All The Things You Said (gxg)

After College Continued

The next morning, Kyla called me.

"So are we good?" she asked me.

"No, Kyla. We're not good." I said, "You cheated on me."

"What if I didn't sleep with her? Would that change anything? Because all I truly remember was kissing. Which is no big deal." Kyla said.

"You didn't even tell me that yesterday. That you remember kissing her." I said, "Good to know."

"What, are you going to break up with me?" Kyla asked.

I sighed, "Yes. Kyla, I can't be with you. I can't be with someone who cheated on me. I just can't."

"So after a year, that's it? Because of one thing?" Kyla sounded annoyed.

"It's a pretty big thing!" I said.

"What, are you going to go back to Maxine now?" Kyla said.

I froze. "What are you talking about?"

"I have my answer." Kyla said, "Thanks for that."

"Don't try to turn this on me!" I said, "How dare you? I never cheated on you, ever."

"I think I'm going to go. Good luck, Bella."

Then she hung up. And I sat there on my bed, in disbelief.

A moment later, I heard a knock at my door.

"Come in." I said. I was shaking from the conversation with Kyla.

I was surprised to see my mom at the door. Her light blonde hair was in a bun, and she had on a pink workout jacket and shorts.

"Oh. Hi, mom." I said.

"Hi, Bella." my mom gave me a faint smile, "Is everything okay? I heard your voice raised."

"Um, kind of. My girlfriend and I broke up." I looked down, playing with threads on my bedding. It still felt weird even saying to my mom that I had a girlfriend.

"Kyla?" my mom asked me.

"Yeah." I look up, surprised, "Kyla."

"Don't look entirely surprised. I keep up with things. But I'd like to keep up with more. Do you mind if I sit?" my mom asked me.

"Sure." I slid over, making room for her to sit next to me on the bed.

She sighed, "I'm trying, Bella. I know after your dad had cancer he had a change of heart in some ways, and is more accepting. I'm trying to be more like that. It's just hard...but give me more time."

"Mom...you've known this for over four years." I said, "I've given you time."

"Just give me more time, okay? I want to be there for you. I want to have a relationship with you." my mom said to me.

"Just as long as you make the effort to try to accept me."

"I will. I don't think I'll ever understand. But I am going to try my best to accept it." my mom nodded.

Then she got up and said, "I have a workout class to go to. But if you're sad about the breakup...you can talk to me."

"Thanks." I said.

After my mom left, I realized- that was the most I had spoken to her in years.

It was a start.

I got a text from Max a few hours later.

It said: Hey. How was talking to Kyla this morning?

I responded: It's done. Can I tell you more in person?

She said back: Of course. Come over tonight?

It was dark by the time I arrived at Max's. She still had work- with Kyla.

I wondered how that went.

When I arrived, she greeted me at the door in a black hoodie and black shorts. Her hair was underneath one of her beanies.

She smiled at me when she saw me. "Hey. Come in."

There was something different in the air tonight. I could feel it.

When I walked into the apartment, Max's cats, Maisie and Daisy, were running around.

"Don't mind them, they have the zoomies." Max said, "Let's go to my room."

For the second night in a row, I wound up sitting next to Max on her bed.

"How was work?" I asked her.

"Weird. Kyla didn't say much to me. She seemed pissed off all day." Max said, "Of course I didn't lead on that I knew why."

"She tried to accuse me of cheating on her with you." I said.

Max's eyes widened, "What?"

"She was just trying to say something to hurt me. But I feel terrible if it has affected your job at all."

"Don't feel bad." Max said, and chuckled, "Guess I'll start looking for a new job."

"I'm still really sorry." I looked at Max.

"It's okay." Max smiled at me, "I promise. I'll find something else."

"Maybe my dad can help." I said, "He has connections."

"He would want to help me out?" Max questioned.

"He's become a lot more accepting since...well, he got cancer two years ago. Colon cancer. He had to go through a year of treatment, but he's okay now."

"Your dad had cancer?" Max looked at me.

"Yes." I sighed, "It was really hard, honestly. My whole junior year of college was spent worrying like crazy about him. Kind of gave him a whole new lease on life though- at least with accepting me."

"I'm so sorry you had to go through that." Max said, "A good part of me wishes I could have been there for you."

"You know, I almost called you. The night that found out he had cancer. It was a second instinct, almost. I reached for my phone to call you- but then I realized I couldn't." I confessed.

"I would have answered." Max said, "I always had this crazy hope that you would call me. Because I feared that if I called you, you wouldn't pick up. Because I know how much I hurt you."

"I understand why now." I said to Max, "But I do get nervous. What if we get back together and it happens again? I can't go through that twice."

Max took my hand in hers. "You don't have to worry about that. I'll show you that you don't have to. I promise."

"This feels wrong- considering I just broke up with Kyla today." I said, "But it also feels so...right."

Max looked at me, still holding my hand. "If you want to wait to start something back up, we can. We can just be friends, and hangout."

"Max, there's no way in hell I can just be your friend." I said.

"Oh?" Max looked at me, a glint in her blue eyes.

"Friends don't want to...kiss each other as much as I want to kiss you right now." I said.

Bold, sure. But I'm just being honest.

Max started to lean in closer to me. She put her hand on the back of my neck, and I felt myself melt.

She then said into my ear. "You're sure you want this?"

"More than anything." I nodded.

Max then leaned in, and her lips met mine.

Over four years. I've daydreamed about this moment for over four fucking years. Wanting it to happen more than anything, but pretty much accepting that it wouldn't.

The kiss lingered, and when we pulled away, she leaned her head against mine.

"I'm so damn happy I got to do that again. I didn't think I would ever get the chance to." Max said.

I responded back with another kiss- to show Max how much she meant to me.