Misery Company

Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Dean was confusing Mac and she hated it. The way he looked at her felt funny, he had been so serious and expected her to know what he was talking about. And she didn’t. The only thing that changed between them was that disgusting kiss, it should’ve never happened. The only other difference was the fact she was dating his cousin and there was no secret Dean detested the idea. Why? She questioned, sitting on her front porch. She believed he hated the idea because she was who she was and they didn’t get along, but if Dean was trying to look out for his cousin why would he try and warn her, if that’s what he was really doing. She shook her head and vowed to stop wasting good brain cells on Dean’s stupidity.

She sat waiting for Jake to show up, he called from work and they decided to go out while they had time after his shift. She caught a movement from the corner of her eye. Dean stepped outside with Megan in tow, she was walking. Mac smiled widely, the little baby was learning how to walk. Desire won over common sense, she wanted to see Megan and got up to do so. “When did she start taking steps?” it couldn’t have been long, Dean held on to his daughters hand as she wobbled then finally sat on her butt.

“This morning.” Dean said nice enough.

Mac scooped the baby into her arms. “Wow already? I knew you were super smart.” She ignored Dean after that and focused only on Megan until Jake arrived. She kissed her goodbye then sat her back on the porch. “Hey.” She climbed into the car.

Jake kissed her. “I thought you wanted to stay far, far away from Dean.” He drove away from the houses.

“Oh I do but Megan is another story. Do you want me to stay away from Dean?” She tried all day to forget what Dean warned her of, but she had to be sure and deep down she wasn’t.

“Why would you ask me that?” he glanced her way before looking back to the rode.

“Because maybe you don’t want him telling me things. Dean seems to think you’re only doing all of this to get into my pants.”

“And you believe him?” Jake asked, pulling over at the park they passed. This wasn’t going to be a small talk conversation. The sun was sitting along the horizon, the street empty for them to be alone.

“I don’t know. Dean is the biggest jerk I know and I like you a lot I do but we also don’t know each other that well.” Mac decided after their first date she wasn’t going to lie to him to make their relationship easier, she didn’t want to be hurt.

Jake turned in his seat and took her hand. “You know for all that tough girl attitude you dish you’re very innocent. I care about you Mackenzie and that has nothing to do with getting inside your pants.  Dean is going to stay anything he can to get under your skin and it worked. I don’t understand why but he’s working over time to make us break up.”

Small pangs of guilt fluttered in her stomach. “I’m sorry, I should know by now not to believe Dean. What has he said to you?” she fantasized about strangling Dean, that little weasel was trying to ruin the only good thing in her life.

“Nothing important.” He caressed her hand, leaning forward to kiss her.

Two weeks ago when he would kiss her Mac couldn’t help but tense up at the unfamiliarity of it all.  Now she enjoyed it a lot. She leaned in and kissed him back, comfortable with him it was easy to let instinct kick in and not be a total idiot and do it wrong, as she feared two weeks ago. Her stomach tightened for brand new reasons and these she welcomed. His mouth was sweet and warm, he slowly teased her with his tongue. She didn’t tense at all when his hands began to move under her shirt.

IIII

Dean wanted to pull his hair out he was so bored. Megan was sleep in her crib and both of his parents were downstairs. He couldn’t escape. He hated the weekends now when they used to be his favorite days. Now he craved going to school and listening to the stupid gossip in the halls and what his friends were doing with their freedom. He didn’t blame Megan, it wasn’t her fault he was a screw up and now had to pay the price.

He thought about Megan’s mother; Caroline, he wondered where she was and what she was doing now baby-less. She went to a private school out of town; she and Dean met when she was in town visiting her folks. He didn’t know how she handled school and being pregnant, she probably took some time off and now went back to finish her last year. He knew she wasn’t in town; he asked around and looked for her endlessly after she left Megan at his door. Those first days he wanted nothing more then for Caroline to take Megan back, now it was his nightmare for her to show back up. His life sucked but Megan was the only highlight left.

He sat at his desk and powered up the computer, Travis emailed him wondering what else he wanted him to find on Mackenzie Ashby. Dean knew all he needed to know, one talk was all it would take to get her out of Jake’s life. Except Dean didn’t want to hurt her and in the process he was hurting himself.

Dean hoped if Mac was out of Jake’s life then maybe things could go back to normal and his sudden feelings would dissipate. He played a few computer games and then actually did some studying for his upcoming math test.

Jake strolled through the hallway at nine-thirty. Dean chuckled. “You’re home early.” He called out, teasing his cousin’s lack of date.

Jake stopped at the door. “She had to be home early.”

Dean noticed the goofy grin he was trying to hide. “Why the smile?”

“None of your business and thanks by the way for lying to Mackenzie, we actually had a great talk about it.” His grin widened as he walked away.

Dean’s heart dropped to his toes, if he didn’t know better Jake was acting like he scored but Mac wouldn’t sleep with him, would she? Jake said they talked about what he said, he probably got her to trust him wholeheartedly and she already liked Jake a lot. Dean cursed, the thought of Mac trusting Jake that deeply made him lose all hope of things going back to normal. The jealously didn’t help, his blood boiled at the image of them intimately together. Everything was more serious then he thought; Jake and Mackenzie and Dean’s little crush on her wasn’t so little. He wanted to punch his cousin; hard.