𝐿𝑜𝑣𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑅𝑒𝑐𝑘𝑙𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑙𝑦.

#57

-D.F

"It was really nice seeing you today." Mark smiles. His smile is cute and quirky but for some reason, I don't get as excited to see it as I did with Emilio's, which was such a rare sight to see. Mark always smiled when he talked, maybe it was the elementary teacher in him but he was always so sweet and joyful. It was something I had to tell myself rather than thinking about, it was like all I could do was compare him.

"It was," I reply quickly pushing a piece of hair behind my ear that fell in front of my face purely so he wouldn't do it for me. Not letting that stop him, Mark places a hand on my cold cheek. My lips part and without caution Mark's eyes close and his lips land on mine.

I can't get myself to close my eyes, I stare at his long eyelashes debating on my next move. The moment the thought of kissing him back makes it into my head he pulls away with a boyish grin that fills my stomach with some form of guilt.

"I-"

"That-"

We say at the same time. An awkward laugh is shared before we debate on who to talk to first. Not wanting to drag on the dispute any longer on who speaks, I take the opportunity. "I should get to Spear." I nudge my head to the door. He nods and takes a step back from me still giddy as ever.

"I would love to take you out again. Maybe on a proper date this time?" So far Mark has only taken me out for drinks or long car rides to no destination. I had never been on a proper date so I couldn't exactly complain about the hangouts I was getting, it seemed as if it was all I was worth.

"Sure," I say the first thing that comes to mind while already unlocking the door. I don't finish turning the handle before it's whipped open by Dalia. My eyes widen when I hear Mark chuckle behind me. "Dalia you couldn't have waited?" I mumble under my breath quickly stepping into my house. "I'll see you." I smile at Mark and don't wait for a reply before shutting the door on him

When I turn and face Dalia with crossed arms she smiles innocently and sits down cross-legged on the couch. "Man did that kiss look unappetizing" her face cringes as she picks up a mug on the coffee table and slowly sips it. I chuckle and start to remove all access items.

"Unappetizing?!" I laugh shrugging off my shoes and dropping myself next to Dalia on the couch. "Where's Spear?" I scan the room.

"In his room. And it didn't exactly look delectable, you stood there like a tree." She snorts out a laugh that only makes me feel bad for Mark.

Suddenly it hits me.

"You were watching us?" My brows knot together as she nods proudly, "how?"

"The window duh, that's beside the point. Do you like him or not?" She places her mug down and scoots closer to me. I laugh and stare at the ceiling laying out all the options and possibilities for myself and Mark.

"I don't know." Did I feel something for Mark? Maybe a little. It was nowhere near the extent of my desire for Emilio but perhaps it could build to that. Right?

I hadn't thought too much about the fact that Mark was Spear's teacher. Could it affect Spear in any way? Being involved with Emilio somehow made me immune to the ideas of what was considered right and wrong. He was the leader of a mafia and I somehow find myself justifying everything he did. Almost everything.

"You don't know," Dalia says like a statement but I know all she wants is for me to elaborate more as if it was a question. I sigh while bringing my legs to my chest.

"He's amazing. So nice and sweet, to everyone too, I just- when he kissed me it didn't feel-"

"Like it was supposed to?..." I nod with a guilty face "Or like it did with Emilio?" My face goes dead at Emilio's name. Truth be told I hadn't let myself think about him in days, besides the many calls a day I get from an unknown number and the small comparisons between him and Mark, I had pretty much cut out everything Emilio and John.