ACHILLES HEEL • TWILIGHT •

🐺 CHAPTER NINE 🐺

        Mackenzie and Kim sat at the tables, they were early so no one was here yet. Well no one but Jared Cameron. Said boy was frozen by the door way as he locked eyes with Kim. Mackenzie noticed, and was about to say something when Jared turned around and left. The red haired girl immediately chased after him, she was not going to let him get away with this.

"Cameron! Slow the hell down." Mack shouted at the male. He had changed drastically, but she was not going to let him run away.

"Go away Mackenzie." He said, turning back to the girl but kept safe distance.

"No. Paul told me about you basically dropping out. Are you kidding me dude? You're pretty fucking smart when you apply yourself and you're going to throw it away? Not on my watch. And don't even get me started on the way you just made Kim feel." Mack ranted but paused seeing a visibly pained Jared at the mention of Kim. "If you don't want to stay, and continue fucking up your future, then at least go apologize to my friend. You hurt her feelings even if she's too much of sweetheart to ever say anything to you because you're- and this is a direct quote 'Jared is so gorgeous' to her."

"She thinks I'm gorgeous?" He said, his tone hopeful.

"That's all you got? Really? Dude go talk to her." Mack said gesturing to the way of the rec room.

And he did, Mack couldn't help but watch as the rest of the night Jared and Kim were both radiating happiness. She also didn't miss the look of gratitude from her friend. Mack smiled, after all her feeling was right. The two were made for each other, it felt complete now.

Yet, however the red haired girl would not let it show that she had a great deal of disappointment as Paul had not shown up for the extra session. She should have figured, it was the weekend and rumor was Paul gets around and is quite popular.

***

It was dark when Mackenzie turned up at the Swan residence. Charlie was watching a game he had taped earlier, and eating a TV dinner. Mack mentally cursed herself for forgetting to make dinner.

"Bella back yet?" Mack asked, unsure if her cousin was upstairs.

"Not yet, can't think of why they'd let Bella play baseball in the dark." Charlie mumbled causing Mack to laugh.

"I'm gonna shower before she gets home and uses the hot water." Mack said, rushing upstairs to shower.

By the time Mack was out of the shower, and dressed she had heard Bella yell at Edward from downstairs. Mack frowned as she wrapped her wet hair in a towel and walked out in time to see Bella slam the bedroom door in Charlie's face.

"What the heck?" She mouthed to her uncle, unsure of what was happening. Charlie shrugged as he was unsure too.

Mack leaned against the bathroom door frame, while she watched Charlie knock on Bella's door. Mack silently watched her cousin leave her bedroom to enter the bathroom. Bella refused to lock eyes with her cousin, knowing that she would see right through her.

"Break up with you or something?" Charlie asked, trying to get answers from his daughter.

"No, I broke up with him." Bella said, before entering her room once more. Mack frowned as she continued to watch in silence.

"I thought you liked him." Charlie stated.

"Yeah, that's why I have to leave. I don't want this. I have to go home." Bella said.

"Home? Your mom's not even in Phoenix." Charlie said.

"She'll come home. I'll call her from the road." Bella replied back, trying to get Charlie to give in.

"You're not gonna drive home right now. You can sleep on it. If you still feel like going in the morning, I'll take you to the airport." Charlie said, not wanting his daughter to drive to Arizona at night.

"No. I want to drive. It'll give me more time to think. I mean, if I get really tired, I'll pull into a motel I promise." Bella said, heading downstairs to the kitchen, Charlie and Mack followed. The red haired teen, felt a sense of dread as the conversation continued.

"Look, Bella, I know I'm not that much fun to be around, but I can change that. We can do more stuff together." Charlie said, trying to convince his daughter to stay. Mack's heart hurt at his words, she loved her uncle and wouldn't change it for the world.

"Like what? Like watch baseball on the flat-screen? Eat at the diner every night? Steak and cobbler? Dad, that's you. That's not me. You even have Mack doing it." Bella said, before stepping to the front door.

"Bella, come on, I just... I just got you back." Charlie said, his tone breaking. Mack knew her uncle was close to crying.

"Yeah, and, you know, if I don't get out now, then I'm just gonna be stuck here like mom." Bella said, before walking out.

Mack took one look at her uncle and rushed out after her cousin, her anger flew through the roof. "Stop right fucking there Isabella. How fucking dare you! That is your father, Isabella. He loves you more than anything in this world, and you just what? Recycled the same crappy shit your crappy ass mom used? No. Not on my watch. I knew I should have never said yes. I fucking knew it. But uncle Charlie was so happy, and I missed you. But I knew you'd hurt him, I just didn't know it would be this bad. You're just like Renee, Isabella. Good fucking riddance." Mack all but spat at the girl, her tone stayed neutral the entire time.

Mack spared one last glance of disgust, before walking inside. Charlie was basically frozen in the door way, so Mack did the one thing she knew he needed. She ran straight into his arms and hugged her uncle tightly. The two stayed there, hugging and crying. Charlie was crying for the loss he just felt, and Mack because she felt for her uncle. The red head couldn't comprehend how Bella could speak like that to her father, when she'd give anything to have her parents back.

Wiping her eyes, Mack sniffled before offering a weak smile. "Come on, uncle C. We have a game to watch. Can't wait for the Lakers to beat the Mariners."

And the uncle and niece duo ended up watching the newest Mariners game, which was not to the Lakers, but to the Red Sox. Mack had a can of Coke, and after a worried glance from Mack, so did Charlie. He wasn't supposed to see the glance, but he did. His niece was worried when he reached for the beer can. With a silent promise, he reached for the Coke can instead. He wouldn't make his niece feel alone.