Troublemaker (Troublemaker, Book 1) (3 page)

“Thanks,
Cage,” I say. His back is now turned to me.

“No problem.” He wipes some of the sand off the tip of his surfboard
and looks back at me. “See you around.”

I open my car door and throw my stuff across the sea
t.

Real nice McKenzie. Real nice.

My eyes well up… something that’s been happening a lot lately.

* * *

I get home and crash. I can barely get through a shower without passing out. I’m completely mentally wiped. I plan a night by myself, definitely not ideal, but I don’t exactly feel like hanging out with Jess and Evan. Not that they would even want me around after what happened today.

After trying to fight of
f the pint of ice cream that was calling my name from the freezer all night, I surrender. Now my stomach’s killing me from trying to eat away all my pain. It never works, but that doesn’t mean I’m ready to stop trying.

Exhausted, I turn down the
lights. I’m not a big fan of being alone at night, but it beats having the Colonel around.

Anyt
hing beats being with him
.

10:00. I strip down to just my underwear and a t-shirt and I get in bed
. My head is reeling from what happened today, but my body’s had enough as I fade off into sleep.

* * *

I wake to a loud banging and Maroon 5 blaring in our sub-unit.

“AND SHE WILL… BE LOVED!” I h
ear what sounds like two drunk people losing their minds.

Cage
.

And someone else.

I look at the clock. 3 a.m. I’m so pissed off.

I turn on my bedroom light and start to throw on my pants t
o give him a piece of my mind. The two voices get louder. And closer. Sounds like Cage and some other girl.

Jesus, it didn’t take him long to
find someone to shack up with. I hear footsteps coming down the stairs that lead to our patio. I quickly turn off my light and start peaking through the blinds as the two of them make their way onto the patio.

Wow McKenzie, this is a new low. Even for you.

I look through the blinds and see two dark silhouettes under the moonlight. One is Cage. And the other is whoever Cage is having his way with tonight. I get a shooting pain in my stomach, something worse than any pain I’ve felt in a long time.

I’m jealous. Not of
Cage, because I don’t even know him. And again, just because he’s hot, he’s totally not my type. Not even close.

But their laughter, their joy… that’s what hurts most.

You’re never going to have a good life, McKenzie. It’s not your fault, it’s just who you are.

Thanks dad.

Is he kissing her? I steal a closer look through the blinds.

Pathetic McKenzie. Real pathetic.

No kissing. Thank god.

I shake my head, trying
to get rid of the nonsense.

But seriously,
why the hell do I care so much?

I don’t care. At least that’s what I tell myself.

Cage pulls out his ukulele and starts strumming a Bob Marley song, not a care in the world. “I said a DON’T WORRY… ABOUT A THING.” The two of them start giggling feverishly. “EVERY LITTLE THING’S… GONNA BE ALRIGHT!”

Is it really? Is
it really gonna be alright when you start making out on my patio as I spy on you in my underwear?

Suddenly it hits me… it hits me hard.

I need to get a life.

What the hell am I doing right now? I’m better than this.

I can do this.

I run with this wave of confidence, never knowing how long it’s actually going to last. I manage to pu
ll my head from out of the dark blinds and put myself to sleep.

Peace at last.

* * *

I wake up early the next morning and decide to start my day the right way. I throw on some spandex shorts and
a t-shirt and head out for a run. I don’t run as often as I should, but it’s the one healthy thing I can do these days to actually feel decent inside.

I come back from my five-
mile loop and take a quick look at the sky. Fresh, open, serene… I decide to wash away the events from yesterday- the mysterious tenant, Chase, my nighttime spying debacle. I check my heart rate monitor and notice that I ran harder than usual.

A good sign.

As I stroll up towards my back door I can smell coffee. And hear music. I look out and see Cage sitting in my lounge chair. He’s wearing navy blue shorts, and nothing else. He’s holding his surfboard in one hand as he looks out into the ocean view. He looks so calm. So serious. So… beautiful.

Crap, not this again. I really c
an’t go through this anymore.

He’s a
total stranger. And the other half of the human species that I pretty much decided to never trust again.

Then why do I
find myself wanting to know more…
about him
?

“Morning
, sunshine.” He turns away from the ocean and offers me the most incredible smile I think I’ve ever seen.

“Good morning,
Cage. Accommodations okay last night?” I ask. If only he knew that I was spying on him.

“Not bad,” he says while caressing his surfboard. “I could use a bigger bed though.
”

I
can feel instant nausea set in as I imagine why he would want a bigger bed.

“It’s a queen size mattress.
You got some pretty high standards for a…” I stop myself immediately.

“
For a what?” Cage sits up taller in our lounge chair and drops his surfboard on the patio deck. “Go ahead, say what’s on your mind
Kenz
.”

“Say what?” I pull my sweaty shirt away
from my body hoping to distract him.

“You think I’m a loser, don’t you?
Just some non-sophisticated idiot?”

I shake my head
from side to side, desperate to back track from my comment.

I get defensive and raise both eyebrows
. “I don’t know anything about you,” I say.

A
side from your secret rendezvous under the moon last night
.

I adjust my posture for a quick boost of confidence.
“I know you surf. You play the guitar. You…”

“
Ukulele,” he says, shaking his head in utter disgust.

“Excuse me?” I inch my way closer to him.

“You heard me,” he grabs his cup of coffee and pulls it to his nose but doesn’t drink. “It’s a ukulele,
not
a guitar.”

“What’s the difference?” I a
sk.

“
That would be like me telling you that Uggs and high heels are the same thing.”

I crinkle my forehead. “What?
That’s an awful analogy.”

“Whatever.
My point is they’re two different animals.”

“
What’s
two different animals?”

“Jesus stay with me here, wi
ll ya?” He takes a big swig from his coffee mug. “Ukuleles and guitars are two different musical instruments. Make sense?”

I reach down to stretch my hamstrings. “You’ve lost me at this point.
I just meant I don’t think you’re a loser.” I look up and catch his eyes directed at my legs. Normally I feel creeped out by this sort of thing, but for some reason, right now I don’t.

I take the opportunity to notice his perfect jaw line. And the
definition in his shoulders. And his abs. And…

He nods in my direction.
“How do you like being a landlord?” he asks.

I think for a second.
“I’ll let you know in a day or so. This is my first stab at it.” I rotate my neck in circles to stretch my muscles.

He reaches for his ukulele on the coffee table. “
I realize that you don’t know anything about me yet, even though you act like you do,” he pauses and starts strumming his instrument. “But how would you rate me as a tenant so far in these first twenty-four hours?” His lips form an adorable smile.

Shit this guy’s got something going on.

“So far?”

“That’s right. So far.” He raises his hand up, encouraging me to make a call.

I start to bite my fingernails, pretending to think harder than I’ve ever thought before. “On what kind of scale are we talking?” I ask.

“Great questio
n. I like where your head is at.” He bobs his head up and down as he thinks about the type of scale I should be using.

This is pretty much the most ridiculous conversation I’ve had with anyone in the last decade.

And the most enjoyable one.

“Oh, and by the way, we don’t even have to factor
in the fact that I saved you from that asshole at the beach yesterday,” he adds.

I roll my eyes.
Not this again.

He tosses his ukulele onto a nearby cushion.
“What? Are you still gonna act like you didn’t need my help?” His eyes widen.

“Exactly.” I pause to stretch out
my shoulder. “But obviously you feel the need to be a hero, so if that’s your thing…”

“My thing?” He shakes his head in more disgust.

I nod my head up and down. “I know you’re a Marine and all, but…”

H
is body instantly freezes up as he grabs his cup of coffee and looks out at the ocean. It’s like he’s retreated back into himself. And away from me.

Foot. In. Mouth
.

He
looks over at me again as he starts to talk, more serious this time. “My
thing
isn’t trying to be anything.” He drinks from his coffee mug and I can see the joy has completely vanished from his eyes.

I have this effe
ct on lots of men, so it’s not like I’m new to this sort of reaction.

McKenzie,
I’m your own father for Christ’s sake. And if I find it hard to be around you, how do expect anyone else to want to be around you?

I liked it better when things were light
between Cage and me. And I’m not exactly a master when it comes to damage control.

But here goes…

“Look, what you did yesterday was really nice. I just…” My eyes start to well up from the shame and embarrassment of the way Chase was treating me.

He leans in closer, as if he actually cares about my feelings in this moment.

But I can’t go any further. And to be honest I can’t believe I even took it this far.

“I gotta run. I need to get cleaned up before work.” I take the sweaty headband off my head and pretend to stretch my calves out before I leave him.

“Great idea. Somebody’s gotta serve up those yummy organic alfalfa sprout smoothies to the general public.” He snickers, but in a cute, non-threatening way.

“Exactly. If for some reason you can’t find any chocolate-covered hot dog vendors in the area maybe I’ll see you in the café
.”

He pauses and takes a deep breath. “Doubtful. But miracles do happen, so I guess you never know.”

I smile and think of all the clever ways I could end our conversation right now. But somehow nothing comes out.

“Later McKenzie,” he winks
at me and starts to recline in the lounge chair for a long day of god knows what.

“Later,
Cage.”

Taking one last innocent look
at him in the lounge chair, I can’t help but imagine how good it would feel to rub my fingers along his thick, muscular body.

Please stop. Please don’t do
this to yourself McKenzie.

It’s
going to be a long eight weeks.

* * *

I’m at the café slaving away, just watching the clock tic. My phone vibrates in my jeans pocket. It’s
a text from Jessie.

Hey k. Wanna hang 2 nite?

I text back.
Maybe. Just u and me this time?

Jessie
responds.
Yup. Only girls allowe
d


My work shift
plods forwards and I see Jessie waiting outside the café for me. She’s on her phone, probably talking to Evan.

I put away my apron, say goodbye to the boss, and sneak a quick shot of wheatgrass juice before I head out.

“Hey girl! How was work?” Jessie throws her arms around me.

“Work was… work.” I pause to look her over.
“Why do you have to look so hot all the time?”