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Chapter 8

At five, Alice walked outside the building where Mike had told her to meet. There he was waiting for her. He opened the door for her as she got in. "So, how was your first day?" He asked as he got back in the car.

"It was uneventful. Got to learn where everything is."

"What editor are you working for?"

"Matt Hayes, you know him?"

"No, but I heard he's a good one. Unlike John, I've heard he can be a dick."

"I'm lucky then."

They got to the restaurant and he pulled the chair out for her. "Did you ever hear back from your friend?" He asked as he sat down across from her.

"My ex? No, I will try him later. So, it's everything alright with your family?"

"Well, it's complicated. My mom has some mental issues and she's in a hospital right now. She tried to kill herself so they called me and I flew over there as soon as I could."

"I'm so sorry. Here I was thinking about myself. I'm so selfish."

"Hey, it's okay. Give yourself importance. Like I told you, you are very special."

"So, has she always been sick?"

"Growing up was an adventure with her. You never knew who you were going to get that day. When she took her meds she would be all mellow, quiet. But when she didn't take her meds she was the life of the party. Of course, I was a kid back then. I didn't see anything wrong with her behavior. She would get down on the floor and get dirty with me, we would make the biggest messes. She would take me out of school early and take me to the zoo or the park. Until one day we were at the park and she disappeared. I must've been around 6 or 7. She left me all alone. I kept waiting for her until nightfall when a police officer came and took me home. My father was furious and my mother was crying saying that she was sorry that she couldn't understand how she could forget me. Since then she's been in and out of hospitals."

"So sad and scary for you."

"I managed okay. Just concentrated on school and on getting out of there. My father and I didn't have the best relationship. He died two years ago."

"I'm so sorry." She said, grabbing his hand.

"Tell me a secret, something deep. Something that not many people know."

Alice thought about what to say. She only had one dark secret. "I had a sister. A twin sister actually. She was kidnapped by our babysitter when we were two."

"That's horrible. Did they ever find them?"

"Two years later they found out they had died in a car accident in Mexico."

"Oh, I am so sorry I asked you. That's terrible." He said, stroking her hands.

"It's okay. It's not like I remember it. My parents told me about this when I was seventeen because I found her birth certificate. Her name was Amanda. They think the babysitter didn't take me too because I was too fussy, while Amanda was well behaved."

"You were lucky. So, it's only you? You don't have any other siblings?"

"Just me. They said we were actually a miracle. They had told my mother she couldn't have kids and here we came."

"I have an older brother. He's like thirteen years older than me. Never got along. I think he resented me. He used to be the only one and here comes a new baby. We only talk when we need to. He's a hotshot lawyer in Maine."

"I always wanted siblings. My parents are only children too so I don't have any cousins either. Always playing by myself."

"You must've been a cutie." He smiled.

After dinner they walked to the park across the street and talked a little bit more about their childhood. He brushed her hand with his as they walked until she let him grab it and they walked like this for a bit longer. "I hate to do this, but it's getting late and I have a paper to send and a book to start." Alice said disappointed.

"It's okay. There could be many more days like this in the future." He pulled her hand and headed to the car. The drive back to her car he held her hand. When they got there he opened the door for her and helped her out. She smiled at him and started walking towards her car. "Wait!" He said pulling her back. He grabbed the back of her neck hard and pulled her lips into his. His other hand held her small back closer to him. His lips crushed into hers in urgency.

She was in shock, she didn't know what to do. She slowly raised her arms to his shoulders and opened her mouth as his tongue searched for hers. There was so much passion in that kiss. Her knees buckled but he kept her steady, holding her tight. She had never felt like this before. As a moan escaped her lips he let her go. Looking at her swollen lips and half closed eyes, he smiled. "I've never been kissed like that before." She said, blushing.

"I could tell. I'm sorry if I caught you by surprise. I just couldn't let you go before kissing you. I've been wanting to do it since I saw you for the first time."

"Mission accomplished." She said, straightening herself. "There's something you should know." She said, taking a few steps backwards.

"You hated it. I'm so sorry. It'll never happen again. I swear. I'm such an idiot."

"No! It was amazing. It's just that I've never done anything like that."

"Wait. What? But you were with your ex for so long."

"He wanted to keep me that way until we got married. One more way of controlling me."

"I'm such a jerk." He said, stroking her cheek. "I shouldn't have kissed you like that." He said, pulling her back to him and planting a soft kiss on her lips. She kissed him back slowly. He maintained a slow rhythm. She started to kiss him deeper and faster, and he stopped. "Slow down there or I won't be able to control myself. Go on now. Have a great night." He said as he watched her stumble into her car and drove away.