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Chapter Twenty-Two

MACKENZIE

After the hallway incident, I avoided Fallon for the past week. What we did was… well, it was explosive, but it was also a bad idea. And seeing her in the hallway as her best friend was leaving only confirmed she felt the same way.

Which was good, because I definitely didn’t want it to happen again. Still, as much as I didn’t want to have the awkward conversation, we needed to in order to move past this.

The morning after our night together, I thought Fallon and I had moved past our differences and could start over. I even caught myself fantasizing about making her breakfast in bed. I’d had my fair share of one-night stands, but Fallon felt different.

I woke up before she did and patiently waited for her to open her beautiful eyes. The look on her face told me I was completely wrong about where I stood with her. What was I thinking?

A few days ago, I finally got the courage to text her, asking if we could talk. I’d tried reaching out a few more times since then, but every message had gone unanswered.

After waiting around for several days, I decided we had to talk about what happened, and I knew the first place to look if I wanted to find her.

“Hey, Mackenzie, welcome in.” Drea greeted me with a look that made it clear her best friend hadn’t filled her in on what happened.

Maybe Fallon was ashamed and hadn’t told anyone, or maybe she hadn’t had the chance yet. Maybe Drea knew and just didn’t care? I really needed to stop thinking so much about it.

I smiled back, my eyes scanning the bookstore for a familiar pair of gray ones. “Hey, Drea.” I walked up to the counter where she was finishing up with a customer.

“What’s going on? Anything I can help you find?”

“Actually, I’m looking for Fallon. Have you seen her today?” I asked, knowing that if anyone knew where to find her, it was her best friend.

“Oh no, I’m sorry, not today. Is everything alright?”

I smiled tightly. “Uh, I don’t know. I haven’t seen or talked to her in a few days, and I just wanted to make sure she’s okay.”

I wasn’t sure what Drea knew, so I didn’t want to reveal too much about what had been going on. Still, I had a feeling she sensed something was up when I saw her leaving Fallon’s apartment the other day.

“Well, aren’t you sweet? I’ll be sure to send her your way when I see her.”

“Yeah, thanks, Drea. Have a good day, alright?”

“Of course. You, too, love.”

My last stop was Brewed Awakening before taking off for work. I needed to take my mind off things at home, and work was as good of a distraction as anything else.

When I got to work, I noticed a missed call from an unfamiliar number. I shrugged it off, but a few hours later, a text came through from the same number. I dropped my phone as soon as I opened the message and saw who it was from:

Unknown Number: Hey Kenz. It’s Rebecca.

Unknown Number: I know it’s been a while. I miss you. Can you call me? Please, K?

“Kenzie? Kenzie?!” Roxxy was shouting, but all I could do was stare blankly ahead. The shock of those messages had shattered every part of my senses.

“Mackenzie!” I snapped back to reality as Roxxy shook me.

“I’m sorry, I… what happened?” I closed my eyes, shaking my head as I tried to make sense of what was going on.

“That’s what I’m trying to figure out. Kenzie, you look really pale. Are you okay?” She watched me, concern filling her eyes.

I had to sit and blink a few times before I could find the words. “I, uhh…” I cleared my throat. “Earlier, I missed a call from a number I didn’t recognize, and they just texted me.” I took a deep breath before continuing. “It was Rebecca, Rox. She said she misses me and wants me to call her.”

“Are you out of your fucking mind, Mackenzie?! You cannot seriously be considering this!” she yelled.

I rolled my eyes. “Of course not, don’t be ridiculous. But what does she want? And why is she contacting me now? It’s been two years!”

“Since she fucked some bitch on your couch? Yes, I know. That is exactly why you are not replying back. She doesn’t deserve shit from you. I swear, I want to light a firework and shove it up her ass for what she did to you.”

I snorted. “That’s extreme, but also eerily specific. Have you thought about this at all?”

She shrugged. “Once or twice.” The grin on her face was pure evil. I laughed and rolled my eyes. I put my phone away, refusing to respond.

Roxxy didn’t need to know the texts from Rebecca had affected me. Every now and then, she crossed my mind, but any desire to reach out to her was long gone. I thought I’d marry her one day—maybe we’d have a few kids and some fur babies. She ruined all of that the moment I caught her fucking someone else in our apartment.

At the time, Rebecca was a business consultant and traveled constantly for work. I didn’t think anything of it when we started dating, but after four years together, I began to get suspicious. I offered to fly out to spend time with her on her trips, but she always found reasons why it wouldn’t work. When I confronted her about it, she’d turn things around and accuse me of not trusting her. Eventually, I brushed away any doubts, believing the love I had for her was enough.

After a business deal closed, Rebecca was home for a few weeks, and I was so excited to have her back that I left work early to spend the afternoon with her. I picked up her favorite wine and a few ingredients to cook her a romantic dinner and surprise her—but when I got home, I found a surprise of my own.

I quietly opened the front door of our apartment and set the bags on the kitchen table. That’s when I heard the loud moans.

Thinking she was probably watching something on the TV, I imagined the ways I wanted to worship her body. Slowly, I walked into the dimly lit living room, wanting to surprise her. But instead, I found her with another woman.

Rebecca was lying on the couch, totally unaware I had walked in. The other woman was underneath her, moaning loudly. I didn’t stay to confront either of them. I was so shocked that I backed up and walked right out of the apartment. I cried all the way to Harper’s place, telling myself I’d never fall for anyone again.

After work, I wandered into a bar near my apartment. I needed several drinks and maybe an easy distraction, anything to keep my mind off Fallon. Each time I saw a redhead, my chest tightened, and I found myself reaching for another drink.

By the time I left the bar, I had danced with three women—none of them with red hair, coincidentally—and staggered my drunk, miserable ass home. I was intoxicated and in no condition to make any good decisions.

That was the only explanation I had for knocking on Fallon’s door well past midnight. I didn’t even know what I’d say if she opened it.

After a few unanswered knocks, I gave up. I thought I heard movement inside, but I shrugged it off and went home. She’d been ignoring my calls and texts, so it was clear she didn’t want to talk, and that was fine.

Harper called shortly after I got home, but I ignored her. I assumed Roxxy told her what happened, and I didn’t want to talk to anyone. I needed to get my thoughts together and get back on track. I went out specifically for a distraction and to forget about the past several weeks, but… I just couldn’t.

Before I slept with Fallon, I had no trouble falling into someone’s bed and leaving the next morning without a word, but now, I wasn’t sure it would be so simple. Get it together! You slept together one time, and she’s ignoring you!

I shouldn’t have been so affected by her. I thought one night was all I wanted. I got what I needed, and I should’ve been able to move on.

Groaning, I threw myself onto the bed. I needed sleep to suffocate my thoughts.

I couldn’t tell if I’d been asleep for a few hours or if it had been days. The clock on my phone told me it had only been six hours, but I didn’t want to believe it, so I groaned and rolled over.

“Oof.” Apparently, I rolled the wrong way, and there wasn’t any more bed to land on, causing me to meet the floor instead of my soft pillow. I hoped the fall was enough to hurt me so I wouldn’t have to get up. Sadly, my bladder informed me I hadn’t fallen hard enough, and I stood up against my will.

After getting out of the bathroom, I texted Rylee. If anyone could cure a hangover, it was her:

Me: Help!

Rylee: Haha long night?

Me: You could say that… Can you help please?!

Rylee: Of course. I’m just waking up so give me like 20 minutes.

Me: Literal life saver… I love you so much!

I put my hair in a messy bun, not bothering to put on real clothes as I ordered a car to Rylee’s.

I was in no mood to be driving, and the driver probably thought I was doing the ride of shame for the way I looked. I felt pretty shameful, honestly. Knocking on Fallon’s door in the middle of the night, after she had been ignoring me? Talk about pathetic.

It was Lana’s lovely face that greeted me when I knocked on the door. “Good morning, sunshine.” She smiled brightly.

It was way too early for her chipper personality, but if Rylee came to the door, she would’ve been a lot louder than her wife was, and she would’ve done it on purpose, fully aware of how sick I felt.

I grumbled something that was supposed to sound like a reply, which only made her laugh as she opened the door to let me inside.

“She’s in the kitchen making your drink now,” she said, closing the door behind me. I shuffled into the kitchen and slumped into a chair at the table.

As much as I loved my sister, her place was the last one I wanted to be when I was hungover. She wouldn’t outright judge me, but her mama bear instincts would kick in—followed by a lecture I wasn’t ready for. And Roxxy… I adored my best friend, but she’d be cracking jokes the whole time. I needed somewhere peaceful, a place where I wouldn’t be judged and could actually start to feel human again.

Rylee turned around, took one look at my disheveled mess of a body, and shook her head with a smirk. “You and Fallon have quite the night?”

I groaned, feeling the nausea creep back up. Maybe I should’ve just stayed home. Was my life so uneventful that Fallon was the only interesting thing anyone could talk about? I wasn’t in the mood to unpack that thought.

A wave of frustration surged through me at the mention of her name. I was in this state because of Fallon. Okay, obviously it wasn’t her fault I tried to drink my body weight in alcohol last night.

“I wasn’t with Fallon last night. I drank with my other friends—tequila and vodka.” I threw my head on the table.

“Okay… my mistake.” She turned around and I wanted to cry when she started the blender.

When the blender turned off, she apologized, and I waved her off with a grunt. She handed me a cup of the most disgusting-looking drink, and the urge to vomit was overwhelming.

“What did you make to poison me with?” I asked, blanching at the color.

She laughed. “Just shut up and drink it. You’ll feel better, trust me.”

Against my better judgment, I held my breath and took a long sip. She rolled her eyes as I tried to keep the drink down. “Will you relax? It’s just some pickle juice, a banana, a splash of coconut water, honey, Greek yogurt, and some spinach.”

“Are you trying to make me vomit?”

She chuckled. “No, now keep drinking. I have to get ready for work. Are you going to be okay?” She rubbed my arm and I gave her a soft smile.

“Yeah, I just need life brought back into my body.”

She gave Lana a quick kiss before heading upstairs. Lana smacked her on the ass, making me cringe at both their cuteness and the drink as I forced another gulp down.

“I don’t know what’s more nauseating, the two of you or this drink.”

Lana laughed as she watched her wife leave the room. “I’ve had that drink, it’s not that bad, so don’t insult my wife’s amazing skills. Also, I’m not sorry that our cuteness offends you!”

They really were adorable, and despite my grumpy mood, I was happy for them. I used to be jealous of the love they shared. A long time ago, I wanted that too, but I had to learn the hard way that finding true love just wasn’t in the cards for me. For the longest time, I thought I had it. I soon realized that love like that is rare and doesn’t exist for everyone.

“Do you want to talk about her?” I looked up at Lana’s words.

“Her?” I asked, confused. My brows came together, trying to place who she could’ve been talking about.

She sighed and sat down next to me, giving my arm a reassuring squeeze. “You know who I’m talking about, Kenz. Fallon—the only woman you’ve brought around.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Feigning ignorance, I finished the smoothie and went to rinse out the cup in the sink.

“Mackenzie, stop avoiding the subject. You wouldn’t have come here if you didn’t want to talk about it. So, why don’t you tell me the real reason you went out.”

I should’ve stayed home and suffered in peace. “When we went out the other night, I think I screwed up and lost a good friend.”

She chuckled. “Friend? I heard about you and your friend dancing the other night, Kenz. I’ve never danced with any of my friends like that, and I’ve certainly never made out with them.”

I glared toward the stairs. “Fucking Rylee. Look, it doesn’t matter, she won’t talk to me at all.”

“Well I don’t know anything about her, or whatever is going on between the two of you, but I do know you, and I can see it’s bothering you. You don’t act like this after any one-night stand, so she must mean at least something to you.”

“Who said we slept together?” As far as I was aware, no one knew about that night. Yeah, we made out, but I hadn’t told any of my friends about what happened once we got home.

Her only answer was a look. She either knew me too well, or Rylee assumed something happened. I wasn’t about to admit to anything, but it also felt wrong to lie about that night. I would never be ashamed of anything that happened with Fallon.

“Just take some time and see what happens. Don’t put too much pressure on the situation,” she said, and I was grateful she didn’t press the issue further.

“Thanks, Lana.” I groaned. “I better go. Tell Rylee her drink is fucking nasty, but I’ll let her know if it works.”

She walked me to the door and pulled me into a hug. I reveled in the warmth and familiarity of her comfort. “Bye, Kenzie. Feel better, sweetie, and good luck with everything.”

The whole ride home, I kept my eyes closed, praying the drink would work and that any thoughts of Fallon would leave my mind.