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Chapter Twenty-Six
MACKENZIE
I was going over to Fallon’s for the first time, and I was a little nervous.
She came over last night, but it didn’t end on the most certain of terms. I had never had so much fun winning a game of poker, but whatever I said or did clearly upset her, which made something in my stomach turn.
She had invited me to spend the afternoon together, so that had to be a good sign, right? We were just going to hang out, play Mario Kart , and binge on pizza, but any time spent with her was a gift.
The last time we were supposed to have a casual day together, we ended up sweaty on my couch, but she made it clear we needed to stop, and I was determined to respect her wishes and not overstep any boundaries. I would rather be sexually frustrated, than get the silent treatment again.
I sent her a text to make sure she was up and to see if she needed anything other than her typical breakfast:
Me: Good morning! Do you want me to bring over anything later?
Sunshine: Hey, sorry I forgot to call you earlier. Can I get a raincheck today?
Me: Is everything okay? If it’s about last night, we can talk about it.
Sunshine: I’m just not feeling my best. I started my period.
Me: Damn that sucks!
Me: Yeah we can hang out another time. Feel better.
Sunshine: Thank you, and I’m really sorry.
Me: Don’t be! It happens!
I wondered if she canceled because she thought I’d want to do something besides play a game. The thought had crossed my mind, but I genuinely just wanted to spend time with her. I wholeheartedly agreed when she said we shouldn’t sleep together anymore. Okay, maybe I didn’t totally agree—but I at least understood where she was coming from.
I knocked on her door a few times before standing back and waiting for her to answer. When she did answer, I couldn’t read her face, but she was dressed in fluffy pink pajamas and matching bunny slippers. I swear, even if she was dressed in a trash bag, she’d still be the most stunning thing to exist on earth.
“Mackenzie? What are you doing here?” I couldn’t tell if she was happy or irritated to see me. After the way we left things last night, it could’ve gone either way, to be honest.
I smiled when she looked at the bags in my hands. “Can I come in? This stuff is kind of heavy.”
She gave me a confused look and a small grin. “Of course, but Kenzie, I’m fine. You didn’t have to do all of this.”
“Are you joking? Of course I did, Sunshine. This is what friends are for.”
She motioned for me to set the bags down on the kitchen table. Fallon’s apartment was vibrant and full of life, just like she was.
Next to the front door was a wooden bookshelf that was filled with various board and card games.
She had a cerulean-colored sofa with black and white pillows and a white throw hanging off the back.
Her dining room table was black and round, with four matching wooden chairs. On the wall behind it were four pictures: two of queer women kissing and two of different musical instruments.
I went through the bags one by one, showing her everything I’d brought to help her feel better. “Okay, so, to start—obviously—I got you breakfast.”
She smiled as she took the iced coffee and banana bread. “Thank you, Kenzie, but seriously, you didn’t have to go through all this trouble. It’s just period cramps. I have endometriosis, so they can get really bad, but I’m fine.”
I frowned at her. The only trouble was my attraction to her. “It’s no trouble at all. Besides, you can’t run away from getting your ass kicked for a second game night in a row!” I winked
She shook her head. “Kenzie, last night was amazing, and I’m sorry for how I left, okay? I?—”
I put my hand on her arm, stopping her apology. I didn’t need it. “Fallon, stop apologizing for how you feel. I agreed with you, remember? My friend is hurting and I am here to make it better. Now, have your breakfast while I tell you what else is in here.”
She rolled her eyes, but smiled and drank her coffee while I went through what I’d brought.
“So, you definitely cannot survive a period without ibuprofen and a heated blanket. I also grabbed some ice cream—but not cookies and cream.” I gagged. “I wasn’t sure what you liked, so I got a few options: peanut butter with chocolate-covered pretzels—my personal favorite—chocolate chip cookie dough, and rocky road. Oh, and I got you some lavender-scented bubble bath because lavender helps with relaxation, plus some bath salts for muscle pain.”
As much as I wanted to offer to help her with the bath, I knew that wasn’t what she needed. It was what I wanted, though—to strip every inch of clothing off her body…
I quickly brushed the thought from my mind. Not tonight. Not again—unless she was absolutely sure.
“And you can’t have a relaxing peaceful day without a great movie! Now, I don’t know what kind of movies you like, but you seem like you have great taste, I mean hello, we slept together.” I flipped my hair over my shoulder and she glared at me with red tinted cheeks.
“Anyway, I brought a classic and a personal childhood favorite— Stuart Little. ” I chuckled. “Obviously, we don’t have to watch it together or do anything together, I just…” My sentence trailed off when her eyes started to get glossy, like she was about to cry.
“Fallon, are you okay? Did I say something wrong? We don’t have to watch the movie. Or is it the ice cream? I should’ve asked before?—”
“No, no, it’s none of that, it’s...” Her words faded as a few stray tears slipped down her face.
I had no idea what was going on or what to do, but I followed her into the living room and sat down on the couch beside her.
She played with a piece of her hair before looking at me. She only did that when she was anxious—but why? For the life of me, I couldn’t figure out what I had done wrong this time.
“I’m sorry, Kenz, I just... stupid ass period.” She sobbed out a laugh and wiped some tears away. “My little brother Caleb and I used to watch Stuart Little all the time before I moved. It’s his favorite movie.”
I wanted to reach out and comfort her, but I thought it was better to keep my distance.
“I can’t believe you did all this for me.” She smiled, her gaze dropping to her feet.
“Of course I did, Fallon. I was kidding about the game. I just wanted to bring this over and make sure you have what you need to feel better,” I said with a soft smile.
I stood up to leave, but she stopped me, grabbing my wrist and standing so we were eye to eye. Her grip was firm, yet her touch sent a warmth through me that I couldn’t ignore. I froze, unable to look away as my thoughts spiraled out of control.
Looking into her soft gray eyes, I couldn’t tell what lengths I would’ve gone to just to make sure they always looked at me the way they did in that moment.
“No, Mackenzie. Please don’t go. I’m not sure I’m in the mood for the movie right now, but we could still play Mario Kart and order pizza. Now that you’re here and did all this for me, it’d be rude to send you away without at least enjoying a slice.” Her smile was warm and inviting, and I couldn’t help wondering if she realized how her fingers were tracing soft circles along my wrist, or how that simple touch set my whole body on fire. How could I ever say no to this woman?
“I won’t argue with that. How about I order the pizza while you get things set up?”
She put away the bags while I quickly ordered the food on the app, and I couldn’t help but watch her move around the apartment, gathering everything we’d need before handing me a controller.
“Since this is my game, and I’m in pain, I get the best controller, and the best character.” She grinned and did a little shimmy in her spot on the couch.
She sat on the left side, which was the same spot she sat in on my couch every time. I thought that was the cutest fucking thing I had ever seen.
“I get the controller, but in what universe do you think Donkey Kong is the best character? Haven’t you seen the movie, or played any of the games? He is literally the worst!” I argued.
“Because, Wildcat, he is a badass! And he makes the coolest noise when you pick him. Who do you think is the best? I swear to God, if you say?—”
“ Yoshi ,” we both said at the same time, laughing. “No, I definitely wasn’t going to say Yoshi . The best is obviously Lakitu , because he’s cute as hell, and I love saying his name.”
“Fair enough, but—” There was a knock on the door that interrupted her thought, and she got up to answer it.
She came back with a piping-hot pizza, and the combined smells of cheese and sauce had my mouth watering. I was a sucker for cheesy New York-style pizza. She set it on the coffee table and sat next to me, her thigh pressing into mine, making me bite back a groan.
Just feeling her bare skin against mine was enough to make me forget the pizza altogether. I had to let that thought go. She was in pain, and she was the one who put an end to things. I couldn’t go against that. But I swore, if I had a choice, I’d choose Fallon over pizza any day.
“Oh my God, I’m so full.” Fallon groaned as she sat back, rubbing her stomach with her eyes closed, while I cleaned up the half-empty pizza box and empty box of cheesy breadsticks.
“Not to judge, but I only had two breadsticks, and two pieces of pizza.” I laughed.
She glared at me. “Fuck off, I’m internally bleeding over here.” She turned her head and closed her eyes again, propping her feet on the coffee table. I loved seeing how comfortable she had become around me. We had come a long way since we first met.
I chuckled at her and shook my head. “I’m sorry, you’re right.”
“Damn straight I’m right! Hey!” she yelled as I grabbed her feet and twisted her, settling her onto the couch with her feet in my lap.
“What the hell, Wildcat? Have you ever heard of asking someone before you give their body whiplash? What are you trying to do, anyway?”
“Do you want a foot massage or not?” I asked with a smirk.
“I mean, I won’t say no, obviously, but like, maybe warn somebody next time.”
I laughed and massaged her feet while she relaxed into the couch. I intentionally ignored the soft moaning sounds she was making and thought of the most nauseating images my mind could think of.
After a good five minutes, I thought she had fallen asleep, so I slowly started to get up when she stopped me.
“Hey, why’d you stop? I was enjoying that.” Her voice was soft and sleepy, freezing me in place. Fuck, if that wasn’t the sexiest thing I’d ever heard. Whatever we had, there was no way I was getting out of it in one piece.
I turned to her and smiled. “I’m sorry, I thought you fell asleep.”
“Almost, but no. I should get up anyway before I really fall asleep. You’re too good with your hands.” I laughed when her eyes went wide, realizing what she’d said.
I let her have that one and didn’t mention it. “You should get some sleep, it’ll help you feel better.”
“No, it’s okay. I promised you at least a few rounds of Mario Kart . Besides, I won’t sleep tonight if I take a nap now.” I didn’t argue any further.
We played two rounds of the game, which I let her win—but I’d never tell her that. Who could blame me? She wasn’t feeling good, and I didn’t have the heart to add to it. I wouldn’t tell Harper about it either. I wasn’t ashamed of coming over to comfort her, but…
She would’ve kicked my ass if she knew I’d purposely lost at Mario Kart . I could get dangerously competitive with that game, but for Fallon, I was willing to lose a game or two. Speaking of Fallon…
“Why are you so happy over there?” She was doing her little happy dance, the same one she did when she ate something really good. I was always taking note of the little things she did—the little things that made her… her.
“I kicked your ass, Wildcat!”
I laughed. “Okay, don’t rub it in! Congratulations. Maybe we should’ve placed our bets beforehand.” She sent me a glare at the mention of last night, and I winked in response.
It wasn’t my fault she lost the bet during our poker game, but if the sounds she made were any indication, I’d say she couldn’t have been that upset about losing.
“Kidding. I’m glad you enjoyed yourself.”
“I really did. I still can’t believe you did all this for me. I’m not sure I would’ve done the same for you.” She grinned.
“It’s okay. I’m a giver, not a receiver.”
She coughed and nudged my arm, her cheeks turning a bright shade of pink as my words caught her off guard. “Anyway, thank you for taking care of me. Of course, I would’ve done the same for you.”
“Well, thank you for spending time with me, despite not feeling well. I promise, it wasn’t my intention to ruin your day.” I patted her leg and stood up, but as she started to get up with me, I stopped her.
“No, you lie down. I’m getting your blanket.”
She looked at me, confused, probably wondering why I was being so insistent. “Kenzie, what?”
I let out a quiet sigh. “Just lie down, please. Let someone take care of you for once.”
I came back with the blanket and plugged it in. “You’ re going to lie here and take a nap if you want, or watch Stuart Little and feel better. I’m going to leave so you can enjoy the rest of your day. Do you want any ice cream before I go?”
She smiled. “Yeah, but you didn’t get cookies and cream.”
I gagged. “Sunshine! I told you, we don’t eat that shit!”
She laughed. “I know. You’re too easy. I’ll take the rocky road, please.”
I shuddered at the thought of cookies and cream anything, but went to get her ice cream anyway. She was so lucky she wasn’t feeling well—otherwise, I might’ve made a bigger deal about it.
“Thank you again, Kenzie, for all of this. It really means a lot to me. I’ve never had anyone do anything like this for me before. Not even my ex.” She smiled softly, and something in her eyes made my chest tighten.
“Of course, Fallon.” I leaned down to place a kiss on her temple. When I pulled back, our eyes locked, and I had to force myself not to lean in again.
I tried to back away, but she grabbed my shirt, pulling me closer to her. “Kenzie,” she whispered. Hearing my name on her lips felt like a quiet prayer, gentle and pure.
I grabbed the side of her face and caressed her chin. “Fallon…” I took a deep breath and cleared my throat. I needed to get out of there.
It was becoming nearly impossible not to lean in and kiss her, and I promised myself I wouldn’t do that anymore. “Feel better, okay?”
She loosened her grip on my shirt and nodded, my gut twisting at the rejection that flashed across her face. I didn’t have the strength to question it. If she wanted me, all she had to do was ask, and I’d be hers in a heartbeat—if I wasn’t already.
I let go of her chin and stood up, placing a hand on her leg. I still needed some sort of contact before I left. She looked down at my hand and smiled sweetly.
“If you need anything at all, you know where to find me, okay?”
“Of course. Thank you, Kenzie.” She smiled, and I couldn’t help returning it before turning to walk out of her apartment.
Table of Contents
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- Page 26 (Reading here)
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