𝐌𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐆𝐢𝐫𝐥𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝

27 - The kiss.

~𝑺𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝒊𝒕'𝒔 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘𝒍𝒆𝒅𝒈𝒆 𝒐𝒏 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒖𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒎𝒂𝒚 𝒃𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒊𝒈𝒏𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒈𝒖𝒊𝒅𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒂𝒄𝒄𝒆𝒑𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒃𝒍𝒆𝒎, 𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒈𝒏𝒊𝒛𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒍 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆.~

****
Stacey cursed herself for the umpteenth time that morning, closing her eyes briefly when she was about to enter the community center.

Kiss.

Dylan kissed her. The memory flashed through her mind and she shuddered, gripping the box in her hand tightly. Ever since she woke up, the memory had plagued her. Her dreams were full of what she could have done and said.

When Dareen had announced they were visiting another center again, this time without the children and Mia, she had jumped at it, hurrying to go change into a green sweater, a pair of jeans, and low-heeled grey boots.

Luckily, she had avoided him up till now but she could still feel his gaze prick her neck despite the fact she had a gray shawl wrapped around it. What was this madness? She couldn't even bear to face him, scared that if he tried to kiss her again, she might not resist as she did yesterday night.

As she adjusted the weight of the box in her hand, ignoring the stare of the lanky teenage boy watching her from across the street, she exhaled. Therein was the problem. Dylan could kiss. She didn't know if it was because she hadn't locked lips with anyone in years that her brain had short-circuited. Or that she felt like he could. But the fact remained, he kissed her.

Distracted, she lifted up her legs to climb the short stairs leading into the building when she missed it and nearly fell, her right leg bending to the side. At the same instant, she felt heat seep through her as a large hand pressed the small of her back and another wrapped around her to right her posture.

Her whole body tensed up as she pressed her eyes close, hoping with all her might that it wasn't Dylan. Don't be him. Please.

"Easy there. You don't want to be falling here."

The rush of relief that swam through her got her smiling and her shoulders relaxing. She had never been that happy to hear a male voice that wasn't his.

Glancing up, she gave Ryle a grateful smile as she adjusted the carton in her arms. "Thanks. Was just a bit distracted."

"Figured. The way it's going they would be more than grateful for that." His eyes darted around the slum, the community center they were visiting this time around was located in. Honestly, she understood Dareen's decision when she had seen the run down building and littered street they had parked in front of. He shook his head when a scowling man with bloodshot eyes passed by, scrutinizing them with contempt. "Let's just join the others."

She couldn't have said it better.

Nodding, she allowed him hold the tip of her elbow as they walked up the narrow stairs into the surprisingly clean but scanty building. She didn't look back to see whether Dylan noticed the exchange. They were the only three that had tarried to walk in because she was slow while thinking of the kiss, and Ryle was at the end of the file, holding a megaphone.

Not wanting to wonder why Dareen had told him to bring it or why Dylan was still outside, she focused on the smell of cheap perfume and alcohol hanging in the air of the cream building she just walked into.