29: Pursuit

                                    

                                          
DAISY
"Kiss me," he commands.
"I have a mouthful of ice cream right now," Riley pouts at her boyfriend before sticking her tongue out.
About the mouthful, that's a literal truth. When I have a full cone of ice cream, Riley and Kay are almost done with the single piece they decided to share.
Yes, I know, how cute, right? 
We are seated by a water fountain in the middle of a massive mall. 
I've agreed to join Riley for window shopping, but of course, she's not single like me. Kay insists on driving his girlfriend just to make me feel uncomfortable, reminding me I'm the unwanted third wheel.
"I don't care, I would take all of you in," he protests and attaches his lips to hers.
Something he's never done with me. Not that I want him to. I don't want to kiss him anyway. He is Riley's, not mine. I shouldn't even think like that. His mouth doesn't belong to me and it shouldn't. 
He slowly nips her lips. I have to drop my eyes to my barely touched ice cream.
"KC, we're in public." She giggles shyly into his mouth when their little kisses start getting intense.
My eyes meet Kaiser's. His chilly gaze drills into me while he uses words to slit my heart open. 
"I cannot get enough of you. You're the best, no one can compete with you. When they taste average, you taste like nothing I've ever had."
With those words, he successfully rips a part that leaves a hole in me, causing the ache to spread.
"I don't want you to get enough of me."
"I can't. I wouldn't last long without you," he whispers into her mouth, his eyes containing satisfaction. I can only blink and look away. "Do you love me?" he asks her.
I'm sure there's reason why he's doing all this. It has to be to mess with my head. 
"With all my heart," Riley responds sweetly.
I clear my throat, attracting Riley's attention. 
"I will go check on some socks," I say immediately.
I doubt I can survive any longer with all this weird treatment Kay is giving me.
"I'm sorry, Daisy. KC can be so..." She stops and purses her lips, smothering a smile.
"Persistently in love?" he interjects, directing a smirk at me.
"Somehow." She agrees with a laugh, having no idea Kay was deliberately acting sweet to her so he could wound me emotionally, and he'd succeeded. "But as promised, Daisy and I made a pact to have some girl time in the mall. Babe, I'll have to leave you here. We'll see you in a while," she tells him and begins packing her handbag.
"Why can't I follow you?" he frowns at her.
"You can check out those television collections," she motions to an LG Electronics store and leaves a departing peck on his chin before scooting over to me.
I keep telling her it's okay, she can go back to her boyfriend, but Riley insists on not leaving me on my own.
For once, she respects my decision and agrees not to spend any money on me. Instead, we benefit from free sample snacks, and makeovers, and even try on some lotion that we have to wash off our suddenly sweaty skin in the bathroom afterward.
Riley and I continued with window shopping, playing crazy games around the crowded mall, which resulted in Riley dancing behind some oblivious older couple.