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Chapter Thirty-Four

MACKENZIE

“Baby, I have to go. If I’m late, Harper will kill me, and then who will satisfy you?” Fallon was straddling me, fresh from round two, and already trying to start round three.

She bit my collarbone and I completely lost my train of thought. She knew every button to press, and damn could she press a button in the best way.

“Okay, seriously, baby, I really have to go.” I moaned as I reluctantly placed her in the bed next to me. If it were up to me, we would never leave this room.

She pouted and kissed me, making me contemplate canceling on Harper. “Fine, fine. You’re no use to me dead. Go, but take one last look at what will be waiting for you when you get home.” She pulled the sheets off to the side, and her hand slowly started to make its way down…

She smirked as I groaned and kissed her one last time before getting up to take a shower.

After the best make up sex of my entire life, we had a long conversation about our expectations moving forward. Even though I was terrified of getting hurt again, the thought of losing Fallon felt worse, so I made a promise to myself that I would do whatever it took to not ruin what we had.

When I got to Harper’s, they were already sitting down at the table. Harper looked peeved, and Grant looked guilty of something, but I didn’t dare ask what happened.

I kissed Harper on the cheek and said hello to Grant. “I’m sorry I’m a little late, traffic was a bitch.” It wasn’t a total lie. I did hit traffic… after Fallon helped me take a shower.

We ate in silence for about ten minutes before Harper put down her fork and cleared her throat. “So, drinks at Reid’s … that was fun.”

My fork froze in mid-air, and I slowly looked up to meet her hard stare. Her eyebrows were raised, and it felt as though she was looking right through me. She could be one intimidating bitch when she wanted to be.

“Yeah, it was,” I said coolly. I glanced over at Grant, who was looking down at his plate, oblivious to the silent fight brewing in Harper’s eyes. Lucky bastard. Whether he knew what was going on or not, I didn’t want to find out.

She cleared her throat. “It was terrible that you ‘tripped’ into that adorable couple at the bar.”

When she said the words “adorable couple,” my cup stopped just before it reached my lips. My eyes twitched, and I narrowed them. “I did trip,” I bit back.

“I’m sure you did. And you felt so embarrassed about it that you had to storm off and leave your ‘friend’ in tears?” she added.

Fallon was crying? A heavy ache settled in the hollow of my chest, and I felt two inches tall.

Her voice had raised a little and she kicked Grant under the table, which caused him to groan softly.

When he looked up at her, she gave him a terrifying glare with gritted teeth.

“Well, I’m going to, uhh… go,” Grant said as he stood up. He kissed her cheek and gave me a sympathetic glance.

I glared at him. Thanks for leaving me alone with her, asshole!

When he went into the kitchen, I shot her a look. “What the hell, Harper?” I asked.

Her fork clashed onto her plate. “Mackenzie, what the fuck is wrong with you? What happened?!” she yelled.

“Nothing. Like I told you a million times, I tripped!”

She rolled her eyes. “Mackenzie, do you know who you’re lying to? I know damn well you didn’t accidentally trip. You saw Fallon out with another woman—getting close to her, touching her, and kissing her. You got pissed off and caused a scene. My question is, why?”

A sharp wave of anger shot through me. She smirked, clearly seeing my clenched jaw and white knuckles around my fork. She knew damn well her words had hit their mark.

“How many times do I have to tell you? We are just?—”

“Goddamnit! Stop saying you’re just friends! I’m not a fucking idiot. You wouldn’t have stood up so suddenly and gone to the bathroom—with your drink—if she was just a friend. I might have believed you, had the bathroom not been in the opposite direction of the bar.” She glared.

My drink was more interesting than what was being said on the other side of the table. At least, that’s what I told myself when I didn’t look at her or respond.

“She wasn’t just a friend the night of your promotion celebration, and she sure as hell wasn’t just a friend that night, either. After you stormed out, she walked by our table and was sobbing, Mackenzie. Friends don’t cry over friends like that. That night we met her, we watched you two the entire time. Fallon looked at you like she would stop breathing if she looked away, even for a second. That is not how friends look at each other.”

I rubbed my face. None of this was supposed to happen, damnit.

We were just friends, and then somewhere along the way, it became more, and now I can’t imagine going back to anything other than what we were now.

“I... I didn’t know she cried.” Guilt twisted in my chest. I had no idea how I could ever show Fallon how sorry I was for what happened with Cara. “We didn’t fight—not at the bar, anyway. I just got confused, upset, and I had to get out of there. When I got home, that’s when it all blew up.”

“Mackenzie, I know you’re still getting over your breakup. You’re scared, and I get that. But you have to stop lying to yourself. It’s not just hurting you—it’s hurting Fallon, too, and neither of you deserve that. What are you two doing? Are you still keeping it casual, or is it something more?”

“I don’t know, Harper, okay? I don’t want to feel this way about her. I don’t want to get hurt again—I can’t.” I dragged a hand down my face, frustration and fear twisting inside me. “It’s just... when I’m with her, I feel…”

Harper’s voice was gentle, free of judgment. “You’re falling for her, aren’t you?”

“I think, maybe? Fuck,” I groaned, shaking my head. “I just know that when I’m with her, I never want to leave, and when I look at her, I never want to stop. Her laugh... it feels like a part of me, and it’s something I don’t want to live without.”

“Honey.” She reached across the table to grab my hand. “You’re falling for her, hard. And that’s okay, that’s really okay, but have you told her how you feel? How does she feel?”

I sighed. “I mean, she asked me not to sleep with anyone else, and I’m not, obviously, but I don’t know if I’m ready for that word yet. I’m not sure if I’m ready to face the possibility of my feelings being one-sided.”

She laughed. “Considering she was devastated when you left her, and not her date, I think it’s safe to say she feels the same way, sweetie.”

“God, I’m so screwed aren’t I?”

She just laughed. “Yeah, you really are. But in the best way.”