Page 103 of The Version You Hide

“Yeah. One time in your bedroom while you were both half naked,” she chides. I jolt as she pokes a teasing finger at my ribs. “And you looked cute together.”

Liv’s eyes look like they’re going to bug out of her head. “Are you serious? Wait. Are you talking about Dylan? Oh, you two do look cute together. I can totally see it now.”

“Right?” Kristen adds, waving her fork in the air.

“Good for you, Mackenzie. Dylan’s hot. And such a sweetie,” Liv says. “Although, there’s something so familiar about the guy. I swear, it’s like I know him from somewhere.”

My mouth twitches at her comment. Knowing Liv, it’s highly possible that she, in fact, does know him from somewhere, but it’s not my place to say. “I’m sorry about this morning,” I mumble awkwardly.

“Don’t be sorry, Mac. I’m relieved,” Kristen replies. “Like I said, I’ve been worried about you spending so much time on your own lately.”

“Well, I haven’t exactly been spending that much time alone,” I admit. This is my chance to redirect the conversation.

“Well, yeah. I know that now. You’ve had Dylan.”

“Yeah, and Harper,” I add. Get to the point Mackenzie. “And there’s someone else.”

“Someone else other than Dylan?” Liv asks, leaning eagerly across the table.

“Yes,” I reply. Then when I see where their minds have gone, I quickly add, “No. Not like that. Geez.”

They both deflate with relieved sighs and I’m met with puzzled looks.

“Oh, okay. Who?” Kristen asks.

My chest rises with a nervous inhale. Dylan has been hinting at me for weeks now to open up to Kristen, to make the choice to let people in. Here goes nothing.

“My grandmother,” I reveal.

“What do you mean?” Kristen’s features are now marred with confusion. “Our grandmother passed away a few years ago.”

“Not our father’s mother,” I say. “My grandmother on my mother's side.”

“Wow. Okay,” she responds uncertainly. “I thought you didn’t have any family left on your mum’s side.”

“Honestly, I didn’t know that I did,” I explain. “Dad told me my grandparents had passed well before I was born. It

turns out she didn’t know that I existed either.”

“What?” Now it’s Liv’s turn to look baffled. “How did she not know about you?”

“She said my mother was troubled. That she never told her about the pregnancy.”

“That’s a lot to process,” Kristen says.

She doesn’t even know the half of it yet.

“Yeah, it has been. I’ve been spending some time with her at her art studio in Seabright Cove.”

“Wait.” Kristen raises a hand in the air. “Seabright Cove? You don’t mean the Abstract Palette?”

“Yeah,” I reply. “You know it?”

“Of course. It’s been there forever. Grace used to come and help out at the primary school when we were younger.” She picks up her fork, stirring her salad around before stabbing at a cherry tomato. “That art class I did with my mum? We did that at the Abstract Palette.”

“No way.”

“Yeah!” Kristen exclaims. “Small world, huh?”

---