upside down , chris sturniolo. ✓

thirty four.

"alright, i'm heading out now." mackenzie announced to matt, chris, emaan, and nick, who were all talking in the living room when she came out. all four eyes turned to chris. 

"are you coming?" mackenzie asked, a sudden coldness in her voice. chris locked eyes with emaan, who eagerly nodded, and then to nick, who rolled his eyes. 

"yeah, i'm—" he didn't have a chance to respond before mackenzie cut him off.

"alright." she said before turning around. she left so fast, that chris was still standing in the living room when they heard the door shut. 

"chris, are you stupid?" emaan asked him. "go after her!" 

"mack! mack, hold on" chris ran out the door after mackenzie.

"we're going to be late, chris." mackenzie kept walking, even though she was over an hour early to meet logan and claire at the movies.

"mackenzie, please." chris called out to her. she stopped and turned around with a sigh, "please just... stop and listen before we go." he walked where she stood at the edge of the driveway. "i'm sorry about your present. i know you were expecting to get one from me." he started before mackenzie shook her head.

"chris,  i'm fine–"

"no, you're not, mack! i know you're not fine," chris cut her off, "mackenzie, i know you. and i know that the past week has been killing you just as much as it's been killing me. if it was all fine, then you wouldn't have posted on your spam about it. but you did. and i saw it. i know how much this whole thing has affected you, and i also know how badly i want to go back in time and fix it. if i could go and take back my words, i would. if i could make it so we never broke up, so we never argued, so i never left your fucking birthday gift in LA, i would. god, mackenzie, i swear i would. and i got you such a good present too."

chris was rambling at this point. mackenzie wanted so badly to interrupt him and forgive him, but she decided to let him finish.

"i was just so caught up in my feelings for you that i forgot how my actions would affect you. I just.. i didn't want to lose the person i had just fallen in love with. i was blinded by jealousy and i took it out on you even though you did absolutely nothing wrong. you were only trying to fix things and i made everything worse. and i'm sorry. im really, really sorry." he finished his speech only to be met by a bone crushing hug.

"i'm sorry i didn't forgive you." mackenzie whispered. "i was scared that you wouldn't trust me again." she pulled away and chris could see her trying not to cry. he grabbed her hands and their eyes met.

"i trust you more than anyone in the world, mack." chris spoke. "and i love you. so so much." he added. mackenzie smiled before pulling chris in for a kiss.

"i love you, too." she replied. she looked toward the front door. "should we go inside and tell them?"

"nah, they can wait. let's go double date at the movies!" chris eagerly got into the passenger seat of mackenzie's car. mackenzie shook her head as she got into the drivers' seat.

"poor ayla's gonna be fifth wheeling." 

"well, that's her problem." chris shrugged. "hey, you know that logan was actually the one that talked sense into me last night?" 

"really?" mackenzie asked. "when did you two talk?"

"after you left the room. he walked in and started talking to me. he's not a bad guy, actually."

"he's not." mackenzie agreed as she pulled out of the driveway. she started to drive to the movie theater. "he's actually one of the nicest people i know."

"why did you guys break up?" chris asked her. "if you don't mind me asking."

"no, it's okay." mackenzie shrugged. "honestly, i don't really know. i think towards our last year of high school we kind of drifted. and by the time we graduated, we barely ever saw each other anymore. so we just decided that it would be better if we stayed friends. there wasn't a fight or anything like that, we just slowly realized that our relationship wasn't going to last. our love wasn't real. but it's okay now because he's with claire and i'm with you."

"and our love is real, right?" chris furrowed his eyebrows. "i'd be pretty upset if we broke up again." mackenzie chuckled. 

"yes, chris, our love is real."

maha speaks :)

this actually sucks i'm so sorry.