by Cole Lepley
Holden is sitting behind me on the bench, tossing a ball back and forth between his hands. “So, what happened when you went home over the weekend?”
Turning around, I lean against my locker. “I hung out with Ollie. Talked to my parents. Normal stuff.”
He laughs. “Okay, tough guy.” He meets my eyes and I swallow hard. The last thing I want to do is recap my epic weekend with the guys now.
I cross my arms. “All right, so maybe it didn’t go so well, but I think it did some good.”
“For who?” Preston asks.
“For Elliot, I guess.”
Preston exchanges a look with Holden. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” He steps forward and plants his hands on my shoulders. “I think you took one too many hits to the head, playboy. You need to look out for yourself.”
I attempt to laugh it off, but he holds me in place. “I’m serious. You let these girls walk all over you. It’s time you started doing things that make you happy.”
He takes a step back, looking me up and down. “I have an idea.”
I shake my head. “No way, Preston. I’m not getting wrapped up in one of your brilliant schemes again.”
A familiar grin takes over his face. “Don’t worry. You might like this one.”
For the rest of the week I wait in anticipation for whatever Preston’s planning. Surprisingly, all the guys have kept it under wraps. That makes me more nervous. It must be bad if they aren’t even talking about it.
I’m walking through campus on the way to my truck when I’m intercepted by a pissed-off looking Zander. I nod to him as I come to a stop.
“What’s up, man?”
He scoffs. “What’s up? That’s all you have to say for yourself?” He takes a step toward me and pokes me in the chest. “You seem to forget a conversation we had about you not acting like an asshole.”
I let out an exasperated grunt. “What do you want me to do, huh? I’ve done everything I can think of and she still pushes me away.” I throw my hands up at him. “I fucking give up!”
“Don’t say that,” he whispers. He plays with the strings of his hoodie for a moment. When he looks up again, his brows are no longer furrowed in anger. “I told you she was fragile. This isn’t some quick sprint where you get the happily ever after only putting in a couple months of work. She needs someone who’s willing to stick it out for the long haul.”
I take a few deeps breaths in through my nose. “Dude, I’m trying.” I look at him and shrug. “If she can’t see that I’m in love with her by now, I don’t know what else to do.”
His eyes widen. “Love, huh?”
“Yeah, well, I can’t say it. I can’t tell Mack how I feel because I’m terrified of her reaction.” I kick a large rock across the parking lot. It doesn’t go very far, but it makes me feel a little better. “God, I sound like such a pussy right now.”
Zander shakes his head. “No, you don’t. Listen, I know what it’s like to want something you don’t think you can have. It fucking sucks.”
“So, what did you do about it?”
He chews on the inside of his cheek for a moment. “Well, I just woke up one day and decided I wasn’t going to settle for something less. I would go for what I wanted even if I thought it would end in disaster. And so far, it hasn’t.” He smiles a little. “It’s going rather well, actually.”
“Good for you, man.” I pat him on the shoulder. “I’m happy for you.”
I turn to leave and he calls my name.
“Wait!” He stays at my side as I keep making fast strides to my truck. “That means you can’t give up either.”
I laugh once, stopping beside my vehicle. “It’s pointless. Now, not only does she not want to be with me, but she’s also very fucking angry.” I pull my hands into my chest. “I didn’t even do anything. I swear.”
“I believe you.”
“Well, tell her that,” I snap back.
“She texted you because she misses you.”
“Yeah, she said that.” I hold up my finger. “Before she slammed the door in my face and basically called me a cheater. Which is fucking ridiculous because she’s the one who broke up with me.”
“It caught her off guard. Girls are weird about ex’s. They always compare themselves to the one who came before them.” He leans into me closer. “Not to mention the fact that Elliot looks and awful lot like someone we know.”
“Who?”
Zander laughs. “Never mind. The point is, you need to take a loss on this one. Right or not, it still bothers her.”
“Nothing happened.”
He meets my eyes hard. “Doesn’t matter. All she heard was you spent the night in Elliot’s bed. How would you feel if her and Sean had a platonic slumber party?”
My teeth clench. “That’s not even a little bit funny.”
“I rest my case.”
I grip the bill of my hat with both hands and rock back on my heels. My own stupid lack of control could have ruined things further right when she was about to come back to me. It’s not fair that I should have to pay so much for loving someone. I wish I could just turn off my feelings for Elle, but I can’t. No matter what, I still care about what happens to her. I always will.
“I miss her, too.”
“You two are both stubborn. That’s your first problem.”
“I am not.” I cross my arms and let of a huff. The smile on his face confirms he knows he’s right. “Okay, fine. Maybe I am, but I’m grasping at straws here.”
He nudges my shoulder. “Come over. Talk to her.”
I shake my head before he gets his full sentence out. “No, she made it clear how she felt. I can’t just show up at your apartment and expect her to forgive me.”
Zander looks thoughtful for a moment and then shrugs. “It could work.”
“Got any better ideas?”
His eyes squint like he’s thinking really hard. “Nope. I bang dudes, remember? Girls really aren’t my thing.”
I can’t help but laugh. I get why Mack has such a strong friendship with him. He makes situations that seems so terrible a little brighter. Albeit with crude humor and sexual innuendos, but it’s effective, nonetheless.
The problem with coming up with a plan to win her over is that Mack isn’t like most girls. I could buy Elliot some flowers or something sparkly and all would be forgiven. That shit won’t fly with Mack. She needs more than a generic act of desperation. Suddenly, I get an idea.
“Do you think you can distract her tomorrow?”
His eyebrows shoot upward. “Probably, why?”
I throw my bag into the back of my truck and turn to him and smile. “There’s something I need to do. I also may need your help to get me a few things.”
The skeptical look melts off his face as I explain my plans. This might work.
Chapter 33
Love Don’t Cost A Thing
Mackenzie
I have to look twice to make sure I’m not seeing things. Pulling back the curtain once more I stare in disbelief in the parking lot. Someone stole my car. Well that’s just fucking great.
“Zander?”
He pokes his head in my room moments later with a smile. “Yes, dear?”
“Where is my car?”
He scratches his chin like he’s thinking and I let out a disgruntled sigh.
“Don’t be funny right now. Where is it?”
“Okay,” he says, taking a hesitant step toward me. “I’ll tell you, but you can’t get mad.”
I cross my arms, deepening my glare. “Tell me now.”
He takes in a deep breath and lets it out in a rush. “Okay, Perry arranged something before he left. This morning a couple of shady looking dudes showed up with a flatbed and asked for your keys. I didn’t ask questions.”
“So, Perry is fixing my car?”
“It would appear so.”
“And it has nothing to do with Judah?”
There’s a pause. Not a long one, but long enough t
o make me think he’s trying to lie.
“No.”
Instead of arguing with him, I take a step around him toward the bathroom. His footsteps pad behind me.
“What are you doing?”
I pause in the doorway, my hand grasping the knob. “I’m getting a shower and then I have to figure out how I’m going to pay him back.”
Zander releases an exasperated sigh. “Mack, he wants to help you. Take care of you…”
“I don’t need someone to care of me.” My harsh voice cuts him off and he scoffs.
“That’s fine, but he wants to. You do that for the person who you lo… uh, care about.” I raise an eyebrow at his sudden shift in words, but he keeps going. He stands up straighter and flashes a smile. “How about we do something fun today? Just you and me.”
“Like what?” I can’t help but feel skeptical of his motives as I wait for him to answer. Something is going on and I want to know what it is.
Zander shrugs. “Let’s go to the mall. Eat some shitty food and just hang out like we used to.” He steps forward and places his hands on my shoulders. “You need to get out of this apartment.”
As much as I hate to admit it, Zander’s right. I’ve been hiding for the past week and it isn’t solving anything. I still feel as bad as I did before, maybe even worse. With a small nod, I concede.
Having fun at the mall obviously meant watching Zander try on designer jeans for three hours. I sit on a mix-matched chair as he comes out of the dressing room for the tenth time in the past twenty minutes. He stops in front of the floor-length mirror.
“Okay, what do you think about these?” He meets my eyes in the mirror with an expectant look.
I shrug one shoulder while leaning my face into the palm of my hand. “They look as good as the last ten pairs.”
He runs his hands down the front of the denim and does a half turn. “I don’t know. They don’t showcase my package as much as I would like.”
A burst of laughter escapes me and I cover my face with my hand. “Since when was that a requirement? Besides, you have a boyfriend now, remember?”
Zander shoves his hands in the pockets while continuing to scrutinize his appearance. “I still need to look good.” He turns to me and smiles. “You know, for all the other guys who still want to admire me.”
I sputter a laugh and push up from the chair. “Okay, while you do that I’m going to check out the sale at Bath & Body next door.”
He waves me off with a flick of his wrist as I start walking out of the store. I catch the attention of a group of girls whispering by a rack of distressed tees. One of them perks her head up and motions to me. I keep walking, but she calls out my name.
“Mackenzie,” she says, strutting over to me. I take in her tight sweater and sparkly eye make-up. Her appearance is vaguely familiar.
When I pause for too long, she giggles. “It’s Ainsley.”
Recognition flashes in my mind. Ah, yes. The sorority girl who hangs on Judah. I’m sure this conversation will be super fun. I force a fake smile.
“Of course. What can I do for you?”
She smiles back, oblivious to my distaste. “Well, we were kind of wondering if you were still seeing Judah.” She waves her hand back to her friends watching us with interest. “We didn’t want to infringe on your relationship tonight if you were.”
My eyebrows pull in. “What are you talking about?”
She tucks a strand of bleached blonde hair behind her ear. “The date auction, silly. He’s guaranteed to bring in the top bid. That is, if he’s single.”
Clearly I missed something while I was being anti-social this week. Judah in a date auction?
Ainsley keeps going as I try to process this new information in my mind. “It’s for a good cause, too. It’s the biggest fund raiser for the sorority of the year. We usually enlist frat guys, but the football team seemed like a better option.”
I shake my head. “No, it’s totally fine.” I tighten my grip of the strap of my purse. “Judah is single.”
She claps her hands together and lets out an excited squeal. When she sees my reaction, she composes herself. “Sorry about that.”
Instead of punching her like I kind of want to at the moment, I step around her and back to find Zander. He’s still in front of the mirror, but has now moved on to a darker wash. I shove him in the shoulder.
“What was that for?” He shoots me a wounded expression, rubbing his arm.
“Did you know about the date auction tonight?” I hiss.
He smiles. “Of course. It’s like one of the biggest events of the year.” He turns back to look at himself again. “I did hear that this year they would be auctioning off football players…” His voice trails off as the realization hits him. “Oh.”
“Yeah, Oh.” I cross my arms. “That stupid twit Ainsley just told me Judah is the main attraction.”
“He kind of always is, Mack.”
I narrow my eyes. “You know what I mean.”
He turns back to me and mirrors my posture. “Why do you care? I thought you were done with him.”
“It’s not that simple. I need more time and that doesn’t include watching him being draped all over some vapid sorority girl who just wants him because he’s hot.”
Zander sits down on the chair. “And why do you want him?”
His eyes bore into me and I know that I can’t lie anymore.
“Because I’m in love with him.”
His smile widens. “Then you know what we need to do.”
All I can do I nod. I know what I need to do. I’m just not sure if it will be enough.
By the time we make it back to the apartment, my car has returned. Perry texted to reassure me that everything has been taken care of and to also yell at me for not telling him in the first place. He said it shouldn’t have come from Judah. Well, even if he didn’t spill the beans on that one I already assumed as much. It’s one thing for my brother to do things that for me, but having Judah feel the need to do it is new for me.
I hate to compare him to Sean, but it’s all I have. I’ve never been in a relationship where the other person put my best interests first. Maybe I should learn to accept help from the people who care about me.
As nice as that thought is, it may be too late for that. The fact that Judah felt the need to participate in this event speaks volumes for how much he believes in us. I know I haven’t made it easy for him.
I’m glad Zander talked me into shopping for a new outfit for the party tonight. I take in the short hem of my grey fitted dress in the mirror while smiling to myself. I’m sure Judah will have an equally appreciative reaction. That is, if I can afford him. I almost had the thousand dollars saved to fix my car from my tutoring sessions. I doubled up on them in between my classes ever since my car blew up. Now it seems like a small price to pay to win back the guy I love.
I can feel Zander watching me from the doorway. “What do you think?”
I make a small turn to give him the full view.
“You look amazing, Mack. Seriously, Judah will lose his mind when he sees you.”
Although his compliment makes me feel good, I frown. “But will it be enough?”
There’s something on his face that I can’t read. I shrug my shoulders. “What?”
He grips the back of his neck, uncomfortable. “I didn’t know Judah was going to be in the date auction because he asked me to distract you today. He had a big date planned for you and I have no idea what happened. I’m sorry, Mack.”
My heart drops into the pit of my stomach so fast it takes my breath away. Judah must have changed his mind.
I shake my head, feeling determined. “It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t change how I feel and I’m going to make sure he knows that.”
Zander throws his arm over my shoulder and hugs me to him so hard I almost cough. “I knew you had it in you.” He releases me and clasps his hands together like the sorority girl from earlier. “Tonight will be epic.”<
br />
I laugh. I’m not sure I share his enthusiasm. There are two ways tonight could go, both of which would be epic, only one would be good for us.
Chapter 34
Don’t Let Me Down
Judah
Running has never been a fun activity for me. I always ended up doing it because I had to or I needed to clear my head. Now I’m doing it because I’m nervous. All my energy is wound up so tight I feel like I may explode. Step one is complete. Zander texted to confirm that Perry’s prison buddies successfully collected Mack’s car this morning. To be honest, that was the easy part. The next step will take a lot more effort.
The first thing I had to do was drop my truck off at the stadium. Running back isn’t that far, but it’s a route I’ve never taken before.
I make a quick turn down a street I’m not familiar with. They all lead to the same place, so I keep going. I stay on the sidewalk because the music blaring through my earbuds is impeding my ability to hear anything else. That being said, it helps me think better.
I need to show Mackenzie I’m serious. Falling in love with someone is easy. It doesn’t take much. Actually loving someone is where it gets blurry. If Mack thinks I don’t know her well enough to have these feelings, then I need to convince her to prove me wrong. I want to know everything. Even the things she’s scared to let me see.
My feet continue to pound against the pavement as I circle back to campus. I catch a van driving at an alarming speed straight for me. I slow to a jog as it screeches to a stop in the middle of the road. Before I can react, several guys jump out wearing ski masks.
“What the fuck?” I gasp as they barrel towards me. After a brief struggle, they toss a bag over my head and shove me into the van.
This must be how I die.
I didn’t see this coming.
It’s quiet inside the van. I feel several pairs of hands holding me until a rope restrains my movements. This is the point where you’re supposed to fight, right? I kick my legs until they make contact with something soft. Several grunts ring through the air, so I kick harder. That is until I feel crippling pressure against the back of my neck.
