29. McKenzie
TWENTY-NINE
MCKENZIE
“Ok, open your present now,” Tyler says over a video call late on Christmas night. He’s whispering because he’s staying in his old room at his parents’ house in Georgia, and I’m in my room at my mom’s house.
Being home for Christmas without my dad has been really hard. But my family and I tried our best to make sure we laughed more than we cried and remembered all the happy times with Dad instead of thinking about the fact that he’s not here with us anymore.
“Ok. Ok.” I reach for the envelope that he snuck into my bag before he left.
I open it up and find a plane ticket. “What’s this?”
“It’s a ticket for you to come to Georgia for the Peach Bowl,” Tyler says like it’s no big deal.
The La Vista University football team is in the semi-finals for college football, which means they’ll play in the Peach Bowl in Atlanta on New Year’s Day.
“What?” I look at him through the phone with wide eyes. He’s smirking because he knows this is huge for me.
“Yeah, and it’s not just a plane ticket. I got you and Kylie tickets to the game.”
“Oh my gosh!” I yell before I remember that the rest of my family is sleeping, so I need to keep it down. I whisper it this time. “Oh my gosh!”
“I’ll be back in Nebraska the day after tomorrow to practice with the team, and then I’ll have to fly back down to Atlanta with them. But I’ve got you a hotel room at the same place I’m staying. Kylie will still be at her mom’s, but she’ll come to the game with us.”
“Tyler. . . this is insane. It’s too much.”
He shakes his head. “It’s not enough. I’d give you the world if you’d let me, baby.”
I open my mouth to protest again, but he stops me. “And selfishly, it’s for me too. I want you there with me.”
I sigh, not sure how I could say no to him now. And I don’t want to say no. It’s a dream of mine to go to a bowl game, but I know how expensive they can be. My brothers and I looked it up one year, thinking maybe we might be able to scrounge together the money, but our hopes were immediately crushed when we saw the prices. And then the flight and the hotel. I know it’s a lot. But looking into Tyler’s hopeful eyes, I already know what my answer will be.
I smile. “Ok.”
Relief washes over his face. “Good. It would’ve been really awkward to have to carry you onto that plane to make sure you got there.”
“You wouldn’t.”
“Hell, yes, I would.” I laugh because I actually believe he might do that. “I wish I could kiss you right now. I love when you laugh like that.”
“I wish I could kiss you too,” I admit. Kissing him and touching him are my favorite things to do lately. I can’t get enough of him.
“Well, I’ll let you get some sleep, but I’ll call you tomorrow night,” he says.
“I look forward to it.”
He blows me a kiss, and I blow one back before we hang up. It’s still surreal to me that I’m in some sort of relationship with The Tyler Danvers.
I’m unable to contain my chill about the gift I opened last night as I bounce into my mother’s kitchen the next morning, where all my brothers are at the table sipping on coffee.
“Guess who’s going to the Peach Bowl?” I taunt, taking a cup out of the cabinet and filling it with coffee.
“I’m guessing you?” Matt says with raised eyebrows.
“Yep.”
“Why do you get to do that? Is La Vista sending you?” Chris asks. They know I was working with the football team for one of my classes, so I should’ve gone along with that, but I’m terrible at lying to my family. So, I opt for the truth. Kind of.
“No. Kylie’s dad got us tickets,” I tell them like it’s not a big deal even though I know this is huge. They know this is huge.
“Kylie’s dad?” Matt asks. “As in Coach Danvers, head coach of the La Vista U football team?”
“Yeah.” I pour creamer into my coffee, hoping they don’t start asking too many questions.
“Why would he buy you tickets?”
I shrug casually, but it’s getting harder and harder to school my features when they act suspicious. “I don’t know. I guess he wanted Kylie to be there and Kylie probably wanted me there. She’s not really into football.”
“And how are you getting to the Peach Bowl? It’s in Atlanta, right?”
“Uh, yeah. He got us plane tickets, too.” I hope my voice doesn’t sound as nervous as I feel.
“Are you kidding me?” Chris says.
“What’s the big deal? Tyler has a lot of money. I don’t think that’s a secret. It’s literally nothing for him.” Even as I say it, I cringe inside. I hate even pretending that I’m ok with using Tyler’s money.
“Oh, he’s Tyler now?” Chris questions with a raised eyebrow, and my face pales. Shit. I didn’t mean to let that slip.
“I don’t understand what the big deal is,” I say, leaning against the counter, purposely not going to sit in the empty chair next to them at the table.
“I heard you on the phone with someone last night,” Oliver says, and at that moment, I know he’s likely told my brothers what he heard, and that’s why they’re acting like this.
“Ok,” I say, careful not to give anything away until I’m sure what they’re talking about.
“It was him, wasn’t it. Are you two like a thing?”
I look down into my coffee. This is not at all how I wanted this conversation to go.
“McKenzie. What the fuck?” Matt says, his voice louder than I would like. “That guy’s like forty.”
“He’s not forty. He’s thirty-seven.” Not sure why I feel the need to clarify that, but I do.
“That’s not any better. And he has a daughter your age,” Matt adds.
“I know, ok? I know it’s not the best situation. But it just happened.”
“How exactly did it happen?” Matt asks. His face is red which is his tell that he’s mad. Very mad. His anger is usually not directed at me, so it’s taking all my energy not to cry.
I take a deep breath before I explain from the beginning. “I’ve been staying with them. In their house. I couldn’t afford my apartment this semester, so I was living in my car. Tyler found out and made me stay in one of his guest rooms. We kind of grew closer, and one thing led to another. . .”
“Kenz, why didn’t you tell us? We would’ve helped you with money,” Chris says.
“I didn’t want to bother you all with my problems,” I admit. My brothers have their own lives. The last thing they need is to have to worry about their little sister.
“If you think we wouldn’t help you, then you don’t know us at all,” Matt says. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him so mad.
“I know you would, ok? I’m sorry. I tried to handle it myself and couldn’t, but I’m figuring it out as I go.”
“Well, now that we know what’s truly going on, we can help. Get you back on your feet for your last semester,” Oliver points out.
I shake my head. “I don’t need help anymore.”
“You can’t possibly tell us you’re still going to stay with that guy.” There’s full disgust in Matty’s voice, and it makes my heart hurt. He’s making assumptions about Tyler that just aren’t fair.
“Tyler is a good guy. And if I remember correctly, every single one of you was fangirling over him when you met.”
“Yeah, because he’s a football god. That doesn’t mean I want him fucking around with my sister.” All four of them are nodding in agreement.
“I’m an adult, guys. I can make my own decisions. And I’m happy with Tyler.”
“And your friend is cool with all this?” Chris asks.
“Well. . . she doesn’t really know.”
Matt laughs a loud, angry laugh. “So, you’re sneaking around with your friend’s dad. You think she’s ever going to be cool with that?”
“I don’t know.” I throw my arms up in defeat. “I don’t know what I’m doing. But I’m happy, I’m healthy, and all I want to do is get through my last semester of college and graduate. I’m not asking any of you for anything.”
“We’re your brothers, Kenz,” Spencer says quietly. It’s the first thing he’s said since this whole shitstorm started. “Dad isn’t here to watch out for you anymore, so we get to do it now.”
His voice is filled with sadness from losing Dad and watching his siblings argue. Spencer is still in high school, and he’s a lot more emotional than my other brothers. I immediately put my coffee cup down and wrap him in a hug.
“I know. I appreciate you all looking out for me. But I’m a big girl now.” I take a step away from Spence and look at my other brothers, who seem to have calmed down. “I know Dad probably wouldn’t approve of my relationship with Tyler, but I’d like to believe that as long as I’m safe and happy, he’d be happy for me.”
Matt sighs and looks up to the ceiling before he looks back at me. “Just be careful, McKenzie. And just promise me that if you ever need help again, you’ll come to us.”
I nod. “I promise.”
They all get up, and we end up in a group hug. We’ve been doing a lot of those lately. This has been a difficult year for our family, and I hate that part of it is because of me. But they have to learn that I’m not a little kid anymore. I know they just want what’s best for me, but I’ve got to figure that out on my own.
“I love you, guys.”
“We love you too, McKenzie.”
The rest of my time with my family is more awkward than I’d like, so I’m relieved when it’s time for me to head back to La Vista. And back to Tyler.
We get to spend a few days just the two of us before we head to Atlanta for New Year’s. I have to fly by myself down to Atlanta, and I’m frustrated to realize that Tyler booked me a first-class ticket instead of just a regular one. I send him a quick text telling him he did not need to do that before I have to turn off my phone.
As much as I want to be mad at him for spending extra money on me when he’s already spent so much, this is my first time flying, and I’m alone. So being in first class is kind of nice for my nerves.
When we land, I shoot Tyler a text letting him know I’m safe. I also text my mom. She was excited about my trip, and I’m glad none of my brothers ruined it by telling her why Tyler got me these tickets. She thinks it’s just a friend’s dad being nice, and I’d like to keep it like that. For now, at least.
Once I’m at the hotel, I see a text from Tyler.
Coach: Don’t make plans for tonight. I want you all to myself.
I keep myself busy until later that evening when there’s a knock at my door. On the other side is Tyler, leaning against the wall, waiting for me to open up. Every single time I see this man, my stomach flip-flops.
“Hey, baby,” he says, and his thumb tilts my chin up for a kiss.