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Chapter Eighteen

MACKENZIE

I finished up with work an hour earlier than usual so I could head home and start getting ready. I wanted to make sure I looked good—not for anyone in particular, of course.

Roxxy came to pick me up with Harper and Rylee. Roxxy and Rylee lived down the street from each other, about thirty minutes out of town.

“Aren’t you all in a relationship? Why are you guys dressed like that? You two are married!” I directed my question to Harper and Rylee, who were both, in fact, married. They had no business dressing like that. I couldn’t deny they still looked good.

Harper laughed. “Maybe you really are a grandma!”

I rolled my eyes. I should’ve never told her what happened that night I crashed Fallon’s party.

“We’re adults, Mother, and we look good as hell.” She gestured to her low-cut strapless black dress that showed off her chest.

Rylee wore a skimpy red spaghetti-strap dress that highlighted her long legs, while Roxxy opted for black skinny jeans and a red plaid button-up shirt. With her faded pixie cut and piercings, she was the most modestly dressed.

“Yes, you all look great. Can we go now? I really need a drink.”

When we got to Reid’s , we found a secluded table in the corner. We all sat down and ordered a round of beers. Fallon was meeting us later, which gave me plenty of time to have at least enough drinks to calm my nerves.

We drank as we all took turns bitching about our lives. No one brought up Fallon, and I wasn’t about to be the first one. She would get there soon enough, and I was already anxious.

I never knew what to expect with her. I never quite knew where I stood with her. One minute she was kissing me without a care in the world, and the next she was apologizing and saying it was a mistake. She wasn’t wrong by saying that.

Anything that happened would be a terrible idea, regardless of how badly I wanted it. That didn’t mean I always made good decisions.

“So, then I—” Roxxy was in the middle of talking about her girlfriend, Laura, when she cut herself off and gasped. “Holy fuck shit, who is that?” Her eyes widened as she gaped at something behind me.

“What?” I frowned at her and followed her gaze to a goddamn goddess of a woman who had just walked in the door. “Holy hell,” I whispered to myself, struggling to catch my breath.

She looked… well, I didn’t have the words for how she looked.

Her red curls were down, blanketing her collarbones. Her makeup was understated, but those crimson lips—the ones I couldn’t stop thinking about—were back. She wore a chocolate- brown, low-plunge dress that clung to her curves and stopped mid-thigh. The amount of skin she was showing was enough to make my pulse race. I was fighting every urge to pin her against the bar right then and there. How on earth was I supposed to get through this night?

I clenched my thighs and turned back to Roxxy. “That’s Fallon,” I said, forcing an even tone, though I couldn’t hide the crack in my voice.

“Wow,” Rylee said. “She looks… wow.”

I scowled at her but excused myself from our table and made my way to Fallon. She hadn’t noticed me yet, but when our eyes met, her mouth opened as if to say something, but her expression quickly shifted into a blinding smile.

I kept walking, unable to take my eyes off her. I couldn’t have looked away if I tried.

I stopped when I approached her, allowing myself a few seconds to take her all in. I couldn’t get enough of her.

What I really wanted to do was grab her and kiss those red lips until her lipstick was smeared across her face.

“You look…” I paused, looking all the way from her curly red hair, down to her black strappy shoes. “Abso-fucking-lutely stunning.”

She laughed, her cheeks turning pink. “Well, hello to you, too. Are you drunk already?”

Drunk on her, maybe. “I’ve had a few, but no. You just look… wow, Fallon.”

“You look… too,” she said, clearing her throat.

I couldn’t hide my grin, enjoying the way she looked at me while struggling to keep her composure. She was rarely at a loss for words, so I reveled in this small victory of the night.

I went for a more casual look with a crimson deep-V halter top, black shorts, and white canvas sneakers. Standing next to her, I might as well have been wearing a trash bag.

“You don’t look so bad yourself.” She cleared her throat. “But it looks like your friends miss you.” She motioned to the table, where Rylee, Roxxy, and Harper were all staring at us, waving their hands, and gesturing for us to join them.

“Hey, guys, get over here!” Harper shouted.

“Yeah, I guess they do. Come on, can I buy you a drink?” I asked.

She laughed. “How charming of you. Sure.”

I placed my hand on the small of her back, guiding her over to the table. She tensed at first, but by the time we reached the group, she had slightly relaxed.

I introduced Fallon to Roxxy and Harper, since she already knew Rylee. Fallon tried to shake hands with them, but they swatted her attempt away and pulled her into a hug.

“Oh, sweetie, we hug here,” Roxxy said with a grin.

Fallon sat down next to Rylee, and I took the seat beside her, leaving Harper and Roxxy across from us.

The waitress came over and I tried to order a round of shots for everyone, but Fallon stopped me with a hand on my shoulder.

“This is your night, Kenzie. This round is on me. Please.” I couldn’t help but mirror her sweet smile.

The waitress brought our drinks, and I was thankful for the distraction. I’d take anything to keep my mind off all the things I wanted to do to her. I didn’t invite her out for… that. I invited her as a friend, and friends don’t have those kinds of inappropriate thoughts about each other. But then again, do they show up looking like a fucking wet dream? Because she sure as hell did.

“Kenzie, babe,” Roxxy started as soon as the waitress left, “we are so fucking proud of you, and we love you. Cheers to friends.” She glanced at Fallon, then smirked at me. I glared in response. “And new adventures.” We all raised our glasses and cheered. With a quick tap against the table, we knocked back our shots.

Fallon leaned over to me, gently placing her hand on my arm. “Congratulations,” she whispered.

I kept glancing over at Fallon, unable to take my eyes off her. It felt like no one else was there. I desperately wanted to rest my hand on her thigh or her back—to have any form of contact.

After our fourth round of shots, I was definitely feeling the heat of her body next to mine, so I made the smart decision to cut myself off. The last thing I needed was more alcohol adding fuel to the fire—especially when I could cause enough problems on my own. And with Fallon dressed like that? I could’ve caused all kinds of problems.

“Kenz, you look hot tonight, girl!” Roxxy said.

“Thanks.” I laughed.

“You better not leave here alone! There are plenty of hot women in here that would kill for a night with you.”

I rolled my eyes in a dismissal, but she kept going, smiling over the rim of her glass. “Seriously, you look too good to let it go to waste. It’s been a while since you?—”

“Thanks, Rox.” I didn’t need Fallon to know anything about my sex life, especially how close it was to becoming non-existent.

“All I’m saying is, enjoy yourself tonight, and find someone to play with.” She winked.

I turned to look at Fallon. There was a coldness in her eyes I’d never seen before. Her lips pressed into a thin line, and her gaze was narrowed, focused entirely on Roxxy. I couldn’t tell if the look sent a thrill down my spine or made my stomach twist in knots. What was going on with her?

“Hey,” I whispered, placing my hand on her chair, “are you okay?”

“Come on, let’s dance.” That was my only warning before she pulled me to my feet and dragged me to the dance floor.

It was a slow song, but she didn’t seem to care, so we just held each other and swayed to the music.

I waited until the song was halfway over before asking again, “Are you sure you’re okay?” I wanted to talk, just the two of us.

She nodded, a soft smile tugging at her lips. “Yes, I’m fine. Thank you for inviting me out. Your friends seem great,” she added, glancing at the group before settling back on me.

“They really are, and I knew they’d like you,” I said with a smile.

“They definitely care about you, especially Roxxy . She’s pretty convinced you should get laid, huh?” she added softly. Her voice was laced with amusement and a hint of something else. I couldn’t tell what it was, but I didn’t like it. She seemed upset or uncomfortable about something, and that was the last thing I wanted her to feel.

“Roxxy? What are you talking about?”

She opened her mouth to answer, but before she could, the music shifted to a fast-paced song. “Oh, I love this song!” Fallon yelled.

I laughed as we changed our tempo to match the music.

One minute we were swaying slowly to the music, and the next, our bodies were pressed together, moving in perfect rhythm. The warmth of the alcohol mixed with the fire building between us. Our hands gripped each other tighter, our moves getting more intense, and the air felt charged, like it was buzzing.

I opened my mouth to say something, but before I could, her lips were on mine. The kiss was rough but still sensual, full of need that made my knees weak and my mind go blank.

Our tongues moved together, just like our bodies, and for a moment, nothing else existed. Every thought and lingering doubt faded away, lost in the heat of her touch. In that moment, there was only Fallon and the undeniable pull between us.

I let out a sharp gasp when her hands traveled farther down to grab my ass.

“Kenzie.” She broke the kiss, my name sounding like a whispered prayer on her lips. “Every time you kiss me, it sends a shock down my body, and I want to beg you to…” She moaned but stopped herself, breaking the kiss and turning red.

“Mackenzie, I…” She pulled away and hurried down the hallway toward the bathrooms. I stood there for a moment, unsure of what to do, unsure of what had just happened.

I finally snapped out of my stunned daze and went after her. I didn’t understand how the night had taken such a strange turn. Had I missed something? Did I inadvertently say or do something wrong?

When I caught up to her, she was pacing back and forth. I paused and waited, giving her space.

She turned toward me, and her pacing stopped. Her eyes were swollen and red. There was something in them that made my chest tighten. Whatever it was, it made me want to pull her close and make it go away.

“Hi,” she whispered, her voice barely audible.

“Hi.” I took a cautious step closer, making sure my tone was soft. She was upset, and I felt an overwhelming need to fix whatever had gone wrong. I reached out, just barely, like I wasn’t sure if she wanted the contact, but the distance between us felt too wide. “Fallon, are you okay? What happened out there?”

Her lips parted like she was going to say something, but nothing came out at first.

She took a deep breath, as if trying to collect herself. Her eyes didn’t meet mine. “I don’t know. I saw Roxxy flirting with you, and then what she said about you not leaving alone, and?—”

I snorted. “Flirting? Fallon, God, no. Roxxy wasn’t flirting. We’ve been best friends since fourth grade. Besides, she’s a little drunk. Anyway, why would it matter? You and I are just friends, right?”

“Yeah, of course, you’re right. I guess I just got…” She trailed off as her cheeks turned red in embarrassment.

“Wait, were you jealous?” I smirked. The idea that Fallon could’ve been jealous sent a flutter through my chest. We were friends, but despite every instinct telling me to walk away, I couldn’t deny my attraction to her. And to think she might’ve felt even a fraction of that? That was a dangerous thought altogether.

“Definitely not!” she blurted out. “I think I’ve had too many shots… I don’t know what I’m saying.”

“Right.” I drew out the word and gave her a knowing look that said I didn’t buy her lie for a second, but I left it alone.

I took a step closer and reached my hand out to fix the strap of her dress. “This dress looks incredible on you,” I whispered, “but I’m curious how it’d look on my bedroom floor.”

Her cheeks flushed. “You?—”

“Wish? I most certainly do, don’t I?” I winked.

“Always a charmer.” She rolled her eyes with a smile.

I chuckled, ignoring the feelings her eye roll stirred in my gut. “Well, come on, we should probably get back,” I said. It was too tempting, being alone with Fallon in the secluded, dark corner of the bar.

She cleared her throat. “Right. We probably should.” I held out my arm and she surprisingly took it, linking us together.

We headed back to our table, where everyone was laughing and having a good time. As we walked up, they looked up and waved us over. “Took you two long enough,” Roxxy teased, while Rylee lifted her glass with a grin. Of course, Harper sat there quietly, observing everyone.

We sat back down, and she spoke again. “Is everything okay?” she asked, her tone more serious, as if she could sense the tension in the air.

Fallon shot me a quick glance before turning to face her. Lifting her chin slightly, she cleared her throat. “Yes, everything’s fine. We were just talking,” she said with a smile, taking a sip of her drink.

Roxxy raised an eyebrow, eyeing both of us with a grin. “It’s always good to talk in the corner of a bar, alone. Can I be next?” she said, her tone teasing.

Harper cleared her throat. “Okay, Roxxy, quit teasing the poor girl before you make her jealous.” She laughed, but I kicked her under the table.

“Ouch,” she whispered, rubbing her leg before kicking me back.

Fallon almost choked on her drink. “What? I’m not jealous. I mean, yeah, Roxxy, you’re gorgeous, but I… we aren’t… I mean?—”

“Breathe.” I laughed, and when I placed my hand on her leg, she finally let out a breath.

Roxxy looked at her, and her expression softened. “Oh, honey, I’m sorry. We were just teasing. We poke fun at each other a lot, and I wanted to make you feel more comfortable. Trust me, Kenzie is not my type.”

“Thanks, Rox!” I playfully scowled.

“We’ve been best friends since we were little. Besides, I am spoken for, maddeningly so. I’m sorry if I made you go all predatory on her ass. You have nothing to worry about.” She smiled at Fallon, who returned the smile.

She leaned over to whisper in my ear. “Thank you for inviting me out.” She nudged my shoulder.

“Get a room, you two!” Rylee said, and we both laughed.

I leaned over and whispered in Fallon’s ear, “That’s not a bad idea.” I smirked, watching her cheeks flush pink. I sat back, took a drink, and grinned like an idiot.

We sat there for another few hours, drinking and talking. Fallon seemed so comfortable with my friends, and I enjoyed my time watching her laugh and chat with them.

She was just… something special. I couldn’t help but wonder if I was the only one feeling something between us.