The Former Marine

It was a typical Los Angeles evening. The sun cast a golden glow over the city as Derek closed the gym doors. The day had been intense with classes, and he was about to relax when his phone vibrated. The message was from Kylie.

"Hey, Derek! Are you free tonight? I thought I'd stop by, just the two of us. I have something to talk about."

Derek smiled as he read the message. He had noticed that, in the last few weeks, things between him and Kylie had evolved naturally, but always with a slight tension in the air, something unsaid between them. He responded promptly.

"Sure, come by anytime. I'm here."

A little while later, Kylie's car parked discreetly in front of the gym. She got out of the vehicle with a smile on her lips, wearing casual clothes, which made her seem closer, more approachable, far from the glamour she exuded publicly. When he walked in, the place was silent and empty, a welcome break from the fast pace of the city.

"Hi," Kylie said softly, stepping closer to Derek. Her gaze was more intense than usual, something Derek noticed immediately.

"Hi," he replied, smiling back. "How was your day?"

"Pretty busy, as usual," she said with a light laugh, but something in her expression indicated she had something important to say. She hesitated for a second, and then looked directly at him. "Derek, I wanted to talk about us... and what's going on."

Derek nodded, crossing his arms, waiting for her to continue.

Kylie stepped forward, stopping right in front of him. "The truth is... I really like you. More than I thought possible. And I know we're getting to know each other better, but I feel like we need to decide what we want from here on out."

Before Derek could respond, Kylie did something unexpected. She leaned in and kissed him softly on the lips. The gesture was delicate, but full of meaning, and Derek, caught off guard for a moment, quickly kissed her back with equal intensity. That was the moment that sealed the connection they had been slowly but surely building.

When they pulled away, Kylie looked at him, her eyes shining with sincerity.

"I want something with you, Derek," she began, her voice a little hesitant but firm. "Something real. But at the same time, my life is crazy. There are always paparazzi, rumors, and I don't want that to affect you, at least not right now. I want if we're going to move forward, it to start off more... privately."

Derek watched her closely as she spoke. He knew the weight of her words. Kylie lived a life constantly in the spotlight, and she was trying to find a balance between that public life and the possibility of a relationship with him. He admired her openness and her willingness to protect what they had.

"I know what you mean," he replied calmly. "And I respect that. I know your life has a lot of exposure, and if you want to keep this between us for a while, I'm totally fine with it. I'm in no rush."

Kylie smiled, relieved by the answer. "That's what I wanted to hear. Maybe, in time, we can decide together how and when to talk about it, if we want."

"Yeah, I think we can deal with it as we go along," Derek said, smiling. "One thing at a time."

She sighed, as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders, and took his hand. "There's one more thing I wanted to tell you."

Derek looked at her curiously.

"I want you to meet my children, Stormi and Aire. It doesn't have to be right now, but when you feel comfortable. It's important to me that if we're going to move forward, they're a part of it. Stormi is 5 and Aire is only 1. They're my priority, always."

Derek smiled, admiring Kylie's maturity even more. He knew how important her children were to her, and the fact that she wanted to introduce them to him was a big step.

"I would love to meet Stormi and Aire," he said sincerely. "Whenever you feel the time is right, I'd be honored."

Kylie smiled back, clearly touched by his positive response.

"I knew you'd understand," she said softly, squeezing his hand tighter. Their moment of intimacy deepened.

There was a calmness between them now, as if they'd worked out what was unfinished. Kylie felt at ease with Derek, something she hadn't felt in a long time with anyone outside her inner circle. And Derek, in turn, was beginning to realize that despite Kylie's public life, she was a genuine and caring person, someone he was beginning to admire not just for what she was famous for, but for who she really was.

"You know," Kylie began again, with a mischievous smile, "I think the right time for you to meet Stormi and Aire might be sooner than you think."

Derek arched an eyebrow in amusement.

"Oh, really? Why is that?"

"Well," She said, laughing softly, "Stormi loves sports. I've told her so much about the gym that she's curious to come and train. She's just a kid, but I think she'd be fascinated to meet you."

Derek laughed.

"Then let's set a date for that. We can do something fun for her. And as for Aire, when he gets a little older, we can introduce him too."

Kylie nodded, her eyes affectionate.

"That would be great. Honestly, I'm excited to see how they react to you."

They spent the rest of the evening talking about their plans, about how they could balance their relationship with Kylie's public life and the challenges that lay ahead. Derek, with his life experience and discipline, knew he could handle the pressure. He'd been through much more difficult situations, and the idea of ​​protecting this new relationship and giving Kylie what she needed didn't seem impossible.

As time went on, the bond between them grew stronger. Derek felt something different about Kylie, it wasn't just her charm or her stunning beauty, but the way she handled her responsibilities, the way she cared for her children, and the way she sought something authentic despite all the fame.

Before they said goodbye that night, Kylie kissed him again, this time with more passion and trust. "Thank you for understanding all of this, Derek. I think we can build something really special here."

Derek smiled, stroking her face gently. "I think so too. And I'll be here, with you, every step of the way."

In that moment, they knew they had started something that, despite the challenges it might face, had the chance to grow and flourish. For Derek, life in Los Angeles was starting to become more interesting than he had ever imagined.