Oh Baby, I'm a Fool For You

"Kaya, please stop!"

I didn't want to listen. Tears poured from my eyes as I raced up the stairs, desperate for a place to hide. I wasn't even sure where I was going anymore, I just wanted to be alone.

"Kaya, please!"

I ignored him. I opened a random door and slammed it shut, locking it behind me.

"Kaya!" He pounded on the door. "Come on, open up! Let me explain!"

"I don't want to hear it!" I yelled, kicking the door in frustration. Turning around, I was greeted with a small study, which was more like a library with bookshelves lining almost the entire room.

"You have to listen to me!"

"Says who?" I yelled back. I ran from the door, and stopped right next to a circular chair in the corner of the room. Sitting down, I curled myself into a ball and faced away from the door.

He's engaged. Engaged. How could he forget that detail? That should have been one of the first things he told me when we started dating! I can't believe I fell for him.

Tears continued to stream down my cheeks as my entire body convulsed with shakes. I hugged myself and shut my eyes, trying to drown out his voice.

Only one thought plagued my mind: How could he?

"Benji, there you are."

I froze. That voice... That stupid voice!

"Jenna, go away," he growled.

"What's wrong with the new maid?" she asked innocently.

Maid?

"She's not a maid!" Ben shouted. "She's my girlfriend!"

Jenna laughed a high, shrill laugh. "No she's not. You can't have a girlfriend and a fiancée!"

"You're right. I want my girlfriend. Kaya!" he shouted, his fist hitting the door once again. "Open up this door!"

"Benji, stop it, you don't mean that! We've been engaged for years and we even-"

"I told you I didn't want to marry you over a year ago!" Ben shouted. "Just because our parents set this up doesn't mean I'm going through with it! I'm in love with someone else!"

"Please," she scoffed.

"I'm in love with a girl that's not talking to me because of you," he said lowly. "You should leave now."

"Caitlin invited me over for lunch! I can't just leave because you're fighting with the new maid!"

"She's not a maid!" he roared. "She's my girlfriend and I love her more that I would ever love anyone else, now piss off!"

Silence. Complete silence.

"You're so mean, Benji," Jenna sniffled.

"Benjamin, what's going on?" It was his mother.

Ben sighed in frustration. "Please, can the two of you just leave us alone? I have to clean up a mess that shouldn't have been made in the first place."

"Benjamin, you shouldn't be so rude to your fiancée."

He groaned. "We'll talk later. Just right now, please, can I talk to Kaya?"

"Come on, Jenna, let's have tea," Mrs. Barnes said.

"But-"

"Tea," Mrs. Barnes said, cutting her off.

Their footsteps retreated down the hall, somehow making me more apprehensive than before.

"Kaya, please open the door," Ben said softly. "I have to talk to you."

Tentatively, I stood up and walked slowly to the door, furiously trying to wipe the tears from my face. "You don't have to see me to talk," I said softly.

"Jenna is the daughter of one of my dad's business partners. Our parents thought we would be a good match and we were told we would be married I went along with it at first, but I realized I didn't like her and I broke it off. Apparently, she didn't take that too well. Kaya..." He sighed and I could hear him begin to pace. "I broke off the engagement over a year ago. When you and I met, I wasn't engaged and I didn't think it would ever have to come up again. I'm so sorry."

I held my breath for a moment, then crouched close to the ground. "Don't you think that was something you should have told me about?"

"Just like how you should have told me about Zeke?"

Anger crackled inside of me. I ran to the door and unlocked it, swinging it open. He looked awful and shocked, but that didn't matter at the time. "That's different!" I shouted.

"How?" he shot back, stepping closer. "You didn't tell me about a man from your past, I didn't tell you about a girl from my past. We're even now."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Even?" I repeated. "You were engaged! You were going to get married! You were with the same girl for years! I wasn't with Zeke that long and we weren't that serious, and-"

"It was arranged!" he yelled. "I didn't have a choice!"

"Yes you did! You could have said no!" I yelled back.

"But I ended it! Kaya, why is this such a big deal?" he asked, his eyes pleading.

"You should have told me."

"It didn't matter! It still doesn't matter!" he yelled, his sad, guilty face contorting to rage.

"It matters to me!" I screamed, and with that I bolted out of the door and down the hallway, aiming for the door.

Ben caught up with me and grabbed my arm, pulling me into him. "She means nothing to me!" he insisted.

"Benji?" a soft voice squeaked. Jenna stood at the top of the stairs, a tray of tea in her hands.

I saw Ben's eyes turn soft at the sight of her, and that's when I couldn't take it anymore. I managed to push him away while he was staring at her, and I ran down the stairs as fast as I could. I pushed through the doors, ran down the driveway, and luckily the gates were open so I ran through them and onto the street.

As I ran through unfamiliar streets, I heard nothing but my own breathing and my feet hitting the ground. Ben wasn't coming after me. This time, he didn't come after me.

An hour later I was standing in front of a small, nearly deserted coffee shop. I had no clue where I was, not to mention my lack of money. I collapsed onto a grassy spot by the shop and breathed heavily, internal panic setting in.

What am I supposed to do now? I don't know where I am, I have no money, no connections... I have my cell phone, but who am I supposed to...

A light bulb went off in my head. I pulled out my nearly dead phone and dialed a familiar number. A few rings went by before an answer came.

"Kaya?"

I sighed heavily, a smile spreading across my face. "Hi, Will."