16. Tyler
SIXTEEN
TYLER
I’m such a fucking idiot.
I pace my bedroom after I’m sure McKenzie is in her room. I crossed a line tonight. As the adult, I know I shouldn’t have kissed her. It was wrong and most likely against all sorts of school rules.
So why did it feel so damn good to kiss her?
I give up my pacing and take the quickest cold shower known to man but refuse to touch myself while thinking of the woman in my guest bedroom. I end up tossing and turning in bed all night.
When I finally get up for the day, I know exactly what I need to do to fix this.
Kylie is going to be mad. McKenzie, too. But I have to do it.
It’s better for all three of us.
After my run through the neighborhood, I make coffee and sip it on the back porch. Everything was going so well. My life was so uncomplicated before McKenzie barged in.
All I had to worry about was football and Kylie.
Now my mind is preoccupied most of the time with McKenzie. She’s only twenty-two years old. There’s a lifetime between us. Even if she wasn’t a student at La Vista, it would still be wrong. I know that. And yet. . .
I still want her.
I’m watching highlights on my phone from the games yesterday when I hear movement in the kitchen. I’m sure it’s McKenzie. She’s always up before Kylie. I don’t dare look through the glass door to confirm, though. I’m half expecting her to come out here and confront me about last night.
I would.
She wanted me to kiss her. I know she did. She licked her lips. She kissed me back. She ran her fingers through my hair.
There’s certainly not a lack of attraction between us. If only the circumstances were different. And she was a decade older.
Once my cup is drained and I’ve seen every important bit of football from our conference yesterday, I head back inside just in time to see Kylie sleepily walk down the stairs. I swear, no matter how much she sleeps, she’s always tired. McKenzie follows quietly behind her. She looks freshly showered in jeans and a hoodie, and her face is bare of makeup, making her look even younger than she is, which in turn makes me feel like even more of a creep for kissing her.
“Morning,” I say, trying to not convey my true mood this morning. Inside, my heart is thundering.
“Morning, Dad. What’s for breakfast?” Kylie asks as she sits down at the table.
I grab a box of cereal and put it down on the table before handing Kylie a bowl, spoon, and a carton of milk from the fridge.
She pouts. “You’re not cooking anything?”
I shake my head, not looking at McKenzie. “Not today, kiddo.”
I grab a bowl for myself and one for McKenzie because I’m not a complete asshole and sit down at the table.
Once we’re all silently eating our Cheerios, I decide it’s probably the best time to say what I need to say.
“Did you have a good birthday, McKenzie?” I ask. Why the fuck am I so nervous?
She looks over at me, likely confused that this is what I’m choosing to ask her right now.
“Yes. It was perfect. I can’t thank you two enough.”
I nod, then swallow, grabbing my courage for this next part. I force myself to keep my eyes on McKenzie as I say, “I’m glad. But listen, I think it might be best if you spend a little less time here moving forward.”
“Dad!” Kylie drops her spoon.
Hurt flashes in McKenzie’s beautiful green eyes, but she quickly blinks it away before nodding. “Ok.”
“No, it’s not ok,” Kylie says. “No, Dad. That’s so unfair.”
“It is fair, Ky. You’ve been in Nebraska for almost six months, and we’ve barely spent any time together. It’s hard to do when you always have a friend over.” It’s not true. I’m grateful that Kylie found a friend to keep her occupied, especially during football season. But I’m a selfish bastard and wish her friend choice was a little less tempting to me.
“You’re not even here most of the time.” Her voice is getting louder. I know she’s mad at me. She has every right to be. But this was the better option. I’d rather her be mad at me for kicking her friend out than find out what I truly want to do with McKenzie.
“Kylie. My house, my rules.” Fuck. I sound like my own dad right now, and I hate it.
“Kylie, it’s totally fine.” McKenzie attempts to calm Kylie down. The two of them share a look that I don’t understand.
“But—”
“No, it’s fine. Truly. I’ve been feeling like I’ve overstayed my welcome anyway.”
“You haven’t. I don’t know what’s going on,” Kylie says. There’s a sheen in her eyes as if she’s about to cry as she looks from me to McKenzie.
What’s going on is her dad is having a hard time keeping it in his pants. Fucking pathetic.
“Don’t worry about me.” McKenzie reaches out and squeezes Kylie’s hand. “I’m good. We’re good.”
I’m grateful that McKenzie doesn’t seem bitter. She has every right to call me out on my bullshit, but she doesn’t. She must understand that this is for the best.
“On that note, I’ve got some studying to do before my shift later. I’m gonna grab my things and head out.”
McKenzie stands and rinses out her bowl before putting it in the dishwasher. “Thank you both again for everything. I’ll text you later, Ky.”
“McKenzie, are you sure—”
She doesn’t let Kylie finish the sentence, and I’m starting to wonder if something else is going on that I don’t know about.
McKenzie quickly squashes Kylie’s concern. “It’s all good. I promise. You and your dad need this time together.”
Without a glance in my direction, McKenzie leaves the kitchen.
“What are you doing?” Kylie turns to me, anger in her eyes. I hate that it’s directed at me, but I know it’s for the best.
“Kylie, she’s here almost every night. She needs to sleep wherever she’s paying rent. It’s almost like she lives here. If anyone from La Vista found out, I could be in a lot of trouble.”
That excuse seems to calm her a little, but she’s still pissed. “McKenzie would never say anything to get you in trouble. She’s my best friend. The only person I’ve felt like I can truly trust since I moved here, and you’re pushing her away from me.”
Shit. “Kylie, come on. I didn’t say she could never come back. Just not all the time.”
“It’s fine, Dad.” She gets up and puts her bowl in the sink. She’s not gentle with it and the spoon clanks against the glass bowl loudly. “I’ll just be in my room enjoying all the free time I have now. Thanks.”
“Kylie—” She doesn’t let me say anything else before she’s gone.
A few minutes later, I hear the front door shut. Then, I’m alone to think about all my stupid fucking mistakes.