He got in trouble with the police. Like, a lot. I was a mouthy little thing. Shocker, right? He and I used to have awful screaming matches, usually about him coming home with a stolen stereo that he’d bought with grocery money, letting his scuzzy friends sleep on our couch, or spending our rent money on dope.
I broke up with him after a big fight one night when one of his buddies, someone barely a friend, climbed into our bed and started molesting me while Jackson was passed out in his own vomit on the bathroom floor. They’d just broken into a vet clinic and stole drugs together and he let me down by leaving me vulnerable like that. The guy almost raped me. It was horrible. I dumped Jackson for it.” She took a deep breath, “He jumped off a bridge right after that. They said he was brain dead. The plug got pulled. They said they found all kinds of drugs in his system and that he probably tripped out but it felt like my fault. He told me he couldn’t live without me and I laughed in his face and told him to go take a flying fuck and then I left. I never saw him awake again,” she started laughing and crying at the same time, “Who would’ve thought he’d actually take a flying fuck off a bridge? I say terrible things when I’m mad.”
“It’s not your fault he did all those drugs,” he lifted a tear off her cheek with his index finger and tasted it.
“No, but,” she frowned at him and wiped her eyes, “I saw him in the hospital once and when I found out they were going to pull the plug I ran. I decided to start over somewhere new after that. I didn’t want anyone’s pity and our friends…some would blame me. Just decided to get out of there, make sure I make something of my life so I moved here, worked my ass off, kept to myself, and had planned to go to college in another year to get a degree and make something of my ‘not much of a’ life. I was working toward that when I became your birthday present.”
He winced, looking guilty for his careless ‘not much of a life’ comment. “I’m glad you came here. I’m sorry you went through that but it means we got to meet.” he kissed her softly on the temple and wiped another tear from her cheek with his thumb and put his thumb in his mouth.
“Weirdo,” she laughed.
“I want to take your tears away,” he shrugged.
Kyla’s heart warmed, “I’m glad we got to meet, too. But yeah, that’s quite a story too, though, huh? I clearly don’t just have normal hook ups and break ups, Tristan. And that scares me about us, especially with what you’ve told me about the danger we’re in.”
“Let’s not think about that right now. Let’s take a break. It’ll all be there to deal with tomorrow.”
“Sounds like a good idea to me.”
He kissed her and pulled her close. She hadn’t said Jackson’s name out loud since leaving the hospital that day. She couldn’t believe that all those thoughts and feelings had tumbled out of her like that.
“Mmm, peach cobbler,” she mumbled.
“Hmm?” He kissed her again.
“That kiss, tasted like peach cobbler.”
“Not brownies?”
“Nope.”
“That’s weird.”
Kyla smiled, “You don’t know?”
“Know what?”
“Your kisses. They always taste like dessert. The taste varies but it’s very addicting. You smell like dessert, too.”
“That’s weird,” he said.
“I thought it was part of the mesmerizing thing. Since I’m a sugar junkie you’ve been using that to your advantage.”
“I had no idea. You smell and taste good, too. Like sunshine. And melons. Wait, thousand calories?”
“Yes!”
“Ah, now I get it. What does this one taste like?” he kissed her passionately, his tongue caressing hers and sending tingles all through her body. She felt like she was melting.
“Uhhh, cherries. And cheesecake.”
“And this one?” he kissed her again, sliding his tongue in once again.
“Tiramisu, I think…” she groaned.
“I bet you like Tiramisu, don’t you?” he said huskily and kissed her chin.
“You bet your ass I do. Coffee in your dessert? What could be better?”
“And this one?”
“Still tiramisu. You’re gonna make me fat. And jittery.” She laughed and poked him in the chest accusingly.
He rolled over, taking her with him so she was on top.
They cuddled quietly, Kyla wrestling with the demons --- old and new, and Tristan rubbing her back and stroking her hair until she fell asleep on top of him.-9-Kyla woke with a start, she’d been dreaming about Tristan. It was still dark.
They were in a beautiful lush meadow and he was pushing her on a tree swing. They were laughing. Birds were chirping and flowers bloomed at rapid speed before her very eyes. She could smell him. That sweet, manly, candy-like smell. Mmm, Man-candy. She giggled in the dream.