❝𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘸𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦❞

ꨄ

𝗝𝗨𝗡𝗘 𝟮𝟲𝗧𝗛 , 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯
𝗟𝗢𝗦 𝗔𝗡𝗚𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗦 , 𝗖𝗔𝗟𝗜𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗡𝗜𝗔
𝟭𝟭:𝟮𝟯 𝗣𝗠

It had been days since Kiana saw her father, she didn't talk about that day with anyone. She didn't even tell Josette or Julien how angry she was seeing him again. Kiana would not wish anything she went through on those boys, but a part of her did. She didn't understand why the universe punished her with a horrible father just for him to be a great dad years later with his other family.

Kiana often numbed all that anger and jealousy with alcohol, which Julien strongly advised against. She didn't listen though. Almost every night since then Kiana would head down to the bar and grab a drink or two and just sit there the entire night.

Tonight wasn't any different. After yet another fight, Kiana went out drinking, or rather sitting since that's what she did a majority of the time. Kiana had her head laid down on the bar swirling the ice in the glass with a tiny black straw.

"What's a girl like you doing here all alone?" A voice asked. Kiana lifted her head to see a tall blonde standing to her right. "Mind if I sit?"

"Not at all"

"What are you drinking for? Judging by that look on your face it can't be anything fun"

Kiana turned away from the blonde and let out a small chuckle. "There's no look"

Kiana glanced in her direction once more and couldn't help the smile that quickly spread across her face.

"I'm Leah, Leah Ivanov"

"Kiana Stevens,"

"Hate to cut this short, but I promised a friend I'd cat sit. Maybe we'll run into each other again, Stevens"

"Maybe we will"

"But, if we don't," Leah grabbed a pen and wrote her number down on a napkin. "Here's my number, let me know when you get home, I could use a distraction from those furry little demons"

Kiana chuckled, "I will"

"Your home early"

"Babe, please, not right now"

Kiana walked past Julien who followed her into the bedroom. "Then when, huh? I'm giving you time, I don't care when you open up to me about what happened in Tennessee I just want you to eventually. You can't keep drinking your feelings away"

"You're acting as if I have a problem!"

"Because you do!"

"I have one or two drinks and I just sit there the entire night, does that sound like a problem?!" Kiana sighed and took a quick breath to calm down. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry for yelling. But you have to know that I'm not drinking my feelings away like you think"

"Okay, I believe you"

Kiana embraced Julien and the two stood in the middle of the room in each others arms.

"I love you" Julien spoke, although it was more of a mumble.

"Yeah, I love you too, J"

Later that night when Julien had fallen asleep, Kiana decided to shoot Leah a text.

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘀
Hey, how are those demons?

𝗜𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗼𝘃
I was starting to think you'd
forgotten about me, Stevens

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘀
I had some things to deal with

𝗜𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗼𝘃
Was it the reason you were out drinking?

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘀
Oh god no
What's with you and wanting to
know why I was drinking?

𝗜𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗼𝘃
I just hate to see such a pretty girl so upset
So, what happened?

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘀
I was in Tennessee a couple days ago
and I saw my dad for the first time in 16 years
Found out he has a new family who he
didn't abandon

𝗜𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗼𝘃
My dad isn't the greatest either, never even
met the guy if I'm being honest
Left before I was born

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘀
You should leave it that way, you don't
want to meet him

𝗜𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗼𝘃
Didn't plan on finding him any time soon
Maybe I can cheer you up

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘀
How so?

𝗜𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗼𝘃
I can take you out for dinner
What do you say?

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘀
How could I say no to a free meal?

𝗜𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗼𝘃
It's a date then
See you tomorrow, Stevens

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘀
Right back at you Ivanov

𝗔/𝗡:
this chapter was a bit short but I wanted to get Kiana and Leah meeting out of the way so the drama can begin