Page 23 of Rumor Has It

“Hatch, everyone—the entire town—knows you and Mack are a thing.” Riley drops into the chair opposite me. “Wait, do y’all not realize it?”

“I don’t think they do, Riley.” Walker chuckles. “It’s all good; you’ll both get there.”

“Why are you even here?” I can’t begin to address the other stuff, so I divert.

Walker laughs louder. “You’re going to be a great lawyer, pivot!”

“My car’s in the shop, so he picked me up,” Riley says as he shoves half a ham in his mouth.

“I thought you were at college?”

Walker nods, opening his drink. “Finals was last week, so I’m home for the summer.”

“And just in time for all the drama!” Riley winks at me. “So, when you kickin’ his ass?”

I fall back on the couch, running my hand over my face. “Yesterday. Never. I don’t know. What is she thinking?”

“Probably, why you never came after her.” Riley nods just as Walker hits him with a pillow.

“Seriously? Give him a minute to try to come to that conclusion.” Walker shakes his head.

“But, it’s the obvious one.” He shrugs as if I don’t already know it.

I take a deep breath, slowly releasing it before I say the one thing I’ve never uttered out loud. “I’ve never told her how I feel about her, but I sure as hell didn’t think this was going to happen if I didn’t sooner than later.”

“Ha! Knew it!” Riley grins as he continues to eat.

“Maybe … you could choke on that, asshat.” I glare at him.

Walker sits forward. “I’ve gotta ask, why haven’t you? I mean, not trying to rub salt in the wound or anything, but you two have been together ever since we can remember.”

“Imagine our shock witnessing the destruction zone you just left.” Riley’s eyes widen.

“Sorry, Riley.” I spit, “I hate that I hurt you.”

He pounds his chest. “It’s alright. I’ll be okay.”

“Riley, don’t try to help.” Walker pops him in the back of the head. “What dipshit is trying to say, not so tactfully, is … what the actual fuck?”

I stand and start pacing the room. “Kenzie and I have been best friends for so long, I’m not sure when I started falling in love with her, because I’ve always loved her.”

“I’d say about the time her boobs came in, or maybe when she got that fine ass.” Riley waggles his brows.

“I’m gonna beat you.”

Walker chuckles. “It’s a valid point; she did fill out nicely.”

“I thought y’all were trying to help!”

Riley smirks. “We’re only helping you to realize the obvious. You know, so you’ll appreciate it.”

Walker rolls his eyes at Riley. “Go on, Hatch.”

“I asked her to prom.” I hesitate. “And I might have mentioned that if she didn’t want to go with me, someone else would.”

“This other person being Marla Nelson.” Walker’s face lightens up as if a bulb went off.

“Yeah, and Mackenzie went crazy when she saw us together. I swear, I didn’t tell her or anyone else, I was taking her to prom. Besides, Mackenzie said she wasn’t sure if she even wanted to go.”