LewRice Chronicles

Safe (2)

Sean's POV

For the second time this week, I strolled into the small cafe that now had orange and brown decorations for the fall that has just rolled in. Seasonal menus sat on the counter, waiting to be opened by an eager customer.

I made my way to the same table I had sat in before and waited patiently for the curly headed fireball to flee from the staff doors. "Evening, sir. Would you like to order anything?" A voice asked me politely.

I glanced up from my phone to see a young woman, probably in her mid 20s. She had light brown locks that were held up in a high ponytail. A brown visor blocked the sun from her bright eyes. "No, thank you, sweetheart. I'm just waiting for someone." I responded monotonously.

She nodded with a wide smile before walking behind the counter. I went back to texting Ken about the Seminoles but I was interrupted once again. "Excuse me, sir." The same voice spoke.

I looked up at her, her face holding the same smile from before. "Can I help you?" I asked in a slightly harsh tone, squinting my eyes at her.

"Um, well...I'm Kylie." She shot her hand out for me to shake which I just flickered my eyes to it then looked back at her face.

"Okay." I said in confusion. She cleared her throat and put it in the pocket of the apron she was wearing. "For you." She gestured to the food in her hand. On her tray was a hot coffee and a croissant with egg and cheese wrapped in a white paper bag decorated with brown swirls and yellow flowers. "I've been commanded to not let you leave here without anything in your stomach. On the house." She informed me, sitting the tray down on the table.

"Listen, babe, I don't have time fo-" I started, but she cut me off. "Crazy you say that. I don't have time for this either. However, my sister told me to give you this so I did. You can shove it in her face if you don't want to take it." She said sarcastically.

"Sister? I don't- Who the fuck is your sister? And why the fuck does she care about me?" I asked dryly. "I'm not sure, judging by how ungrateful you're acting." She snapped back with a calm tone.

"Anyway, enjoy!" She chirped, her smile never faltering. The woman practically skipped over to where she was previously. I rolled my eyes at her gleeful attitude and set my attention back to my phone.

"Aw, why didn't you eat anything?" I heard a voice whine. Annoyed, I let my word vomit slip. "I didn't know I was obligated to follow the orders of an anonymous twat- Kaycee." I spat before looking up at the beautiful presence of the girl.

"Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Did you just yell at my sister?" She asked with furrowed brows and crossed arms. A wave of shock came over me as I looked over her shoulder to the barista who I was talking to only a moment ago then flickered back to the hazel eyes in front of me.

Now that I looked closer, they did have some resemblance. A guilty smile adorned my lips as Kaycee lifted a brow. "I'm sorry. I have a low tolerance for people who are being pushy." I shrugged.

"I have a low tolerance for people who are ungrateful. Looks like we both irritate each other." Kaycee smiled then gave me a bored look. She then picked up the coffee and shoved it into my hands. With a spin on her heel, she went over to the counter then handed her sister some cash.

As they conversed briefly, I took this time to look at Kaycee's outfit. She changed out of her work attire and settled for a casual outfit, consisting of dark gray sweatpants, white Nike Air Force 1's, along with a maroon long sleeve shirt with white stripes running down the arm vertically.

Her face was bare, free of makeup. Her cheeks had a natural rosiness to them which made her look even more vibrant. I noticed her sister whispered something in ear before Kaycee rolled her eyes then waltzed back over to me. "What are you doing here anyway?" She asked, heading out of the little cafe.

I followed after her, quickly lining up by her side. "I was in the neighborhood." I shrugged, causing her to scoff. She pressed the silver button to cross the street, soon being able to as the light turned red. "Fine. Maybe I wanted to see you."

A laugh escaped her lips as she took long strides to the other side of the road. "You saw me. Now what? You're gonna follow me around everywhere like a lost child?" Kaycee gave me a quizzical stare as we stopped on the corner.

"Maybe I will." I smirked to annoy her. She rolled her eyes then suddenly opened the door to a shop. I followed skeptically, not sure where we were.

The scent of eucalyptus immediately worked its way into my nostrils. Letting my eyes wander, I noticed it was an art store. They had giant canvases hanging on the walls, embellished with unique art.

I kept my eyes narrowed on Kaycee as she navigated her way through the store effortlessly. "So this is where you were? Looking after the mystery girl." Dario scoffed, popping up beside me.

"Stop staring." I told him dryly. "Come on, let's go." I said, pushing myself off the wall. He nodded in agreement, waiting for me outside. I walked up to Kaycee after snagging a sticky note and pen from the shelf then halted behind her as she analyzed a painting.

I looked at the colorful art that hung in front of us. I knew it to be cubism art. It was a pregnant woman sitting in a chair reading a book. I couldn't understand the emotion on her face, but judging by the look on Kaycee's face, it wasn't happiness. "She's reading a suicide note. This painting was made in the 1950s. It was common for men to commit suicide due to societal expectations. Being the breadwinner, having kids, getting married," She paused with a sigh. "He couldn't handle the pressure."

My gaze shifted to her to see she was still staring at it. "That's beautiful." I said softly. She blinked harshly then turned to face me. "It is." A small smile spread across her lips, almost sad.

"Look, I have to go but here's my number in case." I said, handing her the sticky note with my scribbled number on it.

"In case of what?" She asked while skeptically taking it. Our hands brushed as she grabbed the paper from my fingertips. Her groomed brow raised in question, which I found kind of adorable.

"Anything. I'll be around." I shrugged before finally taking my hand away from hers. A smirk rose on her lips as she met my gaze. The sunlight that streamed into the store hit them perfectly and I loved it. Kicking myself internally, I averted my gaze. "I'll see you." I said with a nod before taking the route to the door.

"Yeah, and Sean.." She called after me, causing me to turn on my heel. "Be careful."

I let out a genuine chuckle before leaving the store. Dario put his phone away then started walking beside me. "I hope you're not doing this again." He said with the shake of his head.

"I'm not!" I reassured him. "We've just been bumping into each other, that's all." I shrugged. Dario scoffs then stops in his tracks. "Look, all I'm saying is-" He paused as he heard the bell chime to the art store. Out walked Kaycee with a bag in hand, but luckily she went the opposite direction.

"Be fair to her. Don't let history repeat itself." My friend spoke sternly. Don't befriend Kaycee. How?