Rendezvous with Kian

Mallory

I lasted all of ten minutes before I got bored.

Jamie and Evie were too invested in their cartoon to care what I was doing, and Mam and Alex were still in the kitchen chatting away. AJ was gone, Da and Darren were still locked outside in the garden, and I was left alone with my thoughts.

Which was never a good thing.

So, naturally, I decided to be nosy.

I crept down the hall, stopping just outside the back door. It was mostly closed, but I could hear low voices from inside.

"...should've told me sooner," Da was saying, his tone tight.

"I'm telling you now," Darren replied, calm as ever.

"That's not the same thing."

There was a beat of silence before Darren sighed. "Joe, I didn't come here to argue with you."

"Well, you should've thought about that before showing up with this."

I frowned, leaning in closer. This? What the hell was this?

"I didn't have a choice," Darren muttered.

Da scoffed. "You always have a choice."

Another pause.

"I need your help," Darren admitted, quieter this time.

That got my attention.

Darren Lynch was not the type to ask for help. Not from anyone, not even his own brother. If he was here, if he was saying this, then whatever was going on was serious.

I waited for Da to respond, but all I heard was a long exhale. Then—

"Jesus, Darren."

I leaned in even closer, but just as I did, the door swung open, and I nearly fell flat on my face.

Darren arched a brow, arms crossed. "You always this bad at eavesdropping?"

I straightened up immediately. "I wasn't eavesdropping," I lied.

Da sighed from behind him, rubbing a hand over his face. "Of course you weren't."

I looked between them. "So... what's going on?"

Da gave me a warning look. "Nothing for you to worry about."

That only made me more suspicious.

Darren smirked. "She's just like you, y'know."

Da rolled his eyes. "Don't remind me."

I crossed my arms. "If it's nothing for me to worry about, why are you both acting so weird?"

Neither of them answered.

Which definitely meant something was going on.

I wasn't stupid.

I knew something was up.

Da was tense, his jaw tight like he was holding something back. Darren, normally so relaxed and smug, actually looked tired. And the fact that neither of them wanted to tell me anything only made me more suspicious.

But I also knew when to push and when to back off.

So, instead of pushing, I just huffed and said, "Fine. Keep your secrets."

Darren's lips twitched. "You always this dramatic?"

"You've met me, uncle Dar," I deadpanned.

He snorted. "Fair enough."

Da just shook his head, muttering something under his breath. "Go on, Mallory."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Go on where?"

"Anywhere that isn't here."

I crossed my arms, but before I could argue, there was a small tug on my— Kian's— hoodie. I glanced down to see Evie, wide-eyed, looking up at me.

"Jamie said you have sweets," she said, all innocent.

I groaned. "That little rat."

Darren chuckled. "You holding out on my kid, Mal?"

"I was holding out on everyone, actually." I shot a glare toward the sitting room, knowing Jamie was still inside. "And I was gonna eat them later."

Evie just gave me a hopeful smile. "Please?"

With a sigh, I held out my hand. "Come on, then."

She took it immediately, her tiny fingers curling around mine. I looked back at Darren and Da, both of whom were watching me with knowing expressions.

I pointed a finger at them. "I will find out what's going on."

Darren smirked. "I'd expect nothing less."

Da just sighed, like he knew he wasn't getting rid of me that easily.

I grinned, then turned on my heel, leading Evie toward the kitchen.

I'd let it go for now.

But this wasn't over.

I was halfway through sneaking Evie a chocolate bar from the stash in the kitchen when my phone buzzed in my pocket.

Kian: You busy?

I glanced down at Evie, who was happily munching on her stolen treat, then back at my phone.

Me: Depends. Why?

Kian: Because I'm bored and thinking about you.

I rolled my eyes, but a stupid little smile tugged at my lips anyway.

Me: Sounds like a personal problem.

Kian: It is. So you should help fix it.

I was about to reply when Evie nudged my arm, her big brown eyes curious. "Who's that?"

"No one," I said quickly, locking my phone.

She squinted at me. "Then why are you smiling?"

I scoffed. "I always smile."

"No, you don't."

I narrowed my eyes. "You ask a lot of questions for someone who just conned me out of my chocolate."

She just giggled, clearly not feeling guilty in the slightest.

My phone buzzed again.

Kian: Come out with me baby.

I stared at the screen, considering it.

It wasn't like I had anything better to do. Darren and Da were still talking about whatever secret they weren't telling me, and AJ had disappeared to God knows where.

I exhaled, then typed out a quick reply.

Me: Where?

Kian: Wouldn't you like to know ;)

I rolled my eyes again.

Me: You're actually insufferable.

Kian: And yet, you keep texting me back.

Damn him.

I sighed, pocketing my phone. "Evie, think you can survive without me for a bit?"

She nodded solemnly. "I'll try my best."

I snorted. "You're a warrior."

"I know."

Shaking my head, I ruffled her hair and grabbed my jacket, already thinking about what the hell I was getting myself into.

I slipped out of the house as quietly as I could, tugging my jacket tighter around me as the cool night air hit. The streetlights cast long shadows along the pavement, and my heart pounded just a little faster than usual as I spotted Kian leaning against a lamppost at the end of the road, cigarette in hand.

"You took your time," he said as I approached, flicking the cigarette to the ground and crushing it under his shoe.

I raised a brow. "If you wanted someone punctual, you should've texted one of your little customers instead."

Kian smirked. "They don't look as good as you do."

I rolled my eyes, but I didn't fight the warmth that spread through my chest. "So where are we going?"

"You'll see."

He started walking, and I fell into step beside him.

We walked in comfortable silence for a bit, my curiosity growing with every turn we took. I wasn't sure what I was expecting, but when Kian finally stopped outside an old, rundown playground, I raised a skeptical brow.

"A playground?"

Kian shrugged. "Thought you might want a break from being a mature, responsible adult."

I snorted. "You think I'm mature?"

"No," he admitted, grinning. "But I think you're a lot of things, Lynch."

I ignored the way my stomach flipped at that. Instead, I stepped past him and made my way over to the swings, plopping myself down on one and kicking off. Kian followed, settling into the swing beside me, his feet dragging in the dirt.

For a while, neither of us spoke. The sounds of the night filled the air—the distant hum of traffic, the rustling of trees, the occasional bark of a dog. It should've felt awkward, but it didn't.

"You always come here?" I asked eventually.

"Sometimes." Kian leaned back, looking up at the sky. "Used to come here with my sister, back when things weren't so... fucked."

I glanced at him, the usual cocky smirk wiped from his face, replaced by something unreadable.

"You miss her?"

He was quiet for a second. "Yeah."

I slowed my swing. "You'll see her again."

Kian let out a dry chuckle. "You sound pretty sure of that."

"I am." I nudged him with my foot. "You're annoying as hell, but you're not a bad person, Kian."

His lips twitched. "You getting soft on me, Lynch?"

I smirked. "Not a chance."

We sat there for a while longer, the tension from before slowly melting away.

Then Kian turned to me, his gaze flicking down to my lips, and my breath caught in my throat.

"You gonna let me kiss you again?" he asked, his voice lower now.

I tilted my head, pretending to think about it. "Depends."

"On?"

I smirked. "How good you ask."

Kian grinned, moving closer until our knees brushed. "Mallory Lynch," he murmured, his fingers trailing lightly over my wrist, "can I kiss you?"

I was already leaning in before I even answered. "Yeah."

And then his lips were on mine, and just like before, I was completely done for.

Kian kissed me like he had all the time in the world. Slow, teasing, like he knew exactly what he was doing to me. His hands were warm where they rested against my waist, fingers playing with the hem of my hoodie like he was fighting the urge to tug me even closer.

I wasn't much better. My hands slid into his hair, twisting into the strands as I deepened the kiss, letting myself get lost in the way he tasted—like smoke and something undeniably him.

When we finally pulled apart, I was breathless. So was he.

"Fuck," Kian muttered, leaning his forehead against mine. "You're gonna ruin me, Lynch."

I smirked, even though my heart was hammering. "Good."

He chuckled, shaking his head before pulling away slightly, his hands still on my waist. "We should probably get you home before your da sends out a search party."

I sighed, glancing at the time. He wasn't wrong. "He probably thinks I'm in my room."

Kian smirked. "Reckon he'd kill me if he knew where you really were?"

"Definitely."

He laughed, but there was something softer in his expression as he brushed a stray strand of hair from my face. "Come on, I'll walk you back."

We left the playground, falling into step beside each other as we made our way back through the quiet streets. It wasn't a long walk, but I found myself wishing it was.

Kian was different like this—softer, more open. It made me wonder how much of the cocky, teasing version of him was just an act, something he put on to keep people at arm's length.

As we reached my road, I slowed, turning to face him. "Thanks for tonight."

Kian tilted his head. "For what?"

"For distracting me," I admitted, surprising even myself. "For— I don't know. Just... for being here, I guess."

His expression shifted slightly, something unreadable flickering across his face before he smirked. "Careful, Lynch. You're starting to sound like you like me."

I rolled my eyes, stepping back toward my house. "Goodnight, Holland."

"Night, Mal."

I turned away, walking up the path to my door. But just before I slipped inside, I glanced back—only to find Kian still standing there, watching me, his hands stuffed in his pockets.

And just like that, I knew.

I was in trouble.