Your Secret's Safe With Me

Interrogation

Peyton stared straight ahead at Mackenzie, not really believing that the guy she thought she had been talking to for months was really a girl. 

"Look, I know you weren't expecting me to show up..." Mackenzie started.

Peyton swallowed the lump in her throat, "yeah, no shit!" 

Mackenzie winced at Peyton's outburst, "I'm sorry, I didn't know how to bring it up to you in person."

Peyton closed her eyes, willing her anger to go down, it wasn't good for her blood pressure. "You have a lot of explaining to do, Mackenzie. Is that even your name?"

Mackenzie looked around uncomfortably, "is it ok if I go grab a drink first? There are so many things to cover that I'm definitely going to need water."

Peyton put her hand up, "stay here, I'll go get it." 

Mackenzie watched her walk up to the counter and order a coffee. Peyton turned around and narrowed her eyes at Mackenzie, making her shrink down in her seat. She didn't mean for this to go on for this long, it just turned out that way.

Peyton waited for Mackenzie's coffee, her hands balled into a fist on the counter. In a way, she felt like she was catfished. There were things that Peyton told Wol-- Mackenzie that she's only told, Darren and Paige. Her body tensed when she remembered that she came out to her. 

"One cafe latte," the barista called. 

Peyton took it with a weak smile and walked back to her table with shaky legs. She placed the mug down in front of her and folded her arms, "now talk." 

Mackenzie put her hands around the mug trying to figure out where to start. "Everything I've ever told you, whether it was online or in person was true." She stared at Peyton with nervous eyes, "I literally didn't know that you were the person behind KingPhotography up until a couple weeks ago I swear. You seemed like a really cool person online, rather than the cold person in real life, no offense," she bit the inside of her cheek to keep going, "and when I did piece the puzzle together, it was fun seeing another side of you. That's why I would tease you because I wanted to see that side of you in real life."

"So, what? You think I just exist for your entertainment or something?" Peyton spat.

"No!" Mackenzie buried her head in her hands, "I didn't mean it that way," her voice was muffled under her hands. She lifted her head with regretful eyes, "why don't you just ask me questions, I'm scared you're going to misinterpret everything I say." 

Peyton wanted to shut down the suggestion but when she saw the distress in Mackenzie's eyes, it broke her heart. "When did you piece together who I was?" 

Mackenzie's eyes relaxed just a little bit, "I had an inkling when we first met, but I wasn't 100% sure. King is kind of a common last name. But when you invited me into your house when I drove you home, that's when I knew for sure." 

"Why didn't you tell me? I feel like a huge idiot right now," Peyton snapped.

Mackenzie straightened in her seat and went to put her hand over Peyton's but stopped herself, "I really wanted to, Peyton. We've been talking for months and we've opened up to each other. You're closed off, Peyton, it's not often that you let people get close. So, when you did let me in as Wolverine, I knew it was a big deal. Then slowly, you started letting 'Mackenzie' in. I just didn't want you to distance yourself from me."

Peyton immediately tensed up when she remembered what she told Logan in confidence, not knowing that it was Mackenzie. For God's sake, she confided in how she had a big fat crush on her. She suddenly remembered coming out to Logan and how easy it was, "I told you I was in the closet," she said absentmindedly. 

"And you don't know how much I appreciate you trusting me to tell me that," Mackenzie pressed. 

Peyton stayed silent, processing the information that was thrown at her. 

This time Mackenzie didn't hesitate to initiate contact, " Peyton, Wolverine and I are the same person, I'm the same person that was replying to you. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner."

Peyton's eyes wandered down to the table where Mackenzie's warm hand covered her own. She nodded, "can you tell me why you were avoiding me for like a week?" 

Mackenzie rolled her eyes, "I avoided you for 6 hours max, Peyton. I did talk to you  at the party, but you were a little tipsy?" 

"those extra hours at the party don't count," Peyton dismissed. "Now, go ahead."

Mackenzie bit the inside of her cheek, organizing her thoughts. "I was scared," she simply as she took her hand back from on top of Peyton's.

"Scared of what?" Peyton asked, suddenly missing the contact. "Of me?"

Mackenzie rubbed her face, "you don't understand Peyton. I wasn't planning on getting close to anyone after moving here. It was supposed to be an easy in and out, graduate from high school here and then leave. But between our talks as online and my telling you about Peter, it was just too much." She put her hands in lap and stared down at the untouched coffee in front of her, "I left Toronto after Peter died to get away from the pitiful stares from people. To just go somewhere where no one knows."

"So, I was....too much?" Peyton asked.

Mackenzie lifted up her spoon and started stirring her coffee, the spoon hitting the sides of the mug softly, "no, it's not like that." She stopped stirring and looked at the girl across the table, "when Peter died, I didn't just lose him. It felt like I lost everyone." She looked away, "death makes people act weird like they don't know how to act around you any more or they just pull away entirely." 

"What about your parents?" 

"My parents were like empty shells, after losing him, it was like they forgot they had another kid to take care of. They didn't even care when I asked if I can finish high school in a different country." Tears started forming in her eyes, "I mean, I can't really blame them. I'm sure it was hard for them to look at me especially since Peter and I were twins, but it doesn't make the hurt go away."

"I avoided you because if you left too, I wouldn't know what to do. I thought it would hurt less if I left before you had the chance to leave," she looked at Peyton with a small smile, "but then you had to go and confront me, persistently I may add." 

Peyton scoffed, "well you went from annoying me to be best friends and then when I finally agreed, you pulled a David Blaine and disappeared until I literally had to track you down." 

"I know, I was just scared and it was such a coward move on my part. But Peyton," Mackenzie suddenly looked nervous, "you're really important to me, like more than you should be. It's weird, but it felt like there was some invisible tie that you had on me, that had me drawn to you and no matter how hard I tried to stay away, I'd always end up talking to you."

Peyton stared at Mackenzie and sighed, "there is so much information to process. Like, I don't even know what to call you anymore. Do I call you Wolverine? Mackenzie? Logan?"

Mackenzie pursed her lips and looked at her through her eyelashes, "well I was hoping you could call me your girlfriend."

Peyton sat in her chair frozen.

Mackenzie blushed, "Peyton, will you go out with me?"