Kimi L. Davis
JENNY
The door clicked shut behind me as Kieran and I stepped out into the night for our date. I was still in disbelief that this was my reality.
Ellis was going to get an earful when I got back. She’d sent me out with a guy I barely knew and expected him to keep me safe.
“So, how are you? I didn’t see you at the toy store today, is everything okay?” Kieran asked as we started our walk.
I was barely listening to him, my eyes darting around for any sign of my stepbrother or stepfather.
The sun had long since set, and that meant it was time for the monsters to come out and play. I wanted to retreat. I wanted to hide in my apartment and pretend the monsters were gone.
But the harsh reality was, they were still alive, and they were living a better life than me.
There weren’t many people out at this hour. Most would be having dinner or already in bed.
But I couldn’t help being on high alert. I was tuned into every little change.
“Strawberry.”
“Huh, oh sorry, did you say something?” I blushed, embarrassed.
Kieran stopped walking and turned to face me. “I asked you if you were okay, but I can see that you’re not.
Tell me what’s going on.” The worry in his voice made me pause. Why was he so concerned about me when he barely knew me?
“I’m fine. Everything is fine. I just get scared out in the dark,” I lied. There was no way I was going to tell a stranger what was really bothering me.
“Why didn’t you tell me that before? I’ll take you somewhere well-lit. You’ll like it. Come.” He moved closer to me, invading my personal space, which set off alarm bells in my head.
“C-can you…like…step back, like…over there.” I pointed at the spot he was standing in earlier.
Kieran frowned but took a step back nonetheless. Under the glow of the lamppost, I saw something strange flicker in his eyes. Something I didn’t understand.
But it sent a shiver down my spine.
I wanted to understand this guy, wanted to know who he really was. Men weren’t kind, at least not the ones I’d met in my life. So why would Kieran be any different?
He was a monster, he had to be, and I had to expose him for what he really was before it was too late.
“So, you ready to go? My car is right over there.” He pointed at a silver car, which looked expensive even from a distance.
“W-where are we going?” I asked but started walking with him toward his car.
“I have a place in mind, but if there’s somewhere you’d like to go, just tell me, and I’ll take you there,” he answered, before unlocking the car doors and opening the passenger door for me.
“Thank you,” I smiled before sliding inside. No one had ever opened a door for me. After closing my door, Kieran walked around the car and got into the driver’s seat.
“So, is there anywhere you want to go?” Kieran asked as he started the car. The engine purred to life as if it were a contented cat.
“Your home,” I blurted out. I didn’t know what made me say that. Either I was a fool or I trusted this guy more than I should.
Kieran looked at me, puzzled. “You want to go to my place?”
I nodded. “If it’s okay with you. I don’t want to overstep my boundaries.” I just wanted to go somewhere safe.
And even though there was no guarantee that Kieran’s home was safe, it was better than the streets.
“No, you’re not overstepping anything. If you want to see my place, I’ll take you there.” With a smile, Kieran put the car in drive and we were off.
We didn’t talk for a few minutes. I was too busy looking out the window, trying to spot my stepbrother.
Maybe he’d gone home by now. I wondered where he lived. It must be somewhere grand, my stepfather and stepbrother always lived in style.
“Your car smells nice,” I commented. And it did. It smelled like men’s cologne, not like those car air fresheners.
“Thank you,” Kieran replied.
“A-and…you look really handsome in that suit,” I added.
“Thank you, Strawberry,” Kieran grinned, causing my heart to skip a beat. God, he was so handsome when he smiled like that. I momentarily forgot where I was.
Forgot my worries, forgot everything.
“Your smile is so beautiful,” I bit my lip as my cheeks heated up. God, I was making a fool of myself.
I didn’t know how to talk to men. I didn’t know what to say to them. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that.”
Kieran placed a hand on top of mine, causing me to stiffen before relaxing. It’s okay. He touched your hand not your wrist. Don’t panic. “Don’t apologize. You can say anything to me, absolutely anything.”
“W-where do you live?” I asked.
“Mayfair,” he replied.
Wow. He must be really wealthy to afford to live there.
Maybe Mitchell and his father lived in Mayfair too. They certainly wouldn’t choose to live anywhere else in London. No, they always chose the best for themselves.
“Have you ever been?” Kieran asked me.
I shook my head. “No, but I want to visit,” I told him. I didn’t have the time or the money to go to Mayfair, so in a way, it was good that Kieran lived there. Because of him, I would get to see Mayfair.
“Well, then it’s your lucky day.” Kieran flashed me another smile.
“You’ve got a great smile. It’s really nice,” I told him. I had no idea how to talk to guys. I just hoped I wasn’t screwing up my first date in forever.
“And you’ve got a lot of secrets,” Kieran said, making a sharp right.
My heart started to race. How did he know I was hiding things? Was I that easy to read? I tried to keep my feelings under wraps, so how did Kieran figure it out?
“W-what do you mean?” I asked.
“Just what I said. Your blue eyes are hiding a sea of secrets,” Kieran said, shooting me a glance.
“Everyone has secrets,” I countered.
“Sure, but not like yours,” he shot back.
“Well, we all lead different lives,” I said.
“That we do,” he agreed.
“You should be glad your life is so simple,” I told him.
“Now you’re making assumptions. What makes you think my life is simple?” Kieran asked, making another right turn.
I was so focused on him that I didn’t notice where we were going. Which was dumb, but I couldn’t help it.
Kieran Maslow was the kind of guy who demanded your full attention, and you had no choice but to give it to him.
“Well, isn’t it?” He seemed like he had the simplest life of all of us.
“Strawberry, you said we all have secrets. So, like you, I have a lot of secrets too. So you can’t assume my life is perfect,” he said.
“You’re right, I’m sorry. I have no right to make assumptions about you when I don’t even know you.”
Yeah, I was definitely messing up this date. I wouldn’t be surprised if Kieran turned the car around and took me back home.
I was surprised he wasn’t sick of me already. God, if he only knew how long it had been since I had been on a date…
“It’s okay, you’ll get to know me soon enough,” Kieran said.
I laughed to myself. I was sure he would want nothing to do with me by the end of the night. I was surprised he had stuck around this long.
“How much farther is your place?” I asked.
“About fifteen more minutes.” Kieran paused for a moment, letting his words sink in. “Why didn’t you want to go out with me?”
His question caught me off guard.
Why did he care whether I wanted to go out with him or not? I was with him right now. Either this guy was one of a kind or I had been living under a rock and the rules of dating had changed.
“Does it matter? I mean, I’m here, aren’t I, with you,” I said.
“Yes, but earlier you were making excuses not to go out with me. So tell me why? Am I not your type?” he asked.
My type? I didn’t have a type. I never had the chance to have a type. But I couldn’t tell him that. He didn’t need to see into my dark soul and get a glimpse of the horrors inside.
“I don’t have a type. It’s just been a long time since I went on a date,” I said.
“Oh, I see. But, Strawberry, you need to give life a chance. Sure, it’s not always nice, but life can be beautiful. You need to take chances,” he said.
“You’re right.” Only, I never got the chance to explore life.
My life was controlled by my stepfather and stepbrother. They decided when to hurt me. They decided when to let me shower. I was nothing but an object until six years ago.
The car came to a smooth stop. “We’re here,” Kieran said, before getting out of the car and coming around to open my door.
“Thanks, but you don’t have to do that. I can open a door,” I said. I pulled my coat tighter around me as the wind blew at my hair.
“Come on, let’s get you inside. You’re going to get cold.” Taking my hand, Kieran led me inside. “Welcome to my loft,” he said, before unlocking the door and stepping inside.
His loft was amazing. The living room was huge, the biggest I’d ever seen. There was a black marble staircase leading up to the second floor and huge windows with a beautiful view of London.
“This is beautiful, Kieran,” I said, eyeing the kitchen counter at the end of the living room.
“Thanks. Please, sit down and make yourself at home. Would you like anything to eat, a drink maybe?” Kieran asked, heading over to the kitchen counter.
“No, no, thank you. I’m good.” I was hungry, but I didn’t want to bother him about it.
“We both know you didn’t eat dinner. So, tell me, what would you like to eat?” Kieran said.
“Whatever you have in the fridge. I’m not picky,” I told him.
“I have raw vegetables and raw meat. So I’ll have to cook,” he said.
“You’re going to cook? No, you don’t have to do that. I’ll eat something when I get home. We can sit and do something,” I said.
His loft was so warm I wanted to take off my coat. I stood up and went over to where Kieran was standing, taking out vegetables and chicken from the fridge.
Kieran gave me a puzzled look before closing the fridge door. “How long has it been since you’ve been on a date?”
“Uh, why do you ask?” Did I say something wrong?
“I’m going to cook something for us, okay? My housekeeper already went to bed for the night, so there’s no point in calling her now,” Kieran said, grabbing a knife from the set on the counter.
“You don’t have to cook. Really, you don’t have to do this for me,” I said.
“Why?” Kieran raised an eyebrow, demanding an explanation.
How was I supposed to tell him that no one had ever done something like this for me? I wasn’t accustomed to it. No guy had ever made me feel special. Kieran shouldn’t be here, cooking for me. It just didn’t feel right.
I let out a sigh. “If you’re cooking, then I want to help,” I said, moving around the counter to join him. “Just tell me what to do.”
“No way. You’re not cooking. I won’t let it happen,” he declared.
“You don’t get a say in this, I’m helping you.” I was firm. I wasn’t about to let him do me any favors.
“Who says?” Kieran challenged.
“I say,” I shot back.
“Strawberry. Sit down, I’m not letting you cook,” he countered.
“If you don’t let me help, then I’m not eating,” I declared.
“Excuse me?” Kieran looked at me, surprised.
“You heard me.” I crossed my arms over my chest, surprised at my own sudden confidence. “If I don’t help, then I won’t eat. You can dine solo.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Strawberry. This is our first date. Let me do this for you,” Kieran tried to reason.
I shook my head. I wasn’t about to give him the upper hand. Kieran was going to accept my help, whether he liked it or not.
“No, it’s your first date with me too, and I’m not letting you do all the work. Plus, it’d be dull just sitting around watching you cook.”
If he still refused, I’d get the hell out of here.
Kieran let out a sigh—the kind of sigh that signaled defeat. “Alright. God, you’re stubborn. I’ll have to figure out how to handle that. You can chop the bell peppers.”
I couldn’t help but smile at my small victory. No man had ever backed down to me before. Kieran was the first to let me have my way.
And for that, I admired him. He didn’t try to force his decision on me. He listened to me and agreed to let me help.
“Thanks. I’m pretty good at chopping veggies,” I said, reaching for a knife.
“No, not that one. Use a smaller knife. I don’t want you to hurt yourself,” Kieran directed.
Mitchell would’ve gotten a sick thrill if I’d hurt myself. The sight of my blood would’ve excited him in a twisted way.
So, hearing Kieran tell me not to hurt myself was a first. Regardless, I did as he said and selected a smaller knife.
“Now, be careful. I don’t want you to cut yourself,” Kieran instructed.
I nodded and started chopping the bell peppers, my heart fluttering with an unfamiliar kind of joy.
Maybe this date wouldn’t be so bad after all.