Brione sighed, she was not comfortable telling what really happened to her to anyone, not even her brother Noah. The only person she was comfortable with knew the whole story. It was the person she trusted her whole life. Her childhood friend, savior, and best friend… Gavin

"That man was forcing me to kiss him for hours. I started crying badly because I was really scared. He was like a pervert trying to force a kiss while I kept covering my mouth tightly. He hit me several times for being defiant. He was obsessed with wanting me to initiate the kiss. He kept saying that he would kill me if I didn't kiss him.

But I didn't listen to him and continued crying until he reached his limit and hit me hard. He hovered over me, bending to kiss and I closed my eyes in fear because I thought his dirty lips would crash mine soon but when I opened my eyes, I saw Gavin extending his hand to me saying, 'It's okay, you're safe now'. I saw the man lying unconscious on the floor. Gavin hit his head with a baseball bat knocking him out.

It was a very traumatic experience for me. I didn't talk to anyone for days and I would have nightmares about that situation. I would dream of hearing the man's voice asking me to kiss him and his face really close to mine. It was a nightmare that haunted me for a long time."

Cedric could not help but feel really angry that Brione had to go through such trauma at a young age. The man was eventually convicted and was sentenced to life imprisonment. The man killed himself after a few months of staying in prison. Cedric remained quiet and just listened to Brione.

"I wasn't kidnapped for long since Gavin found me right on time before true danger fell upon me. But it still left a huge scar in me. I went to a psychiatrist and thought that everything was fine since the nightmares stopped too.

I honestly had no idea that I had a phobia of kissing until I shot my first music video when I was 18 which had a kissing scene. I just couldn't do it. I felt gross and scared. The worst thing was that I had a panic attack and ended up vomiting on the spot. The doctor told me that it's because of my traumatic experience."

Brione took a deep breath. It happened a long time ago and she thought she got over it with time but did not think that it would leave a mark on her, giving her a phobia of kissing

"How did Gavin find you?" Cedric asked.

"Gavin always had a habit of appearing whenever I'm in danger. He told the police that he was able to track me through my mobile phone. He had installed a tracking app on my phone saying it would be easy for him to find my location if I needed him."

"That dummy, he should have called the police first and let them do their thing. He was just a kid so what could he have possibly done if that pervert was armed," Cedric scoffed, making Brione chuckle.

"Of course, he called the police and my brother. It's just that he is always like that. He's always the first one to arrive whenever I'm in need. He's like the superhero 'Flash'. Just one call from me, and he will appear regardless of where he is..."

Gavin was always there for her since their childhood days. Gavin and his family moved into their neighborhood when she was five and Gavin was nine. She and Noah would often stay in Gavin's house to play and Gavin would also often stay in their house.

Gavin loved Brione's mother's cooking a lot. Her mother was very adorable and Brione got her looks from her mother. She could still remember how Gavin would always tease her that her mother was better-looking than her.

Brione bit her lip as tears were starting to well up in her eyes. She missed Gavin so much that the only thing that kept her going when she lost him was her memories with him, good and bad. And his journal which served as her strength to continue forward because she knew that was what Gavin would have wanted.

The bamboo boat moved and Brione saw Cedric lay down on his side beside her. She felt his hand touching the corner of her eyes, wiping her tears.

"I see that Gavin is a great man. It will be tough fighting with him for a place in your heart. But I hope you will pity me a bit and spare a small place for me and I will try my best to fit into that space." Cedric whispered, making Brione turn her head and stare at him.

'You are Gavin. And there's no space left because you occupy it all," Brione wanted to say. She did not know what came over her but she moved, leaned forward, and pressed her lips against Cedric's with her eyes closed.

Cedric was surprised, wondering if he was dreaming but the warmth and softness of her lips felt too real for it to be a dream. It was the same lips he wanted to devour more of from the moment he had a taste of it.

Brione opened her eyes and met Cedric's intense gaze with flickers of lust. She then realized what she just did. She was about to pull back when Cedric held her nape, pulling her closer and deepening the kiss.

Cedric slid his tongue inside, probing deeper into Brione's sweet mouth. Brione felt her head spinning due to the sensation his kiss was giving her. It was gentle but demanding, urging her to open up for him and she did. She let him do what he wanted. Half of her body was pressed against him. She felt like she was floating when their tongues collided.

"You're so sweet…" he whispered over her lips.

"I guess I healed your kissing phobia?" Cedric asked when he released her lips to let her get some air. But he did not stop kissing her completely as he pecked her lips lightly while she took deep breaths. Brione only stared at him, unable to utter a word.

She wanted to tell him that he was able to kiss her because he was Gavin but she did not. Her face was so red that Cedric could not help caressing it with the back of his hand.

"We never know. Maybe I'm completely healed. I will know for sure once I try to kiss another man," Brione thoughtlessly said, making Cedric's sunny day gloomy.

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