replied quietly. “Remember Emily – the girl you’ve been dating for two years?”
“I know who my girlfriend is, Ezra,” I shot back angrily. “But I also know where my responsibilities lie,” I added, with a barely contained snarl. “And Mackenzie is my goddamn responsibility. I’m allowed to care about her, man. I’m entitled to protect her and not feel bad for wanting to do it.”
“So you almost decapitated one of your oldest friends because you care about Mackenzie?” Stepping around me, Ezra leaned against the bark of a tree and sighed. “Cade, you’re about as a discreet as glass. Where’s your head at, dude?”
The same place as my heart …
“I’m so fucking confused, Z,” I admitted. Picking up a stone, I tossed it into the creek and watched as it rippled. “It’s like I’ve spent the past three years forcing myself to believe something that’s not true.”
“You still have feelings for Mackenzie,” Ezra stated.
Of course I had.
“You can’t just turn your feelings on and off like a damn radio, Z,” I told him. When you loved a person it stuck. It fucking stuck, like sand to wet skin. “I can’t help how I feel …”
“Then you need to talk to Emily,” Ezra replied in a passionate tone. “If you don’t care about her …”
“I do care about Emily,” I snapped. “Damn it, I’m not heartless, Ezra. Of course, I care about her. I’ve spent a year and half with her. A part of me loves her too. Damn it, I don’t want to hurt her ...”
“But?”
Sinking to the ground, I wrapped my arms around my legs and dropped my head to rest on my knees.
“It’s like I’m in this perplexing alternate universe, where I’ve been given a window to watch what I want the most in the world, but can’t touch …”
Settling on the ground beside me, Ezra stared straight ahead.
“She’s forbidden fruit to you, man – and damaged beyond repair.”
Clearing his throat, he turned to look at me. His expression was troubled and his brown eyes were full of concern.
“I know you, man. We’ve been best friends our entire lives, so I know what way your mind is working – what you’re thinking about doing. It would work out better for me if I just let you do it, but I’m loyal and dumb as a stack of bricks. So here’s my input, Cade. If you blur the lines with Mackenzie, there’s a very high chance it will end in disaster.”
“What should I do, Z?” I choked out.
Patting my knee with his hand, Ezra said in a hushed voice, “Think it through before you do something rash, bro. You’re related to her now. It would break your mother’s heart. And Mitch would break your neck,” he added. “Things are a hell of a lot different to when you were fifteen.”
Nodding, I dropped my head and let out a pained groan. “I can’t have her,” I admitted in a gruff tone. “She’s broken and fucking fragile and I’m her … I’m related to her now, dude. I don’t even know if this shit’s legal ...”
“Right. So I guess you gotta decide whether or not she’s worth it,” Ezra replied quietly. “And take into account that your actions will have a ripple effect.”
“She’s worth it,” I husked. Climbing to my feet, I stretched my back and twisted my neck from side to side. “Fuck, she’s worth it all, Z. I don’t even have to think about it.” I told my best friend, feeling pumped. “I’ll end things with Emily right now.”
“Damn, Cade,” Ezra hissed as he jumped to his feet and grabbed my arm. “That’s the best way to set the dogs on Kenzie”! “If you’re going to do this, then you need to do it right and you need to do it slowly. If you walk over there now and end things with Emily, you may as well hand Mackenzie her deportation papers.”
Shit.
“They’ll torture her.”
“Yes, Emily and every other girl under her thumb at school – which is every girl – will target and torment Mackenzie.
“Don’t fuck Emily over like this – that’s
“I know who my girlfriend is, Ezra,” I shot back angrily. “But I also know where my responsibilities lie,” I added, with a barely contained snarl. “And Mackenzie is my goddamn responsibility. I’m allowed to care about her, man. I’m entitled to protect her and not feel bad for wanting to do it.”
“So you almost decapitated one of your oldest friends because you care about Mackenzie?” Stepping around me, Ezra leaned against the bark of a tree and sighed. “Cade, you’re about as a discreet as glass. Where’s your head at, dude?”
The same place as my heart …
“I’m so fucking confused, Z,” I admitted. Picking up a stone, I tossed it into the creek and watched as it rippled. “It’s like I’ve spent the past three years forcing myself to believe something that’s not true.”
“You still have feelings for Mackenzie,” Ezra stated.
Of course I had.
“You can’t just turn your feelings on and off like a damn radio, Z,” I told him. When you loved a person it stuck. It fucking stuck, like sand to wet skin. “I can’t help how I feel …”
“Then you need to talk to Emily,” Ezra replied in a passionate tone. “If you don’t care about her …”
“I do care about Emily,” I snapped. “Damn it, I’m not heartless, Ezra. Of course, I care about her. I’ve spent a year and half with her. A part of me loves her too. Damn it, I don’t want to hurt her ...”
“But?”
Sinking to the ground, I wrapped my arms around my legs and dropped my head to rest on my knees.
“It’s like I’m in this perplexing alternate universe, where I’ve been given a window to watch what I want the most in the world, but can’t touch …”
Settling on the ground beside me, Ezra stared straight ahead.
“She’s forbidden fruit to you, man – and damaged beyond repair.”
Clearing his throat, he turned to look at me. His expression was troubled and his brown eyes were full of concern.
“I know you, man. We’ve been best friends our entire lives, so I know what way your mind is working – what you’re thinking about doing. It would work out better for me if I just let you do it, but I’m loyal and dumb as a stack of bricks. So here’s my input, Cade. If you blur the lines with Mackenzie, there’s a very high chance it will end in disaster.”
“What should I do, Z?” I choked out.
Patting my knee with his hand, Ezra said in a hushed voice, “Think it through before you do something rash, bro. You’re related to her now. It would break your mother’s heart. And Mitch would break your neck,” he added. “Things are a hell of a lot different to when you were fifteen.”
Nodding, I dropped my head and let out a pained groan. “I can’t have her,” I admitted in a gruff tone. “She’s broken and fucking fragile and I’m her … I’m related to her now, dude. I don’t even know if this shit’s legal ...”
“Right. So I guess you gotta decide whether or not she’s worth it,” Ezra replied quietly. “And take into account that your actions will have a ripple effect.”
“She’s worth it,” I husked. Climbing to my feet, I stretched my back and twisted my neck from side to side. “Fuck, she’s worth it all, Z. I don’t even have to think about it.” I told my best friend, feeling pumped. “I’ll end things with Emily right now.”
“Damn, Cade,” Ezra hissed as he jumped to his feet and grabbed my arm. “That’s the best way to set the dogs on Kenzie”! “If you’re going to do this, then you need to do it right and you need to do it slowly. If you walk over there now and end things with Emily, you may as well hand Mackenzie her deportation papers.”
Shit.
“They’ll torture her.”
“Yes, Emily and every other girl under her thumb at school – which is every girl – will target and torment Mackenzie.
“Don’t fuck Emily over like this – that’s
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