Sweet Kiss

9

𝐓𝐫𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧

I know I've fucked up countless times with Maisie, but this is my last year of high school and I'm done waiting.

I stayed up thinking about the whole situation last night, we've been in school for three months. It's October now. She's my age. I want to take it slow with her.

I started hanging out more with her since the night I dropped her off. I'd drive her home whenever I saw her. I started noticing something about her. I know Maisie's frail and small but she's always covered in bruises or scrapes. There was no way this girl was that week she was getting hurt like that so much. I noticed it the day paparazzi swarmed us—she didn't come to school the next day. She missed a whole fucking week.

I know her step-dad Liam, he's the CEO of the company he made years ago for real estate here in New York. Oddly enough her dad also works in the same field, also a CEO of his own company. Her mom has a type. I googled all this stuff up freshman year. I met both men through my dad. John Dietrich, owner of Dietrich & Rhodes, works as an investment banker. My mom's a lawyer, Marie Rhodes. My dad had made half his company into her firm so they'd work close by when she was in town. She owned most of the building, he only had the top floor.

Once he told me, "I take the top floor, in case of emergency she always gets out before me."

Mom liked Karissa for me, whenever we'd break up she'd tell me I should give Karissa another chance. Until sophomore year she saw how draining the relationship was. She started saying the opposite.

I was home alone eating a bowl of cereal and watching cartoons. I was in my most comfortable state. It was me, the couch, my grey sweats, and Darcy. I love Darcy, I wish more people were like her. She's old but my best friend. I looked down at her, she had her head on my lap and her eyes closed. Poor girl is so old she has arthritis. It happens to big dogs like her, she's a Doberman I've had since I was a kid. She's my most loyal companion.

I grabbed my phone, I had so many fucking notifications but none are a text from Maisie. What could she possibly be doing on a Saturday? I huffed and sunk back into the couch. I was going to go crazy.

Ping.

I practically jumped up and snatched my phone. Only to be filled with disappointment when I saw it was just another text from Karissa. She's texted me at least a hundred times now. Apologizing and then getting mad at me.

On Monday, I was looking for Maisie in the halls but with no luck. Was she avoiding me? I went down the usual paths she takes. Where was this girl?

I sat through all my boring classes and hell I even got my homework done in class. She didn't text me either.

Zzz...zzzzz...zzz.

My phone vibrates in my pocket.

Karissa: I want to talk

Me: ok then, we'll talk

   I sighed as I rested my chin against my palm. I looked around the class and then realized, London, she's sitting right across from me and texting on her phone. London's phone was hidden behind the book we were supposed to be reading. London has to know where Maisie is.

London's not an ugly girl, quite the contrary, she's intimidating but only because she has the kind of blue eyes that look like she'd kill you all the time. Her skin is tan, which reminds me; Eli told me about her tattoos. Eli had them all memorized, she has a fawn tattoo on her hip. Eli calls her Bambi sometimes, he says it's the cause of her big eyes and just her face in general. Her eyes are this weird shade of blue, they look dark now, like an ocean. I noticed the cut she had on her full lips. Her blonde hair went as far as her elbows.

As I paid attention to her now I noticed how peaceful she looked, I could kinda see what Eli describes. A little deer.

*I threw a balled-up piece of paper and it bounced off her shoulder. London's eyes narrowed and she looked around before picking up the ball of paper. She opened it and glared at me.*

"Don't worry about it." She said lowly.

I narrowed my eyes at her. She was no fucking help whatsoever.

I felt better once I saw Maisie during lunch.

I also saw Karissa, her auburn hair and light eyes. I knew what it meant to agree to meet up with her after school. And It had nothing to do with talking, that was a given.

Once the time came and I had to talk to Karissa, I felt. I don't even know. My head feels like a fucking mess.

"I just want to talk about us," Karissa looked up at me as she took slow steps towards me.

"Then talk." My tone was colder than I intended.

"Look we've been together for a while. I just. It's hard for me to just move on from you Kade. I know I fucked up! I kissed Camden but I just want a reaction from you. You don't give me any signs—"

I cut her off as my lips crushed hers, my hands moved to her waist and I pulled her against me. It felt good. It felt better when her hands moved up my chest, my hand grabbed a fistful of her hair.