Chasing the Stars, page 13
“You’re okay with being Hayes’s one night stand?” Candy asked with a smirk on her face.
Kennedy just smiled. “You okay with being jealous that I’m his one-night stand?”
We all started laughing. “I like you,” Carson told Kennedy.
“Thanks,” she replied before I devoured her mouth.
***
My body and head hurt like I’d had the shit beat out me. Repeatedly.
I rolled over and felt a warm body lying next to me. I cracked an eye open to see long, curly blonde hair. Mac?
I tried to recall the events of the previous night. Had Mac been at the party? Had she came back to me? I placed my arm across her stomach and inhaled. She didn’t smell or feel the same as I remembered. Could she change that much in a few months?
She rolled over and I realized she wasn’t Mackenzie. My heart and breathing stopped. Who the hell was in my bed?
“Good morning,” the girl said.
I removed my hand from her body. “Um, why are you in my bed?”
Her lips turned down in a frown. “You don’t remember last night? You asked me to come back with you. You said you’d take me to my friend’s house this morning.”
“Did we sleep together?” I knew it was a shitty thing to ask a naked girl lying in my bed. I just hoped that there was another explanation.
“Yeah. Thanks for letting me know it was so memorable.”
“Better than remembering it and thinking it was bad.”
She flung the cover off her naked body. “You—”
“Wait. That came out wrong. I’m sorry. I’m just a little hung over. I’m sure that once I’m fully awake, I’ll remember how it was the best sex of my life.” Lie. I knew nothing could top sex with Mackenzie.
She nodded but didn’t say anything else before snuggling back into the covers. Why the hell is she getting comfortable? “I’m going to go to the bathroom so you can get dressed,” I told her before finding my boxers and slipping them on under the sheet.
I walked into the bathroom, placing my hands on the counter. I felt like complete shit. I hadn’t drank anything in months and last night I had made up for it.
I turned the faucet on and grabbed my toothbrush. My mouth felt like I had eaten something dead. After I finished scrubbing my teeth, I ran some water over my face. I really needed a shower but didn’t have time. I needed to get this girl out of my house.
I lifted my head up as the door swung open. The girl, whose name I couldn’t remember, leaned against the door in only a T-shirt. She was really attractive. “I need a shower.”
“Okay, I’ll wait,” I said as I placed the hand towel on the rack.
She put a hand up to stop me. “No. I was thinking we could shower. Together.”
That did sound nice but wasn’t the best idea. “I don’t think so.”
She removed her shirt. “Come on. It’s not like we’ll see each other again.”
As I took in her naked body, I suddenly didn’t care if it was a good idea or not. I was so tired of hurting. I just wanted to feel good, even if it wouldn’t last.
I made sure that we were both very clean and feeling good before I drove her to her friend’s house. “Look…” I started as I glanced in her direction. Why couldn’t I remember her name?
“Kennedy. My name is Kennedy,” she said as she applied lip-gloss to her lips. Her very kissable lips.
“Kennedy. I’m sorry I was a jerk. I was just a little hung over earlier. Well, I still am, but I do remember last night.”
“Did it suck like you suggested it might?”
I smirked at her. “No. It definitely didn’t suck.”
A huge smile spread across her lips. “Let me see your phone.”
“Why?”
She sighed. “Just give it to me.”
I grabbed my phone from the console and placed it in her hand. “Who’s the girl?” she asked looking at the wallpaper on my screen.
“Just a girl that was important to me.”
She pursed her lips. “Girlfriend?”
I wanted to say yes, but I knew that wasn’t true anymore. “No. She’s gone. Just a girl from my past.”
“I’m sorry,” she said before typing on my phone. “Here.” She handed me my phone. “I put my number in your contacts. You know, if you ever want to call me.”
I nodded but didn’t say anything. I had used Kennedy to forget Mackenzie for one night and morning. I felt like an ass but another part of me wondered if I could keep using her. She looked so much like Mackenzie, maybe I’d be able to use her when missing Mackenzie became too much to bear.
Chapter 21
Mackenzie
I stepped outside for a fifteen minute break to enjoy the warm May weather. It was a perfect seventy degrees with the sun shining brightly. I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath as I tried to get rid of my foul mood.
I was supposed to be graduating. Instead, I was waiting tables and washing dishes. I had always looked forward to my high school graduation, wearing my cap and gown, but now that dream was gone.
I ran a hand along my round stomach and wondered what Hayes would look like in his cap and gown. I knew he’d be handsome, if not sexy, because he could pull off looking sexy in anything.
“Daddy’s going to graduate today,” I whispered to my unborn child. In the last few months, I had really accepted the fact that I was going to be a mother. In fact, I loved the idea. I spoke to my baby all the time. I even talked about Hayes. I wanted her to know her father. Yes, I was having a girl.
Connie, the lady that owns the home I lived in, set me up with an OB/GYN, making sure I would get proper pre-natal care. I had had two months to get used to the fact that I had a little girl living inside me.
“What are you doing out here? You need to get back inside and fix me something to eat,” I heard in a deep male voice.
I looked up to see Brad before he sat down on the bench beside me. Since the night I had met him, he had become a great friend to me. He was like my big brother. I loved him and his mother as if they were my real family. “Shouldn’t you be working?” I asked him.
“No. I finished up this morning. Tonight, I’m taking a lovely girl out for her graduation.”
“Who? Are you dating someone?”
He beamed. “I am dating someone. You’ll meet her tonight at your graduation dinner.”
I had no idea what he was talking about. “I graduated a month ago. Remember? I took classes online.”
He smiled before putting his arm around my shoulder. “How could I forget? But Mom and I decided since you can’t walk across a stage, we’d take you out to dinner. I know it makes you sad that you’re not attending a real graduation ceremony.”
Tears filled my eyes. “Thank you,” I told him as the baby kicked me hard.
“Holy shit! She’s going to play soccer one day,” he said watching my stomach.
“She kept me up all night long. I’ve been so tired today.”
He sighed before looking toward the parking lot. “Have you ever thought of telling him?”
“Who?” I knew who he was talking about but I feigned ignorance.
“Don’t play stupid with me. The father. I think you should tell him. It’s not like you’d have to see your parents or be forced into foster care. But he deserves to know.”
I bit the inside of my cheek. I knew he was right, but after seeing Hayes make out with Baylee, I was positive he wouldn’t care. If I hadn’t meant much to him, I was sure our baby wouldn’t either. “No. I can’t. Besides, he’d probably accuse me of just wanting his money or something.”
“You might be right, but I still think you should tell him. He has a right to know. Every dad has a right to know.”
“Maybe one day,” I told him as I stood up. “My break is over. Come on. I know you’ll want a burger and fries.”
“Actually, I’m here to pick you up.”
“My shift doesn’t end until five. Amelia is my ride back to the house.”
His eyes lit up as a big smile stretched across his face. “The manger called me and said I needed to pick you up.”
I didn’t understand. Tina hated it when people tried to leave early. “Why?”
“I’m supposed to take you shopping. Don’t laugh! I can sit on a bench somewhere,” he said pointing at me. “And then we’re having dinner. You’ve had it rough, but you’ve accomplished a lot. It’s time to celebrate.”
“Only because of you, your mom, Connie, and Amelia. If I didn’t have you guys, I’d be living in a box eating out of a dumpster.”
“You’re not, so we’re celebrating. Go inside and get your shit,” he commanded, pointing toward the building.
“Fine. Thank you,” I acquiesced before I strode inside.
I walked to the kitchen where Amelia was waiting for an order. Amelia was a girl that I had met working at the diner that also lived at Connie’s house. She had a one year old little boy and had just completed her first semester of community college. She had quickly became my best friend. “Hey, Amelia. Brad’s picking me up.”
“I know,” she said grinning.
“You knew?” I asked because she hadn’t even hinted that she knew about this. Normally, she couldn’t keep anything to herself.
“Yes! Now get out of here before big brother leaves you.”
I hugged her bye before finding Tina. I needed to thank her for making this day special for me. She must’ve knew how sad I had been about not walking across a stage and shaking my principal’s hand at a real graduation, like everyone else my age.
Like Hayes would be doing tonight.
I found Tina cleaning a table that customers had just vacated. “Thank you so much,” I told her before I gave her a tight hug.
“You’re welcome.”
“Not just for tonight. For everything,” I whispered into her hair as tears fell down my face.
“None of that. This is your special night,” she said before releasing me. “Now go. I owe Brad chocolate chip cookies for taking you shopping.”
“I should’ve known he wouldn’t do this without cookies.”
***
After trying on hundreds of dresses, I settled on a black sundress. It was cheap and I figured I could wear it again because it wasn’t real fancy or anything. The sundress seemed practical.
Brad eyed the dress in my hands. “You know you can get anything you want, right?”
“I know, but I also know I’m boring you,” I told Brad as we walked toward the cashier.
He held up his iPhone. “I have games. I’m good.”
“No Facebook?” I asked chuckling. Brad hated anything Facebook related. He said he thinks it’s for lying to make your life look better, and bragging. He also said that if he really cared about your life, he’d just be friends with you in real life. Not on a computer.
“Actually, I did get on there the other day at work to look someone up.”
The way he said “someone”, I paused. “Who?” I whispered.
“Hayes Morgan.”
I swallowed hard before I asked, “How do you know his name? And why?”
“You told me once. Don’t worry, I didn’t find anything interesting. He hasn’t logged in since November and his profile picture is still a picture of you and him. I didn’t find anything else out.”
“Why?” I asked again.
“I just wanted to know what he was up to. I promise I’m not going to tell him anything. You’re the one that needs to tell him about the child you share with him.”
“Fuck you,” I told him as I threw the dress at him and stormed out of the store. I knew he was just trying to help but he needed to stop. I needed him to forget all about Hayes Morgan.
Ten minutes later, he walked out of the store carrying a bag as I waited against his truck. “You done being pissed?”
“No,” I said as I opened the door and hoisted myself inside.
“You don’t need to be mad. I just wanted to find out what he’s up to. So when you finally come to your senses, you can find him easily.”
“I know how to find him. I know where he lives. I also know that he’ll be attending the University of Oklahoma in the fall. We were supposed to go together.”
“Okay. I’ll drop it. I’m sorry I brought him up,” he said as he reached for his seatbelt.
“I’m sorry I got upset.”
“Let’s just get you home and prettied up for your dinner.”
“Prettied up?”
“That’s what I said,” he told me before starting his truck and leaving the parking lot.
***
I had applied makeup and straightened my hair for the first time in months. I felt gorgeous in my new sundress and sandals.
“We all know how much you love greasy burgers and fries, so we thought we’d take you to Harold’s for the night,” Brad told me as he drove us to the restaurant. My stomach flipped and I felt like I was going to vomit. That was the absolute last place I ever wanted to eat again. I must’ve looked sick because he quickly grabbed my hand, “Are you okay? I was just kidding. We figured you’d want something besides what they offer at the diner. We’re actually going to a little Italian restaurant.”
“Ooohh,” I finally answered as I exhaled slowly. “It’s just that um…I don’t like Harold’s”
“You don’t like Harold’s? Because you’re around greasy burgers all the time, or because you have something wrong with you and you don’t like it?”
I turned toward Brad knowing I could tell him anything. “Because that was where Hayes and I used to go. It was like our little place.”
“Oh shit, Mackenzie, I’m sorry,” he apologized giving my hand a squeeze again.
“It’s okay. You didn’t know. Just like that customer the other day didn’t know that Hayes used to call me ‘Mac’. He looked at my name tag and mentioned that it was funny I was serving him a burger when my name shortens to ‘Mac’. You know like a Big Mac from McDonald’s. I kinda went off on him.”
He turned the air up a bit. “Yeah, Mom said you yelled at a customer but didn’t tell me what happened. It makes sense, but you’ve gotta let that stuff go.”
“I know. I’ll work on it,” I promised as we pulled up to the restaurant. I looked at the door to see “Alessandra’s” written across it.
“This place is really good. I think you’ll like it,” Brad said before getting out of the truck.
We walked into the restaurant where a woman with long black hair and olive skin was sitting. She was absolutely gorgeous. She stood up as we approached and Brad gave her a small kiss on the lips. “Mackenzie, I’d like you meet Maria. Maria this is Mackenzie.”
We shook hands as Maria said, “I’m glad I finally get to meet Brad’s little sister.”
I arched an eyebrow at Brad to which he shrugged. “Yes. I’m so glad I finally get to meet you as well. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
She smiled brightly and I felt bad lying to her. Brad had said absolutely nothing about her until today and that was basically a sentence.
At that moment Tina, Connie, and Amelia entered the restaurant talking and laughing. Amelia rolled her eyes at me because the two older ladies were going on and on about a hot younger guy they had seen in the parking lot. They thought he would be perfect for Amelia.
“They got really loud and he heard them,” Amelia told me as she gave me a hug.
I giggled. “You know how they are. They do that to me all the time too. What they don’t understand is that I don’t want a boyfriend right now.”
“Well, they heard me telling you the other day that I wanted one. Now it’s their mission to find me a boyfriend.” She gestured behind me. “I kinda wanted Brad but obviously he’s taken.”
I turned around to see Brad whispering to Maria as she smiled widely. I really hoped she would be good to him. I wanted to see Brad happy and with a woman that deserved him. He was an amazing guy.
My eyes widened at Amelia’s admission as I turned back to face her. “You like Brad?”
“Well, I don’t know if I really like him or not. I mean he seems nice. A little cocky sometimes, but really, I just want one night with him.”
I laughed. “I know he’s good looking, but I can’t see him as anything but a brother. So, I really don’t want to hear this.”
“It doesn’t matter. He looks kinda smitten with Ms. Hot Stuff.”
We both laughed as Brad made eye contact with me and narrowed his eyes. I laughed harder as he began to walk in my direction. I put a hand up to stop him. “I’m not laughing at you.”
“Whatever. I know that laugh,” he informed me. “You’re laughing at me.”
Luckily, I was saved from lying to him by the hostess announcing that our table was ready. I hated lying to him but there was no way I could tell him that Amelia had the hots for him.
Chapter 22
Hayes
Graduation was boring. I knew it would be, I’d sat through a lot over the years. I tuned everything out until they called my name to walk across the stage. I smiled and shook hands when appropriate, but couldn’t manage much else.
I found my parents with Kennedy after the ceremony since she considered herself my girlfriend and I considered her a convenient lay. She got along well with my parents, but I could tell my mom liked Mackenzie much better. Kennedy could be a ditz which was precisely the reason I kept her around. She had no clue she meant nothing to me.
“Congrats, son,” my dad exclaimed as he clapped my shoulder. “Proud of you.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
My mom stood in front of me with tears streaming down her face. “I know this year has been…difficult, but I’m very proud of you for getting through it,” she told me before hugging me.
I hugged her back but felt nothing. I was pretty sure I had died on the inside. I had stupidly given my heart away and now it was gone. A person dies without their heart. Plain, simple fact.
“I can’t wait to give you your graduation present tonight,” Kennedy whispered in my ear.
“Looking forward to it.” I winked, trying to be nice.
“You look stupid in your graduation gown but congrats,” Luke stated.
