Chapter 8

PAST

Little Molly clutched Kevin's arm and cried. " Am I bad luck?" "No , why would you even think that" Kevin replied. "First, mom and dad died .... then I came to your place ... then Huggis dad died...then we came here .. and.. Jeenah too ...." she cried harder into his black shirt as they sat in the rain starring at Jeenah's tombstone. " what are we gonna do ? " " don't worry I'll figure something out" he said and patted her wet hair.

A woman about her late 40's with an umbrella walked out the main door of the orphanage. " Molly!Molly! Kevin!?" She shouted repeatedly as she got nearer to them they stood up almost immediately she was in sight and Kevin tucked Molly behind him.

The woman spotted them in the rain and stood still. " why are you not in bed!?" She said , with a cold stoic look. Kevin tried to walk past her into the orphanage with Molly still tucked behind him quietly since he didn't want any canes that evening.

"I would have spared you this evening but you guys just keep stepping on my toes". She smiled devilishly and walked towards the children. This wasn't the first time. Ever since Jeenah left, this was the norm . No day passed without one of them receiving lashes so this wasn't knew.

Already accustomed....Kevin stretched out his arm and opened his palm. On a usual day he'd close his eyes and fold in his lips tightly while receiving the lashes but ... today was different. He stared at her with his unusual grey eyes..whip!whip!whip!The sound of the cane echoed with each stroke and Molly squeezed his right arm as she closed her eyes already damp from tears not wanting to see anymore.

After what seemed like eternity, the sound stopped and Molly flung open her eyes and held his delicate palm.

"You're.... bleeding " she said in a teary tone. "Molly dear, it's been a while and Kevin's hurt, soo you see, he can't be your hero today, just stretch it out and let's get this over and done with" the lady said with a smile. For the first time, Kevin spoke back. "You know I always take hers, so why didn't you just add it up ... she's stretching nothing" he said and glared at her soo intensely that after he averted his gaze the lady let out a deep breath she didn't even realise she was holding. "don't forget Kevin, I'm still the boss around here. I’m in charge and there are so many ways to punish her, now get inside before I loose it." she shouted over their shoulder. "You already did" Molly said silently as she carefully held Kevin's arm and went into the orphanage- their dorm.

As they entered Kevin laid on his back and hung his wounded hand loosely on the bedside. Seeing how Molly stared at his wound from her bed, he could see the worry and pain in her eyes.

"Don't worry Mol, I'll be alright ". She leaves the room and goes for a first aid box. "sit up!" She told him. He hesitated but obeyed. She dressed the wound and bandaged it not like a pro but manageable. "better " she said and laid on her bed as well and jolted into sleep. Kevin lay there lost in thoughts as the night passed.

PRESENT

Ding dong! The bell rang, a woman rushes to open the door for Molly and hugs her, greeting her with pecks. "welcome dear, I couldn't wait to meet you after I heard my son had finally found a partner", the older looking woman continued to rant on how much she's suffered trying to get Mchenzie into a relationship.

" Mrs. Mchenzies, I guess". Molly interrupts. The lady nods . "Umm... can I see him now..... you sounded quite urgent on the phone"

" of course, of course dear, sorry. I kinda got carried away. His condition is kinda serious even though he's outta danger. This way dear" she says and ushers Molly in leading her to Mchenzie's room.

The woman says and opens the door to Mchnezie's room. "Molly?"Mchenzie says as Molly and his mom stand in the doorway looking at how pale he looked with his bandaged head and plastered shoulder.

He flutters his eyes open, slowly revealing his dark gray eyes. He looked so vulnerable. Without thinking Molly rushes to his bedside and sits , bending a bit to examine the wounds. "Molly......" he says and immediately wraps his masculine arm around her head and pulls her closer to him.

Her large bright blue eyes open so wide as he takes her lips into his and her arms automatically lands on his torso, feeling his abs through the light fabric. He deepens the kiss as he pulls her closer to him. " lI think I should leave you both" his mom says with a mischievous smile and leaves.

Mchenzie releases her and they gasp for air. "why'd you do that?" She asked him, lifting a brow. "Don't take it too personal.. my mom was there and I just wanted to clear any doubt from her mind about we being together". "……..and a kiss was what you came up with?" He ignores her and looks away.

She slumps into the near by sofa. "My life's been f*cked up over the past few weeks.... my first boyfriend is fake, my first time seeing porn was a direct mistake, I broke a rule and got suspended on my first assignment and now what? My first kiss was just for show, amazing”

" And why are you telling me all this. It's not like you can undo anything that has already occurred”, he replies

"I was talking to me not you duuuh.. just eat and sleep ........... jerk" she says and pouts her lips.

"Aw!" Mchenzie screams holding his hurt shoulder and waking Molly from her nap. Molly springs up immediately and hold his shoulders gently , lowering him back in a laid position. He glares at her "how am I supposed to to drink water in this position?"

"oh you should've asked me to help you with it instead of hurting yourself" she says and grabs a glass off water from the bedside table. He takes it from her with his right hand and she helps him sit-up a bit to drink. "I'm not a child I can take care of myself" he says as she takes the glass from him.

" oh really and you were calling desperately for me this morning?" He ignores her statement. She picks up pillows and sits on his bed facing him. She tucks the pillows behind him and all he does is stare into her blue eyes *These eyes I've seen them somewhere... but..." he tries to think.

He thinks too much and stresses his brain. A sharp pain shoots through his head and before he’s able to wince in pain, he blacks out in Molly's arms. She puts his head on the pillows.

" Mchenzie?" She says. " sh*t" she curses and tries to get up. She realises his right arm around her waist and she tries to free herself without waking him. "how can his grip be so firm even in an unconscious state with one arm? Ugh" she sighs.

After various attempts she gives up and begins to look at him, taking in every detail of his face one by one from upclose. From his eyelids to his pointed nose and well defined jaws then to his lips, which reminded her of their kiss.

She bites her lips as she thinks,*what if I kiss him now? He won't know and I could use it to replace my first kiss* she thinks for while and gently strokes his lips, inhaling deeply. "You can do this Molly"she says and slowly lowers herself on him inhaling his vanilla coconut like cologne.

She takes his upper lip into her mouth. As she carefully maneuvers his lips, he opens his mouth .. giving her access to taste him. She slides her tongue into his mouth. He begins to reciprocate the kiss. Tightening his grip on her waist. He takes control of the kiss, nice, and slow.

Loosing breath, Molly pulls away and breathes in ever so heavily. His grip loosens a bit as she scans his face to check if he had gained consciousness but he showed no signs. She smiles to herself. "Damn that was intense". Still unable to free herself from his arm, she sits there and sleep comes for her.

Mchenzie opens his eyes after hours and sees Molly sleeping like a baby on his chest. And for the first time in a long while, his lips curve into a dazzling smile. He tucks her hair behind her ear and gently strokes her cheek, thinking, *Did she actually kiss me? Naaah I don't think she's daring enough. I'm sure it was just a silly dream( he smirks and his gaze drops to her lips) I wonder how she actually tastes like if we shared a mutual kiss,

(he touches her lips slightly) * "what is wrong with me? How am I soo attracted to her.... this has gotta stop .

He immediately takes his hand off her. She opens her eyes immediately and their gazes lock. " supper is served" Mchenzie's mum says from the doorway just before Mchenzie is about talk, cutting him short.