Mackenzie Paul

Chapter 45

Daniel

Jonah and I were hanging out in our backyard. Tessa was with him but she was texting someone at the time.

"Have you asked Jake to introduce her to Team 10?" Jonah asked trying to get her attention. Tessa mumbles something but continues texting. "Babe." Jonah says. I could hear the stress and annoyance in his voice. "Tessa." He says sternly. Tessa turns to Jonah and looks at him.

"What? What do you want?" Tessa asks annoyed.

"I want you to listen to me." Tessa sighs and puts her phone down turning towards Jonah.

"Okay, I'm listening."

"Are you even slightly worried about Mackenzie?"

"Yes of course I am!"

"Then why haven't you or any of the other guys tried to get Jake to meet all of you. . .again."

"Jake is trying, but Logan doesn't want her to get hurt again. We really want to see Mackenzie again, honestly. All the guys miss her and are worried about her. Grayson specifically."

"What do you mean Grayson specifically?"

"They were dating, I guess they still are, but Mackenzie doesn't know it."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that." I say. Jonah and Tessa look at me.

"What do you mean?" Tessa asks.

"The night Mackenzie was in the crash she was with me." I confess. "She told me everything that Stephanie had been doing here in the first place, with me, and she wasn't lying. She told me that Grayson had cheated on her with Stephanie. They broke up and haven't talked since."

"Wow. . .okay. Well it seems like he still really loves her. He talks about her a lot and asked about her."

"Why'd he never come see her?"

"He said he didn't think Mackenzie wanted him to be there. We never asked about it." I nod and run my hand through my hair.

"Do you think Mackenzie knows any of Team 10?" Jonah asks.

"She knows Kade, Chance, and Anthony, but that's about it."

"Yea, but she knew them from Ohio..." I say sighing. I lower my head and an image of Mackenzie flashes to my mind. Her face stained with tears. Her blood red eyes and smeared makeup. Her black shorts printed with daisies all over them, her vans dusted in sand and her shirt standing out against the dark sky. The paleness of her skin and sorrow in her eyes. It hurt.

Then another image of Mackenzie flashed to mind. The glow of her skin, the happiness radiating from her smile. Her bright blue eyes and pearly white teeth. Her hand placed in mine and the excitement pulsing off her body.

I'm knocked out of my daze by my phone ringing. Logan was calling me.

I answer.

"Hey Logan, what's up?"

"It's actually Mackenzie." Mackenzie's beautiful voice came through the phone and I smile. I stand up and walk away from Jonah and Tessa. Not like they were paying attention to me anyway.

"Oh h-hey Mackenzie, what's up?"

"I took Logan's phone and decided to call you. Want to hang out today? Logan said he wanted me to leave for a while anyways. Maybe we could go to the park or something?"

"Uh yea, I'd love that. Want me to pick you up?"

"You can drive?"

"Yea, but I mean uber."