Hitch

© KES

It had been years since Kara had last seen him. Their relationship hadn’t been anything spectacular, but it could have been. Seeing him again brought all of that back. He was her unfinished business.

He was getting married next month, he told her. He was happy, he said. His fiancée was amazing.

Kara just smiled and offered her congratulations. Inside she was shell shocked. She was sure it was obvious, but he didn’t react to it if it was. She hadn’t thought about him in months, but some part of her thought he would always be there. She cursed her naïveté and wished she hadn’t run into him at all. What right did he have to make her question herself? They were over—done with—they had been for years. She’d made sure of that.

Still, they exchanged numbers—though Kara still had his programmed into her phone—and chatted amicably for a few more minutes before parting, him promising to get her an invite to the wedding. Kara could barely force a smile anymore, sighing loudly when he was finally out of sight.

Two weeks passed and Kara heard nothing from him. Though she hadn’t expected to, she still jumped every time her phone rang, heart pounding like maybe, just maybe, he had been thinking about her too. She was being ridiculous and she knew it—she had let go of her chance and now that it was truly gone, she was acting like a brokenhearted ex.

So she deleted his number from her phone and removed his email from her address book. Things she should have done years ago. She was finally ridding her life of him. She couldn’t, however, stop him from showing up at her door.

He looked both physically and emotionally disheveled, she realized as she let him in. Like he ran all the way there and hated himself for doing it. She had no idea he knew where she lived—they certainly hadn’t exchanged addresses. He ignored this when she pointed it out, pacing through her living room so quickly it seemed that standing still would kill him.

He was getting hitched in two weeks, he said. Will she be there?

So that’s what this was—a personal wedding invite. How cute. Kara shook her head, though she had trouble coming up with a good enough excuse as to why when his eyes pierced through her. She forgot he could do that. She hated that it still worked.

He finally stopped pacing, his eyes locked on hers. There are only two people he’d ever really cared about, he told her. Ever really loved. He loved his fiancée. But he was there, with her. Why did they have to run into each other, he asked. Why does she have this power to make him question everything, he demanded.

Kara could have asked him the same thing, but she didn’t. She remained silent, mostly because she didn’t know how to feel.

If someone were to ask her, Kara would swear she didn’t know who initiated it. All she knew was that his lips were on hers and she relished in the familiar yet somehow different tingle that shot down her spine. Familiar because she could never forget how soft his lips were; different because it was hungry. He used to be very reserved, but his hands were tangled in her hair and he was kissing her so hard she was sure her lips would bruise. She didn’t care. He pushed her against the wall, deepening the kiss, though Kara hadn’t thought it would be possible. When they finally broke apart, breathless, he was looking at her wide-eyed, not with regret, but something else entirely.

He pressed his lips to her forehead before turning to leave. I love you too, she thought, but she didn’t say it. She watched him leave, speechless and helpless, but finally a little hopeful.

A few days later, she received the formal invitation in the mail. He was going to marry her. Kara had let herself ponder the possibilities for too long. Her heart did break this time.

She went to the wedding anyway. Dressed in her little-black-dress that looked amazing on her, she was at least going to make him sweat, just a little bit.

Her breath hitched in her throat when she saw him. He looked gorgeous in a tux, but she’d known that already. What was surprising was how truly happy he looked. He’d made his decision. Kara had too, but it was too late for her.

She slumped down in the pew, hoping he wouldn’t see her. He was allowed happiness and she was going to let him have. Even if it cost Kara hers.

When his beautiful fiancée walked down the aisle, he did a quick sweep of the crowd. His eyes widened when they landed on Kara, just for a second, before he focused his attention on his bride-to-be.

Kara watched him through the entire ceremony, afraid to blink in case she would miss something, some signal that showed this wasn’t what he wanted.

It never came.

She took him to be her husband and Kara hoped beyond hope that he would leave her. He didn’t. He didn’t want to. He loved Kara, but he loved his fiancée more.

“I do,” he said, the smile evident in his voice.

Her business was finally finished. Just not in the way she’d hoped.

FIN.

Yeah, so a ONE-SHOT from me. I think it turned out pretty cool... I kinda wanted to write it like anyone could just jump in Kara's place and replace "him" with whoever fit that kind of description in their life. Hope you enjoyed it. Review and let me know.