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Chapter Thirteen

FALLON

“Hello? Do you have any idea what time it is? Some of us ? —”

“I almost slept with Mackenzie!” I screamed into the phone.

The line went quiet for a minute, and I seriously thought she hung up on me. “Hello? Drea, did you hear me? I said?—”

“I’m sorry, who is this? Surely this isn’t the name on my phone. That person said they would never hook up with Mackenzie.”

I rolled my eyes. “Drea, I’m serious. I almost slept with her! What is wrong with me?”

“You called to tell me you didn’t sleep with someone? Thanks for the update. Goodnight, sweetie.”

“Wait!” I yelled. “What do I do?”

She laughed. “What do you mean, love? You didn’t actually do anything, and even if you did, who cares? You’re both adults.”

“We’re neighbors, Dre. We’re not even really friends at this point—just kind of friendly sometimes. It’d be way too weird. Also, I think we have a date tomorrow.”

“That’s even better. You don’t have to go far to get some.” She chuckled. “Hang on, you’re going on a date with her?”

“Well, not really, but I guess? She said it wasn’t a date, but it sounded like a date invite to me.”

She sighed. “Honey, do you want to go?”

I paused. Did I want to go? She said it wasn’t a date, but… would it be so bad if it was? Two people could hang out without it meaning anything. Right? But did I want it to mean something? Shit.

Too many feelings, too fast. I had no idea what to do with them—how to handle any of this. My head was spinning, and I couldn’t breathe.

“I don’t… I mean, I do, I think, but?—”

“Exactly. Stop thinking for once, and just live.”

I groaned. “You know, you sound like Penelope. I can’t be into my neighbor, Drea. Did you forget how we met? Not the best of terms. And every time we ran into each other after that, it was awful. It’s finally not so terrible, and I can’t go back to the way it was before—I just can’t.”

“It sounds like you already are into her, love.”

Shit, was I? I mean I kissed her, and I did try to sleep with her. I was totally into her!

“This is so fucked! We see each other almost every day. What if we started something, then it ended badly? It would be so awkward and eventually one of us would’ve to move. It’d be too?—”

“Fallon, honey,” she started, “take a breath. Get some sleep, and see what happens, okay? Let yourself enjoy this. You are not the same person you were when you broke up with?—”

“Yes, Dre. I know.” I cut her off. I knew I wasn’t the same person. That person was a pathetic shell of who I was now, and I would be damned if I ever went back to her again. Which was exactly why anything with Mackenzie could not happen.

She sighed. “You have to move on, honey. It’s been a really long time. You deserve to be happy. Even if it’s just from having a fling with your hot neighbor. Stop being so serious, okay? I love you.”

I smiled. “I love you, too, Dre. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Fal.” She hung up and I padded down to the bathroom, in need of a cold shower. I knew she was right, but I had moved on.

Okay, maybe not completely, but it wasn’t like I’d ever want her back. She had destroyed our relationship, and my self-worth, leaving me feeling worthless. I had worked too hard to heal my shattered heart, and I refused to be that na?ve girl again.

My head and my heart both wanted different things, but I knew Mackenzie would be a mistake. A very good, but very bad mistake.

I stood under the cold spray of my shower for a few minutes, hoping it would cool me off, but it didn’t.

My heart knew what it wanted, and right now it was telling me to go back to Mackenzie’s apartment and finish where we left off. With her soft lips kissing their way down to my needy, throbbing… block it out. Don’t think about it. Block it out!

I couldn’t stop thinking about what almost happened—how I craved her touch again. How I wanted to feel her lips on mine, on my skin. How I craved her tongue everywhere.

I hated myself for stopping it. I hated even more that she let me go. If she would’ve stopped me from leaving, I would’ve stayed. I would’ve taken her on the couch, and on the kitchen counter she told me to sit on.

I let out an audible groan. The shower wasn’t helping. I couldn’t stop thinking about her, and my body was starting to catch up with my thoughts.

No! I was not going to go there, not again. I shook my head and turned off the water, grabbing my towel when my phone went off with a text notification.

Drea was already sleeping, and Penelope had been long asleep, so who the hell was texting me so late?

After I dried off, I picked up my phone from the sink and saw who it was:

Mackenzie: Don’t forget our non-date tomorrow, bring your wallet!

I already regretted giving her my number.

Me: Sure thing.

Mackenzie: You roll your eyes a lot. Why don’t you come back over here and finish what you started, and I’ll show you how to roll them the right way.

A crimson tint painted my cheeks. That was dangerously tempting…

Me: In your dreams, Wildcat. Where are we going tomorrow? I could still change my mind. You better be nice to me.

Mackenzie: You could, but you won’t. How do you feel about arcades?

Me: I mean, you know I like arcades. I haven’t been in years, though.

Me: How about a friendly little bet? I’ll go. But if I win the majority of the games, you buy dinner.

Mackenzie: And when I win, you buy dinner?

Me: Haha you’re cute! Deal or no deal?

Mackenzie: I knew you thought I was cute! Yes deal. So I’ll see you tomorrow, about noon? Meet you in the hall. Goodnight, Sunshine.

Me: Goodnight, Wildcat.

I smiled, plugged my phone in next to my bed, and went to sleep, fighting the urge to go back across the hall.