Chasing the Stars, page 15
Harley began to fuss and I looked at the clock. It was time for her to eat. “I need to make her a bottle.”
“Okay, but we aren’t done with this conversation,” he told me in a stern voice that I imagined he used on suspects.
“Your cop voice doesn’t scare me.”
“My what?” he asked, chuckling.
“Yeah. You heard me. Cop voice. I’m not scared of it because I know that you’re really just a big ole teddy bear.”
“I can show you scary if you want, Missy,” he threatened, grabbing the formula and bottle from my hands so he could mix it for me.
“You wouldn’t do that in front of Harley.”
He mixed the contents and began shaking the bottle. “No, I wouldn’t. But seriously, you can find this guy. You can tell him that he’s a father and then it’s on him. If he wants to be a part of Harley’s life that’s great. If he doesn’t then that sucks for him but at least you tried.”
I took the bottle from his hand then began feeding Harley. “He’s a liar. What if he lies to her and breaks her heart like he did mine?”
“Then we’ll all be there to pick up the pieces and show her that we love her.”
“I’ll think about it. After I feed her do you mind driving us home? I obviously need to study since I missed the study group.”
He nodded before taking another drink of beer. “Yeah, I need to shower first though.
I watched him walk down the hall before I turned my gaze on Harley. I knew she needed a dad and deserved to know him, but I wasn’t sure if Hayes deserved to know her.
I wanted to believe that what I saw between him and Baylee had been a big misunderstanding and that he did love me. Because when I had looked into his green eyes earlier, all I could feel was my love for him and I knew it had never gone away.
Chapter 24
Hayes
I couldn’t believe I was watching Mackenzie walk away from me. She was alive and looked…gorgeous. She was a little different, but she didn’t look like a person that had been beaten up by life over the last year.
I wanted so badly to wrap my arms around her and never let go. To kiss her amazing lips and let her know how much I missed her and still loved her. But I didn’t because she couldn’t seem to get away from me fast enough.
Why did she leave me?
I had thought that we had loved each other, but I was wrong. That was the only explanation for her disappearing and never trying to contact me. Her actions today, spoke volumes. She didn’t want to be anywhere near me.
“Who was that? She looked just like that dead girl that you have framed on your nightstand.” Kennedy said as she wrapped a hand around my forearm.
“What?” I asked annoyed. I had no idea what she was talking about. Dead girl?
“You know. That picture you have framed on your nightstand? The picture of you and that girl that died. Was that girl her twin or something because she looks just like her?”
I closed my eyes because her ditziness was on my last nerve. “I never said she was dead. I just said she was a girl from my past.”
She took a step back from me and I was grateful. “That was never coming back. You said she was never coming back.” I pursed my lips at her because I wasn’t sure how that statement equated to dead. She continued when I didn’t say anything. “You mean to tell me the entire time we’ve been together, you’ve had your ex-girlfriend’s picture, who isn’t dead, framed on your nightstand and on your phone?”
“Yeah, that would be correct,” I replied as I walked toward my Jeep. I needed to drop Kennedy back at her dorm before I snapped at her. I wasn’t in the mood to put up with her. “Come on. Let’s get back to campus.”
“What about shopping? You promised me shopping!” she yelled at me.
I whirled back around and dropped my voice. “I don’t give a shit about shopping. You can take your own ass shopping once I take you to your car.” I was being an asshole to her but I couldn’t stop myself. Besides, if it was really that upsetting to her that I had been pining away for my ex-girlfriend, she wouldn’t care that much about shopping.
“You promised me Hayes!”
I stepped backward as I spoke to her. “I said I was taking you back to your dorm, but if you don’t start walking to my Jeep, right now, I’ll leave your ass here.”
Tears sprung from her eyes, and if I had any feelings for her at all, I would’ve comforted her, but I didn’t. I needed to end this relationship. Especially, since I knew Mackenzie was in the vicinity. I was going to find her.
The twenty minute drive back to the dorms was silent besides Kennedy’s sniffles. Was she crying over shopping or was it because of Mackenzie? It was hard to tell with Kennedy. If it was over Mackenzie, I could understand because she’d have to be a complete idiot not to know how much Mackenzie meant to me.
I pulled up beside Kennedy’s car before I glanced in her direction. “I’m really sorry for being an ass. I just have a lot going through my head.”
“I understand. I’m sorry for being upset over shopping.”
I bit the inside of my lip, trying not to say anything else rude as I willed her to get out of the Jeep. “Wanna come over tonight?” she asked.
My initial instinct was to say yes, so I could release some stress, but decided that would be a bad idea. “I can’t tonight, but I’ll see you tomorrow,” I told her before pressing a light kiss on her lips.
She nodded as she pulled the door handle and hopped out of the Jeep.
I backed out of the parking space and drove to my dorm that was around the corner. I had thought finally seeing Mackenzie again would make me happy, which it did, but I also felt anger. I didn’t realize how angry I was at Mackenzie, until that moment.
I jogged up the two flights of stairs to my dorm that I shared with Carson. I opened the door to be greeted with the sight of Carson and some random girl getting it on in his bed. “Warn me in a text. And learn to throw a sheet over your pasty ass if you can’t text me and let me know.”
“Sorry, man,” he mumbled as I walked to the bathroom. I’d just go to our suitemate’s room and hang out. Odds were, Aidan was out and William was playing something on the Xbox.
I knocked on the door and waited until I heard William yell, “Come in,” before I entered. I didn’t need to see another naked ass.
I threw myself on a beanbag and watched William play some game. I zoned out as I watched the screen, thinking about Mackenzie. She was still absolutely the most gorgeous girl on the planet, and she still made my heart pound just by looking at her. But I knew that even though she looked like the same girl, she was different. I couldn’t figure out what made her different, but it was there.
“Sorry. She’s gone,” Carson said breaking me from my thoughts.
I got up and clapped William on the back before I left the room. “That’s the third time I’ve had to see your ass. Learn to cover it up. And can’t you find another position besides missionary?”
“Shut up, jackass,” he told me before flopping down on his bed.
“I ran into Mackenzie today,” I blurted before I sat down in the desk chair.
He raised himself up on his elbows with his eyebrows raised. “You saw Mackenzie?”
I nodded but didn’t say anything else. I didn’t really know what else to say.
“You saw her. Did you kidnap her?”
I grabbed a pencil off the desk and began moving it between my fingers. “At first I was in shock. Then she ran from me and I chased after her.”
“I’m sorry, man. At least you know.”
I furrowed my brows in confusion. “Know what?”
“That it’s over.”
“I’ve known it was over for a while. I just didn’t want to believe it.” I sighed as I ran my hands through my hair. “Even after I ran after her, I had to force her to talk to me. I tried to give her my number, but she didn’t want it. What the hell did I do to her? What did I do wrong?” I sounded like a girl but I didn’t care.
“I don’t know,” he said as he stared at the ceiling. I watched as a grin spread across his face. “Was Kennedy with you?”
I knew he didn’t like Kennedy. He found her to be stupid and annoying. I did too, but I put up with her anyway. “Yeah. And get this, she thought Mackenzie was dead.”
He chuckled. “Why the hell did she think that?”
I glanced at the picture of Mackenzie and me on my nightstand. “Because, I guess at one point, I mentioned she was from my past and never coming back. How that means she’s dead I don’t know.”
“God, she’s stupid. Is she really good in bed or is it simply that she looks like Mackenzie?”
I rubbed my eyes as I thought about what a complete ass I had become over the last year. I had been keeping Kennedy around because she was as close to Mackenzie in looks as I could get. If I couldn’t have the real thing, I’d settle for the knockoff. “I don’t know.”
“You know, you could just close your eyes when you’re with any girl and pretend it’s Mackenzie. You didn’t have to settle for the idiot.”
“Thanks. I had no clue.” I chuckled as I rubbed my forehead. I could feel a migraine coming on. “Let’s go to Luke’s and get drunk.” I hadn’t drank alcohol in a long time, but suddenly I felt like getting wasted. I didn’t want to feel anything or think about anyone for the rest of the night.
“Text your dumbass brother first. I don’t want to see his ass like you saw mine earlier.” He smirked. “Although, I wouldn’t mind seeing Chloe’s.”
I shook my head as I laughed. “Luke would kill you if he heard you talking about Chloe like that.”
He shrugged. “I’m sorry, but your future sister-in-law is hot.”
I took my phone out of my pocket and texted my brother to see if he was busy.
Luke: Come over. Chloe went home for the weekend and I’m bored.
“Let’s go,” I told Carson as I stood up and stretched. “But you won’t get to see Chloe. She’s out of town.”
“Damn. He’ll have beer, right? Because I only go over there for Chloe and beer.”
***
The next morning I woke up to pounding on my door. I glanced at the clock on my nightstand that read eight o’clock. Who the hell is up this early on a Saturday? It better not be Kennedy.
I groaned as I remembered that Carson had gotten a call from his earlier hook-up the previous night and hadn’t come back to the dorm. I’d have to get my ass up and open the door.
More pounding came from the door as I yelled, “Give me a minute.”
I found my jeans on the floor and slipped them on. I finished zipping them up as I opened the door. “What?” I asked harshly.
“You Hayes Morgan?” the man on the other side of the door inquired.
“Yeah. Who wants to know?” I asked as I crossed my arms over my chest. I wasn’t in the mood for a visitor.
“Brad Nicholson.”
“What the hell do you want, Brad Nicholson?” I questioned. I wanted to crawl back in bed and sleep the rest of the day.
“Can I come in?”
“Um, no. Look I don’t have time for this,” I told him before I moved to shut the door.
He pulled a badge from his back pocket then flashed it at me before saying, “Detective Nicholson. OCPD.”
“What the hell?”
“Do you know a Mackenzie Blanchard?” he asked as he placed his badge in his pocket.
My heart started to pound. Has something happened to her? This is what cops do when they come to deliver bad news, right? “Yeah. I know her.”
“Can I come in? I’d like to discuss her with you.”
I gestured for him to step inside. “Is she okay?”
“Oh yeah, she’s fine.”
I swallowed as my heart began to beat regularly. “Then what’s this about, Detective?”
He scrubbed his hand through his goatee. “I know her. More than know her.”
Fuck! This was her boyfriend. He had to be a good ten years older than her. Damn guy can’t get a girlfriend his own age? “Not sure what that has to do with me.” I shrugged.
“Just let me finish. She’s become like a little sister to me over the past year. She told me she ran into you yesterday, but that she didn’t really say anything to you about her life. About anything really.”
Not her boyfriend. Thank God. “Yeah. That’s right. She couldn’t get away from me fast enough.”
He sat down on the edge of Carson’s bed. “Look, I have no idea what happened between the two of you, but I think the two of you need to talk.” He exhaled harshly then went on. “She’s so stubborn and won’t listen to me. I’m here to tell you exactly where to find her, but if you tell her I told you, I’ll make your life a living hell.”
“So why tell me if she’ll be mad at you?”
“Because regardless of what she thinks, she does need to talk to you. She needs to tell you some things then let you decide what to do with that information. But she also needs a friend and that’s why I don’t want her mad at me. She’s so stubborn she’d cut me out for telling you this. Then she’d be alone, and I can’t let that happen.”
“Where can I find her?”
***
I pulled up to the address Brad had given me an hour later. I looked at the large home that sat across the street from me and wondered how she was living in such a nice house.
Time to find out.
I slowly walked to the door with my heart pounding as I gathered my thoughts. I still had no clue what it was that she would need to tell me. Brad made it sound like it was some huge secret that could change everything.
I rang the doorbell and waited until a girl with red hair appeared at the door.
“Can I help you?” she asked over the sound of a crying baby.
“I’m here to see Mackenzie. Is she around?” Please let her be home.
She opened the door and pointed down a small hallway. “She’s in the kitchen.”
“Thanks,” I told her as I walked past her. I peeked around the house, noting a lot of baby toys. What the hell is this place?
I entered the kitchen to see Mackenzie seated around a dining room table next to a highchair. She was speaking to a child animatedly while using a higher pitched voice. “You want some apples? I know you just love apples.”
I must’ve made a noise because she glanced in my direction and froze. I walked closer to her, slowly, as she finally found her voice. “What are you doing here?”
“I just want to talk.” I explained as she shot out of her seat and stood in front of the child.
“We don’t have anything to talk about. You need to leave.” She looked worried. Almost frantic. Why is she so afraid of me?
“Why’d you leave me?” I blurted out. I hadn’t meant to start our conversation like that but it just came out.
“I didn’t—” she began but was interrupted by crying from the child she had been feeding.
She turned her body to check on the baby and I froze. I couldn’t breathe, I couldn’t blink, I couldn’t talk, I couldn’t do anything as I stared into big green eyes.
Eyes that were exactly like mine.
Chapter 25
Mackenzie
God, no! I thought as Hayes looked at Harley crying in her highchair. I could tell from the look in his eyes, he knew. He knew Harley was his child.
“That’s…your baby. That’s our baby,” he finally alleged, disbelief in his voice.
I spooned some baby food and began feeding her again. “Yes,” I whispered as tears sprang to my eyes.
“How old is she?”
“Six months. Her name is Harley,” I said glancing back at him. He hadn’t taken his eyes off her face.
“Harley,” he repeated. “I have a six month old child named Harley,” he said to himself.
“Yes.”
I watched him out of the corner of my eye as he finally dragged his gaze away from Harley and stared at me. “Why did I not know about her?”
“I haven’t seen you in a year.”
“And who’s damn fault is that?” he practically yelled.
“Watch your language! There are kids here.”
He sat down in the chair across from me. “Sorry. But you need to answer the question, Mac.”
I placed another spoon full of food in Harley’s mouth. “Don’t call me that. My name is Mackenzie.”
“You’ll always be Mac to me. Now answer the question.”
I took a deep breath. “I know I never meant anything to you, so why would Harley mean anything to you?”
“You meant everything to me. Every fucking thing to me!”
“Please, watch your language. We have older kids living here that will repeat what you say.”
He inhaled deeply while staring at me. I knew he was trying to keep his temper in check but wasn’t being that successful. “I was in love with you, Mackenzie.”
“How’s Baylee?”
“Who?” he asked with his eyebrows pulled together in confusion.
I bit my lip as I stared at him. Why the hell does he have to be so damn good looking? “I know you’re with someone else, but the last time I saw you, you were with Baylee. I was just wondering how she was doing.”
He shook his head. “I have no idea what the hell you’re talking about. But that’s beside the point. We’re getting a little off topic. I need to know why you never thought to tell me that I was a father.”
“I already told you why. You never cared about me so why would you care about my baby?”
His eyes were full of anger, and if he were anyone else, I would’ve been scared. “Our baby! And I did care about you! I’ve been miserable since you left.”
“That’s a lie! I came back for you and you were making out with her!” I seethed as I picked Harley up from her highchair.
“What the hell are you talking about? I didn’t make out with anyone.” He stated, getting out of his chair and standing in front of me, pinning me to the counter. “Let me hold her.”
