Status: In progress :)
Haunt Me
9
Peyton picked up the envelope and shoved it in the back pocket of her khaki shorts before going inside. She was surprised to find Kenny sitting in her chair and Darien on the couch. She hadn't heard them talking before she came in, which meant they were waiting for her.
"Hey, guys. What's up?" Kenny stood up to retrieve her, giving her a small peck on the cheek. She took his hand and sat on the ottoman in front of him. "Seriously guys, what's going on? You're freaking me out."
"Peyton, we're worried about you." Kenny put his hand on her knee for comfort, but she pushed it away. "You've been acting really strange the past few days, and becoming very distant."
"Well, no kidding!" She snapped, glaring between the two of them. "I think I have a right to act however I want for a while."
"You're right. You do." Darien chimed in, "But think of what you're doing to your family and friends- who are also going through a hard time."
"I know it's different for you, though. What with it being your mother, and that psycho writing you letters, but-"
"Excuse me?" Peyton sprung up from her seat, fuming. "You told him!"
Darien put his hands up in front of him, "He deserved to know, Peyton." The mater-of-fact tone in his voice did wonders to build up her anger.
"That was mydecision to make, not yours!"
"You were going to tell me, eventually, weren't you?" Kenny asked.
"No! I wasn't! What's written to me is none of your damn business!" She snapped, "And stop coming into my house without my permission."
"You're angry." He said, trying to sound soothing, "and you have every right to be, but how do you expect us to have an honest marriage if you can't tell me things?"
Peyton blinked a few times in confusion. "Who said anything about marriage?"
Kenny smiled and dug in his pocket. When he took his hand back out, he had a beautiful diamond and silver ring. "I did." He got down on one knee and slipped the ring onto her finger. "Peyton, will you marry me?"
She was stunned. Speechless, even. She'd been waiting for him to propose since they'd gotten out of high school. She took a deep breath and took Kenny's hand. "No."
His smile faltered. "Wait- What?""
"No," She repeated. "I will not marry you." She slipped the ring off of her hand and gave it back to him. "Also, I think we're through."
He just stared at her, confused.
"You can leave now, Kenny."
He stood up without a word and slammed the front door behind him when he left. "Peyton, I-" Darien started, but Peyton just walked into her bedroom without so much as a glance in his direction.
She took the letter out of her pocket, placed in on the nightstand and threw herself onto the bed with a cry of frustration. Tears streamed down her face and air seemed stuck in her throat. Breathing came in hiccups that she just couldn't seem to control.
Things were just happening so fast. How could he even think about asking her to marry him at a time like this? It was outrageous! But did she really need to break up with him because of it?
Yes.
It had been spur of the moment, but she knew it had been the right thing to do. She and Kenny had a great thing when they were in high school, but it was finally time for a change. She hoped that he would see it the same way.
________
_________
_________
She cried reading his letter, but her heart raced. He cared about Layla so much, and it was clear to her how sorry he really was. It was hard to think that she might be forgiving him, but no matter how much she wanted to hate him... she was finding it to be impossible.
"Hey, guys. What's up?" Kenny stood up to retrieve her, giving her a small peck on the cheek. She took his hand and sat on the ottoman in front of him. "Seriously guys, what's going on? You're freaking me out."
"Peyton, we're worried about you." Kenny put his hand on her knee for comfort, but she pushed it away. "You've been acting really strange the past few days, and becoming very distant."
"Well, no kidding!" She snapped, glaring between the two of them. "I think I have a right to act however I want for a while."
"You're right. You do." Darien chimed in, "But think of what you're doing to your family and friends- who are also going through a hard time."
"I know it's different for you, though. What with it being your mother, and that psycho writing you letters, but-"
"Excuse me?" Peyton sprung up from her seat, fuming. "You told him!"
Darien put his hands up in front of him, "He deserved to know, Peyton." The mater-of-fact tone in his voice did wonders to build up her anger.
"That was mydecision to make, not yours!"
"You were going to tell me, eventually, weren't you?" Kenny asked.
"No! I wasn't! What's written to me is none of your damn business!" She snapped, "And stop coming into my house without my permission."
"You're angry." He said, trying to sound soothing, "and you have every right to be, but how do you expect us to have an honest marriage if you can't tell me things?"
Peyton blinked a few times in confusion. "Who said anything about marriage?"
Kenny smiled and dug in his pocket. When he took his hand back out, he had a beautiful diamond and silver ring. "I did." He got down on one knee and slipped the ring onto her finger. "Peyton, will you marry me?"
She was stunned. Speechless, even. She'd been waiting for him to propose since they'd gotten out of high school. She took a deep breath and took Kenny's hand. "No."
His smile faltered. "Wait- What?""
"No," She repeated. "I will not marry you." She slipped the ring off of her hand and gave it back to him. "Also, I think we're through."
He just stared at her, confused.
"You can leave now, Kenny."
He stood up without a word and slammed the front door behind him when he left. "Peyton, I-" Darien started, but Peyton just walked into her bedroom without so much as a glance in his direction.
She took the letter out of her pocket, placed in on the nightstand and threw herself onto the bed with a cry of frustration. Tears streamed down her face and air seemed stuck in her throat. Breathing came in hiccups that she just couldn't seem to control.
Things were just happening so fast. How could he even think about asking her to marry him at a time like this? It was outrageous! But did she really need to break up with him because of it?
Yes.
It had been spur of the moment, but she knew it had been the right thing to do. She and Kenny had a great thing when they were in high school, but it was finally time for a change. She hoped that he would see it the same way.
________
You ruined my family, you know. My brother and I are fighting, and my mother is gone. I should hate you. Condemn you to hell. Anyone else would have. For some reason, though, I find myself looking forward to your letters instead of ripping them up. I hope you repent for killing my mother.
Until tomorrow, Peyton
P.s. I'm sorry about your mother.
Until tomorrow, Peyton
P.s. I'm sorry about your mother.
_________
Dear Peyton,
Thank you. And I do repent every day. I know, still, that nothing I say will change what has happened, but I want to say something: I loved your mother. Layla was one of the kindest women I've ever met. She's the one who made it possible for me to move out of my mom's house. She gave me a job right out of college, and treated me like family. I wish I could have known her longer, and I am so sorry for what I've done.
Until tomorrow,
SLK
Thank you. And I do repent every day. I know, still, that nothing I say will change what has happened, but I want to say something: I loved your mother. Layla was one of the kindest women I've ever met. She's the one who made it possible for me to move out of my mom's house. She gave me a job right out of college, and treated me like family. I wish I could have known her longer, and I am so sorry for what I've done.
Until tomorrow,
SLK
_________
She cried reading his letter, but her heart raced. He cared about Layla so much, and it was clear to her how sorry he really was. It was hard to think that she might be forgiving him, but no matter how much she wanted to hate him... she was finding it to be impossible.
♠ ♠ ♠
Sorry about the hiatus, but glad to be back!