Second Chances for Tyler Landry

Fighting This Violence

Tyler sighed as Mackenzie drove him home in silence. They were fighting.

Again.

About Chasity. She hadn't even stopped by the hospital to see Tyler. She called and asked where he was.

Accused him of cheating.

But, she ended up apologizing for the accusation and saying she hoped he felt better. Then, she hung up and not a word has been heard from her since. Mackenzie is still trying to convince Tyler that she's a lying, cheating slut with the mind of a 13 year old boy.

Tyler is disagreeing. Because he doesn't want to have to feel rejection again. Like he's not good enough for even the sluttiest of the sluts. And he had to admit, Chasity was up in the ratings.

"Mack, I really don't want to fight with you now." Tyler said, looking at the side of Mackenzie's face as she drove down the highway. Her face set in a grim expression.

"I know you don't. But, you're always gonna end up like this Tyler. You just never learn. You never change. And not only are you hurting yourself, but you're hurting the people that care about you. It's not fair to anyone." she said in an even voice.

"Well, maybe I'm just one of those people. The kind that everyone sort of just, uses." he said indifferently.

"That's only because you let them. You just have this thing about you, where you allow people to do things to you and then act surprised whenever things don't go the way you planned." she said with more intensity.

"Hey Mack." Tyler said.

"What?"

"I'm sorry for what I said to you. I didn't mean it." he said, feeling incredibly guilty.

"Yes you did. In the heat of the moment, people tend to speak how they really feel. And you did." she said, looking straight ahead at the road.

"I was just mad. Just because people say things, doesn't make them true." Tyler rationalized.

Mackenzie just frowned and stayed silent.

"Do you forgive me?" he asked, looking at her.

He didn't try and force her this time. He didn't try to lure her into forgiving him. This was sincerity, that he should have had from the start.

She looked at him as she stopped at a red light. Her eyes swimming with doubt and hurt.

"Of course I do." she said and gave him a half smile.

He already missed the Mackenzie smile. He used to call it the Christmas Morning smile, because her face would light up like that at the simplest of things.

Now he never saw it and didn't know how long it would be until he saw it again.

"I love you Macky." Tyler said.

Mackenzie cringed slightly, not in a disgusted way. But, light the steering wheel just jolted her slightly.

"I love you too Tyler."