Blurring Lines (3 page)

Summer 2000

Age 13

Cade

June 25
th
, 2000

“When are you going to kiss your
girlfriend
?” Ian taunted when I reached the bottom of my driveway. He was looking up at me with a smug expression and I wanted to kick his ass already.

Ian and Ezra – along with Mackenzie’s friends, Rita and Emily – were tagging along to the creek with Kenz and me
.
We were going swimming and I was seriously thinking about dunking Ian’s stupid head under the water if he didn’t stop teasing me. Mackenzie and Rita had left for the creek an hour ago. Apparently they needed to have
‘girl time’
.

Whatever the hell that means …

The rest of us were waiting for Emily. “Shut your dumb mouth, Ian, you know Kenzie’s not my girlfriend,” I growled.

“Whatever, dude,” Ian snickered, before cycling on ahead of me. “If you don’t kiss her, I will.”

“Touch her and I’ll kick your ass, Keller,” I shouted after him. It wasn’t a threat. It was a promise that I was more than willing to keep. Ever since the beginning of summer Ian had been looking at Mackenzie the way that I knew I was
not
supposed to look at her and it was driving me crazy.

It’s going to be one long day ...

“Ignore him,” Ezra told me, and I sagged a little. “Ian gets off on making you tick. You know that, Cade.”

Besides Kenzie, Ezra was my best friend. We got each other. I didn’t care that he had a major crush on Emily, with Rita as his second choice, and he didn’t care that I fantasized about being with my best friend – he was the one who kept pushing me to tell Kenz how I felt …

Damn hormones …

“Easier said than done, Z,” I grumbled, forcing myself to rein in my temper and not chase after Ian.

“Maybe Kenzie will share her towel with me,” Ian called out before cycling around the corner.

“I hope he falls off his bike and breaks his jaw,” I seethed.
At least that would shut his stupid mouth up and stop him from talking so much ...

“Forget about him.”

Emily stopped her bike beside us, hopped off the saddle and planted her feet on the ground. “Ian is a total jerk,” she added, casting a dark glance at the street corner around which Ian had disappeared. “I have no idea why any of us put up with him.”

“So you tell us, Ems. You’re the one dating the jerk,” Ezra mumbled under his breath, causing me to chuckle.

Emily’s blue eyes flared with hurt. Her blue sundress was loose and blowing in the slight breeze which had picked up.

“Only because I’m invisible to the one I really want.” Emily’s long, black hair splayed out as she kicked off the pedal and cycled on ahead of us.

“What was that about?” I asked, confused as hell, as I scratched the back of my neck.

“You should just get it over with and ask Mackenzie out,” Ezra grumbled with a sigh. “Maybe then Emily will stop getting her hopes up.”

I swung around to glare at him. “What?”

“Emily likes you,” Ezra said in a flat tone. He had a forlorn expression etched on his face, and I felt sorry for the guy. “It’s as clear as the nose on her face.”

I stood with my jaw hanging open, contemplating what the hell I’d just heard. “But I don’t…”

“See her like that?” Ezra added, nodding. “I know; which is why you should ask Mackenzie out. She’ll say yes to you,” he added with a wink. “She’ll say yes to anything with you, Cade – the girl loves you.”

“Change the subject,” I muttered, before grabbing the handlebars with more force than I should and dragging my BMX off the grass. It wasn’t as simple as asking Kenzie out. She could say no. There was a fifty percent chance she would say no and I would lose my best friend. It was a hell of a lot to risk. Plus, I was a chicken shit.

****

Mackenzie

All of my friends were swimming in the creek. Meanwhile, I was sitting on the bank with my back pressed against a tree, a towel wrapped around my lower half, and feeling so embarrassed that I thought I would die. Seriously, I had never felt so mortified in all my thirteen years – or been in so much agony.

If I had cycled down to the creek then I could have slipped home and none of my friends would be any the wiser. But I had taken a stupid saddler from Rita, and I had never felt so trapped.

“Hey, Kenzie,” Ian called out from the water. “You coming in or not, girl?”

Not. Definitely not. Never freaking again.
“Maybe in a little while,” I called back.

Ian grinned up at me before diving under the water, and I had no doubt that my face was crimson red.

A shadow fell over me, blocking the sun and the creek.

“What’s wrong?” a deep voice asked, and I didn’t need to look up to know it was Cade.

“Nothing,” I told him, hoping he wouldn’t ask more questions. Cade knew I was a terrible liar, but this was one truth I didn’t want him to squeeze out of me …

Cade tutted gently. “Kenzie …”

He lowered himself to sit beside me. “Don’t lie to me,” he coaxed, patting my knee. Cade’s hand was warm and strong and a wonderful sensation tingled through me. “Tell me what’s wrong and I’ll help you.”

“It’s too embarrassing, Cade,” I mumbled.

“Am I going to have to tickle the truth out of you?” he asked with a smirk, and I knew he was serious.

“No … no … no …” I squealed and started to scramble away, but Cade was already on me, covering my body with his.

Cade’s skin was warm and wet and droplets of water were spilling from his hair onto my chest. Locking my hands above my head in one of his, he grinned down at me.

“Surrender yet, baby girl – or do I need to tickle you some more?” Cade had taken to calling me ‘baby girl’ when he realized that I still slept with my childhood toy rabbit.

“I got my period,” I whispered, and Cade’s body froze above me. “It’s my first one.”

“Your period,” he croaked out, eyes locked on my face. His cheeks were pink and I could tell he was embarrassed. This was as awkward for Cade as it was for me. “Are you sore?”

“Yeah, and I can’t go swimming.” I nodded, red-faced and mortified. “Because my bathing suit is ruined and I can’t go home because I didn’t bring my bike and I don’t want everyone to see me all … gross.”

Cade continued to gaze down at me for another minute or so before shaking his head and climbing to his feet. “Come on,” he said, taking my hand and pulling me to my feet. “I’m taking you home.”

We didn’t bother saying goodbye to our friends.

Instead, Cade put his hands on my hips and walked us over to his BMX. I knew why he was walking
directly
behind me – shielding me from everyone’s view – and I think another piece of my heart fell in love with him because of it.

****

Summer 2001

Age 14

Mackenzie

July 1
st
, 2004

“Your mother’s a whore, just like you,” Emily sneered, and I had to force myself not to cry in front of the only gang of friends I’d ever had.

It wasn’t like I had spurred the girls on. They had just showed up at my house. I had done nothing wrong. This was all on Mom: my mom and Emily’s dad. They had been having an affair for months and yesterday they both skipped town, leaving me as the scapegoat.

I got that Emily was hurt, but so was I. My family had just split up too. It wasn’t all about Emily and her family.

What about my Dad?

“Mackenzie Whore. Mackenzie Whore,” Emily chanted loudly over and over, and I wanted to fall into the ground.

I sniffled, and that’s when the tears escaped my traitorous eyes.

****

Cade

“Mackenzie Whore, Mackenzie Whore …”

That’s all I could hear from my front porch. When I looked into neighbor’s yard I realized why.

Damn it!

Stalking across the lawn, I jumped the low-sized hedge separating our gardens and walked straight up to my best friend.

Wrapping my arm around her shoulder, I tucked Kenzie in close before swinging around and glaring at the gang of bitches tormenting her.

“Get out of here,” I warned them.

Mackenzie was sniffling and crying, and I swore to God the only reason I hadn’t pummeled someone’s face by now was the fact that I’d been raised better than to lay a hand on a female.
But it was times like this that made it hard for men …

“Do you know what she did?” Emily shouted, red-faced, pointing her finger at Mackenzie. “Her whore of a mother broke up my family.”

“And your bastard of a father destroyed hers,” I replied calmly. I knew all about Gabe McAllister and Dee Moore running off together. I had spent the best part of last night comforting the blonde girl who was shaking beside me. “I’d say that’s one for one, Emily.”

“But … but …” Emily’s blue eyes widened and filled with tears. She brushed a tendril of her black curly hair away with a shaking hand. “But … Cade, you can’t just take her side on this. You’re my friend too …”

“I’m hers before I’m anyone else’s. So just get out of here, Emily,” I said, with a sigh. “And don’t come back until you grow up.”

I felt sorry for Emily.

She was not a bad person. Hell, up until today I thought she was one of Mackenzie’s female best friends, but I wasn’t going to sit back and allow Emily McAllister, or anyone else, to call Mackenzie names.

No goddamn way.

****

Winter 2001

Age 14

Mackenzie

December 25
th
, 2001

“Well, what did you get?” Cade asked excitedly. 

He was standing on my front doorstep, grinning down at me, smelling better than all the cookies my Aunt Cora had baked in our kitchen this morning, and I still couldn’t work up a smile.

I felt too guilty …

Brushing past me, Cade stepped into the hallway and immediately took my hand in his. “Kenz?” he asked in a worried tone, brushing his thumb over the skin of my knuckles. “Why are you not smiling? It’s Christmas!”

Pressing my index finger to my lips, I turned and rushed up the stairs, dragging Cade along behind me. When I reached my bedroom, I pulled Cade inside and quickly shut and locked my door.

“Okay,” he chuckled, as he sauntered over to my bed and made himself comfortable. “Is this the part where you give me my Christmas gift?”

Folding his arms behind his head, Cade let out a contented sigh. “Because I’m liking the setting, baby girl.”

“Cade, be serious,” I squeaked, rushing over to where he was laying. Climbing onto my bed, I threw myself on top of his body and clenched my eyes shut. “I’ve done something bad – like really awful …”

“That’s doubtful,” he snorted, wrapping his arms around me.

“You’ve got too much good in you to even be capable of doing something remotely bad, Mackenzie Moore,” he added, after a pause.

“Oh, yeah,” I muttered in a petulant tone. “Well I have done something
bad
and you’re going to hate me for it.”

“All right.” Shifting me off his chest so that I was straddling his lap, Cade sat up and stared straight into my eyes. “Lay it on me.”

Biting down on my lip, I studied his beautiful blue eyes for a long moment before stretching forward, slipping my hand under my pillow and pulling out the pink envelope. “I stole it from your mailbox,” I admitted, mortified before thrusting it into his hand and burying my face in my hands.

Cade was quiet for a moment before finally asking, “Did you read it?”

I nodded my head in shame. “Yes – but only because I knew it was from Emily.” Groaning in mortification, I peeked up at him. “She likes you – like
really likes you
, Cade,” I whispered. “I heard her talking to some girls in the bathroom … she was going to ask you out in a letter and I …”

I didn’t have a chance to finish my sentence because Cade’s lips covered mine and all thoughts of Emily McAllister faded from my mind.

His lips were soft, yet firm, and incredibly addictive.

I want this,
I thought to myself as I kissed him back eagerly.

Just as I leaned forward to kiss him harder, Cade pulled back and smiled at me. Then he lifted Emily’s letter and ripped it in half.

“You’re the only girl for me, Mackenzie Moore,” he told me softly.

My heart hammered in my chest. “I am?”

“Yeah,” Cade chuckled, before ruffling my hair with his hand. “Merry Christmas.”

****