Chapter 7

CHAPTER SEVEN

Jace

I said I’m not getting into another relationship anytime soon and I’m not. But this girl. Kenzie. Damn. Why’d she have to come along now? When I’m not ready for a girlfriend. Not ready for anything serious.

If I was ready, I’d date her in a heartbeat. She’s freaking awesome. She’s hot, funny, easy to talk to, and up for trying new things. Like laser tag. Nikki would’ve never done this. She wouldn’t even try it. She’d say it’s stupid and childish, and maybe it is, but sometimes you need something like this to get your mind off shit you don’t want to think about. Or to just kick back and have some fun.

“Thanks for doing this,” Kenzie says as we’re driving home.

“Doing what?”

“Getting me out. Introducing me to laser tag. It was fun. I’d totally do it again.”

“Me too.” I smile at her. “We’ll have to go back there sometime.” I slow down as the light ahead turns red. “You want to go anywhere else?”

“I don’t think so. I’m really tired and I want to take a shower.”

“Don’t forget to lock the door. Even though I know you’re showering, still lock my side of the door just so you get in the habit of doing it.”

The light switches to green and I turn down the road that takes us home. I’m a little disappointed she didn’t want to stay out longer but after what she went through today, I get why she’s tired. I’m tired too but I doubt I’ll be able to sleep.

“Did you ever walk in on your last roommate?” she asks.

“Yeah, he’d always forget to lock the door. But we were on the team together so I’d seen his naked ass plenty of times in the locker room. Carter’s someone who doesn’t care if you see him naked. Sometimes the dumbass would even walk around the house that way.”

“But not with your girlfriend around.”

“Actually, he did. One time he walked to the kitchen with nothing on. He said he didn’t know Nikki was there, but I know he did. There’s no way he didn’t hear her. She was fighting with me. I don’t even remember why. The girl just liked fighting. Anyway, looking back now, I swear Carter did it on purpose. Because he knew Nikki was there.”

“You think he was trying to steal her from you?”

“I can’t say for sure, but I think it’s definitely possible.”

“What did she do when she saw him?”

“She didn’t look away, which pissed me off because I worked my ass off in the gym to look good for her. Not that I didn’t work out before I met her. I’m kind of a gym rat, but I worked out even more after we started dating, knowing how much she likes guys with muscles. And not to brag, but my body’s better than Carter’s. The guy eats like shit and drinks too much to look the way I do. And I spend a lot more time in the gym.”

“The gym you work at?”

“Yeah, the one on campus. You should check it out. I can show you around. It’s part of my job but nobody’s ever asked me for a tour. You’d be my first.”

“Then let’s do it. I’ll be your first.” There’s awkward silence as she realizes those words could have a different meaning. A sexual meaning. “Tour,” she says. “I’ll be your first tour.”

“Yeah, I knew what you meant,” I say with a laugh so she’s not embarrassed. We’re at the house now and I park the truck on the street.

“Why don’t you park in the garage?” Kenzie asks as we meet up on the sidewalk.

“Because there isn’t room. My uncle stores all his crap in there.”

“I thought you said he had his own house.”

“He doesn’t have room at his house. And I don’t think he wants it there. The stuff in the garage is old and dusty, not something you’d want in your house.”

“Then why does he keep it?”

“Because he inherited it from my great-grandfather. I guess it has sentimental value but it’s mostly junk. Rusty tools. Old car parts.” I unlock the front door and open it, reaching inside to flip on the light switch. “After you.”

She smiles at me. “Thanks.”

We go inside and I turn on more lights so it’s not so dark. I’m used to having the place dimly lit but girls usually like more light so I turn on the lamps I never use so Kenzie feels more comfortable. I want her to feel like this is her home, because it is for as long as she’s here, which I hope is more than just a semester because I really like having her around.

“Thanks again for tonight,” she says. “I’m gonna go to my room.”

“Okay.” I take a seat on the couch. “Let me know if you need anything.”

She goes in her room and shuts the door. I turn on the TV, lowering the volume so she can sleep. I wish I could sleep, but now that I’m home I keep thinking about what I saw earlier. It doesn’t help that I can still smell Nikki’s perfume. She used to spray it around my house before she’d leave just in case I had some other girl over. She was marking her territory. Making sure I didn’t cheat. I told her I never would but she didn’t believe me. And now I find out she’s the cheater in our relationship.

After ten minutes of surfing channels, I shut the TV off and go in the kitchen. I grab a glass and pour myself some whiskey. I down a couple shots, then one more. I’m hoping it’ll help me sleep but not confident that it will. Being in my bedroom, in my bed, will just bring up more memories of Nikki and me.

Going down the hall to my room, I notice Kenzie’s light is off. She must’ve decided to skip the shower and go right to bed. At least one of us can sleep.

I go in my room and gently shut the door, hoping I don’t wake her. I was never this quiet when Carter was my roommate and neither was he. We didn’t care about waking each other up.

I get into bed and lie there, staring at the ceiling. Those shots did nothing to make me tired. I don’t even feel a buzz. I’m a big guy and it takes a lot before I feel the effects of alcohol.

Two hours later, I’m still awake, tossing and turning. I even counted sheep, which didn’t work. Nothing works. I can’t stop thinking about her.

Taking my phone from the nightstand, I put my earbuds in and turn on some music. But all the songs on my phone remind me of Nikki. Makes sense. Half of them were added by her and the other half I added while we were dating. She was part of my life for two years—since my first week at college—and then, just like that, it’s over. And I didn’t even see it coming. I feel like a fucking idiot.

Yanking out my earbuds, I shut down my phone and get out of bed. I need another shot of whiskey. Or maybe two.

Walking to my door I hear a sound. Is it the TV? Did I forget to turn it off? Or is Kenzie watching it?

I go out to the living room. The lights are off but the TV is on, giving off enough light that I can see Kenzie on the couch, hugging her knees to her chest, her head bent.

“Kenzie?” I say softly so I don’t startle her.

Her head lifts and she quickly sits up, wiping her eyes. “Sorry, did I wake you?” She searches for the remote. “I’ll turn it off.”

“You don’t have to.” I pick up the remote, which had fallen on the floor, and set it on the coffee table. “Care if I join you?”

“Go ahead.” She sniffles as she scoots down to give me room on the couch. I catch her looking at my bare chest and she quickly looks away, back at the TV.

Maybe I should’ve put a shirt on. I was feeling hot and didn’t want to wear one. I wouldn’t if Carter was still here, but now that I have a girl as a roommate, I might need to wear a shirt.

Kenzie has on shorts and an oversized t-shirt. She’s hugging her chest, probably because she’s not wearing a bra, but in this dim light, it’s not like I’d see anything.

I sit down beside her. “Couldn’t sleep?”

She shakes her head and wipes her eyes.

“Same here.” I put my arm up on the back of the couch. “Want to talk about it?”

“Not really.”

I nod and stare at the TV. There’s an infomercial on for some kind of frying pan.

“You think we should get one?” I ask.

“What?”

I point to the TV. “The pan.” I watch as a guy slides fried eggs from the pan to a plate without using a spatula or even nudging it out with a fork. “Did you see that?”

I look over at her and see her head is still down. She slowly lifts it, her eyes going to the TV.

“I missed it. What happened?”

“This guy made eggs and they slid right out of the pan. And check it out. There’s nothing left behind. He doesn’t even have to scrub the pan. Now that’s innovation.”

She quietly laughs, just once, but it’s enough to make me smile.

“What?” I turn to her. “You’re not impressed by that?”

“Not really.”

“Are you kidding? It’s genius. You know how hard it is to get the egg gunk off the bottom of a pan?”

“I don’t make eggs. If I eat breakfast, I just have cereal or I’ll grab a granola bar on the way out the door.”

“Eggs are for more than breakfast. I have them for dinner sometimes. They’re high in protein and the yolks are full of vitamins.”

She smiles. “You know about nutrition?”

“A little. I had to take a nutrition class for my minor.”

“What’s your minor?”

“Exercise physiology. I have to take another nutrition class in the spring. Nutrition for athletes. I’m looking forward to that one.”

“I thought eggs were bad for you.”

“That’s a myth. Hey, check it out.” I point to the TV where the guy is now melting cheese in the pan. “No way that’s not going to stick.”

We watch as he slides the melted cheese onto a plate, leaving nothing in the pan.

“Holy shit, that’s amazing!” I say, tossing my hands up. I normally wouldn’t get this excited over a fry pan, but it’s distracting Kenzie from her sadness and even making her smile, so I’m going with it.

She laughs. “They probably coat it with some kind of chemical. That’s why it doesn’t stick.”

“It’s still amazing. I mean, shit, look at that!”

They’re showing a replay of the cheese sliding out of the pan.

“They’re seriously doing an instant replay of cheese?” She laughs. “In slow motion?”

“Yeah, and it’s working. Now I want to buy it. I think we should get one.”

Using ‘we’ makes us sound like a couple, but I meant ‘we’ as in roommates.

“I don’t cook, so it wouldn’t do me any good.”

“But you might cook if you had a pan like that. You’d barely have to clean it.”

“I still don’t want one, but if you do, go for it.”

“If I get one, will you try it?”

“I just told you I don’t cook.”

“You don’t have to. Just melt some cheese in the pan and experience the magic.” I say it dramatically to get her to laugh, which she does.

“Magic? Really?” she says, still laughing. “It’s just cheese. Cheese isn’t magical.”

“It is when it slides out of a pan without sticking. Actually, you’re right. The cheese isn’t magical. The pan is.” I turn back to the TV. “Holy shit, did you see that?”

“What? Are they melting crayons now?” she jokes.

“They said if we call right now, we get two pans for the price of one. We could each have our own!” I get my phone out.

“I really don’t need one. I—”

“Consider it a housewarming gift,” I say as I call the number on the screen. I’ve never bought anything from an infomercial, but I really want that pan, if only to demonstrate its magic in person to Kenzie. Because I know it’ll make her laugh and smile, and I want her to do that again because it’s so much better than seeing her cry.

“You’re seriously ordering it?” she asks.

A woman answers the phone and I tell her I want the pan and give her the code for the two-for-one offer. Getting my credit card out, I give her the number. Moments later, the transaction is done and I end the call and set down my phone.

Turning to Kenzie, I say, “Two magical pans are on their way. They’ll be here by next Friday. Sorry, but I was too cheap to pay for overnight shipping.”

She laughs. “That’s okay. Gives us something to look forward to.”

“Maybe we should make a night of it. Next Friday, we’ll stock up on cheese and eggs and test out the pan.”

“Sounds exciting,” she says, not sounding impressed.

“Hey!” I nudge her arm. “Just wait. Once you see the magic live, you’re going to be amazed.”

“Okay. Then it’s a date. Next Friday. You and me. Melting cheese.”

A date. I know she didn’t mean it romantically, but I wish it could be that kind of date. The problem is, neither one of us is ready for that. It’s too soon. I need to get over Nikki, and Kenzie needs to get over Liam.

“You going to bed now?” I ask, seeing her yawn. “All that excitement clearly wore you out.”

“I’m tired, but I can’t sleep.”

“I couldn’t either.”

We both get quiet, staring at the TV. The infomercial is over and an old black-and-white movie is starting, which isn’t nearly as exciting as watching a guy melt cheese in a pan.

“What do you want to watch?” I ask, picking up the remote.

“Doesn’t matter to me. I’m not really watching it.”

I mute the TV. “You sure you don’t want to talk about it? I get it if you don’t, but if it would help…”

“I just don’t understand.” She picks at the hem of her shirt. “I was a good girlfriend. I didn’t pick fights. I didn’t demand that he text me all day. I didn’t complain when he made us spend all day at a car show or when he’d make me sit and watch him at the batting cages when we were supposed to be on a date. I tried really hard to be a good girlfriend and—”

“Kenzie, stop.” I turn to face her. “This wasn’t your fault. This was all about him. It had nothing to do with you. He was a shitty boyfriend who didn’t appreciate what he had. There was nothing you could’ve said or done to change that.”

“He wasn’t always that way.” She continues to pick at the hem of her shirt. “He used to be really sweet. He’d call me just to tell me he loves me. He’d buy me flowers. He’d plan our dates. All that stopped after he left for college, but I assumed that was normal. It’s hard to keep that stuff going when you’re dating long distance.”

“He could’ve still done those things. Like call and tell you he loved you? He could do that from anywhere.”

“I know, but I thought that was just something people do when a relationship is new. Over time, things change. Guys stop being romantic. I get that. It’s just—”

“That’s not true.”

She looks up at me. “What’s not true?”

“That guys stop being romantic. I dated Nikki for two years and became more romantic, not less. Like last night for our anniversary, I spent all week preparing for it. Planning the dinner I was going to make. Shopping for her gift. I even wrote her a poem, which I later ripped up and tossed in the garbage. What I’m trying to say is that a guy who really loves you won’t stop being romantic. He’ll keep trying to win your heart, even if he already has it.”

She sniffles and I see a tear slide down her cheek. “He didn’t love me, did me?”

“Oh, shit. No, that’s not what I meant.” I scoot closer to her and put my hand on her arm. “I shouldn’t have said it that way. What I meant is that a guy who isn’t just focused on himself will want to make his girlfriend happy. He’ll do most anything to make her smile, even if he looks like an idiot doing it. And that won’t change. If anything, he’ll want to do those things even more the longer you date him. This Liam guy? He wasn’t the guy for you. I know you don’t want to hear that, but it’s true. You’re too nice of a girl to be with an ass like that. I know we just met, but I can already tell you’re a good person and deserve better than him.”

“Thanks.” She attempts a smile, then looks down, seeming almost as sad as she did when I found her here.

“Kenzie, talk to me.” I drop my hand from her arm but keep my eyes on her. “What are you thinking?”

“That you’re right. He didn’t love me.”

I sigh. “I never said that. I don’t even know the guy. I was talking about guys in general. Not him.”

“Which makes what you said even more true. If you’re right, and a guy who really loves a girl keeps doing romantic things for her, then that just proves that Liam didn’t love me. Or he stopped loving me at some point in our relationship.”

“Not all guys are romantic. My dad, for instance. He loves my stepmom, but he gave her a set of wrenches for Christmas last year.”

“As a joke?” Kenzie asks.

“No. That was her gift. He’s terrible at buying gifts. She mentioned needing a wrench so he got her not just one, but a whole set.”

“To him, that might’ve been romantic.”

“Maybe, but I doubt it. He’s just not a romantic guy. I’m not saying this to give your ex an excuse for how he treated you. I just don’t want you thinking he didn’t love you because he didn’t send flowers. Or chocolates. Or whatever it is you would’ve considered romantic.”

Why the hell am I defending this guy? He doesn’t deserve it, but I hate seeing Kenzie hurting this much. I just met her, but I already care about her. Maybe a little too much.