Summer: Day 25 

Mack's POV:

Eighteen. The age where you're legally an adult but still feel like a lost child in Neverland.

I don't feel renewed, refreshed, or different. I feel like me, Mackenzie Lemay. I don't have dementia, my heart works okay, and I have all my limbs. In short terms, eighteen is just a number.

There's an expected knock at my front door and when I go to open it, my eyes scan over the glorious body of Zachariah. He never ceases to amaze me. "Hey Kenz, happy birthday." He swoops me down into a sweet, lingering kiss. "You look beautiful as always."

"You don't look too bad yourself, handsome." I take his hand when he offers it to me, shutting and locking the door behind us. "So where are we going?"

"That, my dear, is a surprise," he says in his cocky way.

I hit him playfully in the arm but my stomach does that weird butterfly thing. "The last time you surprised me, I was given a fully furnished apartment."

"It was a surprise, Mackenzie."

******

Flashback. Thirteen years ago, their meet-cute.

It was the second day of kindergarten. Mrs. Amber Montgomery kissed Kylar's cheek as he got out of their car—I had been sitting around waiting for him to get to school all morning—and another kid popped out of the car behind them.

A dimple in his left cheek. That's what I remembered about him. That, and I thought he had sparkling blue eyes, like Prince Charming. I really thought he was a Disney prince. Haha, he really is.

"Macaroni!" Kylar shouted, tugging at his mother's coat, walking towards me.

"No, honey, we don't eat macaroni for breakfast," Amber laughed. The taller boy followed.

"No, Mackenzie, my macaroni," Kylar said, pointing to me.

I got up and ran towards Kylar, hugging him in a childish and cheesy way. "Hi kite, I missed you."

"Me too, all my dinosaurs wanna meet you." He held up a small plastic dinosaur. "This one's name is Rex." Ah, the most typical name for a dinosaur.

"Who is that?" I asked, pointing a finger at Zachariah, feeling like I wasn't seeing straight.

"It was a surprise, Mackenzie," Kylar giggled, covering his face with his hands. "This is my big brother Zachariah, but we call him Zach. He's in second grade."

Yes, meeting Zachariah and having him in my life was a completely amazing surprise.

"Hi Zach," I said, finding it very hard to concentrate on talking right when he smiled at me. "I like your eyes." Damn me. I still blush at that memory.

"I like them too," he said proudly, puffing out his chest.

Amber smacked his shoulder playfully. "Zachariah Lane, please be polite and say thank you."

He rolled his eyes and mocked his mother's words. "Thank you, Kenz. Catch ya' later, my friends are over there."

Kenz. Man, I swooned that very minute and haven't been able to recover since.

End of flashback.

******

It's 7:00 PM and the sun is setting behind us when we pull up the street to an oh-so-familiar place. Our middle school. The one located on top of the hill of our small beach town of Hilton Head, South Carolina.

"This is my surprise?" I ask, raising an eyebrow as I laugh.

Zachariah shakes his head and kills the engine. "Patience, Kenz. C'mon, let's go."

"Where?"

"You'll see," he says with a boyish grin.

You know that feeling of loving surprises and also dreading them at the same time? Yeah, that's how I feel.

Zachariah walks over to my side of the car to open the door for me, placing his hand in mine to pull me out of the car. "Take my hoodie, you'll need it," he says, pointing to his favorite football hoodie in the backseat.

Happily, I take it and slip it on, getting lost in the scent of his cologne.

Our hands laced together, we move in sync; left right, left right. We cut through the parking lot, a few trees, and brush through a few bushes before we reach an opening. Oh.

"The Rocks," I whisper, looking up at Zachariah with a small smile. I forgot about this place.

'The Rocks' is the place Zachariah and I would go and hangout at after school in middle school, when I was in sixth grade and he was in eighth. Kylar didn't know about this place, nobody knew. It was a secret. Our secrets were shared here, this was sacred ground. This was a place we established who we were; what we were.

After Zachariah ditched and ignored me, we only met once more here at 'The Rocks.' His senior year, my sophomore.

"Come," he says, pulling me to the large rock that stands at the edge of the cliff. His fingers trace the engraved letters we wrote in Sharpie years back. "Zachariah + Kenz," he whispers, squeezing my hand.

"God, that was forever ago," I giggle, letting my own fingers brush against the dusty rock.

"Doesn't feel like forever, not with you. It's in writing, Kenz, I think it was always meant to be us," he says, eyes fixed on the permanent writing.

My heart aches with so much love for this boy, I want to explode.

He trails his fingers up the rock where we drew a map of our town. "Here," he says, comparing our childish blueprint to the skyline of the small city before us. "Here. That's your house, and that's mine. That's your childhood and this, this is mine. We're grown up now, baby. Free to make our own decisions, free to love whoever we want."

Is he saying what I think he's saying?

No. He couldn't be.

"Remember when you took me here when I turned eighteen?" he asks, finally turning to face me.

I look up at those blue irises of his and suddenly I'm lost in them. "I could never forget." He walked away from me that night. Again. Like he always did.

"I protested the whole way here, but I came. And I let you drive even though you only had your permit." Zachariah gives me a small, uneasy smile.

"Yeah, you really complained a lot."

He gives me a clenched jaw as if mad at himself. "Well we weren't necessarily on speaking terms back then."

"But you agreed to go, Zach, you came," I whisper, cocking my head to the side. "You missed your senior homecoming dance, the night of your birthday, just to come here with me. Why? Why did you do that?"

Zachariah stares into my eyes for a second before resolving his answer. "Because all that stuff didn't matter. There were more important things than homecoming king and making an appearance to a dumb high school dance."

"Which was?" I ask, pulling my lip between my teeth with nerves.

"Stand over there," he instructs, pointing to the edge of the cliff where the rocks are giving.

I eye it warily. "Zach—"

"Relax," he cooes. "Do you trust me?"

I nod. "Yes."

"So stand over there, Kenz."

The sun has almost completely set by now.

My feet are right at the edge of the cliff and I look out at the city that holds so many memories. So many things that I feel, right here, deep down in my heart. Love. So much love in this small city of nothing.

"Now turn around," Zachariah says, his voice further away.

I do as I'm told and I see him standing at the rock he always used to sit on. "Now what?" I ask, practically shouting.

He doesn't answer, he just looks out towards the view; his gaze drifts across the skyline and it eventually falls on me. His eyes linger over my body for a minute before walking over to me. Oh. This, this is familiar.

This I know like the back of my hand.

"Mackenzie," he says in a raspy tone, recalling the night of his eighteenth birthday. "Why did you drive us here?"

"We're playing the blame game now?" I ask, the line rolling off my tongue like we're acting in some kind of play.

Zachariah edges closer to me. "You started playing the blame game a long time ago."

"Well I have a lot to blame you for," I argue.

His face is a stream of acting anger and sadness. "Like what?"

"Taking my childhood—the things I should've given to someone else."

"I could say the same thing to you," he mutters, that same sentence ticking in the back of my head from when he said it that night.

I laugh as I did back then. "What effect could I possibly have on you?"

Zach's eyes change at my words, almost on cue. "You changed me for the better, or worse, Mackenzie. I don't know."

I remember wanting to shout at him, scream, cry, and cuss him out—but I didn't.

"Better or worse, Kenz. I don't fucking know. I don't know which one yet. I really don't like who I am, and you, it's because of you."

I know we're simply going over the past argument we had, but I can't help but think he's talking about the present too. "I like who you are," I whisper, the same words I said back then, only I really do like who he is, especially now.

"You do?" he asks, his voice laced with emotions of vulnerability.

I nod. "I always have."

And instead of balling his fists together and walking away like he did last time, he grabs the back of my knee and dips me into a romantic kiss that makes me melt like Jell-O. It was a perfect kiss, he is perfect; a kiss that told me he really really cares about me.

"What was that for?" I ask, out of breath when he finally puts me back down on two feet.

He plants another kiss on my lips. "Me doing things the right way this time." His eyes bore into mine with so much unreadable emotion, I wish I had a microscope to see into his mind. "If I did that back then, when I really really wanted to, maybe we wouldn't be so complicated. Maybe if I didn't push you away, we would be okay. Maybe even more than okay."

I wrap my hands around one of his biceps to reach up and kiss his jaw. "We can't fix the past, Zachariah. But we can hope for the future and live in the moment."

He drops his head in a nod before he searches my eyes again, as if trying to find an answer to one of his internal questions. Zachariah opens his mouth to say something but clamps it shut, averting his gaze.

"What is it?" I inquire, touching his face with the palm of my hand.

He shakes his head and nuzzles into my caress more. "Sometimes I feel like I'm not good enough for you, like I'm too damaged and used to be anything. I've done a ton of regretful shit with a lot of girls, and I—I don't know, I wish I could take it all back. I wish I could take everything back and give it to you, but I can't. You deserve the world, baby, you deserve more than me."

Who knew a guy like Zachariah could be so insecure?

I pucker my lips in a small pout, touched by his open confession. "I have all I've ever wanted right here," I say in earnesty. "From the moment we met, Zach, it was you. You are my person."

He smiles a dimpled smile. "You changed me, Mackenzie. I never wanted more, not before I realized I only wanted you. Only you give me that feeling."

******

ZACHARIAH AND I stayed at 'The Rocks' until it was too cold and windy to stay any longer. The ride home was light, easy, and I've never felt more alive. Zachariah makes me feel alive; I feel free, cared for, loved. Even if he's never said it to my face, I feel it, and that's all that matters. Because actions speak louder than words.

When we get back to my house, Zachariah has a smug look on his face. A smile tugs at the corner of his lips and I soon find out why.

I turn the knob to my front door and the minute it opens, our closest friends jump up and yell, "Surprise!"

I clap my hands to my mouth and laugh, Zachariah hugging me from behind. "Happy birthday, beautiful."

The whole apartment is decorated for a party, and I can't help my smile. "When did this happen?" I ask, removing myself from Zach's arms to give Lilah a hug.

She gives me a toothy grin and shrugs. "While you and Monty were gone. Happy birthday, girl. You're glowing already!"

"Oh hush," I say, overwhelmed with the party even though it's only a small get-together.

"Mack," Tanner says, giving me a hug. "Look at my future sister-in-law, all grown up!"

I blush at his comment and shake my head. "You and Zach aren't even related, dummy."

Corey hooks an arm around me and ruffles up my already messy hair. "Please, Zachariah is our brother from another mother. Welcome to the fam. Happy birthday, kid."

"Okay okay," I giggle, standing back to smile at all of them. "This is really sweet of you, thank you guys."

Zachariah takes my hand and spins me around before pulling me to his chest with one of his boyish smiles, one that shows his dimple and paper-white teeth. "Let's get this party started, yeah?"

On cue, Lilah turns on the music and a bottle of champagne is popped. I help myself to a can of Coke and Zachariah joins me—he really doesn't drink. Somehow that makes me love him even more.

We dance and laugh and talk for who knows how long, not caring about anything else in the world but having a good time; making the most of life. A new song comes on and I start singing to it on the top of my lungs, grabbing Zachariah's hand and pulling him to the living room.

Oh, I wanna dance with somebody

I wanna feel the heat with somebody

Yeah, I wanna dance with somebody

With somebody who loves me

He laughs and grabs my hips as I move to the beat. "You are so fucking gorgeous, Kenz. How in the world did I get so damn lucky?"

"I've been in love and lost my senses, spinning through the town," I sing, laughing when Lilah joins me. "I think I'm the lucky one," I say, spinning when he lifts my hand over my head.

The song ends and we all laugh, sitting down on the big couch to relax. It's nice having a group of friends, people who actually care about me, unlike only having one friend. Kylar. It feels weird to say this, but it seems somewhat normal for him not to be here. Not that we grew apart, but having Zachariah here, I think I've finally realized how our interests and personalities are different now. In some ways, it feels good to sort of let go and expand my life beyond sprinkles and rainbows.

"Can we please open presents now?" Tanner says impatiently, getting up to get them.

Lilah rolls her eyes at him, hitting the side of his head playfully. "He's just excited for you to open his gift," she says in a bored tone. "It's really not that funny."

Tanner comes back and hands me a box. "Yes it is," he says, offended. "Believe me, it fits you incredibly well."

I bite down a smile and look at him with fake concern. I really hope it isn't anything embarrassing. I undo the tape from the wrapping paper and Zachariah scoffs next to me. "You're one of those people?" he chuckles.

"Yes, I like saving the wrapping paper," I defend, finally getting it off cleanly. I peel off the top of the box and pull out Tanner's gift. It's an apron that says, 'I have all the cake.'

Tanner bursts out laughing when my jaw drops to the ground and he says, "You can take that however you want to, literally or physically."

"You do realize I'm here, right?" Lilah says, a goofy smile on her lips so he knows she's joking.

He plants a kiss on her cheek and says, "Yep, babe. But when we went to the diner a few weeks ago, when we saw you, Monty said something about Mack's 'cake' and well—long story short, it's an inside joke."

I blush and hide my face in Zachariah's chest. "Thank you, Tanner," I say sarcastically. "Very thoughtful of you. I really need to be reminded of that every time I make pancakes."

He shrugs and laughs, "I'm sure Monty reminds you enough."

Zach glares at him and then chuckles, smirking at me. "Her ass is pretty nice."

"Can someone get him a bumper sticker that says 'Pervert' please?" I speak up, rolling my eyes at him.

"Mine next," Lilah exclaims, handing me a bag with tissue paper spewing out of the top. "Girl, I'm jealous of this one—don't be surprised if I steal it from you sometime."

I laugh as I unwrap her gift, anticipation growing in me. When I see what it is, my jaw drops to the ground again. "I am not wearing this!"

"Why not? The dress is so so pretty," she says in a gushy voice.

It's a white strapless bodycon dress that looks way too short for it to be comfortable. "Lilah, if you haven't noticed it already, I don't do dresses everyday like you," I laugh, my eyes raking over the dress. It is cute though, just not my typical denim shorts.

"You would look so good in it though!" she assures me, a sweet smile on her lips. "Right guys?"

The boys all nod and I shake my head at the thought of wearing this dress. "Maybe to a party," I say apprehensively.

"Dresses really do look good on you, Kenz," Zach says into my ear, making my heart melt. One thing that I do like about him is that he isn't protective over what I wear.

I put the dress back in the bag and give Lilah a 'thank you' before Corey hands me two boxes. "Open the smaller one first," he says, a smirk on his face.

I eye him suspiciously and undo the wrapping paper. Deep down I feel like I know what it is, and when I see the label, I throw the box back at him, blushing. "Corey, what the hell!"

He laughs and tosses the box of condoms back at me. "Mack," he wheezes, throwing his head back in laughter. "We all know you're gonna need them."

I bury my face with my hands. "Seriously, are you asking for a death wish?" I scold with a glare, my red face failing me as I don't look as intimidating as I could be. "That is the worst gift ever," I grumble, crossing my arms. "I don't even wanna know what's in the next box now."

His face relaxes and softens a little. "It's not like that, Mack, that one was just a joke. Forgive me and open your real gift," he tells me, stifling a laugh.

Before I open the other box, Zachariah takes the box of condoms from me and chucks them at Corey. "You need these more than we do, buddy. You're the one sleeping with multiple girls all the time."

Corey turns a light shade of pink before clearing his throat and nodding. "Touché. I deserved that."

It's my turn to let out a giggle before I open the next box. It's a football signed by all the guys on his and Zachariah's football team back in LA. "How did you—when did you—what the," I say, his gift rendering me completely speechless. "I love it, thank you."

"I had them sign it and then they sent it over here," Corey says nonchalantly with a shrug of his shoulders. "To be honest, they'd do anything for Monty's girl even though they don't even know you."

"This is really sweet of you," I repeat, looking at all the different signatures. I find Zach's and smile, the words reading, 'My girl, Kenz.'

"And I know I already gave you your gift," Zachariah says, gesturing at the apartment we're sitting in. "But I got you something else too." He walks over to the table where the last bag was and hands it to me.

I take the bag from him and cock my head to the side in question. When I pull out the white jersey that was once framed in his room, I let out a small 'awe.' "Jersey," I whisper, looking up at him with love-filled eyes.

"Safe?" he whispers back.

"Very safe," I reply, pulling him into my arms. "Thank you guys, I love you all."

"Happy birthday," they all say, smiles and cheers alike.

Author's Note:

Damn, that chapter was kinda all over the place, ngl-

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it and hope it beat the common cliché of her losing her v-card because we all know that's usually what happens on Wattpad, haha. So no, I didn't have that happen.

Love you all! Please vote and comment, let me know what you think! :)