A Force Love Contract With GANG LEADER

Kate sat on a bench in the square, enjoying her freedom.

Freedom was something that the existence of can never be felt except by a soul who has been imprisoned.

Early in the morning, refusing to go with the driver, Kate walked herself along the coastal avenue to the nearest bus stop. She felt the hard plastic seat of the bus was familiar and comfortable to her.

She went to the supermarket first. Kate had not seen her co-workers for many days, and she missed them. She even missed the shelves with various kinds of merchandise.

Kate didn’t say anything about her current situation, but even a fool could see through it. In a prosperous city like LA, the story of rags to riches had played out millions of times. Somebody showed admiration, somebody said congratulations.

But she was jealous of them. Every cent they made was clean. They slept with a clean conscience.

John, who had broken up with his girlfriend, was there too. They said he had just come back to work. He still was not in the mood for work. And he wasn’t so casual and well acquainted with Kate, let alone making jokes with her.

Kate realized that those days when she had been one of them were gone forever.

Then John accompanied her to her house.

Her heart had all kinds of feeling mixed together, standing in the apartment she had lived in for a few months.

She seemed to hear the laughter that night when Max first came. They cooked seafood and lay on their beds with a wall between them, and talked all night about dreams and painful memories.

And she recalled, she lost her virginity in that bed later.

Kate opened the wardrobe, and she was at a loss. She wasn’t sure where these things would go, as well as where she was heading.

John, who stood aside, said, “Then don’t move.”

Seeing Kate’s puzzled face, he said, “That man, you know how long you will be with him? In case things change, it is better to have somewhere to stay.”

“But…”

“This apartment belongs to our family.”

Kate was startled.”No one needs it anyway. You can keep your things here. Some day if you feel upset, you can come here to stay for a while.”

Kate’s eyes reddened. John said frankly, “I was angry when I heard about it. But on second thought, it was not easy for you. Everyone has the right to choose the life they want. In my mind, you will always be a good girl.”

Kate couldn’t help crying out. She had an outburst of all the pain and sorrow she suppressed inside. John patted her on the back and said, “Don’t be stupid.”

Kate treated John to lunch, and afterward, John went back to work. Kate got on the bus again, and her delight for the regained freedom was gone. She had nowhere to go. She followed a crowd of people getting off at one stop. And here she came.

It was square-built just last year. A lot of huge and unique sculptures, vast grassland, musical fountains, giant trees, and shrubs formed in various shapes.

Kate found a seat to sit down and be the audience of the live show.

Some seniors were walking or sunbathing. Young people were lying on the grass chatting or reading, or playing with their cell phone. Kids were running around. It was a harmonious world.

Kate sat there for hours, from afternoon to dusk, until her phone rang. It was Tristan.

“Where are you?”

She thought about it and told him the name of the place.

Just after she hung up, a voice came from her back. “I saw you in the car from a distance.”

She turned and saw Tristan.Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

He looked delighted. He asked with a smile, “Don’t you feel cold sitting here?”

She shook her head. “It is not cold. The sun is warm.”

“The sun has set. And the wind is freezing.”

He moved closer to her and hugged her. “Not cold in this way.”

His breath had the smell of alcohol and smoke. She found he was a little different today. His eyes were droopy, and his attitude was too good to be true. It wasn’t like him.

Tristan kissed her on the earlobe and asked, “What did you do today?”

It sounded more like an interrogation than the chatting of lovers.

Kate stiffened and replied to his questions. Tristan was not in the mood to listen to her; instead, he looked to the distance and gave her a pinch on the cheek from time to time while his hand clung onto her shoulder.

Kate felt awkward and nervous, worrying the drunk would do something indecent. She dodged a little and asked, “Are we going back now?”

“Stay with me here for a while.”

Tristan behaved himself and sat with his arm on her shoulder, looking at the crowd in the middle of the square.

A boy about three or four years old was learning to roller-skate. He wore a helmet, kneecaps, and elbow pads and slid across the ground airily. There was a step about a dozen feet away, and he didn’t notice it or slow down, so he fell on his face.

Kate gave out a cry when he fell. His grandma ran over and helped him up. “Are you ok, baby?” “I am alright, grandma.” The boy said.

Kate smiled at the cozy kinship. She felt he fixed his eyes on her face. Her smile faded, and her stare moved away.

“I had a social engagement today and drank a little too much. I was on my way back to the office when I suddenly caught sight of you sitting here.” Tristan explained why he showed up here, or he might be just talkative after drinking.

He held her hand and frowned. “What season is it? Why is your hand so freezing?”

“My hands are always cold in the winter.”

He grabbed her other hand and wrapped them with his big hands, and squeezed them. His hands were dry and warm like a heater. Kate felt some kind of current flow from her fingertips to her body.

It was weird. But it was probably an illusion.

But this intimate behavior still made Kate uncomfortable. Her body stiffened. And she shivered sometimes. He asked again, “Feeling cold?”

She replied, yes.

“Let’s get back.” Tristan pulled her up. He was probably drunk. He staggered when he stood up and moved to Kate’s side, and she supported him with her arms instinctively.

When they turned back, Kate was dumbfounded.

A few yards away stood a person. He was looking at her in surprise.

Jimmy. It was Jimmy, wearing civilian clothes.

“It is you.” He said.