The Girl He Called Practice

Kiera Case POV:

The anger still vibrated in my bones as I made my way through the thinning crowd, the jazz music now a distant, muffled hum. I wanted nothing more than to leave, to put as much distance as possible between myself and Felix, between myself and the suffocating illusion of our shared past. But my parents were still mingling, and slipping away unnoticed felt impossible. I had to endure.

Just as I reached the edge of the main ballroom, preparing to make my excuses to my mother, a soft voice called my name. "Kiera, darling!"

It was Mrs. Decker, Felix's mother, her elegant hand reaching out to grasp mine. Her eyes, usually so kind, held a gentle warmth that was a balm to my raw nerves. "It's so good to see you, dear. We've missed you so much. Felix said you were traveling, but it felt like an eternity." She squeezed my hand, her touch surprisingly firm.

Bella Ramsey, who had been hovering near Mrs. Decker, her perfectly sculpted smile ready, tried to step forward, undoubtedly to insert herself into the conversation. But Mrs. Decker, without even looking at her, subtly shifted her body, effectively blocking Bella from joining our intimate circle. Bella' s smile faltered, replaced by a flash of annoyance.

"You look a little tired, Kiera," Mrs. Decker continued, her gaze assessing. She then did something that made my breath catch. She gently took my hand and, turning, placed it on Felix's arm as he approached, his face a mixture of irritation and grudging politeness. "Felix, darling, be a good boy and take Kiera to get some fresh air. She looks like she needs a moment away from all this noise." There was a clear, unspoken instruction in her tone, a maternal expectation that he would care for me.

Felix stiffened, his arm going rigid under my hand. He shot me a quick, resentful glance, then looked back at his mother with an exasperated sigh. "Mom, Kiera hasn't even bothered to answer my calls or texts in weeks. She's been ignoring me, completely. And she blocked my number, again." His voice held a strange blend of genuine hurt and petulant anger.

A fleeting pang pricked me. He was upset. But his upset was about my defiance, not about my pain.

Before Mrs. Decker could respond, Bella, seizing her opportunity, chimed in, her voice pitched a little too high, a little too sweet. "Oh, that's right, Mrs. Decker! Kiera's going to Stanford, isn't she? All the way across the country! Such a shame, after all your plans with Felix for Columbia. But I suppose a clean break is always best, right darling?" She smiled thinly at me, a triumphant glint in her eye.

My blood ran cold. She knows. How did she know? Felix hadn' t known. My parents had promised.

Mrs. Decker' s eyes widened, turning from Bella to me in stunned disbelief. "Stanford? Kiera, is this true? But… but Felix said you were going to Columbia. You always said you would. We were so looking forward to having you nearby." Her voice was filled with genuine confusion and disappointment.

The secret was out. There was no point in denying it now. A weary resignation settled over me. "Yes, Mrs. Decker," I said, my voice quiet but firm. "It' s true. I changed my mind. I decided Stanford' s architecture program was a better fit for me."

Felix, who had been listening in a growing state of shock, suddenly grabbed my arm, his fingers digging into my skin. "You changed your mind?" he hissed, his eyes blazing, a furious storm brewing in their depths. "What do you mean, you changed your mind? We had plans, Kiera! Our plans! You were going to be at Columbia, with me! How dare you just… just unilaterally decide to abandon everything we discussed?"

I yanked my arm free, pulling away from his grasp as if his touch burned me. "How dare I?" I retorted, my own anger finally bubbling to the surface. "How dare I choose my own life, Felix? My own future? My own university? The 'plans' you' re so upset about were always your plans, Felix. I simply molded myself to fit them, because I thought that' s what love was."

My voice rose, catching the attention of a few nearby guests who quickly turned their heads, pretending not to listen. "I chose Columbia because it was convenient for you. I was going to sacrifice my best opportunity, my scholarship to the top program in the country, just to be your convenient little shadow, your supportive girlfriend, your… your safety net." The words hung in the air, heavy with accusation. "You saw me as an extension of yourself, Felix. A possession, not a partner. You never respected my ambition, my dreams. You just expected me to orbit around yours."

Felix stared at me, his face pale, his jaw slack. "A possession? Kiera, that' s… that' s insane! I never thought of you like that! I always valued you! I… I loved you!" He stammered, his usual smooth confidence completely shattered.

"Love?" I scoffed, a bitter, humorless laugh escaping my lips. "Is that what you call it, Felix? Taking me to bed, then casually dismissing me in French as 'practice' to your best friend, while I' m still in the next room? Is that love?"

His body went rigid, his eyes wide with horror. His face drained of all color, his lips trembling slightly. He looked like he' d been struck by lightning. He knew. He knew I' d understood.

"Kiera, wait… I… I was…" he stammered, frantically searching for words. "I was young… I was stupid… I didn' t mean…"

I cut him off, my voice cold and hard. "You meant every word. You just thought I was too 'simple' to understand them. You' ve always enjoyed the adoration, Felix. The unquestioning loyalty. You assumed I' d always be there, waiting, conveniently tucked away, never questioning. You never actually saw me, did you? You never cared about me. Only what I could provide for you."

His eyes were red-rimmed, glistening with unshed tears. He was shaking his head, frantically. "No, Kiera, that' s not true! I did care! I do care! I made so many mistakes, I know, but I' ve changed! I swear, I' ve realized… I can' t live without you, Kiera. Please, don' t leave. I' m begging you." He reached for me again, his hand trembling, his face contorted in a mask of desperation.

I watched him, my heart a cold stone in my chest. He was crying now, real, messy tears. The great Felix Decker, reduced to a desperate, blubbering mess. A sliver of satisfaction, grim and dark, pierced through my resolve. He was suffering. Good.

"Felix," I said, my voice barely above a whisper, but utterly devoid of any warmth. "You don' t want me, Felix. You want the idea of me. The girl who never challenged you, who always put you first, who conveniently understood your unspoken needs. You want your comfortable safety net back." I took a deep breath. "But that girl is gone. She died the night she heard you call her 'practice.' And this Kiera? She' s happier without you."

I looked at his tear-streaked face, at the wounded pride battling with genuine pain in his eyes. He truly did seem to believe his own words, that he couldn't live without me. That was the tragedy of it all. He probably did, in his own twisted way, need me. But need wasn't love.

"Felix, I' ve found someone who actually sees me," I continued, my voice gaining strength. "Someone who respects me, who cherishes my ambition, who doesn' t need me to be a shadow or a safety net. Someone who loves me for who I am, not for what I can do for him." I paused, letting the words sink in. "So, for your sake, and for theirs, I' m warning you. Don' t ever try to cross that line again. Our families have business together, yes. We' ll be in the same room. But you will treat me with respect, and you will stay away from my personal life. If you don' t, I promise you, Felix, I will make sure you regret it far more than you regret losing me now. You will never see me again, not even as a distant acquaintance. Do you understand?"

He stood there, frozen, his face a mask of shattered disbelief. His mouth opened, but no words came out. He looked defeated, utterly and completely broken.

"You' re… you' re a disappointment, Kiera," he finally choked out, his voice raw with pain and anger, the last vestiges of his pride lashing out. "A complete and utter disappointment. If you walk away now, don' t ever expect me to forgive you. Ever." With that, he turned sharply and strode away, disappearing into the crowd, leaving me standing alone, amidst the clinking of glasses and the polite murmur of conversations.

A deep sigh escaped me, a mix of exhaustion and a strange, hollow regret. He was still so immature, so desperate to control the narrative, to twist it back to his pain, his forgiveness. The pity I felt for him was cold, detached. He had finally faced the consequences of his actions, and the sight of his brokenness, while painful, also brought a profound sense of closure. He was not the man I had loved. He was just a boy, terrified of losing what he thought was his.