Knowing Kiara

5

‼️Important notice⚠️ I've re-written chapter 1 and heavily edited all of the chapters so I'm highly highly recommending you go back and read them again because they're 10X better if I say so myself.

Imagine being stranded on a desert island.

Your stomach cramping from hunger pains, your skin fried from the unforgiving sun and your every hope...gone.

You drag one foot infront of the other with all of your energy praying you encounter a small puddle of rainwater or a single berry from a tree.

Imagine feeling so low and helpless...and then discovering a hidden village full of everything you could dream of.

That's the only way I can describe the feeling Blondie's revelation gave me the moment he confessed.

It was hope, community and understanding after an eternity of loneliness and depression.

He looked at me reflecting the exact same amount of hesitation and relief I felt after finding someone who can relate. In his eyes I saw every fear and concern I'd become all too familiar with. The worrying about speaking out and no one believing you. The yearning to find someone who'll understand. The gratitude for not having to delve deep and speak about it because that person knows better than to force you.

That moment connected us in a way that couldn't be compared to any other connection.

That's how two fearful people with broken trust both ended up arms wound around one another, neither of us knowing who initiated the hug but unable to care less.

So much support and unspoken words pass between us but the room remains quiet, only our gentle breathing and the pattering of the puppy's uncertain steps reverberate around the small space.

I press my ear against his warm chest and hear the irregular thundering of his heart knowing mine would sound the same.

One of his large hands cups my hooded head and the other rests in a respectful place around my waist.

"Is that why you wear the hood?" He whispers eventually, attempting not to destroy the moment too much.

"Nope." I whisper back quite elusively, closing my eyes and trying to hold onto every last morsel of comfort and safety he emanates.

I knew he was like a human safety blanket the moment I met him but this hug has taken that to a whole new level.

He pauses for a while and I think I've successfully dodged more talk about my damn hair until he speaks up again.

"Is it because of the second bad thing that happened to you?" His hushed tone doesn't make his words hit my heart any gentler, no matter his pure intentions.

My body stiffens and that's when I know the moment is officially over.

I pull away and cross my arms over my chest subconsciously.

"It's unrelated and unimportant. You promised me you'd forget about it." I bluntly counter.

"I did no such thing." He sharp argues back, brows slightly raised.

Our gazes battle silently for a while, mine narrowed and vexed, his challenging yet annoyingly nonchalant.

"Well you can't force me to talk about it." I finally shrug.

"And you can't force me not to talk about it." He tilts his head smugly causing foreign anger to flare within me.

It takes a certain type of person or very particular topics to make me mad and that comment has managed to do it.