My Heart Was Wounded Deep
The Chapter 70

After finishing a glass of canned drink, Kikan no longer felt the urge to go home. The dating couple Devan and Rey have not come to see them, although it has been roughly an hour since they started playing pool, so that circumstance helped Kikan ease his own anxiety.

He and Devan won the first game. Kikan was still enjoying the kakagetan on Rey's face when the man realized he could play just as well. After that glorious start, they lost the second game. They should have been able to win on and on, given there were bets Kikan wanted to win, but Devan failed at some important pitches.

They are now competing to be the best in the next game.

Kikan can feel Rey watching him as he prepares to make his turn playing and wonders what the man is thinking. Did he expect to just let Kikan go home?

Perhaps. Rey frowned whenever Kikan turned his head towards her. Even so, whenever they cross paths, Rey touches it as if it were done in passing, casually, and Kikan feels Rey's hand touching it a little longer than it should.

Kikan is afraid Rey is trying to tease him, and succeeds. He himself began to touch Rey on purpose, just to feel the touch.

" Where did you learn billiards?" ask David. He's not as open and friendly as Rey and Devan, either,

" Jail." Answer Kikan and shoot the targeted ball twice before sending it to the right corner.

He paused long enough to throw a triumphant smile at Rey, who replied by raising an eyebrow. The small response was Rey's recognition of Kikan's skills. But the man also challenged him in a way I never expected. Rey makes the attraction to her seem so obvious that even her friends can understand what the man wants.

" Attractive" David said.

Kikan put another ball in. "For someone like you, my background must be more surprising than interesting, right?"

" For someone like me?" David repeated Kikan's words.

Usually Kikan will not be too open about his past for fear of embarrassing Rey. But he was throwing his own challenge. If Rey wants to go back with him, he must understand everything that is part of Kikan at this time. "A good member of society" Kikan explained and, sadly, escaped his shot.

While observing the ball left for him, David spun to the other side of the table. "Given that I was in prison myself, I wouldn't say that I was too shocked."

When he saw Kikan surprised, David laughed, then he put two balls in a row and walked to the far end to poke the third ball.

" Well, did you learn billion? ask Kikan. "Inside"

" We don't have a billiar table. But I beat almost everyone on the football field thanks to it a lot of time I get in the yard."

Kikan had all this time used his past as a kind of armor to evade all sorts of outbursts of friendship, so this situation made him feel a bit stupid. "How long have you been out?"

" Not long ago" replied David.

It wasn't an obvious answer, but Kikan felt David didn't like to think about or talk about the past, as he did.

" It's a lot longer than you" David added. "That's why I confessed, and to tell you that getting out of there means you have to adjust. It takes time."

Kikan smiled thanks. "okay."

" Wow, be careful if you throw that one," he said.

" Throw what?" ask Kikan, confused. "My billiar wand?"

" No, that smile. I fell in love with another woman, so I'm immune." David patted Rey on the back. "But I'm afraid this poor boy can't fend it off."

David didn't seem offended.he just stupefied.

" What about this poor boy?" when Devan points at his own chest, Kikan is sure he did that to tease Rey.

" If you don't know yet, you don't even count" said David, who was stunned when Devan pretended to attack him.

They tease each other like that until the game is over. Without Devan as a playmate, Kikan is confident of winning, once Devan does not make it in the final stroke, and it gives Rey the chance to end their game.

Devan and David were talking about the automotive book their friend had brought with them when they climbed the stairs to get food. But it seems Rey is in no hurry to leave the room. He approached from behind as Kikan was keeping a billiar stick on the shelf. "It looks like you owe me" Rey said.

Kikan didn't bother looking back. "I tried to give you the money, but you wouldn't take it."

Rey placed her hands around Kikan's waist, and her lips swept over Kikan's neck. "There's something else I want more of."

Kikan held his breath. Will this be a spark that can ignite the fire for all his good intentions, once again burning down Kikan's life? "Like...?" ask Kikan.

Rey had no chance to answer. His date entered the room, then the man lowered his hand and moved away.

" You're here apparently!" Cindy said. "I'm surprised where you went."

Kikan biting tongue. Cindy couldn't be too surprised, because Devan had told her.

♪

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Kikan sat outside, staring at the bonfire in front of him. While across from her. Devan, Kelly and Simon discuss Simon's latest shoot. They had already tried to include Kikan in the conversation by asking him to sit closer to them, and ask some questions. But when Kikan did not answer more than was necessary, they let him sink into his own thoughts. He was already happy just by enjoying the murmur of their voices. A gentle breeze blew from the lake, as well as the expanse of stars twinkling over their heads.

At least Rey has come in and is not sitting around the campfire. It was not easy to ignore her date. The woman kept clinging to Rey, even sitting on her lap again, despite the fact that half of the guests went to other places in the house to play billiards, watch movies, or take a small meal, so many empty seats are available.

Rey didn't do anything to stop Cindy. He just looked at Kikan as if to say, Are you sure you don't care?

The door opened and Eva came out. Kikan thought the woman would join his friends who were talking nearby, but he came to where Kikan was sitting and pulled a chair. "I hear you're a reliable billiar player."

" I've had years to practice. Your fiancee is good too."

Eva seemed happy to hear the compliment. "He is good at many things."

" How did you meet?" ask Kikan

" David was visiting this small town for a break from his job, and I met him at my parents' inn" Eva replied.

" He immediately captivated your heart?"

Eva smiled as if there was something funny she remembered. "That's how it started. I saw this handsome man across and was instantly attracted." But he did not explain, he simply added, "It's a soul mate. Maybe"

Kikan agreed. "You guys look happy together."