Chapter Nine
Mackenzie
Ten Years Ago
“ H ow does it feel to be a graduate?” I ask as Damon pushes open the door to the Hiltons’ house.
Damon, Parker, and I have been the best of friends for as long as we can remember. Probably because, up until a few months ago, all three sets of our parents were close. Damon is a year older than me and Parker, so he just graduated last week. His mom took him on a trip to see his aunt for a week. The three of us have talked on the phone every day, but we’ve kept it mostly surface talk.
Neither me nor Parker wanted to bring up anything that would make Damon think of his dad. He’s only been gone for a few months, and we knew his death carried a black cloud over what should’ve been a glorious event.
It’s a black cloud that’s been hovering over Ashwood since February when Damon’s dad and Parker’s mom died in a car accident. In a car they weren’t meant to be in together. Damon’s dad was supposed to be on a work trip, while Parker’s mom was supposed to be on a girl’s trip with some girls she went to college with.
Apparently, they’d been having an affair. Our parents didn’t talk about it much, at least not where the three of us could hear. We don’t know how long it was going on, or what it meant for the four of them remaining. We just knew we wouldn’t let it affect our friendship—or more than friendship if things keep going in the direction they’ve been going in.
“It feels like freedom,” Damon tosses over his shoulder before starting up the stairs.
Freedom.
What a concept at seventeen—or eighteen in Damon’s case. I guess it’s something Parker and I will know next year.
Damon races up the stairs, excited to see Parker after being away. He’d reacted the same way when he arrived at my house to pick me up, hugging me for what felt like forever before we headed over here.
I love it when he and Parker hold me.
Hell, I love whenever they do anything with me. That’s probably because I’ve been in love with them for years. If I’m honest with myself, I don’t remember a time I wasn’t in love with them.
I’ve kissed both of them, mostly on dares, but that’s all that’s ever happened. All three of us have dated, and I know none of us are virgins. Both of them bragged about losing their virginity— both with a woman and with a man—but when it came time for me to share my exploits, they’d shut me up pretty damn fast.
At the time, I’d wondered if they’d been jealous before pushing it aside. If they were, it was probably just because they were afraid of losing their friend.
But in the last year, things have changed between the three of us. I definitely caught Parker and Damon making out at a party. It’s not just between them, though. There have been a handful of times, I’d have sworn they were going to kiss me—only for someone to interrupt us. We’ve always been touchy-feely, but nothing like this.
Now that it’s summer, I’m hoping that being away from school will help us discover what more the three of us can be.
Because it has to be all three of us for it to work.
“What’s taking you so long, Mac?”
Parker’s voice has me picking up my pace until I join them in his room. They’re both laid out on Parker’s king-size bed, holding hands. It brings a smile to my face as I swing the door shut.
“Are you guys getting comfy without me?”
Parker grins. “If you weren’t so damn slow, you’d already be up here with us. Let’s cuddle Damon between us. He hasn’t seen us for a week. We need to smother him in a week’s worth of love.”
“Sounds like a plan to me.” I jump onto the bed, crawling over both of them to Damon’s other side.
Damon laughs as he lays on his back, wrapping his arm around me as I lay my head on his chest, doing the same to Parker when he follows suit.
“Hey,” Parker whispers as he meets my eyes, our lips just inches apart.
Damn. Is it hot in here or is that just me?
“Hi.”
“I thought you were smothering me in love,“ Damon jokes, his hand stroking up and down my back.
I tilt my head back so I can look up at him. “Just because we’re smothering you in love doesn’t mean we have to ignore each other.”
The grin he gives me has me melting in his hold. He’s always been gorgeous, but that panty-wetting smile has never been aimed at me before. Now I can see why he’s had so many people of both sexes in his bed—if his words are to be believed, anyway.
“Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Don’t be a brat.” He sticks his tongue out at me.
“Don’t stick that thing out unless you plan on using it,” Parker tells him matter-of-factly.
Turning my attention to my other best friend, I realize he’s being serious.
Shit.
Is this it, then?
Damon licks his lips, glancing between the two of us. “Is that something the two of you want? For me to put my tongue to good use?”
My breath stutters in my chest as I forget how to breathe. My body is frozen.
Parker’s eyes meet mine as he smirks. “Yup.”
“Mackenzie?” Damon’s voice is somehow deeper, the sound doing things to me. Tearing my eyes away from Parker’s, I glance at Damon again.
I swallow hard at the hunger I see in his eyes. “Ummm…yes?”
“You don’t sound sure. I need you to be sure.”
Steeling myself, I nod. “Yes. I’m sure.”
“Thank fuck,” Parker bites out before his lips are on mine.
His kiss is filled with heat and hunger, but somehow still feels like home. When he breaks away from me, I whine at the loss of his lips but they’re soon replaced with Damon’s.
When the kiss breaks this time, I bite my lip as I watch the two of them turn to one another and kiss. It’s even hotter than the first time I saw them kiss.
I guess this is happening—finally.
Hours later, the three of us lay on the bed, naked and completely satiated. Our limbs are intertwined, each of us touching the other two. I can’t believe we just did that. What does it mean?
It’s not like there had been much talking as we learned one another’s bodies. Thank goodness for the refractory period of teenage boys. I think they both came three or four times, and I lost track of how many orgasms I had about an hour in.
“What’s going on in that head of yours, Mac?” Parker kisses the side of my head as he curls around me. “You’re thinking so hard, I can practically hear it.”
I shrug, not really wanting to be the one who brings it up. I don’t want to be the one who makes it out to be more than it is. These two boys—nearly men—are the people who mean the most in the world to me. Losing them would break me in a way I don’t even want to think about. It’s better I wait to see what they’re thinking before telling them how I feel about them, right?
Damon chuckles. “I bet I know what our girl is thinking about.”
I shiver at the way he calls me their girl but try not to read too much into it. He might not mean it like that.
“Oh?” Parker asks, running his nose along my neck.
“Yeah, I bet she’s trying to figure out where this leaves us. You know how much Mac hates not knowing where she stands.”
I narrow my eyes at Damon. “I do not hate—“
Parker laughs. “Yes, you do. We’ve known you for your entire life. You can’t lie to us.” He pulls away from my back, and I hate the way I feel tears forming.
“None of that, Mac,” Damon says sternly as Parker helps me roll onto my back while they both sit up. “I’m in love with you—both of you. I have been for years, but I hate the idea of leaving for college without you knowing it. I can’t see myself being with anyone but the two of you. When I think of the future, I think of the three of us.”
Tears spill down my cheeks as I sit up and take both their hands. “I love both of you, too. You’re all I want. All I’ve ever wanted, if I’m honest.”
Parker grins, leaning in to kiss me. “Then stop kissing, Mac. Samesies for me. I love you both too.”
Damon kisses me before taking Parker’s lips, and all I can do is sigh at how happy I am. This is definitely how I want to spend the rest of my life.
“What the fuck is going on in here?”
Damon is pulled off the bed and thrown to the floor. When I lift my head, I stare in horror at Parker’s dad.
“What is wrong with you, Dad? Don’t you know how to knock? Why are you staring at Mackenzie while she’s naked? Here, baby.” Parker hands me the covers, and I quickly cover myself as Parker climbs off the bed. “Are you okay, Damon?”
“I’m fine,” Damon mutters, sitting up. “Though, I’d like to know why I was thrown to the floor.”
“I think we all would.” Parker stands in front of his dad in all his naked glory, hands on his hips. “Well, Dad?”
Mr. Hilton’s face turns so red it’s almost purple. “I don’t think I’m the one who needs to give an explanation right now. I’m the one who walked in on his underage son, naked with another underage teenager and someone who should know better.”
Parker scoffs. “Mackenzie and I are both over the age of consent, Dad. Besides, why are you home in the middle of the day?”
“What the hell does that matter? I’m the parent here, and you’ll be the ones answering questions—not me.” He glares at all three of us before his eyes find Parker once more. “No son of mine is going to be a fag, so whatever this is—it’s over. Do you understand me?”
“A fag? Really? That’s what you’re going to go with?” Paker scoffs. “I know you’re upset over everything with Mom—“
“Do not bring her into this.”
Parker rolls his eyes. “As I was saying, you don’t get a say in who I love. And for your information, I’m bisexual. I like men and women. Hence why Mackenzie and Damon were both in my bed.”
“I don’t give a shit what you think you are, Parker. You’re living under my roof, which means I’m the one who makes the rules. You will not sleep with men under my roof.” Mr. Hilton looks like he’s about to have a heart attack, he’s so pissed.
I don’t like the way he’s talking to Parker or the way he’s sneering at all three of us, but I can’t seem to get my voice to work. It could have something to do with the fact that Mr. Hilton just saw me naked.
“That’s fine. It doesn’t have to take place under your roof,” Damon says with a smirk. “My mom doesn’t care if I’m bisexual. She won’t mind if we’re over there more. In fact, I’d say it would make her happier.”
“You and your mom can go fuck yourselves, you fucking fag,” Mr. Hilton screams. “Parker won’t be spending any more time with either you or Mackenzie going forward. It’s clear you’re both a bad influence on Parker, and it’s time that stops.”
Parker just laughs. “Dad, you don’t get a say in who I’m friends with—or more than friends with. I love Damon and Mackenzie. Ever since Mom died, you’ve been a major asshole. It’s not my fault that she had an affair. My guess is that blame lands directly at your feet. So stop trying to punish me for your fuck ups.”
I scream as Mr. Hilton grabs Parker by the arm, swinging him around until his back hits the wall hard enough for him to let out a huff, the sound echoing throughout the room. Leaning over the bed, I grab the first shirt I can find and throw it over my head before jumping off the bed.
Parker’s dad has him pinned against the wall with his forearm pressed to Parker’s chest as he leans in to hiss in his face. “You need to keep your fucking mouth shut about things you know nothing about. Remember, you’re only seventeen. You’re a minor in the eyes of the state, and what I say goes. It’s clear I let you get away with too much while you were growing up. That’s what I get for letting your whore of a mother raise you. You’re nothing but a mouthy, ungrateful little shit.”
“You need to let go of Parker before I call the cops.” Damon’s voice is steady, but one glance at his face shows just how pissed he is. He’s managed to pull on his underwear so he’s no longer naked. “Child abuse—no matter the age of the minor—is illegal.”
Mr. Hilton scoffs. “Oh, you’re going to call the cops? Good, it’ll save me from making the call myself. They can arrest you for statutory rape when they get here.”
“No, they can’t,” I interject. “In the state of Michigan the age of consent is sixteen, which we’re both over. We did nothing wrong.”
“I wonder what your parents would think if they found out what a whore their daughter is.” I flinch at Mr. Hilton’s words but don’t back down. “That is what everyone will call you when they find out you slept with the two of them—and at the same time. It would be such a shame for your reputation to take that kind of hit.”
Searching the room for my phone, I hurry over to grab it. “You know what? I think we should call my parents to see what they think of the whole situation. I’m sure they’d be over the moon to know I’m in love with my best friends. I’ll bet they won’t love to hear that their friend called their daughter a whore though.”
“You little shit,” he hisses, finally releasing his hold on Parker as he takes a threatening step toward me.
I take a step back, lifting the phone to my ear and listening to it ring.
“It’s also illegal to hit a child that isn’t yours, who’s a minor, so you better watch yourself,” Damon threatens as the call connects.
“Mackenzie? Is everything okay?”
“No, Mom. It’s not.”
“What’s wrong, honey?”
“I want both of you out of my house and out of Parker’s life right fucking now!” Mr. Hilton roars, the sound easily carrying through the phone.
“Is that Parker’s dad?” Mom asks, voice frantic. “I’m on my way, baby. Stay on the phone with me.”
“He has no need for a fag or a whore in his life! I won’t let the two of you ruin his life like his mother ruined mine. GET OUT!”
I jump as his voice somehow gets louder, a whimper falling from my lips as I back up until I hit the wall and slide down it. I’ve never been afraid of anyone like this before. Mr. Hilton is so angry, I wouldn’t put it past him to hurt all three of us.
Damon’s trying so hard to not lose his temper, but his control is slipping. “You need to stop talking to us like that. You’re terrifying Mackenzie.”
“Good. Then maybe the two of you will get the hell out of my house.”
“It’s my house, too,” Parker mutters as he moves around his dad and starts pulling on his clothes. It’s not until he glances at me that I realize I’m wearing his shirt. He shrugs, picking up mine and Damon’s clothes, handing them to us so we can get dressed. “You can keep my shirt. I don’t want you undressing at all in front of my dad.”
“Like I want to see any part of the whore’s body—“ Mr. Hilton is cut off as Damon’s fist slams into his mouth.
“Damon! No!” I yell, hearing my mom screaming at me over the phone as it drops from my hand.
Damon follows Mr. Hilton to the floor, punching him again and again until Parker is able to drag him off of his dad.
Mr. Hilton grins even as blood drips from his nose and mouth. “Thank you for making it so much easier to remove you from my son’s life.”
Frowning, I don’t understand his words as he pushes to his feet. He pulls his phone out and calls someone as Damon and Parker hurry over to join me, covering me as I pull on my clothes.
“Hi, Sheriff. This is Reginald Hilton. I want to report an assault.” He pauses for a moment, eyes on the three of us. “Yes, that’s right. Damon Jacobsen just assaulted me in my home. Sure, we’ll wait for you to arrive.”
He smirks as he hangs up the phone before sauntering toward us, pausing when someone starts pounding on the front door and ringing the doorbell. “It seems your mom has arrived, Mackenzie. Why don’t I let her in and the three of you can join us downstairs. I’ll be sure to fill your mom in on how I found the three of you. I’m sure she’ll want to know. You won’t be able to leave until the sheriff arrives unfortunately. He’ll need a statement from you and whoever you had on the phone, I’m sure.”
Then he walks past us, leaving the door wide open.
Tears stream down my face as I glance between Damon and Parker. What the hell just happened?
How did the best day of my life just become the worst?