“Luke, I understand. I fully remember our past conversations about it. It’s why every time I dreamed of us being together, which was often, I would have to bury my deep feelings for you.”
Flipping her over, I cover her with my body. I’m devouring her mouth and neck while my hands move along her curves. “Kenzie, as much as I’ve always wanted you, you’re doing even crazier things to me now.”
“I want you too, Luke.”
“Then please, baby, let me touch you,” I whisper in her ear as her fingers grip my hair.
“OK,” she says breathless.
Chapter Nine
Luke
I’m staring into Kenzie’s angel eyes at her locker. She smiles bashfully. Leaning over, I run my tongue around her ear. “I want to touch you again.”
“Yeah, I feel like I freed a caged animal.”
“It’s a lot of years of pent up sexual frustration, but mostly it’s you, Kenz. I told you, you do crazy things to me.” I go back to licking her ear.
“Get a room already,” Dalton says as he walks up to us. I lift my head, and Kenzie is beet red.
“I have to go.” She gives me a quick peck on the cheek and slides out from where I have her pinned. I turn around and find Dalton smirking.
“Wow, you two aren’t wasting any time.”
“She’s driving me mad. I want to touch her every second. And no, you can’t talk to me about my sister. You’ll have to find someone else.”
“No worries there, man. I think I know better.”
“I do have a favor to ask where she’s concerned. Will you talk to her about forgiving McKenzie?” I ask.
“She hates it. I’m trying to get her to see it’s not a big deal. I’ll work on it some more, but I’m still trying to get to know her better. I don’t want to piss her off.”
“I understand. Thanks, bro,” I say.
***
At the end of the day, I find Liv at her locker. I’m determined to speak with her before she leaves with Dalton. “Liv.”
She takes a glance at me before going back to what she was doing. “Don’t do this, sis.”
“Don’t you, Luke. You’ve changed everything.” She lets her backpack hit the floor as her arms stiffen out to her sides. I don’t get why she’s furious over this.
“Liv, if you would get on board, we could all hang out together, Dalton, too. Kenzie misses you, and you can’t tell me you don’t miss her.”
“That’s where you’re wrong,” she says curtly before grabbing her backpack and marching off. I slam my fist on her locker, and when I turn around, Kenzie is standing right there, tears streaming down her cheeks.
“Oh, Kenzie, she didn’t mean that. She’s angry, but you know how much you mean to her.”
“Obviously, I was wrong.” I close in on the few feet between us, but she steps back. “I’m getting my things, and I’ll meet you at the car,” she says before hurrying away. I slam my fist on the locker again. “Fuck.” I refuse to let Olivia ruin what Kenzie and I finally have.
McKenzie
Riding home with Luke, I turn my head to stare out the passenger window, hoping he won’t see me wiping away my tears. He has a tight grip on my other hand. It’s going to be difficult to get away from him, but I have to.
“I’m going to my house to be alone. I need time to think,” I say after he parks in his driveway. It’s a breezy, fall day, and I notice how beautiful the trees that shelter our homes appear.
The leaves float away from them, and it’s a fluttering cascade of red and yellow dancing everywhere. I have flashbacks to a few of the falls I’ve spent with Luke and Olivia. How many seasons have I shared with Luke?
“Kenzie, please don’t push me away. I know what Liv’s friendship means to you, but it hasn’t been that long. I still believe she’ll accept this with time.”
“My feelings are hurt, and I need to be alone.”
Luke shifts to face me and cups my face.
“Will you give up what we have if it’s the only way to keep her friendship?” I witness the desperation in his eyes, and it’s only making me more conflicted.
“I’m afraid she could tear us apart, and I don’t want to lose you as a friend. It might be better to have only a friendship than to do this and end up losing you completely. I also feel guilty over her being mad at you.”
“She’ll get over it.”
“You don’t know that.”
“Maybe you don’t care about me as much as you say if you can give up that easily,” he says as he lets me go.
“Luke, I didn’t say I wanted to break up. I told you I was hurting and needed time to think.” Jumping out of the car, I slam the door and stomp to my house. My mom’s car is in the driveway. Why is she home?
“There you are,” she says. My mom, Charlotte, is forty. I think she’s beautiful but often appears drained. Her light brown hair is down but tousled.
She refuses to let me work, wanting me to focus on my grades, so she teaches nursing classes at a technical school by day and moonlights as a nurse several nights a week.
“Hi, what are you doing home this early?” I ask.
“There was something wrong with the plumbing at school, causing them to have to shut off the water, so they cancelled afternoon classes.”
“At least you get a break.”
“It’s much needed.” I feel my mom’s eyes on me from the couch as I move around the kitchen. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing.”
“You’re sad, what is it?”
I sigh as I fix a glass of tea. She’s not going to let up until I give her something, so I stroll to the living room and plop down onto the recliner.
“Liv is mad at me.”
“It’s time Olivia grows up. That girl has hurt your feelings enough over the years. What for this time?”
“She might have grounds for it. I’m not sure.” Avoiding eye contact, I stare at the television. “I don’t know why this is hard to tell you, but it is.”
“What is it, honey?”
I bite my lip hard and finally look at my mom.
“Luke and I are dating. I really like him, and Liv is mad about it. She doesn’t want us together.”
My mom smiles, which for some reason surprises me. “I’ve always known you two would end up together.”
“You did?”
“It’s been obvious for years.” She takes a deep breath. “This means you have a boyfriend. I’ve been fortunate not to have to worry about that thus far.”
“I’ll be eighteen in December, Mom, and you know how wonderful Luke is.”
“I know, and there is no one I’d rather see you with.”
“What about Liv? Am I wrong to date her brother?”
“No. You’ve been friends with him the same as her. If she truly cares for you and values your friendship, she should want you to be happy. Olivia should also want that for her twin.”
“Luke’s mad at me. I told him I needed time to think about whether we should date since Liv is upset.”
“Kenzie, get your butt over there and tell him you don’t need time to think.” My mom is pointing toward the door.
I knew she liked Luke but geez. She’s right though. I care about him too much to let Liv interfere. There’s no way I could date someone else or watch him do the same.
“Thanks, Mom. It’s like you were supposed to be home today.” Passing off my tea and hugging her quickly, I dart over to Luke’s.
I wear the path down a little more in the yard between our homes. Pounding on the door, I wait anxiously for him to answer. When he opens it, my stomach clenches from the saddened look on his face.
“Luke, can I please come in?”
Without a word, he moves away from the door so I can enter. As soon as he shuts it and turns, I throw my arms around his neck.
“I’m sorry I caused you to doubt that I want this. I want to be with you more than anything. I was hurt by Liv’s words, but not being with you would hurt
a million times worse.”
His arms wrap around me, and I hear him exhale a large breath. “Kenzie, I’m sorry for what I said, too, but please don’t do that again. It tore me up. I can’t be without you, sweetheart.
“Not now that I’ve held you like this,” Luke leans back and kisses my lips softly, “and tasted this sweet mouth. You’re mine, Kenz.”
Luke
I’ve been a wreck, seriously thinking Kenzie would break up with me. She’s sweet and feels guilt easily. I was afraid she would believe she had no choice because of Olivia.
Since Kenzie’s dad verbally and physically abused her, while she was growing up, she questions all of her decisions and behavior. I hate it.
She’s healed some since the asshole left almost four years ago, but it will forever be a part of who she is. Liv and I will always remember, having lived it with her, and we didn’t handle the situation correctly.
Every time Liv and I wanted to tell my parents, Kenzie would beg us not to. Her mother didn’t know, and Kenzie was afraid of what her dad would do if her mom discovered it. She also worried she’d be taken away from them.
The selfish part of me never wanted to risk Kenzie having to move. I felt stuck, and the situation with her father is another reason I’ve always been protective of her.
Our tongues meet again, our kiss urgent, giving an apology for what happened earlier.
Her hands find my hair while mine squeeze her hips, my body wanting more and more of Kenzie.
“Let’s go to my room,” I whisper.
“I can’t. I’m sorry, but Mom’s home, so I should spend time with her.”
I groan and tug her even closer.
“I understand. Listen, you have to stop with the guilt. I want you to believe in the person I see in front of me. She’s incredible.”
Kenzie hugs me tight. “Thank you, Luke. You’re pretty incredible yourself. I’ll call you later.”
Her voice is soft and sweet like her, and I’ll keep telling her how special she is until she believes.
***
It’s five minutes into lunch when I notice that Kenzie isn’t in the cafeteria, so I text her.
Me: Baby, where are you??
Kenz: Outside on a ledge, eating my boring ham sandwich.
Me: Is this because of Liv?
Kenz: Yes. I can’t see her after what she said yesterday.
I don’t reply. If I tell her I’m coming to see her, she’ll tell me to stay with my friends.
“Sorry, Dalton, but you’ll likely have my sister crying on your shoulder. I’m calling her out. I’ve had it with how she’s treating Kenzie.”
He doesn’t reply as I go to stand. I think he’s still grateful I’m not giving him shit about dating her, and he knows Olivia has no grounds for being pissed over this.
I march to my sister’s table, and her friends glance up and smile. “Luke, where’s McKenzie?” Shelby asks.
“She doesn’t feel welcome after the shitty treatment my sister has been giving her.”
“I haven’t said a damn thing to Kenzie,” Liv spouts.
“Exactly, Liv. You’re avoiding her, and you know it’s going to hurt her, not to mention that she heard what you said to me yesterday about not missing her. I never thought I’d use this word with you, but you need to grow up and stop being a bitch.”
I have enough time to watch her swallow hard and see her friends eyes widen before I storm away. I’ve tiptoed around Liv long enough.
Chapter Ten
McKenzie
I’m sitting outside when Luke approaches me, and he appears angry. “What’s wrong with you?” I ask.
“I told my sister off. I’ve had it.”
I bring my arm up and drop it back down.
“Are you trying to make her hate me even more?”
“Kenzie, she’s wrong. Everyone knows it.”
“You should go back inside and sit with your friends.”
Luke pulls me up from the ledge by my hand and wraps me in his arms. “No. I was missing you already, and getting to see your gorgeous face at lunch is what gets me through until the end of the school day.”
He begins kissing me passionately, but I quickly move away. “We’re going to get in trouble. There’s a lunch monitor right behind you.”
“Kissing you is worth it, but I don’t want you in trouble, so I’ll try to refrain from further PDA.” He smirks before directing us both back to the ledge.
“I have some good news,” he says.
“What’s that?”
“Dad and Liv are going back to see my grandparents this weekend, and he’s not making me go. I told him I needed to get some hockey time in at the rink before season starts. You know how my dad is; he’ll never take that away. God forbid I screw with his master plan.”
“Isn’t it what you want, too?” I ask.
“I guess, but it’s a lot of pressure. I’m afraid I’ll let him down somehow. Anyway, I will have the house to myself.”
Luke squeezes my hand as he leans over and plants a kiss on my neck. I giggle. “You’re already failing with the PDA.”
“I can’t not touch you, Kenz. It’s hopeless,” he whispers, his tongue finding my ear.
“Mr. Harris, that display of affection isn’t appropriate at school,” Mrs. Sparks says with a stern look. Luke lifts his head and grins at me with round eyes.
“I’m sorry, Mrs. Sparks. I won’t let it happen again. Well, that’s probably a lie, but I’ll try harder.” He never looks her way, but I watch her roll her eyes.
I hear several snickers from other students, and I feel my face turning red. Luke knows he’d have to do something way worse to be in trouble.
He’s an honor student, excellent at sports, and never causes trouble. He’s too important of an asset to our athletic department.
“Will you please stay with me? Your mom will be working, right?”
“Yes, but I don’t know, Luke.”
“I’ll try to behave,” he says with that adorable smile. “I want to sleep next to you.”
My heart is ready to experience everything with him, but in my mind I’m scared of the unknown. I would have never moved this fast with any other guy, and I don’t believe Luke would have with any other girl, but we’re comfortable with each other already.
Luke knows me well enough to have the courage to ask for what he wants. He’d never force me to do anything, but it doesn’t mean he isn’t going to see how far I’ll go willingly.
We can’t keep our hands off each other when we’re alone, so I’m not sending the message of resistance. The thought has me chuckling.
Luke
Kenzie appears to be laughing at me.
“What are you finding funny?”
“The fact we can’t keep our hands off each other now, yet we managed to for years.”
I smile at her bashfully, which is even funnier after everything we’ve done. “I think you’re mistaken. Over the years, I had a lot of trouble keeping my hands and mouth off of you.”
***
Age 12:
“Kenzie, what’s wrong?” I ask as I climb into the treehouse.
“My dad ... he’s so mean.” Kenzie sniffles and wipes her eyes with her shirt sleeve. She’s lying on the carpeted floor, so I lie next to her on my side.
“Liv is at the store with Mom. I’ll send her over when she gets home.”
“Everything is wrong. I’ve come to the conclusion that you are the only male on the planet who likes me.”
“That’s not true.” I drape my arm over her waist and pull her closer. I hate when Kenzie is sad, and I hate when her dad is an asshole and hits her.
“Instead of me, Jordan asked Missy to go to the spring dance with him. Dad punished me when I got home. If you weren’t so dang nice, I’d probably hate males altogether.”
“Go to the dance with me,” I say.
“You don’t have to do that. I know you wanted to ask Carmon.”
“Maybe I don�
�t.”
“You said you were going to ask her.”
“That was when I thought Jordan would ask you. I’d go with you before her.”
“I can go alone.” Kenzie’s eyes stare back at me and look like a stained glass portrait of the sky from the tears over them.
“I don’t have the nerve to ask her. You’ll probably have to hold my hand and yank me through the door. You know how nervous I get.”
“You’re the most popular guy in our class. Any girl would go with you, so you’re just saying all this to make me feel—”
I press my lips to Kenzie’s and hold them there. I don’t know why, but I want to. She pulls away and rolls onto her back.
“Why did you kiss me?” She sounds anxious as she covers her face with her arm.
“Um, I don’t know. To shut you up.” I say this more like I’m asking, unsure of my answer.
Her head jerks my way. “To shut me up? God, you are the most confusing boy ever,” she says angrily. I grab her face and kiss her again, but she jumps up and stomps to the door of the treehouse.
I’m such an idiot. What is wrong with me? To shut you up ... that’s the best I could do? Now, I’m the third asshole to hurt her today. We both need to forget that ever happened.
***
Kenzie went home with Shelby after school, so Dalton is over playing some basketball before he hangs out with Liv. I make a three pointer before he rebounds the ball.
“It looks like things are pretty cool between you and McKenzie.” He dribbles and shoots.
“Yeah, it’s awesome. I wish we’d gotten together a long time ago.”
“It appears you’re making up for lost time.” He chuckles. “You two can’t keep your hands off each other at school, so I can only imagine what it’s like when you’re alone.”
I stop and wipe the sweat from my face with my shirt and think about what he said. I don’t know how much I should share with Dalton.
“All I’m saying is that it’s obvious you have it bad for each other, considering how innocent McKenzie was before you got together.”
“Do you think we’re moving too fast?” I ask before I take another shot.
“That’s for the two of you to decide. I don’t know the details of what you’ve done with her.”
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