Trust me, babe

Chapter 18

Kathryn

"I imagined everything to look so different," Kenzie said, peering through the windshield as I pulled up to the parking lot of my apartment building.

"Well, this is what it's like," I replied, trying my best to forget Samson and our encounter at the airport. Now was not the time to think about him. Actually, there was never a time to think about him. Or any other guy for that matter. Mikey, for example. And the song he'd most likely written about me.

We got out of the car and Jacky and Kenzie took their suitcases from the trunk while I pulled my keys from my purse and walked to the front door. The elevator was still broken so we had to take the stairs. Kenzie complained all the way up to the right floor about having to drag her suitcase up the stairs and once we made it to my apartment's door, she was panting heavily.

"Maybe you should've focused more on breathing than complaining," Jacky joked.

"Stop," Kenzie chuckled, jabbing his side with her elbow.

I opened the door and stepped into the apartment, holding the door open for them as they dragged their suitcases in. They said the polite "ooh, such a pretty house" and other pleasantries you were supposed to say when seeing someone's house for the first time. I showed them where they'd be staying — Jacky offered to sleep on the sofa so Kenzie got Dad's bedroom — and left them alone for a while to settle in.

I wandered to the kitchen and opened the fridge, looking for something to offer them. Once I was faced with the near empty fridge, I finally realized why I'd had so much spare time in the morning. I'd forgotten to go to the grocery store! I must've lost the piece of paper I'd written my to-do-list on.

"I could do with some iced tea now," Kenzie said, peering over my shoulder into the fridge.

"That's one of the few things I always have in the fridge," I replied with a laugh. "Being a responsible adult is surprisingly hard," I admitted as I grabbed the bottle of iced tea from the fridge and turned around to take glasses from the cupboard.

"Tell me about it," Kenzie sighed. "Although you're practising adulting in a much more hardcore way than I am. Living by yourself and all."

I shrugged. "Basically the only difference is that I have to do the grocery shopping."

"Ooh, iced tea!" Jacky said as he appeared into the kitchen. "Kenzie has gotten me addicted to it, too."

Kenzie and I laughed and for once I felt genuinely happy. It was so nice to be with Kenzie again. And I didn't dislike Jacky either. He was a really nice guy, his only fault being the fact that he was Mikey's brother. But he couldn't really do anything about it, could he?

"So, what are we gonna do today?" Kenzie asked as we sat around the table and I poured us all a glass of iced tea.

"Well, maybe not exactly what you were expecting. I promised Persimmon I'd help keep her sane during her little brother's birthday party which happens to be today. So, looking after a bunch of five-year-old little kids is on the agenda today."

Kenzie and Jacky glanced at each other. I knew it didn't sound great but I just couldn't let Persimmon down. Or Bernard. He was probably even more excited about my attendance than his sister. And I just couldn't cause a disappointment to a little kid like him. I knew the effects it could have on your life.

"But of course you don't have to come if you don't want to," I said before either of them could reply.

"No, no. Of course we can join you!" Kenzie said. "I'll even celebrate a kid's birthday party if it means I get to spend time with you. Besides, I've been waiting to meet Persimmon."