speak now | grayson dolan

chapter nine: everything has changed

grayson

I stand in Kenzie's kitchen, brewing a fresh cup of coffee. Her mom still isn't home yet which is perfect for me. I glance at the clock on the wall and see it's only nine.

Liz is a pretty late sleeper, unlike her daughter. I'm shocked Kenzie isn't up already. She's an early bird and always has been. I guess I really knocked her out last night.

After adding in some hazelnut, I grab onto the coffee mug and exit the kitchen. I make sure not to trip over any of the tools surrounding the new hardwood floor. It's almost redone and looks amazing. Liz will be very pleased.

My eyes suddenly catch a glimpse of a family photo hanging in the hallway, and I can feel my chest tightening at the sight of it.

I begin to scan over the happy picture, taking in every detail. It's from their New York trip the year we graduated high school.

Kenzie is happily placed between her parents as they pose in front of the Empire State Building. Her father has his arm wrapped around her shoulder as he brightly smiles for the camera.

The three of them were such a tight unit. Everyone in our neighborhood knew they were extremely close. Kenzie's father was a good man. I was very upset when I heard the news about his cancer.

Not only did it hurt the Harris family, but the Dolan family as well. My parents became super close with Kenzie's. I loved cracking jokes and throwing a football around with her dad.

He was a great husband and an even better father, Ethan and I always looked up to him. I wish he was still here.

His daughter has been broken without him, but we've all been trying to guide her through the darkness and into the light. It's been my main mission since he passed.

Shaking off the thought, I head upstairs and slip into Kenzie's room. She's cuddled up under the blankets with Muffin under her arm.

My mind immediately attempts to process what the hell happened last night. Talking. Kissing. Sex. I had sex with Kenzie.

I had sex with my best friend for as long as I can remember. Shit, we really got ourselves into a sticky situation.

A yawn slips past her lips as she looks at me standing in the middle of her bedroom. "Good morning."

"Morning." I say and hand her the mug. "I made you some coffee."

"Oh, thanks." She lightly grins while taking a sip.

"I made sure to add extra hazelnut, I know you like that."

"I do, thank you."

"So, what do you have planned for today?" I make awkward small talk with her.

I try to be as casual as possible, but it's a little hard to do that when flashes of her moaning my name are in my mind.

"I think I'm seeing Jade, we're going to head to the beach. I also wanted to finish making some promotion posters for my photography. I need to get more jobs."

"I'm sure you'll get calls soon. A lot of people love to have their picture taken in the summer." I nod my head.

"Yeah, that's what I was thinking." She takes a long sip of her coffee, finally letting her eyes meet mine. "What about you?"

"Flo's at some point with Ethan. I also have errands that I need to run. I'll probably do something with Adam as well."

"Oh, nice." She clears her throat.

Silence. Her room falls absolutely silent. She brings the mug up to her lips and tilts it higher, nearly downing the entire cup. I can feel the awkward tension between us and I'm not liking it.