Chapter 4: The Kiss

Adrian tried to put on the best smile she could as she surveyed herself in the mirror, straightening her soft pink sun dress against her body nervously. She had pinned her hair into a messy bun on the top of her head, leaving a few strands to hang loosely in her face, and only put on a light layer of make up. Just a little mascara, eyeshadow, and lip gloss, which is the most make up she had worn in months. Derek would be there to take them to a carnival any minute now, and she couldn't help but feel an anxiousness build up in her stomach. She was never a big person on dates, and since she hadn't been on one in a while this was a whole new experience for her.

She and Ricky's argument just a few days ago had permanently imprinted itself into her brain. Every single word has played on the strings that were dead close to being broken. She had stayed up all Saturday night contemplating things, and she finally decided that she needed to move on, forget everything and get on with what ever life she had to live.

She sighed and deleted any thoughts of Ricky out of her mind. She had a date tonight with a very beautiful British guy tonight, she was not going to ruin anything else.

"So who is that very cute boy waiting downstairs in the living room waiting for you?" her mother asked from the doorway, scaring the crap out of her in the process.

Adrian rolled her eyes playfully at her mothers coy smile and smiled a bit. "His names Derek, he's gonna take me to the carnival on the beach."

Cindy raised an eyebrow at her daughter. "As in a date?"

Adrian nodded. "Yep."

"That's nice." her mother smiled brightly. "He seems like a nice boy."

She walked up to her daughter and wrapped her arms around her daughter, looking at their reflections with a smile on her face. "And you're very beautiful sweetie."

Adrian smiled at her mother through the mirror and gripped her mothers hand in her own. "Thanks mama."

Cindy kissed the top of her head and sighed. "Alright, we can't leave him sitting down there all night."

Adrian nodded and hugged her mother one last time before going off to meet her date. Cindy watched her go with a small smile on her face. For the first time in almost a year...she felt relieved.

"Can't believe you beat me at the ball toss." Derek chided as they walked through the busy and all to colorful carnival scene, hand in hand.

Adrian shrugged her shoulders and laughed, shifting the large stuffed dog underneath her arm better. "I had a lot of practice growing up. A friend of mine," she cringed a bit at the remembrance. She was just glad he didn't notice. "taught me how to play baseball when we were younger. I could pitch a curve with my eyes closed." she finished off with a sigh.

Derek smiled at her. "Nice to know a girl who knows her sports."

"I try." Adrian laughed as he pulled her toward another ride.

Much to her surprise, Adrian was actually enjoying herself. Derek was great, and was a complete gentlemen. He opened his car door for her, paid for their food, and even attempted to win her a stuffed animal (which is when he embarrassingly revealed that he was no good at carnival games). He was definitely not Ricky. Ricky had brown eyes, not green. Ricky's hair was black, not blonde. And Ricky hated her while Derek actually liked her. Nope, definitely not Ricky.

"Your a quiet one you know." Derek told her as they continued walking along the beach side carnival.

Adrian turned her eyes away from the night sky to give the blonde a confused look. "I am?" she asked.

He smiled charmingly at her. Everything about him is 'charming'. She thought to herself.

"Yeah, its cute though." he told her.

'If only he knew...' she thought with a sudden sense of remembrance that she dismissed quickly. "Thanks." she said simply.

He gazed at her, straight into her eyes. For a merely a millisecond, Adrian felt a small spark run through her spine, but it disappeared just as quickly as it came.

"So," he started. "What are your ambitions?" he smiled at her even more confused looked. "What do you want to do after high school?"

Adrian raised an eyebrow at the question, which was a very strange one in her opinion. "I guess," she began with a sigh. "Well I guess I want to go to college, pre-law, and maybe follow my dads footsteps in the justice system." she looked at him, he was smiling. "Why?"

"Well I like a girl who knows what she wants." he answered her. "You seem to have a pretty good idea of what you want too."

Adrian nodded slowly as they continued walking. 'Yeah, sure...' That was when she saw him. Holding a giggling John close in his arms, smiling at his son as the dribbled on with cotton candy in his small hand. John was just as adorable as he was when she last seen him. She felt her heart melt at the sight of Ricky being so tender and loving to her son, but when Derek wrapped his hand in hers, she was immediately shaken from the thoughts. She panicked when she saw that they were getting closer, she had to avoid them somehow.

"Adrian?"

Adrian looked up and immediately her eyes widened. "What are you doing here?"

Ricky shifted John so that the excited and smiling toddler rested better on his hip and glared at the brunette that stood in front of him. "Taking John to the carnival." his eyes shot to Derek for only a millisecond. "What are you doing here?"

Adrian's glare and dislike for her ex grew deeper. "I'm on a date." she said lowly, stepping closer to Derek for effect.

Before Ricky could open his mouth to say anything, Derek smiled and stepped forward, holding out his hand to the teen father who was taller than him by at least three inches. "Its nice too meet you." he said politely, making his accent stick out even more. "I'm Derek."

Ricky looked down at his hand and shook it with his free hand, his face still cold. "Ricky."

Derek merely nodded and him before smiling at John, who was now transfixed on the merry-go-round next to them. "And who is this little guy?" Derek asked in a cooing tone leaning down to see John better.

The little boy only cocked his head to the side at the man and beamed, cotton candy stuck to his face and hair and only made him more adorable. "John." he said cutely.

Ricky smiled at his son. "This is my son."

Derek's eyes bugged out for a moment. "Son?" he questioned in astonishment before looking at Adrian. "How exactly do you two know each other?"

Adrian flinched at the accusing tone, avoiding the gazes of both men. "Uh, Ricky and I dated for awhile."

Derek's eyebrows scrunched in confusion but he said nothing else. Ricky only turned his loving gaze to send a raised eyebrow at him, wondering why the hell he cared so much that Adrian had dated him. It was Derek's phone that broke the awkward silence between them. The Brit sheepishly excused himself and walked away, speaking into his cell phone in a hushed tone. Adrian crossed her arms over her chest, suddenly feeling very naked and out in the open with Ricky without her date by her side.

"Horsey!" John pleaded childishly, his small finger pointed toward the merry go round while his other thumb was currently in his mouth.

Ricky frowned. "You can't keep sucking on your thumb big guy." he scolded softly, gently taking the little boys thumb out of his mouth. He looked at Adrian and then over to where Derek stood talking into his phone animatedly. "You gonna be okay?" he said to Adrian.

Adrian glanced over to Derek and slowly nodded. "Uh sure. I'm sure its just a quick call."

Ricky gave her a pointed look when Derek walked further away from them, still talking on the phone as if he weren't on a date. "Come on, you can get on the merry-go-round with John and me." he suggested.

Adrian raised an eyebrow at him. "You sure?"

Ricky shrugged. "Not like you have anything better to do."

Adrian almost said something smart back to him for that slanderous remark against her date, but bit her tongue and waited in line with them. It made her smile to see John laugh and smile as he rode the small white horse in front of the bench they sat on. He was a perfect combination of Ricky and Amy. Amy's hair, and eyes, Ricky's smile and nose. Every facial expression he made reminded her of Ricky.

"New boyfriend huh?" Ricky questioned, not taking his eyes away from his son.

Adrian rolled her eyes. "Not exactly, its our first date."

Ricky merely nodded. "He seems...nice?" he said with a smirk on his face.

"Oh don't you dare!" Adrian growled at him. "You don't even know him."

"I don't have to know him to know that he's jerk." Ricky said plainly, still not looking at her. "What kind of guy leaves his date to go talk on the phone for an hour?"

"It hasn't been an hour...only like twenty minutes."

Ricky rolled his eyes lazily to look at her with a "yeah right" kind of expression. Adrian huffed and crossed her arms across my chest. "He's really a good guy."

"Sure he is."

"God what is up with you?" Adrian exclaimed in exasperation. "One minute you're like the asshole from hell and next your looking out for my well being? How the hell does that work?"

Ricky narrowed his eyes slightly at her. "First off, you started it. Second of all, no matter what happens between us, I'm gonna look out for you." he shifted his eyes back to his son, who was now waving back at them. "Remember what you said? You're always gonna be there for me... so I'll always be there for you." he muttered.

Ricky's words threw her. She stared at him wide eyes, lost for any words to say back to him. She couldn't believe he actually remembered those words from the hospital the day that John was born. The day she also said that no matter what, she would always be there for him...always...

"Ricky.." she was all she could managed out before John ran into his arms, smiling. It was then that she realized that the ride had stopped and they were just sitting there. She watched Ricky as he smiled at his son and picked him up in his arms, listening as the boy went on about his fun in adorable baby gibberish. She silently followed them off the ride into the commotion of the carnival. Ricky turned and gave her a small whisper of a smile, patting Johns head as the boy rested it on his shoulder.

"I gotta get him home before he passes out." He told her. "You gonna be okay?"

Adrian nodded, smiling back at him. "Yeah, Derek should be somewhere around here."

Ricky nodded his head at her, giving her one more ghost smile. "See you later."

Adrian nodded at him and turned away as he started to leave, suddenly feeling a flutter in her stomach like she used to whenever Ricky came around.

"Adrian..."

The Latina turned around only to come face to face with Ricky, who stared at her with a hardened expression, John sleeping tiredly on his shoulder. Before she could say a thing, he covered her mouth with his own. It was quick, but passionate and loving and sent chills and electric sparks through her spine. She missed the feel of his lips against hers, the way he used to kiss her just like he was now. Just as quickly as it came, she found that it ended far to early.

Ricky broke the kiss, staring at her with dark eyes. Brushing a hand across her cheek he turned and walked away, leaving her to watch him disappear into the crowd of people in shock.

Her smile fell slightly when she saw Derek replace Ricky in her line of vision, a apologetic smile on his face. She sighed as he jogged towards her, putting on the best possible she could. She had completely forgotten she was on a date.

"I'm so sorry love." he apologized, kissing her on the cheek where Ricky had brushed it. "That was an my mum going on about being home on time. She doesn't trust America enough to let me wander."

Adrian shrugged, still flustered from the kiss. "Its alright, we'll just have to do this another time," she suggested, biting her lip. "It's late and I have school bright and early tomorrow."

Derek nodded and offered her his hand. "I'll take you home then." he told her with a smile.

Adrian nodded and took his hand, not even feeling a spark like she had earlier. Nothing like the spark she felt with Ricky...

Oh no...

A/N: Yeah, sooooooooooooooooooooooooo sorry this took so long. School was hectic, but today was my last day and you have me 24/7 now :) I really appreciate all of my readers, you guys are great! Hope you liked it Read and Review, I write for those :) 3