Page 52 of The Trouble with Runaway Brides

“What happened? Did you get suspended?”

He’d gotten a scholarship to Mississippi State and I worried about his partying. His frat was on their way to becoming disbanded because they’d broken so many rules.

“No, I quit the frat last night after they made me drink so many shots. I can’t believe I joined in the first place. My head is rocking this morning.”

“Good decision. That place worried me.”

He was silent for a long time, and I worried he was in more trouble than I thought.

“I ran into Kenzie.”

“Oh.”

I had never asked Easton about her and didn’t really want him to tell me when he did interact with her. I still had a small amount of jealousy over the fact that Kenzie had liked Easton before me. But as soon as her name left his lips, I knew. I knew whatever he was about to tell me would change everything.

“Listen, man, I walked her back to her dorm because it was late, and she was drunk…”

Vomit raced up my throat and I had to choke it back. I remained silent—I wasn’t going to make it easy for him—and he blew out a breath.

“We kissed, but that’s it, man. I put a stop to it right after that. And—”

I cut him off, unable to hear anymore. “Stop.”

“But—”

“Jesus, Easton, I don’t want the details. Fuck! I gotta go.” I hung up the phone.

I got out of bed and paced, my head swimming with thoughts and my stomach turning over on itself. I was filled with so much hurt and rage and I didn’t have anywhere for it to go until I picked up my phone and dialed her number. Her cheery voice came on the line, but it was her voice mail. Maybe I should’ve hung up and asked her to call me back, but I just spouted off.

“Easton called this morning. I always knew you had a thing for him. Well, you fucked us up for any future together, so I hope it was worth it. You might as well go be with him. Delete my number. I never want to talk to you again.”

She called me ten times a day for that first week. And then a little less. After a month, she finally stopped calling. I cut off Easton until my family conspired against us and made us make up. We swore never to talk about Kenzie Gavino again. At first, forgiving him was lip service, but the more time that passed and the more we saw each other, I was finally able to move to a place where it wasn’t the first thing I thought about every time I saw him. Brinley tried to keep their friendship alive, but Kenzie kept pulling away from her. I was never going to get over what had happened. It changed everything—the entire dynamic of our group.

“Do you ever regret not talking to her afterward?” Geoff asks.

“Sometimes I regret breaking up before college, but I think it would’ve hurt more if we’d been a couple.”

“Exactly, you weren’t together, so why—”

“He’s my cousin.” My voice is firm.

“And your biggest competition when it came to her?” He raises his eyebrows and stands, leaving with that parting comment. “Be right back.”

Geoff goes back up to the counter and I assume he’s ordering another muffin.

But he’s right. If it had been any other guy, I would’ve gotten over it. But it was Easton, and for some reason, when it comes to Kenzie, Easton has always felt like the biggest threat to having her be all mine. I wish it would’ve been some random guy because maybe then I wouldn’t be helping her plan her wedding to someone else. I’d be helping her plan ours.

Seventeen

Kenzie

It’s been two weeks since I met with the florist, and I’ve finalized everything I can. Blake and I have recorded two podcasts in Sunrise Bay, pretending we’re still in New York and not up in Alaska, but beyond that, I’ve been hiding out, not wanting to spend any time in Lance’s vicinity. After my physical reaction to him when our thighs touched, then the warm feeling in my chest when he remembered about the flowers, I think it’s best.

My parents have arrived and are staying at the rental house they were lucky to even find, and since Will hasn’t been able to make it back to Alaska yet, Blake, Geoff, and I are staying with my parents. Let me say that sharing a bathroom with Blake and Geoff isn’t easy. I’ve learned to take shorter showers and I’ve become much less high maintenance.

Today I’m going to the high school for career day. Since I’ve been hiding out at my parents’, this will be my first time in weeks being out and about in town. And, of course, a Buzz Wheel article came out yesterday that still somehow makes me the villain.

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