Sequel: Running From Lions ›
Coffee Shop Soundtrack
Twenty Five.
I had so many mixed emotions. Makenna did still want to be with me. And of course I wanted to be with her. But was it worth it? Living in secret? And what would happen when summer was over? She’d go back to California and I’d go on tour. What would be the point of any of this if it just meant that we still wouldn’t end up together in the end?
I got out of my car and went inside the venue. We had a show tonight and I wasn’t sure what the guys were going to do or say to me. I went into the seating area to find Pat and Garrett on their phones, waiting for the show to start. They looked up at me, but didn’t say anything, and quickly went back to their cell phones.
I left the room and went to the side of the stage. Watching as a local band set up their equipment to open for us. When I got bored of that, I turned around and went outside. The sun was setting. I leaned up against the brick building and took a couple of deep breaths of the Arizona air.
I heard a pair of shoes clicking on the sidewalk and looked up. It was Makenna. She slowed when she saw me, and came to a complete stop a few feet away.
“Hey,” she said.
I looked away. “Where’s Derek?” I asked.
She let out a sigh and crossed her arms over her chest. “He’s gone.”
I nodded. “Right.”
Makenna took a few steps forward, making the gap between us smaller. “What happens now?” She asked.
“What do you mean?” I pushed off of the brick and faced her.
“I don’t know,” she said, “With us. I don’t even know where we stand anymore.”
I looked at her face. She was desperate for some sort of answer from me.
“Ken,” I started. I grabbed her hand and dangled it between us. “God this is so hard.” I looked at me feet and laughed to myself. I looked back at her face. “Kenna, I love you.” I paused.
“But,” she started for me.
“But you’re not mine.” I sighed. “I can’t do this when I know at the end of the day you will never me mine. Not anymore. It’s different now.”
“Yeah,” she said. “I know.”
“And you’re my best friend, but I can’t be around you.”
Makenna shifted her weight onto her right leg. “Why not?”
I looked at our hands, clinging together in between us, and I dropped her hand. “Because when I’m around you, I can’t control myself.”
She nodded but didn’t say anything else.
“I’m going to get back inside.” I took a step backwards before turning around and slowly taking a few more steps.
“We could make this work, you know,” she called from behind me.
I stopped and turned to face her. I took a couple steps back towards her. “What are you talking about?”
“You and me.” She stepped up to me and grabbed both of my hands now.
I smirked a little bit, but didn’t take my eyes off of her. God, she was beautiful.
“How?” I asked.
“Do you mean it when you say you love me?”
I nodded. “Of course.”
She nodded and looked at her feet. She kicked some dirt around and looked back up at me. “I love you,” she said. “I love you, John. Not Derek.”
“Ken, what are you saying?”
“I’m saying, I’m going to leave him.” She shrugged. “And you and I can be together.”
I was shocked at what she was saying. She actually wanted to leave her husband and be with me? It was like every single prayer I had was being answered right now.
“Kenna,” I said, “Are you sure you want to do this?”
She nodded and smiled and I couldn’t help but smile back at her.
She wrapped her arms around my neck and I leaned down to kiss her.
I got out of my car and went inside the venue. We had a show tonight and I wasn’t sure what the guys were going to do or say to me. I went into the seating area to find Pat and Garrett on their phones, waiting for the show to start. They looked up at me, but didn’t say anything, and quickly went back to their cell phones.
I left the room and went to the side of the stage. Watching as a local band set up their equipment to open for us. When I got bored of that, I turned around and went outside. The sun was setting. I leaned up against the brick building and took a couple of deep breaths of the Arizona air.
I heard a pair of shoes clicking on the sidewalk and looked up. It was Makenna. She slowed when she saw me, and came to a complete stop a few feet away.
“Hey,” she said.
I looked away. “Where’s Derek?” I asked.
She let out a sigh and crossed her arms over her chest. “He’s gone.”
I nodded. “Right.”
Makenna took a few steps forward, making the gap between us smaller. “What happens now?” She asked.
“What do you mean?” I pushed off of the brick and faced her.
“I don’t know,” she said, “With us. I don’t even know where we stand anymore.”
I looked at her face. She was desperate for some sort of answer from me.
“Ken,” I started. I grabbed her hand and dangled it between us. “God this is so hard.” I looked at me feet and laughed to myself. I looked back at her face. “Kenna, I love you.” I paused.
“But,” she started for me.
“But you’re not mine.” I sighed. “I can’t do this when I know at the end of the day you will never me mine. Not anymore. It’s different now.”
“Yeah,” she said. “I know.”
“And you’re my best friend, but I can’t be around you.”
Makenna shifted her weight onto her right leg. “Why not?”
I looked at our hands, clinging together in between us, and I dropped her hand. “Because when I’m around you, I can’t control myself.”
She nodded but didn’t say anything else.
“I’m going to get back inside.” I took a step backwards before turning around and slowly taking a few more steps.
“We could make this work, you know,” she called from behind me.
I stopped and turned to face her. I took a couple steps back towards her. “What are you talking about?”
“You and me.” She stepped up to me and grabbed both of my hands now.
I smirked a little bit, but didn’t take my eyes off of her. God, she was beautiful.
“How?” I asked.
“Do you mean it when you say you love me?”
I nodded. “Of course.”
She nodded and looked at her feet. She kicked some dirt around and looked back up at me. “I love you,” she said. “I love you, John. Not Derek.”
“Ken, what are you saying?”
“I’m saying, I’m going to leave him.” She shrugged. “And you and I can be together.”
I was shocked at what she was saying. She actually wanted to leave her husband and be with me? It was like every single prayer I had was being answered right now.
“Kenna,” I said, “Are you sure you want to do this?”
She nodded and smiled and I couldn’t help but smile back at her.
She wrapped her arms around my neck and I leaned down to kiss her.