.
I didn't want to even think about that day, but it was hard to get that image out of my head. I hated seeing him even flirting with Katie. Training had almost killed me, so seeing her actually put her lips on him was just too much to bear. If I could forget it and forgive him, I still don't think I would ever be able to get the image out of my head, so how was I supposed to move on with him? He had turned out to be just like Tom, and it had broken my heart.