I was no fool.
I kissed him again. “Dinner sounds nice.”
About Kadian Tracey
Born on the island of Jamaica, Kadian Tracey moved to Canada as a teenager. When not writing sweet romance or dropping bodies, she writes sexy stories under the pseudonym Kendra Mei Chailyn. In her spare time away from a day job, Kadian loves writing, movies, British cozy mysteries, travelling and food.
www.kadiantracey.wix.com/romancenorth
Essential Love
K. Logan, Edits donated by Taylor Delong and Angie Martin
When something or someone stands in the way of true love, do you fight your feelings or fight for your feelings? McKenna and Chris have both denied their feelings, other than a few moments of weakness where they give in. Will they finally give in and see where it goes? — Essential Love
Essential Love
McKenna
I hate cars. Absolutely hate cars. My stupid car is dead as I sit in the parking lot at work, of all places. As I pray no one sees me, I decide to get out of my car and pop the hood and see if the problem is an easy fix. Being a country girl, I’ve worked on a few cars with my dad, and I know a few things. Very few, actually. Realizing this is far from my ability to fix, I pull out my cell phone to call Dad and see if he can tell me what to do. Then I notice the time and realize he will be in bed. I don’t want to wake him up, knowing he gets up with the birds.
So, I go through the list of contacts I have, even though I know his number by heart. I don’t have to call Chris. It’s been months since we spoke and the last time, it didn’t go over so well. He was my best friend’s older brother. The bane of my existence and the asshole in my dreams at night. The last time we spoke, months ago, he kissed me to shut me up and walked away. He walked away! Who does that? And Andrew, well he hasn’t been very talkative lately either. Not that I am complaining, he found his love: photography. So, he’s been out and about trying to build his portfolio. This weekend, he is in Moncton for a carnival. If you ask me, there’s also a girl behind this trip, but that’s not my story. Breaking down, I dial Chris. One ring, two rings, three rings.
“Hello?” I hear a girl say into the phone.
“Um…Hi, is Chris there?” I ask timidly. Who could be answering his phone? Last I heard, he was single and not looking. Not like I check in on him, just the usual younger brother gossip Andrew gives me.
“He’s just stepped into the shower, is there a message?” she asks, sounding very pissed off that another girl is calling him.
“Yeah, this is Kenny, Andy’s best friend, and I need him to call me back right away. I’m having car trouble.”
I realize I am rambling but then I hear him say, “Why are you answering my phone, Ana?” He sounds so cranky. Now I’m worried. Maybe he won’t help me. But then I hear him come on the line. “Kenny, what’s wrong? You don’t call me. Ever. So I know somethings wrong.” He sounds like he’s actually worried about me. Weird, as he’s never been concerned as far as I was concerned. Not 12 years ago when we met, and not 4 months ago, when he kissed me and blew my mind then walked away.
Chris
Why is Kenny calling me? I am not her friend, Andrew is. Truth is, I’d give anything to be more than her friend, but I value the relationship with my baby brother too much. I’ve watched her grow up the last 12 years and let me tell you, she grew up! And I know she watched me grow up. She always hid it well from Andrew, but I saw the stares, watched the breathing change. I knew. But nothing can happen. Andrew would never forgive me, even though he has no romantic feelings for his best friend. Nope, he loves her like a sister, thankfully. But because he loves her like a sister, I can’t even try. If I hurt her, he and I won’t be good and I don’t want that.
“Um, I’m kinda stranded at the Superstore and Dad’s already asleep and I don’t want to wake him so I thought you might be able to come help me, since you’re a mechanic and all.”
“Wow all in one breath Kenny, you must be desperate if you’re calling me,” I point out.” This, I know is true. She wouldn’t call me, especially after what I pulled at Boomer’s party all those months ago. Something I cannot stop thinking about even though I definitely should. It’s the reason I’m using every woman I see to try to forget the feelings it gave me. The reason Ana is here.
That kiss. What was I thinking? Why did I act on instinct and kiss her, then just walked away, leaving her there? The kiss was spectacular, she was perfect, and what did I do? I fucking walked away from her. “Alright Kenny, let me get dressed and drop Ana off and I’ll come see if I can fix it to get you home. I might have to come tow it in the morning if I can’t get it done in the parking lot. I’ll see you in 15.”
I hang up before she can say anything else. Her voice does something to me and I’m afraid I’ll spill all my secrets.
I tell Ana we have to go, and I have to practically drag her to my truck. Ana glares at me in the seat of my truck as I’m pulling into her driveway. “Why do I have to go home? We didn’t even hook up yet?” she asks, yet, I’m not sure why. We’ve hooked up a few times over the years when we were younger.
“Ana, tonight was a mistake. We shouldn’t be doing this, and you know it. You’re supposed to get married.” I throw that in her face as she puts her hand on the door handle to exit my truck. “I never want to see you again, unless you are with your husband. Ana, I mean it. We’re not kids anymore.”
And we’re not. Next month, I turn 30. Never thought I’d live to see 30 but here I am. Between parties, racing, getting arrested, all the accidents that I have the scars from, I’m very lucky to be alive. God, the things I walked away from would blow your mind.
I peel out of Ana’s driveway and head over to the superstore. The parking lot is lit up well, and I can see Kenny sitting on her hood, having a smoke. I roll my old Ford up and say, “Those will kill ya one day, Kenny.”
She just shakes her head and has another puff, offering me one out of her pack. “I haven’t got paid yet this week, but I will pay you for coming out here and doing this. Until then, have a smoke or two on me.”
Taking the smokes and lighting one up, I tell her to pop the hood and get to work, not letting the fact that she is near me get in my head because in my mind, I’ve already bent her over this hood six ways from Sunday.
McKenna
Being this close to Chris is really hard. While he’s working under the hood, I decide to sit in the car, put some space between us. The tension is high and after that kiss, I don’t trust myself to be around him. I’m playing Angry Birds on my phone when he shuts the hood.
“Come on Kenny, I’ll drive you home and come pick this up in the morning.”
Oh no, alone, in his truck with him?
“Why Christopher, can’t get it going here? What’s wrong with it?” He looks me over, and the thoughts that run through my mind are not thoughts I should be having about my best friends’ older brother.