Page 37 of Rumor Has It

“Yes, I told everyone I didn’t want to see you.” Her mouth sets Itto a hard line.

“Why is that, Mackenzie? What did I do?” I clench my jaw.

She pulls the door closer, leaving a small opening between us. “I can’t do it, Boone. The distance, the phone calls, and years waiting on you. It’s all too much.”

“Kenzie … baby, talk to me.” I lay my hand on the door, holding it so she can’t shut it. “Tell me what’s going on.”

“I can’t do it, I thought I could, but it’s too long to wait.” Tears well in her eyes, but she still refuses to look at me. “I-I found someone else. I didn’t like being alone.”

“You’re a fucking liar!” I grit my teeth. I hate yelling at her, but there’s no other way to get her to see reason. “I know you love me; tell me you don’t.”

“I-I don’t, Boone. I don’t love you, anymore.” She begins to tremble. “Now please go.”

“No!” My heart pounds in my ears, and I push the door wider, crowding her. “That’s not true.”

Her eyes snap to mine. “What do you want from me?”

“The truth! Please talk to me.” I search her face for even the smallest clue as to what’s happening. “I love you, Kenzie. We can work this out. I promise I’ll do anything. I’ll be anything you need.”

She slams the door against the wall. “Fine!” Spinning, she walks into the living room. I follow her, shutting the door behind me. She begins to pace, and as if I couldn’t be more afraid of what’s going on, the hair on my neck raises when she turns to look at me.

“What’s going on? I want to know right now.” A pang, deep in the pit of my stomach, screams at me. “What’s happened to make you act this way, to think there’s no hope?”

Mackenzie runs her hand around her neck, resting it near her throat as if her words are strangling her. Her face is shallow, and dark circles rim her eyes. This is so much more than I imagined, and I brace myself when she opens her mouth.

“I’m pregnant.” The tears she held at bay stream down her face as my own fill my eyes. Her words reverberate in my ears, stunning me. I’m wrecked, and not at all shocked by her response. It’s Mackenzie, it’s what she does to protect those she loves, including me. I struggle to find the right words, gathering my thoughts.

“Okay.” I run my hand down my face to push away the tears. She needs to understand, no matter what the future holds, we’re going to fine. “We’ll be okay. We can do this, baby.”

“No, it won’t.” Her head begins to shake, trembling with every word. “I can’t let you do this.”

“Kenzie, I love you.” I reach for her, but she steps away, and my words waver. “We’re young, and while the timing isn’t great, we can still figure this out.”

“No, we can’t.” She folds her arms, closing herself off to me. Even in our hardest times, she’s never denied me. “There’s nothing for you to do; it’s not on you.”

“Excuse me?” I flinch, and my heart hammers in my chest. “I think there’s plenty for me to be concerned about. I know this is a shock, and I can’t believe you were trying to do this on your own.”

“It’s the way it has to be.” She moves further away from me. “Go home, Boone; go back to California. Just go. You need to forget about me and move on.”

“That’s not possible. I’m not leaving you or my child. I can move here, with you, and go to college. We can still do everything we’ve planned for years. We’ll work it out, together.”

Her eyes meet mine this time, and there’s a shift in her. Everything has changed. Life as we’ve known it is about to come to an end. I hold on, praying we can survive. I can feel every rotation of the earth in this moment.

“It’s not yours.” She grimaces as her words fill the air and seep into every pore of my body. “I’m so sorry, Boone.”

The room stops spinning, throwing me into the wall. I steady myself against it, trying to find my bearings. “Not … mine?” I search for reasoning and the will to hold on, to hold us together.

“Oh, dear God!” A sob escapes her as she covers her face. “I’m gutted for what I’ve done to you. Please forgive me!”

“I don’t understand.” I stay rooted to the spot as my entire world comes crashing in and my worst nightmare comes to fruition. “Wait, please tell me it’s not true. Please, do not tell me what I think you’re going to say.”

“I only wished I could. I’ve destroyed us. I’m so sorry,” she pleads, crying unconsolably. She falls to the floor, and I’m to her in an instant. I cradle her in my arms, holding onto the last of what we have with everything in me.

“Shhh, baby. Calm down.” I begin to rock her, hoping to soothe her. Praying she’ll calm down and see reason. “You’re going to make yourself sick, Kenzie.”

“I hate myself for hurting you. I’m so sorry.” Her words are a garbled mess, but I can feel them in my bones. I know she never meant for this to happen, and although I’m crushed I wasn’t her first, I know without a doubt I’ll be her last.

“Stop, baby.” I rub her back, continuing to sway with her. “It doesn’t matter. I don’t care whose baby this is. It’s a part of you, and I will love you both. Let me love you both.”