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“On his way to your parents’ house.”
Colton and I don’t hesitate for a second before jumping up and throwing our clothes on. I hit the speaker button and toss the phone onto the bed as I pull my bra back on and clip it behind my back.
“What store were you at?”
“Crackerjacks.”
“Okay, if we hurry, we may make it there in time.” I slide my shorts up my legs and then throw my shirt over my head. “Thanks Iv. I’ll text you later.”
“Good luck!”
She hangs up the phone just as I grab it. Colton and I climb off the boat and run as fast as we can back up the docks. As soon as we get in his car, I realize I’ve never been so glad for the v8 engine. He rips out of the parking lot and speeds down the road, gripping my hand with the one that isn’t on the steering wheel. I appreciate the comfort, but I can’t manage to look away from the window.
If we get to my parents’ house and Parker is already there, everything is going to come out. The choice I’ve been dreading making, may end up being made for me and there will be nothing I can say about it. I’m sure it would only be a matter of time before Maverick finds out why my engagement ended in a chaotic mess of arguments and broken hearts. This isn’t how I wanted this to go. This isn’t how I wanted any of this. I finally had everything back in order, and then I went and made a mess of it all. What have I done?
Colton drifts the car around turns, pressing the pedal to the floor as we fly down the street. If I wasn’t so terrified, this drive would be incredible. The potential for excitement is huge, but my head just isn’t there.
We pull up in front of the house and I don’t see Parker’s truck, but what if he’s already been here and realized I wasn’t? No, he would have called me – I hope. Regardless, I need to get in there to find out. I give Colton’s hand a squeeze before jumping out of the car and running down the long driveway. As soon as I get in the house and shut the door behind me, my mom comes out from the kitchen.
“McKenna? Is everything alright?”
I nod, trying to think of how I’m going to explain this. “I- I…” My hands run over my face. Fuck, this is a disaster. “I messed up, Mom.”
“Whatever it is, you can talk to me.” She comes closer and runs her hand down my arm.
I pull myself from the door and go into the living room. My feet start to pace across the floor as I try to figure out the right words. The second I go to open my mouth, there’s a knock at the door. My breath hitches as she goes and opens it to find Parker standing there. He greets her as he steps in, then his eyes land on me.
“There you are. I saw Ivy, she said I could find you here.”
I nod half-heartedly. “I thought you were studying.”
“I was, but I needed something to drink and realized we were all out of anything but water. I ran to the market to stock up.” He looks me up and down before his eyebrows furrow. “Why is your shirt inside out?”
Looking down at myself, I notice he’s right. Shit. My mouth opens and closes like a fish. I can practically feel the way both our hearts are about to shatter. There’s no getting out of this now.
“I, uhm,” I start, but my mom quickly cuts me off.
“I made her switch it around. With what we were dealing with, a stain could ruin it, and it looks too good on her for that.”
Parker smiles at my mom and then at me. “That it does.” He comes closer and kisses my forehead. “Well, I just wanted to make sure everything was alright. I’m going home to unload the groceries. I’ll see you in a bit?”
“Yeah, I’ll be there soon.” I stare down at the ground, not able to look at anyone.
As soon as I hear him say goodbye to my mother and shut the door behind him, I exhale. My whole body falls onto the couch and my heart rate finally starts to slow. That was way too close. Everything could have gone up in flames. It’s a miracle that it didn’t. I really need to make a decision, and fast.
“Have either of you told Maverick?” My mom’s voice startles me. In my relief, I had forgotten she was even there. My eyes meet hers and it hits me. She knows.
“Mom, I can explain.”
She raises one hand to stop me. “No need. You’re a grown woman, McKenna, and Colton is a grown man. Both of you are old enough to make your own choices. I just hope you know what you’re doing.”
I wish I could tell her that I do, that I have a handle on all of this, but I don’t. Every time I think I’m getting close to being sure of what I want, something happens that throws all my logic into a blender and turns my brain to mush. The bottom line is, I’m greedy and I don’t want to lose either one of them.
20
COLTON
After coming ridiculously close to getting caught last week, I fully expected McKenna to disappear again. So, imagine my surprise when I woke up the following morning to a text from her. It was a simple message letting me know that she was thinking about me, but it made my whole day brighter.
