Touch (Will not be completed on Wattpad)

Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Leah

            We step into my apartment and I close the door behind me, closing my eyes for a minute to sooth my aching heart.  When I open them, Lyle is wandering around the small living room.  It doesn’t even feel like my place anymore.  We could both easily be visitors here now that I’ve had the experience of living next door. 

            I take a few small steps in his direction, but when he turns around to face me I find myself stepping back away from him.  I used to love this man, but right now the only feeling in my heart is the ache from watching Noah shut that door.  He hadn’t even followed me into his apartment so I could explain that I just needed a little while alone with Lyle to tell him I’ve changed my mind about working things out with him.  Short of saying it in the hallway, I was left with no other choice but to let him think I had chosen to be with Lyle. 

            “I need to grab a towel,” I say as I continue to move away from him and towards the hall.  He starts to tell me how wonderful my place is, but I have a hard time hearing anything over the beating of my heart in my ears.  I grab a towel from the closet and begin to dry myself off and wrap the ends of my hair so I’m not dripping all over the new carpet.  I find myself facing the wall that separates my apartment from Noah’s and I want so badly to know what’s happening on the other side. 

            “So did I miss something?” Lyle asks as he comes up behind me in the hall.  I turn to face him and nod my head slowly.  I’m not going to lie to him. 

            “I’m not sure what yet, but it’s something.”  My voice sounds stronger than I feel as I cross my arms and lean against the wall.  “We really need to talk.  Let me get out of this wet dress and I’ll meet you on the couch.”  He nods his head and puts his hands in his pockets before turning to make his way back into the living area. 

            In my room I strip out of the wet dress and dry myself with the towel.  Most of my clothes are still at Noah’s, so I decide to throw on a pair of yoga pants and a large sweatshirt.  I take a minute to wipe the make-up off my face although the sprinklers have washed most of it away.  My hair is a tangled mess but I don’t want to take the time to fix it so I just twist it into a messy bun at the base of my head. 

            I leave my room hoping my strength will pull me through this talk.  “I don’t really have anything to drink or any food here yet.”  He’s sitting on the couch that the owners replaced for me when the fresh carpet was installed.  I make my way over to him and sit at the opposite end, grabbing a pillow and holding it in my lap.  “I’m sorry you drove all the way here, Lyle.  When we talked last, I was in a different place.  I was going to call you tomorrow and let you know it would be best if you didn’t make the trip.  I guess your surprise was a little bigger of a surprise than you meant it to be.” 

            He leans forward and rests his elbows on his knees, dropping his eyes to the floor.  “Are you saying that you don’t want to work it out?  Is it because of that guy?” He points in the direction of Noah’s place and I wait for him to look at me before I speak. 

            “Yes and no.  I think I’d have eventually reached this decision regardless of my relationship with Noah, but I’ll admit that falling for him has helped me to see the faults in our relationship a little more clearly.”  I can see he’s hurting and that makes my own heart clench.  This love thing really is starting to suck.  “I loved you Lyle.  For a long time it was just you, my whole world revolved around our relationship.  Lately I’ve been experiencing what it would be like to not be dependent on a relationship, but to be a partner in one.”