Since I First Met You

The cool blast of air hit my skin as I stepped into Baskin Robbins, Justin right behind me. The scent of fresh waffle cones and sugary ice cream filled the shop, making my stomach rumble in anticipation.

We strolled toward the counter, where a young female worker greeted us with a bright smile.

"Welcome to Baskin Robbins! What can I get the lovely couple?" she asked.

I let out a small laugh, shaking my head as Justin chuckled beside me.

"Lemme get a vanilla ice cream cone," he said, turning to me with an expectant look.

"Oh, um... cookies and cream. In a cup though."

"Alright, that'll be $5.50."

I reached into my bag for my wallet, but before I could even pull out a bill, Justin placed a twenty on the counter.

"I got it, ma'," he said smoothly, winking.

I cheesed, unable to hide the warmth spreading in my chest. "Thank you."

He nodded, taking our change and handing me my ice cream before grabbing his own.

We found a small table near the window, settling in as I took my first spoonful. The creamy, cold dessert melted against my tongue, a perfect contrast to the warm air outside.

"So, Ms. Kayla," Justin started, licking his cone. "Where you from? Never seen you around before."

"I'm from Virginia. Moved out here a few months ago."

"What made y'all move?"

I shrugged, twirling my spoon through my ice cream. "My mom wanted a fresh start, I guess."

"Oh, I see," he said, nodding.

"What about you? You been here your whole life?"

"Yup. Born and raised. But I wanna move, though." He smirked. "Take you with me."

I arched a brow. "Is that right?"

"Yes, yes it is," he said, full of confidence.

I laughed. "We'll see about that, mister."

"Just watch," he said, so sure of himself it almost made me believe him.

Before I could respond, the bell above the door jingled, signaling someone new walking in. I glanced over my shoulder and immediately rolled my eyes.

Chris.

And worse? Jasmine was hanging on his arm, laughing at something he said.

I clenched my jaw, my grip tightening around my spoon. My blood simmered as flashes of earlier at school came rushing back. Calling me a bitch was uncalled for. Straight-up disrespectful. And now he's out here parading around with her?

Jasmine. Of all people.

Chris was an idiot if he still hadn't figured out what kind of girl she was.

"Kaylaaaa," Justin's voice dragged out, waving a hand in front of my face.

I blinked, snapping out of my thoughts. "Sorry, what did you say?"

"I asked if you wanted to go to the movies this weekend."

I smiled, pushing the irritation aside. "Sure, that would be fun."

As I spoke, my eyes drifted past Justin to Chris, who was sitting at a table behind him. He smirked, shaking his head like he knew something I didn't.

I rolled my eyes so hard I nearly saw the ceiling.

Before I could let my thoughts spiral again, my phone vibrated in my pocket. I pulled it out, my stomach dropping when I saw the message.

Best Friend💘: Nice seeing you here, Kay 😘4:00 PM

Lifting my gaze, I caught Chris staring at me, laughing to himself like this was some kind of game.

I exhaled sharply. My irritation was past boiling—I was steaming.

I forced a smile at Justin. "I'm sorry, but I gotta go. My mom's calling me home."

Which was a damn lie. Chris was pissing me off, and if I stayed, I'd probably explode.

"I'll give you a ride," Justin offered, already reaching for his keys.

"No, it's fine," I said quickly. "My house isn't too far." Another lie. But I needed space before I took my anger out on the wrong person.

"You sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure. Thanks for the ice cream."

I leaned in, wrapping my arms around his neck in a hug. He smelled like cologne and something warm—like vanilla and spice. His arms slid around my waist, squeezing gently before I pulled back.

"Thanks again," I murmured before turning on my heel and heading out.

The sun was beginning to dip as I walked toward the nearest bus stop, my thoughts running a mile a minute. My fingers curled into fists at my sides, trying to shake the anger bubbling in my chest.

Then, I heard footsteps.

I didn't even need to turn around to know who it was.

"Chris," I muttered, already fed up.

He didn't say anything. Just kept walking behind me.

I spun on my heel, and before I could think twice, I started swinging.

I hit his chest, his arm, his shoulder—everywhere I could reach.

"Fuck! Kayla, stop!" he yelled, stumbling back.

"No! You are so damn annoying!" My fists landed harder, and I got a solid hit to his jaw.

"KAYLA! STOP FUCKIN' HITTIN' ME!"

His big hands caught my wrists, stopping my movements completely. My chest heaved, my breaths ragged with frustration.

"WHY DO YOU DO LITTLE SHIT THAT IRRITATES ME?! Do you not like me?!" My voice cracked, my emotions boiling over.

My breathing was erratic, and I knew these weren't sad tears forming—they were angry tears.

Chris had been playing with my emotions since the day we met. I was becoming more angry from the thought of him calling me a bitch and when he chose Jasmine over me when we almost fought. All of my anger that was building up over time finally spilled out of my being.

"You always do shit that hurts my feelings," I hissed, my voice low. "You make me feel like I'm nothing to you."

Chris exhaled sharply, his grip tightening on my wrists. "Do you hear yourself? You sound fuckin' stupid."

I scoffed, yanking my hands away. "Get the fuck out of my face."

I turned back toward the bus stop, done with this conversation, done with him—

But then he grabbed my wrist again.

I spun around, ready to curse him out—

But his lips crashed against mine.

For a moment, my mind went blank. My body tensed before melting into the warmth of his lips. He tasted like vanilla ice cream, sweet and familiar. His hand slid to the small of my back, pulling me closer as his tongue swiped against my bottom lip, asking for entrance.

And I let him.

When he pulled back, he rested his forehead against mine, his breathing uneven.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I never meant to hurt your feelings."

I couldn't even speak. My heart was racing, my thoughts scrambled.

He brushed his thumb over my cheek, eyes locked on mine.

"You know how long I wanted to do that?" he murmured.

My voice barely came out. "How long?"

A smirk ghosted his lips.

"Since I first met you."

-Revamped