It's well past eight once I settle myself on a lone bench somewhere along the sea line of Springs, noting how there's noticeably only the lingering couples out on a night stroll, the one or two homeless men, and a couple families taking their kids out for an ice cream in this stifling summer heat.

I had my pepper spray in my bag and the remnants of defense classes of years ago lingering in my reflexes so I wasn't that paranoid about being out alone.

After all, it's been mandatory that me and Jamie-leigh both took them with where we lived and under what circumstances.

A discarded needle on the makeshift living room table that existed out of two chair stumps pushed together and a cardboard of some type placed over it.

I could still see specks of coke dusted onto it, and an unsettling shiver races down my spine as I scan the rest of living room for any other sleeping occupants except for my mother asleep on the couch after what has to have been a heavy drought of drugs intake.

I settle to my knees next to her to feel for her pulse, and satisfied with the slow but steady beat of it against my fingers, I hastily scurry away and towards the room I locked with my little sister in it.

Relieved to see that there hasn't been tampered with the locks or knocks into the wooden frame by some imbecile who wanted to get in uninvited, I let myself in to check on her.

Another sigh of relief, this time immensely bigger at seeing her sound asleep in our bed, bonnet askew as she snores the worries away that would undoubtedly plague her when she had to wake in another two hours.

A small smile settles on my lips when I move to the twin bed to close the covers over her properly, brushing the lost curls fumbling out of the bonnet back in, before letting my gaze trail over her features content.

As long as she lived to survive this life, I could make my daily struggle worthwhile I thought to myself.

I blink back into reality with the feel of a presence settling next to me, and I cautiously turn my gaze to look back at whoever decided to take the unoccupied seat on the bench next to me, snapping my head forward again when seeing the familiar side profile of what had to have been him.

Shit.
Sue me now or kill my soul.

I keep in the groan nestled in my throat as I tug the hood of my zip up hoodie tighter over my head, trying to hide whatever visible features from the man that had just settled next to me.

Mr. fucking Kim.

Could my luck disastrously turn on me even more?

That plause seemed possible seeing at where and in what situation I found myself in again.

"Rought night?"
His voice asks, and I let the warmth of his deep timbre voice wash over me before accepting defeat and answering him.

"I guess you could say that, yeah."
I mumble quietly, pushing down at the guilt of my earlier fall out with Jamie so as to keep the unwanted tears at bay.

Now was so not the time to cry in front of the man that I kissed but mere days ago, and still haven't successfully reported to HR.

Not that I was going to anyway, I could probably stop thinking with a notion in that direction, since I couldn't help but want that again.

"Hmm, sames."
He mumbles as well, and settles to just linger in the moment, not exactly disturbing me further, which left me with nothing to do but linger in the moment myself.

Nothing was weird about sharing a bench at the beach with your boss when he didn't care to comment on it.

Except the fact that the feel of his soft plump lips on mine still left me tingling with the wrong sensations.

At most, the only thing I would probably be able to do now, was fidget with nerves with my crush sitting next to me as if I wasn't a grown woman myself, and suffer in the silence that felt awkward and thick to me alone, probably.

I give it five more minutes of this before I gather my shit and stand up, bidding my boss's boss's boss's boss a merry good night before hastily turning on my way.

"Ms.Kamazia, I did not mean to make you uncomfortable, please sit, it would only be right if I were the one to go."
He mumbles hurriedly just as I take the first few steps away from him.

For fucks sake, one more moment spent here would undoubtedly be the cherry on the cupcake to make me cry.

"I'd rather get a early night in sir, after all, I have a full schedule tommorow."
I remind him that in no less words that tomorrow was actually Monday, already expecting him to let this go.

"You don't need to come in, if your situation needs more of your attention.
Please just, don't let me disturb what was undoubtedly probably a setting of peace to you."
He nods in my direction before strolling of in the opposite way, and my anger suddenly flares at his polite dismissal.

"I have the capability of a fully functional adult and I'm sure that I could handle a day of work even with whatever worries me. Please, have the bench if you'd like, I'm on my way home already so it would only make sense."
I say and anger lingers in my veins at his thought that I couldn't handle my personal shit and keep it seperated from my work.

That was men for you.

I ignore his scuffling behind me as I hurriedly walk away, the brunt of my anger growing and seizing at all of the unfairness that's been thrown my way on a weekend where I just wanted sleep.

It's only when I get to my apartment complex that I realise I've been speed walking the whole way and now I could glimpse my apartment situated on one of the upper floors.

Suddenly, it was very hard keeping the tears at bay knowing I had to go home to what has to have been my fifth argument.

Life just keeps getting better.

__

I probs have ten more pre written chapters, so..

See y'all tomorrow again maybe?