Page 27 of The Death of Kisses

Collapsed roofing like broken dreams.

Ash settled like whispers of despair.

The image should have horrified me.

Instead, a twisted feeling stirred low in my stomach.

Familiar.

Comforting in its own way.

Wrong.

I snapped the laptop shut with a sudden bang.

Darkness rushed in again, swallowing the room whole.

Beside me, Charlie slept soundly, peaceful and unaware.

I closed my eyes, seeking refuge.

But the flames persisted.

Behind my eyelids, they danced—bright, fierce, alive—twisting through the darkness like an unbreakable nightmare.

And no matter how desperately I tried to look away, I couldn't stop watching them burn.

18

PAPA I’M SO SORRY

6 months ago - April 29th - Town of Coldwater - Population 1251 - 18 yrs old

Hands gently wrapped around my waist, a radiant smile blossomed across my face, filling me with warmth and anticipation.

“Happy birthday, Lilly,” Lee whispered softly, his lips brushing against my temple as I instinctively turned toward him, feeling the depth of his affection.

“What are you doing here?” I asked, my voice tinged with affection and a touch of playful reprimand, though a genuine smile lingered on my lips.

“I couldn’t stay away,” he chuckled, his voice full of warmth. “I came here to see if my girl was ready to embrace a day filled with adventure and wonder,” he added, his lips leaving a trail of gentle kisses across my cheek, then along my face, fiery and possessive in his affection.

“Lee, you can’t just whisk me away on your motorcycle—I’ve got things I need to do,” I whined softly, feeling a mix of excitement and resistance.

“Not today,” he teased, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “Today, you’re my prisoner, and if you don’t come willingly, I’ll have no choice but to drag you along.”

“Fine,” I sighed, pretending to resist, “but only after I finish this laundry—who knows if it might wrinkle,” I joked, pulling a white T-shirt from the pile. Suddenly, he pulled me against the house, and I squeaked as his hand cupped my mouth, sinking to his knees as a wave of emotion and excitement rushed through me.

My eyes widened in alarm as his other hand worked my button free of my shorts.

They dropped with a soft thud on the grass and his nose pressed into my panties with a feral intent.

“I can’t wait to taste you,” he groaned breathlessly, his voice longing. A fire ignited deep within my soul, an overwhelming desire pulsing through me—nothing else mattered but him, right here, right now.

He was pulling my panties down around my thigh when the unmistakable slam of the screen door echoed through the quiet, piercing the air like a cry of pain. My heart clenched as I watched my Pa’s face twist in shock—a look that seared into my soul. “Oh shit,” Lee muttered under his breath, instinctively retreating, as I fumbled to pull my shorts up, my hands shaking with fear and shame.

“Pa—” I started, my voice breaking, but the fury behind his eyes cut me off. Disgust, pure and unfiltered, flashed like lightning. My head lowered, my lips quivering with the weight of my regret, feeling the sting of his gaze burn into me.

“Get off my property,” Papa’s voice was steady, almost eerily calm, but beneath that calm was a storm I couldn’t bear. It shook me to my core.