KICK IT | JENLISA

40

Jennie

My breath snapped into a sharp gasp. Any brief relaxation sensations evaporated under the tension gripping my body. "Wuh... what?"

"You have a ladybug on you." Lisa's fingers brushed at my arm. Pulling back, a ladybug crawled over her palm. "Sorry, I had the house sprayed. Must have missed some."

Eyeing the tiny dots of black over red circling her first knuckle, I grabbed her wrist. "Let it go outside. Please."

Lisa's eyebrows drew together but she obliged. While she was gone, I flopped onto my back. My heart raced into my ears and, despite my best efforts, it wouldn't slow.

"Don't like bugs?"

Footsteps flipped my eyes open. Seeing Lisa's concern, I sat up and offered a shaky smile. The printed pattern on my mat blurred. "Sorry, my... ex used to call me that."

"How did you meet?"

"More corn?" A half-cob gripped between tongs extended to me.

"No thanks." I smiled at the offer. "Beautiful sermon this morning, Mrs. Choi."

"Very uplifting." Her smile travelled over my shoulder. "We're holding our boys' prayers in our hearts until we get them back."

A soft touch on the top of my head tingled my scalp. I turned and gasped at the tall, handsome guy curling his fingers. Blonde hair, sparkling blue eyes, broad shoulders... my heart never stood a chance. In a white and blue checked shirt and jeans, dust covered his boots, and his hair was cropped short, at least what wasn't hidden by his cap.

"Ladybug." he drawled, oozing a certain charm. Damn, another weakness.

"Excuse me?" I wasn't winning any smoothness awards, but his lips parted into a big smile.

He flicked his finger, sending the tiny red bug fluttering off. "You had a ladybug in your hair. It's good luck, you know."

"Is it?" I scoffed, tickling my throat.

"Sure is." He leaned over, skimming his fingers through my hair and tucking it over my ear. "Gave me enough courage to say hi."

"Is this guy bothering you?" My stupid brother lodged himself between us. With their laughable height and muscular size difference, I had to give Jackson credit.

"I'm sorry." Cute guy flashed two hands dotted with callouses on his palms. "No disrespect."

"Don't worry." I assured Jackson with a pat on the shoulder. "I can handle myself. If you find him hunched over and groaning in pain, he deserved it."

"You're a pistol." The guy grinned wider. "I like it."

"Name, smooth-talker." I demanded, my pulse thrumming at his handsome face.

"Taehyung."

Balancing my plate in one hand, I slipped the other into his. Warm tingles spread around the inside of my wrist. "Jennie."

"Church lunch." I forced a smile. "He pulled a ladybug from my hair, which..."

"Led to the nickname." The heaviness in Lisa's eyes deepened when I nodded. "Sorry, I didn't know."

An invisible vice squeezed my heart. "I didn't tell you."

Her eyes lowered to my ladybug printed mat, a present from Irene for earning my two-hundred-hour cert. Lips twitching, she mumbled under her breath. "You don't tell me anything."

Because she didn't need to know. "Let's get started."