As soon as their eyes met, shock covered his face, and Kara stumbled back on her step. She was not ready to see him. Not now, not ever. There had been feeling inside her heart that she was not ready to face yet and seeing him so suddenly just made them worse.
So the next thing she did was turn around, find the nearest door, and walk out of the house. Her head was bursting with the thoughts of what she was supposed to say or do but there was no answer. She found herself in the backyard of the grand house that was covered with trees.
Her breaths were shallow. She needed a bit of relief but there was none.
As she turned around to see if there was anyone except her there, she collided with a hard chest.
She almost fell but a hand grabbed her waist and pulled her in a hug. His scent reminded her of the days they had spent together, of the things they had gone through and their childhood.
Her eyes fell shut, and relief passed through her. She had not even realized how much she had missed him until now. His body felt warm and nice and everything that was love to her.
She wanted him so bad but the actual truth was, no matter how much she had loved him, given everything that belonged to her to him, relented for his demands, and taken his anger with kindness, he never gave a f**k about her. His behavior towards her had proven that when her parents had died. So, guess this was nothing harder than greeting a stranger with kindness. She could do it too.
As her hesitation passed along with her feelings, she exhaled a soft breath to calm herself and cleared her throat, putting light pressure on his chest to push him away from the hug with the world's best smile on her face,
"Good to see you," she said and adjusted her dress a bit in self consciousness.
"This is the only thing you have to say to me, Kara?" he asked angrily. His eyes were glaring down at her.
Kara glanced away from him for a second before her gaze came back to him, "What's more there to say? I am happy to see you are doing well, James."
His jaw clenched and his hand shot up to grab onto her arms, "You f*****g left without telling me, disappeared for three f*****g years with no way for me to contact you and now when you are back, the first thing you do after seeing me is run?! You sure are happy, aren't you?"
"Yes, I am." Kara smiled with enthusiasm. "it's been so many years! How are you doing?"
James' anger rose with each word that left her mouth. It was like she knew which word is going to make him more furious.
He clenched his eyes shut and tried to breathe through the anger coursing through his veins.
After a couple of seconds later he looked down at her again. This was the first time in three years he had got to see her face. She had not changed much, looked the same as she had looked back then, sweet, innocent, completely unaware of the things happening around herself.
His hand lifted up and touched the side of her face gently, feeling her and assuring himself that she was in front of him for sure.
"Why did you leave me here?" he asked, his voice was strained, like trying to hold back the things he wanted to shout aloud.
As Kara opened her mouth to say something, they got interrupted by a voice, "there you are! I had been looking all over the house for you!" Damon came running towards them.
James' hands dropped from Kara's arm and face as he took a step back. The anger in his face never went away as he muttered, "Why is this bastard always around you?!"
Damon came to a stop near them and wrapped his hand around Kara's shoulder, "Don't bully her, James. She has barely even stepped inside the house." he said seriously.
"You do not need to teach me what I can and can not do under the roof of my own house." James gritted out, "get the f**k out of here."
Damon ignored him and pulled Kara away with himself. His arm stayed wrapped around her shoulder as he led her inside the house.
As they stepped inside, they heard Damon's grandma saying, "We should start preparations and decorating the house now. There is no point in delaying things any longer."
"Exactly, mom." Damon's mom said, coming over to sit on the couch beside her mother in law, "Kara is finally here and we have already made all the arrangements to execute on the day."
"What are you guys talking about so secretly behind my back?" Damon grinned and walked to them, "what plotting is going on here?"
"Your engagement dummy." Kara's mother laughed lightly, "Kara is here, you are here, rings are ready, so both of you are ready for the engagement day, right? Kara?"
Kara smiled up at them and nodded her head in approval. That was the reason she had finally returned to this home after so many years. It was going to be her engagement with Damon in three days.