Devin pulled up to Cello's community center. He stepped out of his cozy truck, the chill in the air biting at his cheeks. He pulled his beanie over his head and tucked his hands into his jacket pockets and made his way toward the double doors.

As he walked, the crunch of dead leaves beneath his sneakers echoed in the stillness of the evening. He took a moment to breathe in the sharp, fresh scent of winter mixed with a slight smokey smell. The glow from the windows promised a refuge from the cold, and the anticipation of seeing Trechial.

He pushed the door open and was greeted by the comforting aroma of coffee and freshly baked cookies. The lobby was empty, but loud chatter along with kid laughter could be heard down the hallways.

Trechial was sitting at the receptionist's desk with a little girl standing next to her watching her do something he couldn't see from where he was. When he got closer, Trechial looked up, a bright smile spreading. She looked cute in her red uniform shirt and red ribbon tied around her ponytail. The little girl glanced at him when he approached the desk. He instantly recognized her as Shelly, the mute girl that Trechial worked with on Wednesdays and Fridays. Trechial gushed about Shelly and her progress since she started coming to the center a year ago. Apparently, Shelly has been making attempts to speak on her own. The horror Shelly had been through enraged him. She was beaten everyday by her alcoholic stepdad while her mother watched in fear of getting beat herself. Now that he thought about it maybe Trechial liked Shelly so much because she could relate to her.

Devin leaned over the desk to see what they were doing. Coloring a Barbie picture.

"Hey." He said, trying to maintain the idiotic smile that threatened to reveal itself.

She lifted her gaze back to him, "Hey", she returned to coloring.

"Do you need a ride home?"

"Sure." She said, not looking at him.

"What time do you get off?"

Trechial glanced at her watch, "In about an hour."

"I can wait around since I don't have work tonight."

"You mean there are no sleazy housewives that want to oogle you at the aquatica center."

He smirked, "Oogle?"

Trechial deadpanned, clearly unimpressed, and he grinned wider.

Shelly jotted something down on the notepad she always carried to communicate with those around her. She held it up for Trechial to see, her eyes bright with excitement. Trechial leaned in closer, her expression softening as she read the message. "Are you sure? You can stay."

Shelly nodded, picked up her notepad, crayons, and Barbie coloring book, and left, disappearing around the corner.

"Is it safe for her to go off like that?" Devin inquired.

"Yeah, there's a teacher at the receptionist's desk around the corner." She reassured him.

"Oh." Devin rounded the desk, pulled up a seat, and sat next to her, kicking his feet up on the desk.

Trechial propped an elbow on the desk and faced him, her expression a mix of amusement and curiosity "You do know there are cameras in here, right."

He folded his hands behind his head, "And?"

"Are you trying to get me fired?" she said pinching his check

He cut his eyes to her, "Yeah. Then you'd have more time to play around with me."

Trechial pinched his cheek and relaxed in her chair, "Inappropriate, Tae. So, what is the real reason you're here?"

She was ever the preceptive one. Devin thought. He went silent. There was a reason why he came to see Trechial, though it wasn't a pleasant one. Number one, the police caught the guy who ran over his parents. Number two, he wanted to confess to her about the kiss between him and Sadie. Rethinking the situation, it was best to confess about the kiss and tell her about the guy who killed his parents later. No need to give her all the bad news in one night. He continued to eye Trechial, his thoughts chancing behind scenarios that would lesson the blow. He knew she would drop him like a bad habit when she learned of the kiss. Trechial observed him trying to read him like an intriguing mystery book. Her lips tugged his gazed away from her eyes. Kiss her, his mind coaxed.

It was always like this, them getting enraptured in each other gaze, but he knew he couldn't steal a kiss for the sake of stealing a kiss. Devin broke the trance, "Do you want to come over and watch a movie tonight?" If she said yes, he would tell her then. He didn't want to give her bad news and ruin the rest of her time at work.

She peered at him, her chocolate eyes holding sincerity "You'll tell me what's wrong then?" the compassion in her tone split his heart into two. He didn't deserve her compassion.

"Yeah," he said, looking forward and continuing to recline in the chair. Then something caught his eye and lips slid up to the side, "Your boyfriend is here."

"What?" He threw his head in the direction of the door. Jared strolled towards them. A bouquet of flowers in his hand. Hand-picked, he was sure, from someone's flowerbed. Trechial looked in that direction.

"Crap!" She pushed Devin, and he lost balance and hit the floor. "Hide!"

"For what?" he said, rubbing the back of his head.

"Get under the desk, Tae, or else!" she hissed.

It was then he noticed she was wearing a skirt, her smooth legs beckoning him to trail a finger up her leg. He refrained. Who the heck wore a skirt in this kind of weather?

"Okay." He sandwiched himself beneath the desk. His legs scrunched up into his chest. His neck bent.

She owed him.

"Hey," Trechial said overenthusiastic. Devin rolled his eyes.

"Hey," Jared said dryly.

"Is that Liao's truck out there?"

"Yeah-umm- he let me borrow it."

Silence.

"Did you get your license?"

"Not yet."

"And that idiot let you drive his new truck."

Devin bit the inside of his cheek. I got your idiot.

"Anyway, what brings you here?"

Trechial bounced her leg anxiously, the familiar scent of cocoa butter filling Devin's nose. He stared up at the underside of the desk, focusing hard on the grain of the wood, not wanting to let his eyes drift where they shouldn't. But no matter how much he tried to distract himself, his gaze kept wandering back to the hem of her skirt, his mind betraying him as he noticed how close her legs were.

Focus, man. He clenched his fists, trying to snap himself out of it, but the closeness was impossible to ignore. Her smooth, long legs seemed to stretch out endlessly, brushing the edge of the desk. Every small movement she made sent a pulse of heat through him, testing his restraint.

He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to block it all out, but the awkward tension between them hung heavy in the air, making it harder to think straight.

Without thinking, Devin leaned in, pressing his nose gently against her leg and inhaling the familiar, sweet scent of cocoa butter. She tensed up instantly, the faintest goosebumps rising on her skin. Before he could stop himself, his fingers trailed lightly up the side of her leg, following the soft curve of her thigh. Trechial jolted, leaping up from her chair.

"What?" Jared said.

Uh, spider!" her voice unnaturally high-pitched

She shot Devin a quick, wide-eyed glare, and began stomping her foot. It connected with Devin's fingers; he bit down on his lip holding the F-word at bay.

"A spider? Where? Let me get it."

No, no, it's fine!" Trechial quickly interjected, blocking Jared from moving behind the desk. "I'll take care of it. You really shouldn't be back here—rules and all, you know?"

Devin's muscles tensed up as Jared hovered just a few feet away. He cursed himself for letting things get so out of hand, and all he could do now was hope Jared didn't figure out what was going on. Then, a loud, pulsing shriek pierced through the air.

"Stranger. Stranger." Shelly's tiny voice rang out.

"It's okay, Shelly." Trechial disappeared out of Devin's sight. "I think you should go. She's afraid of males she doesn't know."

Silence.

"Aren't there males around her here?" Jared sounded annoyed.

Devin's jaw tightened at his insensitive response. He'd get him back at school for it.

Trechial sighed, "She knows the males here, Jared."

"Fine. I'll call you later."

"Sure. Are those flowers for me?"

"Yeah. See ya."

"Bye"

"The coast is clear," Trechial said after a few minutes.

Devin peeled himself out of the tiny space and stood. He craned his neck side to side, snapping all the crooks out.

"You owe me one." he said, glancing at the wildflowers with distaste. He'd trash them later and buy Trechial some real ones later.

Trechial brushed him off, "Yeah yeah."

Devin held up his pink fingers walking towards the pair, "Look at what you did?"

Trechial ignored him and gave her attention back to Shelly, "Are you okay?"

Shelly nodded then wrote something on her board.

A brilliant smile spread across Trechial's lips, "Thank you."

"What?" Devin said looking from Trechial to Shelly,

"Can I show Devin what you wrote?"

Shelly nodded and handed Trechial her board. Trechial held it up for Devin to see, "I'm ok. I wanted to help you."

A smile itched up one side of his face. Devin looked at Shelly, "Do you like ice cream?"

Shelly nodded, "Strawberry," Devin struggled to hear her tiny voice but made out what she said.

"I will bring you strawberry ice cream the next time I swing by."

Shelly's face lit up.

"I'm going to go home a little early ok."

Shelly gave a hard nod then collected her board, and waved before leaving Devin and Trechial as they watched her disappear around the corner.

Devin turned to Trechial with a grin, but her expression had shifted into something dangerous. Her beautiful, sunny face was now shadowed by a menacing glare, her pupils dilated. "What?" he asked, pretending to play innocent.

She stared at him, her voice low and laced with fury. "I'm going to kill you, Tae."

Devin took a few steps back, a snarky smile tugging at his lips, "Why?" he teased, though he knew exactly why.

"Who the hell told you, you could sniff and touch my leg, pervert?" Trechial stepped forward.

He raised his hands in mock surrender. "I couldn't help it," he winked. "Besides, it was better than looking where I really wanted to take a peek at."

Her eyes widened to full moons, and for a second, she almost looked... adorable. But the fire in her eyes snapped him back to reality as she started toward him with purpose. A second later, she was full on chasing him around the lobby.

"I'm going to drown you, little boy!" she yelled, the threat playful yet serious all at once.

Devin tossed a laugh over his shoulder. "You can't swim!"

Trechial growled in frustration, and he laughed harder, dodging around the furniture in a futile attempt to stay ahead of her.