Attention What If

Chapter 64

POV: Mackenzie

Okay, just get it over with. Just rip it off like a Band-Aid. No need to be nervous. Wait, why am I nervous!? She should be begging me to take her back, to accept her, not the other way around. Ugh! Get it together Mackenzie. You can't have Jade seeing you like this.

Just spit it out, say what you have to say, and leave.

The doorbell rings.

I look up and feel dread sink into every pore on my body.

I can't do this.

I can't face her.

No! Don't give in to old fears. She's not the boss of you. Jade doesn't own Skylar. You got this.

I take a deep breath and march to the door.

Today is Darleen's day with Skylar, so the two spent the night at Skylar's apartment, leaving me in this giant house alone. I figured now was the perfect time to talk to Jade, especially since I saw she was in town for a promotional interview for her show Evil Eyes.

I open the door, and Jade is standing there, skinnier than before, dressed head to toe in designer brands. Her long black hair is pulled up into a sloppy bun, and she has sunglasses on her head. Her green eyes glance at me nervously.

When she looks at me like that, I'm reminded of my reflection. The way her eyes beg silently to be accepted, forgiven. I've seen that look a million times before. Every time I look in the mirror. People say we don't look alike, but I see it.

I step aside and let her in.

She looks around nervously.

"It's just us, Skylar and Darleen aren't here," I say.

I see her relax a bit.

She starts to put her stuff down, but I stop her.

"Wait!" I call.

She freezes.

"Don't do that, not when you might run out of here as soon as I say what I need to say," I say.

She cautiously picks her bag back up and eyes me, now on guard, as she concludes this conversation won't have a happy ending.

"So what do you have to say to me? Why did we have to do this alone?" she asks me.

When she speaks, every hair on my neck stands up.

It's hard not to be afraid of her. Not to see her as above me, as someone I have to listen to. She always bossed me around, always told me what I could and couldn't do. And when I didn't listen to her, she'd find ways to torture me, make me wish I had listened to her. She was a bully; she was my bully.

I take a deep breath and dig my nails into my palms as I clench my hands shut.

Just do it, Kenzie.

Don't be afraid of her.

But what if she goes to Skylar and begs her to take her back? What if Skylar agrees? No! Don't think like that. You can do this.

"Kenzie just spit it out," She says in annoyance as she sees my hesitation.

Jade is a famous actor now. Before that, she was the popular girl at school, before that, she was the broken girl my parents took in. She's always been someone, me, I'm just Mackenzie. Her shadow, an afterthought, nobody. Who am I compared to the great Jade Tate?

"Well, if you aren't going to talk, I'm leaving." she turns to leave.

"Skylar and I are together." I spit it out.