“I know they suffered from poverty,” I replied.
“That is the least of their problems. I can’t have this conversation with you on the phone. When you come back to Tabiq, we will have a long talk, and then you will understand what you did, whatever that is, how wrong it was.”
“Finn, if it has to do with Kyleigh, I need to know now.”
“Liam, I am telling you this is not something to talk about on the phone. And I’m not texting it either. It is not about Kyleigh directly, but about the entire country. About all the Tabiqian women. Right now, I must go and hopefully smooth things out with Kyleigh. Apologize for my brother’s…ignorance.”
“Finn, why is she at your house anyway?” I asked.
“To discuss her trip. She’s going to the United States for training,” he replied.
“Fuck. I thought she was leaving because of me,” I said. I was wrong again. This is becoming a habit, and one I don’t want.
“No. It’s not. Or at least, it shouldn’t have been about you. Now I’m not so sure. Liam, I really wish you had listened to me. I’m not sure how I’m going to fix this now.”
“It’s not yours to fix, it’s mine. And once I get back to Tabiq, I intend to do just that.”
“She’s not going to be here,” he said.
“Then I will go to her,” I stated firmly. “I didn’t mean to hurt her, Finn. She’s…special, and I don’t think I told her that.” I know I didn’t. Because I didn’t want to admit it to myself.
“Oh, I am not in a position to relay that message. I’m her boss. I can’t talk to her about her personal life. Hell, I shouldn’t even know anything about it.”
“Then pretend like you don’t. All I need is for you to trust me,” I said.
“I did trust you, and look what happened,” he reminded me. “And how do you plan on fixing this? Flowers won’t work.”
I couldn’t believe I was about to use these words. “I’m going to let her know she’s heard, that I see her for who she is, and then…beg her to forgive me.”
“Damn. Guess she really is special to you, because you’ve never talked like that before. Okay, I’ll hold off saying anything to Kyleigh.”
“And to Reesa, please.”
“Okay, to Reesa also. But this had better not blow up in my face. Fix it fast, Liam. You really have no idea what this country has gone through. You might have just opened a wound that won’t ever heal.”
“I’m beginning to see that now. Thanks for letting me know,” I said.
“We are family. We support each other even when one is being an ass,” he said before ending the call.
I wanted to remind Finn that things hadn’t been so smooth with him and Reesa at the beginning, either. But I wasn’t looking to move to Tabiq. My business was here. And if Finn was right, then Kyleigh wouldn’t want to move from Tabiq either.
Maybe it was a good thing I couldn’t talk to her right now. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to say anyway. ‘Sorry’ was such an empty word without action to back it up.
Kyleigh, I’m sorry I hurt you. I wish I was there to kiss you and make you forget. But it’s me you want to forget, and I’m not sure I want that.
Even though I knew she wouldn’t take my call, and probably won’t answer my text either, I wasn’t going to stop trying. I racked my brain for what to text her, but it really came down to three simple words.
I MISS YOU.
I’m not giving up on us.