"Sorry I disappeared for a bit, I had to go home."
That was the last time Kale talked to Carrie. Things were strained at best and he knew he had the power to fix it, but dealing with these kinds of emotions were entirely new to him. Things were supposed to be good with them. Effortless and easy, the way it was before. That was never going to happen again, he soon learned, and while he could have stepped up and tried harder, he didn't. Kale Roderick wasn't capable of of the same emotions that Kyle was.
It was 7:00 PM on Monday night and Kyle sat in his living room with all the lights off. Last month he had woken up with two Star Sapphires in a ski lodge out of state. This time, he woke up with Glomulus attacking him and trying to drag him out of bed. Waking up without Carol this time left him feeling completely empty and alone, and thought Glommy tried to fix it, he couldn't shake the feeling. Where he sat, he opened a window to San Diego and scanned for Carol. He wasn't sure if she would be Carrie or Carol, but regardless of who she was, when he finally saw her in her office, he smiled.
He didn't mean to pry, but Kyle watched her for a while, doing paperwork at her desk and cleaning up for the night. He poked the window a few times and watched it ripple like water and frowned when she didn't feel his presence. He knew she wouldn't be able to, but he was hoping that the sheer strength of their tether was enough for her to feel him there. He sighed and closed the viewing portal and leaned back on his couch, his hands covering his face as he groaned.
"You're a royal fuck up, Kyle Rayner. You never deserved any of this." He sat there, moping and letting himself spiral downward as he thought about how unworthy he was for her, and even more so for his white ring. He was the only one of his kind, and although the likes of Hal and Bruce had been white lanterns in the past, it was only temporary to defeat Black Hand. This was different. Kyle was who he was, and he was utterly alone in this universe, and in all the others.
Without a second thought, his mask appeared on his face and he shot out the window of his second story walk up. Flying made things better every time, and before he knew it, he found himself in San Diego. He knew he couldn't blindside her and only wanted to see her in person, so before she left for the night, he went to her place of employment. He knew why she was there, and why she had to stay. He wasn't mad that things had sort of petered out on both ends because of the physical distance and emotional distance between the two of them, but it didn't make him miss her any less.
He hovered outside her window, landing gently on the balcony and watching from outside. Kyle remained as quiet as he possibly could and watched from outside, his hands on the windows. His mask dissolved and he stood and watched patiently, idly wondering if she would freak out if she saw him. He sighed again and flew away from the balcony and to the front of the building. His suit dissolved and he walked in, seeking Carrie Foster and being lead to her office.
When he was finally there, he knocked on the door before opening it, presenting himself as just Kal, no Kyle in sight. Even his ring was hidden in his pocket for the time being.
"Sorry I disappeared for a bit, I had to go home."