Talking about the past brought back memories of sun-kissed faces and skinned knees. It was pleasant reconnecting with a childhood friend she hadn't seen in awhile. "You sure did, you ate five of those burn cookies. It was a miracle you didn't end up with a stomach ache." Unfortunately, that was the last of their playful banter. Keida was quick to pick up where she'd left off, and he answered her questions with an unwavering confidence that was more than convincing.<br/><br/>That words he'd uttered weighed down on her until it<i>hurt. </i><br/><br/>She wasn't Cain's type. It was acid on her open wounds. Cain liked experienced girls. It was a knife through her already vulnerable and bleeding heart. Haley scanned Keida's face in hopes of finding a trace of mirth or something -<i>anything</i>to tell her he was messing with her. There was nothing but sincerity and sympathy in his eyes. Her heart plummeted like a dying bird.<br/><br/>"I see," she pursed her lips, fighting back the torrent of sadness that threatened to drown her. To add insult to injury, her childhood friend continued, pointing out something that had already been glaringly obvious to begin with: the fact that she knew close to nothing about boys. She had friends of course, but she'd never loved anyone besides Cain. Her romantic experiences had been strictly limited to one-sided affections for a childhood friend. "I..." Haley hesitated for a moment, almost considered lying. "I... you're right, I don't really know much about boys or dating. I've never really dated anyone or liked anything this much before." Her face was burning at this point, but something about Keida's cool gaze and sympathy invited her honesty and trust.<br/><br/>Keida continued to add fuel to the flames.<br/><br/>Shivers ran down Haley's spine as tender fingers made their way to her jaw. He traced the skin of her cheek down to her neck, and her innocent heart thumped wildly in her chest. This<b>wasn't </b>something friends usually did, she was sure.  Keida's touch was charged with an electricity she couldn't quite understand, and she winced - out of surprise more than anything else - at the feeling of his fingers on her neck. "Keida?" Her voice was quiet like a whisper, revealing how uncertain and vulnerable she felt. Why was he being so brutally honest? Did she really not stand an inkling of a chance? "I must be really hopless, huh?" She could feel the prickle of hot tears in her eyes now. Haley fought the urge to cry. She cared about Cain so much, and to learn in a span of a few minutes that she didn't stand a chance, it broke her heart into a thousand mismatched pieces.<br/><br/>With her defenses destroyed, she could do little else but lean into Keida's embrace.<br/><br/>His arms held her firmly against her chest as he tried to reassure her. "Don't you think I should at least try?" She was whispering into his chest. "It hurts not being able to even let him know." Haley leaned into his hug a little deeper, unaware that this connection with Keida would be her downfall. "It's just, I've liked him for so long." She sniffled, still fighting back the sadness. "Have you ever loved someone so much it hurt?"<br/><br/>So much for cooking, the duo were now wrapped up in an awkward yet intimate embrace. Because the counter was situated behind Haley, she found herself pressed up against Keida. Innocent for her, but was it the same for him?