Annabel,

Something happened today. I'm still feeling a little off because of the whole experience.

I had the day off work, so I asked Lucy if she'd like to do anything. She said to meet her on 10th Street, right on the edge of town. She wouldn't tell me why.

When we met, I saw she still had her purse with her brick.

"What are we doing?" I asked.

"Well," she said, and she looked a little uncomfortable. "I figured since you have a full free day and choose to spend it with me, you should see what I do for fun."

I furrowed my brows and she led me away from our cars and toward an abandoned building.

"Lucy?" I asked. "Are we going to break into that building?"

"Not necessarily."

"Then what are we doing?"

"Well, we're going inside."

"Even though it says no trespassing?" I asked, incredulous.

"People have broken in already. We're simply going inside."

"To do what?"

Lucy turned around and smiled at me. "Just to break a few rules and live a little."

My heart was already pounding. I was so worried we'd get in trouble.

Lucy walked straight to the door and opened it up. The building was dark on the inside, but from the light streaming through the windows I could see dusty floors and walls covered in graffiti.

"Are you sure we won't get in trouble?" I asked.

"I'm sure. I've been told the police gave up on catching rebels a long time ago."

I swallowed hard.

"You've never done anything out of line before, have you?" she asked.

I shook my head. "I'm afraid not."

Lucy chuckled. "It's okay. I don't go to extremes. Sometimes you just need to...break the rules. Do something the slightest bit adventurous."

"We're breaking rules that have been discarded long ago?"

Lucy grinned. "Yes. But if you pretend that the rules still exist, it's a lot more exciting, isn't it?"

"This is what you do with your free time?"

Lucy laughed. "Yes. Slightly rebellious, aren't I?"

I smiled at her. I hesitated and then asked her, "Why do you keep a brick in your purse?"

Lucy stopped smiling. "I told you. It comes in handy."

"No, I know that. I mean... What made you decide that a brick might come in handy in the first place?"

"I, um, well..."

I could see that this was a sensitive topic for her. I had no idea how it could be, but I hadn't meant to push her.

"It's okay," I said, "you don't have to tell me."

"My dad was a carpenter," she said, ignoring my statement.

"Was?"

Lucy nodded, and I saw her eyes begin to sparkle with tears. "He would always build houses out of brick. One day he found a perfect brick, and he told me I should keep it because nothing's prefect and I should use it until it's not perfect. The next day he died in a work-related accident. I'm still not sure what happened. I was really young and they spared the details. I don't really want to know."

Tears were falling down her cheeks now, despite her steady voice.

"I'm sorry I asked," I said.

I didn't know what to do! I'd never felt more stuck. Even when I first talked to you, Annabel, I didn't feel this stuck.

Lucy told me earlier that sometimes you need to break the rules and live a little. Breaks rules that had been discarded long ago.

I'm usually quite classic when it comes to relationships. I never do anything suddenly. I make sure it's always polite and I'm being a gentleman, like things used to be. But hey, nothing is perfect.

I suppose what I did next could be considered non-gentlemanly, but I had to do it.

I kissed her.

I just had to.

I suppose last month's Ian would have asked before doing something like that. Last month's Ian wouldn't have kissed a girl he only met a few weeks ago, despite knowing her better than anyone he'd known before. Last month's Ian definitely wouldn't have entered an abandoned building with a girl who he'd now follow anywhere.

But I did it. I kissed her and I hoped with everything I had that she wouldn't mind. I know I didn't mind.

I've never kissed anyone before. I thought you'd be my first, Annabel.

Luckily for me, Lucy didn't mind. She kissed me back and we stood there kissing each other with her arms around my neck and my hands on her waist. I don't know if either of us knew what to do, but I know that the whole time I was hardly thinking and everything just felt right. And I liked it.

I really liked it.

I suppose now I could sit and wonder what it would have been like with you, Annabel, but I don't even want to. I just know that kissing Lucy was perfect and nothing can compare.

Ian