Chapter 18
MACKENZIE
The darkness seeped in quickly, consuming the cabin entirely. The sound of Max’s footsteps reached me before I saw him. He entered the bedroom, his eyes briefly meeting mine with an unsettling stare, then silently he grabbed his swimsuit from the dresser.
“Max…” I whispered. He didn’t look at me. He didn’t say a single word to me. Not one.
We might as well have been strangers.
Deep down, I knew I’d hurt him. But I had no idea how to make things right.
I was terrified that if I got too close, the truth would come out.
Max was too bright, too perceptive. He was constantly fiddling with his computer, typing out code, and doing things I didn’t understand.
He knew me too well. He wasn’t going to let me get away with it forever.
And when he finally figured it out, he’d leave. He’d just run away. The thought of losing him, even if it was his decision, was unbearable. It was a pain that sank deep inside me.
He didn’t wait for me. He just walked off toward the lake, with Heather asking to join him. He nodded his head yes, and she lapped next to him like a dog. That one small choice ripped me apart in ways I couldn’t even describe. Jealousy consumed me.
My heart actually felt like it was shattering, like tiny pieces of glass exploding inside my chest. When I tried to swallow, I could feel the shards pressing into my vocal cords, silencing the scream that threatened to come out at any moment.
By the time I reached the water, the air hung thick with the sickly scents of sunscreen, sweat, and pine, blending into an unsettling aroma.
Our counselor group was mingling with some of Jackson’s.
I didn’t recognize most of them. Only Rhett Callahan stood out.
He was the one who’d helped me earlier when one of the kids got sick, but now his eyes seemed darker, hungrier.
He dragged his eyes up and down my body.
I felt like a specimen, like a moth trapped inside a clear glass, fluttering awkwardly to escape.
Was I in my game now? Was he a player?
Rhett and the others shouted and splashed, already knee-deep in the shallows, while Heather and Megan lounged on the dock.
Max wasn’t with Heather, which gave me some solace.
I stood at the lake’s edge; my towel slung casually over one shoulder.
I was trying not to watch Max, who I also noticed was trying not to watch me.
He looked agitated yet stoic. His shoulders were tense. I could see his muscles straining against his shirt as he tried not to look at me.
His backward cap barely kept the messy waves out of his face, and then, as if he knew I was watching, he reached for the hem of his shirt.
My stomach clenched as I watched Heather’s head turn.
His cotton shirt peeled up his torso, revealing every inch of that golden, lean muscle underneath.
His broad shoulders, his abs sharp, the tattoo on his arm flexing.
I’d seen him like this every single night, every single morning, with only a thin layer of clothing.
I’d felt that body pressed against mine, but it wasn’t the same as seeing him now.
He had an audience, and he was aware of it.
And he wasn’t mine to claim, because I had told him so. Because I was an idiot.
From across the dock, Heather’s mouth was nearly hanging open. She nudged Megan, whispering and giggling as if she stood a chance with him.
I mean, did she stand a chance? He had walked with her to the lake. Maybe he had moved on from me already.
That realization hurt. I knew I deserved it. I had been pushing him away. But it didn’t make it easier to deal with.
I looked away before my face gave me away. My jealousy was stirring up anger. If Max wanted to play, so would I.
The second I dropped the swim cover-up, I felt his gaze hit me. He froze mid-step.
The yellow bikini I was wearing was daring, much more risqué than I would typically wear, but I wanted Max to look at me.
His eyes dragged over my body discreetly at first, and then hungrily. He kept going back for another look. His jaw went slack, lips parted. His tongue darted out as if he hadn’t even realized he was doing it.
And then his expression changed.
His gaze sharpened and darkened. It was as if he was fighting every instinct to cross the space between us and claim me. His hands clenched at his sides like he wanted to grab, touch, hold, and pull me in so close that no one else would dare look.
His eyes dipped to my chest, lingering far too long, and then lower, over the stretch of bare skin on my stomach, the dip of my waist, the high-cut curve of my hips.
His throat worked as he swallowed hard. He was remembering everything—the feeling of his hands, his lips, his tongue on my body.
I could see it in the way his hands twitched at his sides, the way his body gravitated toward me.
His mouth opened like he wanted to speak, but nothing came out. He was furious with want. He looked like he wanted to drag me into the lake, rip the bikini off with his teeth, and remind me exactly who I belonged to.
Jackson’s whistle broke through the noise from the water. His eyes were glued to me, and one brow arched in that familiar way, cocky and interested.
“Damn,” someone muttered behind me.
Rhett stood a few feet away, gaze dragging down the length of my body like he had no shame. “Didn’t realize the lake came with a view.”
Max’s head whipped around. I could feel a chilling crackle in the humid air, like static ready to burst. Max’s eyes locked onto me—dark, stormy—his entire posture stiff. He took a step forward, then abruptly halted.
Why was he hesitating?
I fought a smile as I walked past him, brushing my shoulder against his.
“Problem?” I asked, my voice low, innocent. His eyes flicked down to the curve of my hips and back up again, jaw tight.
“You tell me.” His voice was deep. He was pissed.
The water was cooler than I had expected, sending a shiver down my spine as I waded up to my thighs. Goosebumps prickled across my skin, but I tilted my face up, eyes closed for a second.
Then I heard splashes behind me. I peeked over my shoulder.
Rhett, all cocky confidence, was making his way toward me, and Max was stalking right behind him. The tension followed them like storm clouds.
“Didn’t peg you for a thong bikini kind of girl,” Rhett said. “But I’ve never been happier to be wrong.”
I raised a brow, forcing a casual smirk. “What kind of girl did you peg me for?”
“Trouble,” he said, grinning. “The fun kind.”
I opened my mouth to respond. It was weird that he called me Trouble, Max’s nickname for me.
But Max was suddenly beside us, the water lapping at his hips, chest rising and falling like he was trying to stay calm.
But the way his eyes looked, as if he were going to punish me, told me everything I needed to know about how he was really feeling.
Rhett didn’t seem to notice or didn’t care. He kept talking.
“You know, I’ve got a late-night dock shift next week. I could use someone to keep me company,” he winked. “You interested?”
Max’s jaw clenched so hard it looked painful.
“She’s busy.”
I turned toward him, startled by the edge in his voice. His eyes weren’t on me. They were locked on Rhett like he was trying to figure out how many seconds it would take to drown him. Rhett didn’t flinch. He just grinned, as if he were too stupid to recognize danger.
“Relax, man. We’re just talking.” His gaze dragged over my body again. “Where’s Heather, anyway?”
Max didn’t blink. “Why would I give a damn about Heather?”
“She said you two were hooking up,” Rhett said it casually, glancing to shore where Heather was shimmying out of her shorts. Her eyes were on Max.
Everything around me stopped. Max went still in that way he only did when he was lying. His jaw was tight, his eyes a little too blank. His gaze never even flicked to Heather; it locked on Rhett like he was the problem.
“What?” Max snapped; his voice so tight it barely made it past his teeth.
“Yeah, she said you guys hooked up tonight at the lake. She’s been talking about it for hours. I thought that meant Mackenzie was now fair game, since you’re done chasing her.”
No, no, no. I knew Max. I knew him. Didn’t I?
Max’s eyes went wide, his mouth parting, but he didn’t say anything. He looked shocked, unable to come to terms with what was being said. But he didn’t deny it. He just looked at me. It was the kind of silence that cut deeper than any lie.
I could see every part of his mind shutting down, the light fading as if he couldn’t think anymore.
Heat surged through my chest. I could hear Heather’s smug little laugh in my head, see her body pressed against him.
Maybe she had been with him tonight. He had been gone for a while.
And they had walked to the lake together.
Perhaps I was just some stupid girl he liked to play with.
His childhood best friend. He made me think he loved me, while he snuck around with the big dogs.
She knew what she was doing. I didn’t.
I had told him he could do this, fuck around. But I didn’t think he’d actually do it. I thought he’d be loyal to me. But I had pushed him away, and apparently, I had pushed him straight into Heather’s welcoming arms.
I felt myself sway, losing my balance.
Max saw it and immediately reached for me.
“Trouble,” he breathed out, stepping toward me, panic flashing in his eyes. “It’s not what you think—”
“Isn’t it?” I whispered, my voice barely holding together. The ache in my throat burned like betrayal. “Then say it.”
He looked like he wanted to say something, but couldn’t. He was slow, too slow. Max was a smart guy and usually quick to defend himself. But right now, he looked defeated, scared even.
Rhett shifted uncomfortably.
“Didn’t mean to start anything. Just trying to figure out who’s off limits here.”
Max turned on him with the slow precision of a lethal killer.
“She’s not fucking available,” he growled.