Chapter 10: I think I'm falling for you, Mckanzie.

I hate my life.

"Wake up!" I didn't know who it was, but I wanted it away. I wanted to sleep. "McKanzie!" the voice called again. I growled and turned on the other side. I was comfortable in there.

"Go away!" I muttered.

"Wake up." I jumped from the loud voice. I looked around me and realized that I wasn't in my room. Then it all hit me. Connor was on his feet, arms crossed on his chest and looking at me. I gave him a small smile and got up from the bed, a little lightheaded due to the sleep. "He wants to say something to you before we leave." he said and I shook my head. I didn't want to hear him. "McKanzie, it's his last wish." he added as I stared at him like he had grown a second head. His last wish? I knew the man was in the verge of death, but his last wish?

"I-..." I started, but didn't finish. I was frozen. Connor grabbed my hand and pulled me out of my mother's room. He led me to the other side of the hallway and straight to the room where I didn't want to be. Aunt Elena was at the side of my grandfather while, Clara, who apparently had come too, was on the other side. They looked at me with pained eyes, especially aunt Elena. She stood up and walked towards me. "We'll leave you alone." she whispered. I nodded, not knowing what to say. It must have been hard for her. I mean, her father was dying. In a matter of seconds, I was left alone with him. What do I do now?

Hesitating, I walked towards his bed and sat on the chair aunt Elena was sitting before. His breathing was slow and so were his heartbeats. I didn't dare look him in the eyes. "Umm...hi.." I said awkwardly. I didn't know what else to say.

"I'm sorry." he said, surprising me. His voice was low and cracked, but it was sincere. "I-"

"Sorry doesn't bring my mom back." I snapped before I could stop myself. What was I doing? The man was dying and here I was snapping at him. What was wrong with me?

"I know. And I know I'm too late to ask you to forgive me..." he paused, breathing deeply. "I've been a terrible person all my life. I had a perfect family and I destroyed it. I-I just..." he suddenly stopped and the beeping machine started beeping faster. What was happening?

"Please, don't tire yourself." I pleaded.

"I'm going to die sooner or later, but I have to tell you the truth. Your parents are..." he stopped. He just stopped. The beeping machine went off in a straight line and I froze. Did he die? From that moment I went numb. People entered in the room but I ignored them. My gaze was on the lifeless body in front of me. I heard voices calling me but I just stood there, numbly staring. What was he going to say? My parents were what?

"Time of death 20:39." the nurse said. My grandfather died, in front of me, not telling me what he wanted to tell. Suddenly, I felt guilty. If I had talked with him before, maybe he would've told me the truth. If I would have given him a chance to explain, maybe I would have understood him. Maybe if-

"McKanzie!" Clara was the one talking to me this time. I hadnt realized that I was crying until I felt my watering cheeks. The tears were rolling freely from my eyes and I couldn't stop them. I was only able to stare into nothing.

"He...I..." I whispered.

"Come on, we have to get out of here." she hugged me and then pulled me out of the room, where Connor was standing. Clara said something to him, which I didn't pay attention to. I just wanted to go home and forget that all of this happened.

When we arrived home, I was exhausted. All of my energy was drained off of my body and I had to hold onto Connor to steady myself or else I would be faceplanted on the ground. "McKanzie are you okay?" he asked worried as he held me.

"I'm just tired." I said, not wanting to worry him. It wasn't a lie though.

We entered inside the house and Oliver immediately hugged Clara. I spotted Cameron on the kitchen, but ignored him. I didn't have the nerves to deal with his butt right now. "I'll go upstairs." I announced and headed to the stairs. The dizziness was still but I tried to fight it. I managed to climb the second stair but that was all I could do. My knees gave up and I waited for the floor to hit me, but it never came. Instead, two strong arms held my body like I weighed nothing. I felt safe and warm. Two green eyes bore into mine, staring at me with intensity and...compassion? I didn't know if I truly saw it or if it was an imagination, but it faded as soon as it appeared. Those green eyes were cold now, without any sort of emotion.

I felt my own eyes drop, but I fought to stay awake. Why did he suddenly change his attitude with me? Did I do something wrong? I hoped that at least he would be my friend, but it seemed like even that was impossible.

He didn't say anything and I didn't too. He just held me and I stayed in his arms. His eyes were wide opened while mine were fighting to stay opened. I didn't want him to let me go. I didn't want to sleep. All I wanted to do was to stay safe in his arms. But soon darkeness overcomed me and I drowned to the world of unconciouness.

***

I hate when people hide things from me. I guess everyone does. It's hateful when you are the last person to learn everything or should I say not learn. He was redy to tell me the truth, but never could and it was driving me crazy.

The next day passed by a blur. I didn't go to school because of my state. Due to my exhaustion, I passed out last night and they sent me to hospital. Apparently I had anaemia. I knew that I was anaemic before, but it never showed. Yesterday I hadn't eaten and the events that occurred, they all gathered together and made me pass out.

Cameron had been avoiding me since that night and we still had to do that stupid project of history. I wanted to do it by myself but I had a strange feeling that he would talk to me and help me with it. I still didn't understand his coldness with me but nevermind. We were talking about Cameron Court here.

I still had in my mind what my granfather told me, or should I say what he wanted to tell me. What truth did he hide that he should tell me? What happened with my parents? I had so many questions, but the only one who could answer them was buried six feet under ground. Even though he never cared about us, I still felt a pang of hurt from his death. He was my mom's father after all, my own fresh and blood. I would never forgive him for the things he did to my mother but at least I could try. I know my parents would approve.

I hadn't realized that another was present in the living room. It was Clara. I hadn't talked to her since we were at my grandfathers house. She looked exhausted and her bump was becoming more visible. She was alredy four months in her pregnancy. She would be a proud mother of a little boy. Oliver was in seventh sky when he found out that the baby was a male. I couldn't understand his obsession of having a boy but 'our little boy will want a baby sister after' was what Oliver said. "How are you?" Clara asked, smiling at me.

"Fine, I guess. What about you?"

"I don't know. From one side, I'm happy because he deserved to die, but from the other side, I'm sad because he was our grandfather after all." She answered. I understood her because I felt the same way.

"He wanted to say something to me about our parents, but he never did." I said as her eyes widened. I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. "Have you talked to Connor?" I asked out of the blue.

"Yeah, he said that he found an apartment near and that he would come for dinner today." she answered and I nodded. I still wasn't used to his presence. Two years of absence might do that to you. "And Arden called." she added. Arden? I totally had forgotten about him. I had to thank him for helping Connor. If it wasn't for him I might have not forgiven Connor...yet. I knew that it wasn't an easy thing for him, since he hated my brother. Before I could ask, Clara spoke. "He said that-"

"Kizzy-Bear!" Arden cut her off, appearing in the living room. He had a wide grin on his face and was lunging dangereously towards me. I was too late to dodge. He had already caught me in a bear hug. Typical. He finally released me and I could breathe freely. "Hi Clara!" he greeted my sister excitedly. He wanted to hug her too but she shot him a muredereous glare and he changed his mind. Don't mess with a pregnant woman! "You," he pointed at me. "will come with me." he said firmly and I stared at him.

"And why is that?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Because your uhm- brother owes me and you're going to pay for it." he explained and grabbed my hand, and pulled me off of the couch. He continued to drag me out of the house while Clara's laughing could be heard on the background. Thanks a lot sis! I tired everything to get free from Arden's grip on my hand, but I failed. That boy was strong.

"Where are we going?" I asked, but he ignored me and dragged me where his BMW was. He opened the passenger door and forced me to hop inside. I huffed and put the seatbelt on. Better safe than anything. Not ten seconds later, the car was moving to an unknown direction.

I turned on the radio, not bothering to ask Arden and stopped at an Ed Sheeran song. It was I See Fire and immediately my mind went to Cameron. I remembered his soft voice singing it during his shower. Why can't I stop thinking about that freaking you-know-what? Why can't I get over this stupid crush? He will never like me as much as I like him. There are plenty of girls out there better than me.

The car eventually came to a stop. I glanced out of the window. We had stopped in the middle of nowhere. The trees were the only things that were surrounding us. Arden climbed out of the car and hurried around to open my door. I climbed out as well and slammed the dor shut behind me. I wanted to speak, to ask why we were here, but something about Arden, told me not to. He wasn't as excited as before, he was more serious, but there was still a sparkle of excitement on his eyes.

I followed him silently as he led us through the trees. The forest was silent too, you could only hear the rustle of the leaves and some birds singing, but that's all. When there were no more trees, Arden stopped. He was blocking my view and I stepped aside to see what was in front of him. To say I gasped, would be a huge understatement. My jaw was on the ground as I took in the view. You could see all Manhattan, scratch that, you could see the whole New York from here. Skyscrapers and other tall buildings stood proudly. "Wow." was all I could say.

"I know..." Arden trailed off and sat cross- legged on the ground. I sat down as well and stared at the city. "I come here often." he spoke, his voice low, but enough for me to hear him. "You're the first I've brought here and there is a reason why." as he was speaking, he was becoming more and more serious. The excited Arden that took me out of the house was long gone.

"W-What are you talking about?" I asked confused.

"Just hear me out please." he pleaded and I nodded. I had a strange feeling about this. He was nervous and the Arden I knew never got nervous. "I like you McKanzie." he confessed and you could hear a pin drop. "I always have. When we were in seventh grade, I was a nerd. All of my friends bullied me because I had good grades, never been into trouble, but you never did." he said.

It was true. Back in middle school, Arden was not the hot guy he was now. He was fat, with glasses and braces. He had good grades, so he was a nerd and all the boys and girls in school made fun of him for that. He and Jennifer were the only real friends I had in middle school. Because of Connor, I was pretty popular. My popularity only lasted a year though. Anyways, as I was saying, Arden was a nerd, but also shy.

"Remember the first time you stood up for me?" he asked and I nodded.

One of his classmates, Peter, I think was his name, tripped Arden in front of all class, making Arden the center of the laughing. I was there were Peter did it and I slapped him, hard. He had my finger marks on his cheeks for a week. "Since that day, I developed a crush on you. In freshman year it turned into something bigger. I wanted to tell you, but I couldn't. My parents had already decided to move in here and I didn't want to make it more difficult for us. So when we moved here, I decided to get over you, but never could. Now that you are back in my life, that crush revived. I-I think I'm falling for you McKanzie."

***

Hi!

I want to thank all of those who read this. I never thougt anyone would read this. So a big thanks goes to all of you.

Also don't be a silent reader, I want to know each and every one of you lol.

This chapter is dedicated to CTFires because she's a sweety.

Love y'all

Jenny.