Broken

Chapter 29

Whoever said time heals all wounds probably didn't have it that hard in the first place. A pain so crippling it could cause you to cease breathing for a moment because breathing just made it hurt more, and where that short moment felt like a lifetime too long.

"Have you told your parents you applied to UW, Seattle when we applied here in Tacoma as well?" Rachel asked from where she stood at her bookshelf checking out the new collection Makenna had gotten during the weekend,

"Not yet." Makenna sighed from where she lay on her bed staring at the ceiling,

Rachel put the book she was holding back where she found it and plucked out another book,
"This one?"

Makenna sat up, resting her weight on her elbows as she looked at the book Rachel wanted to read next,
"Christian Romance."

"I've read enough of your Christian Romance books to last me a lifetime," Rachel had a look of disgust on her face as she put the book back which made Makenna smile,

"Any new adventure or crime genre?"

Rachel applied to UW, Tacoma for Law, so it was no surprise that she preferred books with more crime than most that would leave her in suspense until the end. She loved that she could try to figure out who the bad guy or lady was before the end. A few times, Makenna had tried to get her to read a few of her Romance collections that had a bit of crime in them. It's safe to say Rachel got bored halfway through because she'd figured out who the bad guy was and knew how the love story would end because it was so obvious.

Also, Rachel knew Makenna only kept the Romance books on her shelf if they had a happy ending. The rest were stacked away somewhere else.

"That one with the dark blue paperback,"

"This?"

"Below that. At the end."

"This?"

"Yes."

Rachel pulled it out and smiled when she saw the cover. Of course, she wasn't one to judge a book by its cover but she could tell she was going to enjoy that one.
"See, this is why I come to you for books."

"Because they're free?"

Rachel thought about it for a second,
"That too." She placed the book on the table and then joined Makenna on her bed, lying next to her, "But every single crime book I've borrowed from you, I've loved. I never know which to go for when selecting."

"I guess that's why books are my thing."

"I can already picture you at your book signing."

Makenna laughed,
"I might end up being a journalist."

"And an undercover author who has got a serial killer stalking her."

"Hmm, no thank you."

"That's ok, I'll prosecute him."

"Or her."

"Oh my, yes." Rachel's eyes went wide, "She'll be a stalker who's trying to steal the best friend slot and I'm going to happily put her behind bars."

Makenna laughed and Rachel joined.

"You need to tell your parents about Seattle."

"There's no use worrying them, I might not even get in." Makenna said, "I'll tell them if I get in."

"It took you what, a month before you told me?" Rachel stared at the ceiling,

"I didn't want to disappoint you." Makenna turned her head and glanced at her, "We'd been planning for years to attend UW here in Tacoma since we knew we wanted to go to college."

"Well, I'll admit it won't be as fun as I imagined it would be if we went together. But there's Facetime, thank God."

Makenna chuckled,
"Plus, we'll be just a few hours away."

"We'll take turns visiting."

"And if you ever replace me, I'll kill whoever it is."

"Not before I kill them."

Rachel lifted her hand and stuck out her pinkie finger and Makenna caught the movement in her periphery and mirrored her hand curling her pinkie around Rachel's.

It was a silent promise, no words required. Of course, not the killing part but a promise to always stick together no matter what.

Makenna turned to find Rachel smiling at her.

Makenna slowly grew conscious as her eyes fluttered open and she blinked a few times trying to remember where and when she was. She pushed herself off the sandy beach floor and pushed back the hood of her hoodie leaning back into the rock she'd slowly slid off a while ago.

Her dream hadn't been a dream but a memory of the past. Back then, she hadn't known what Rachel's smile was for but a few months later after they graduated high school and attended prom together, Rachel had surprised her with a trip to Seattle to check out the University of Washington, Seattle where Rachel had applied as well right after Makenna had told her she applied there.

It had been the best surprise.

Rachel hadn't given her any indication that they were going to the same University and were going to be together. In fact, she and Rachel had begun scheduling their trips and penning down when both of them were going to travel to see the other. By then, their UW Tacoma admission letter had come in and they'd both gotten in. Makenna's admission letter for UW Seattle had come in a few days before prom just the same time Rachel's had come in as well, but at that time she didn't know. Makenna had finally told her parents and was glad to finally get it off her chest.

Right after prom, Rachel had asked Makenna to pack a bag and had asked her parents for permission to take a trip to Seattle to check out UW, Seattle. At the time, Rachel's dad was in Seattle for business and they planned to stay with him which was the only reason both their parents had allowed them to go.

The trip had not only been amazing and fun but one of the best moments Makenna had had with Rachel.

They'd had a lowkey night out with Rachel's dad when they arrived in Seattle and the next day, they'd gone to check out UW Seattle which was where Rachel told her they'd be attending together. It had been late when they stopped at a bar near the university, which was more like a café really. It was a fun night until it wasn't, and it became a night she didn't want to ever remember.

That night had not just turned her life upside down, but Rachel's parents' as well as hers. Rachel's parents had lost their only child and for a time they blamed her and wanted nothing to do with her. Makenna would have gladly gone on with life knowing well she deserved their hatred. But, after six months in isolation, Rachel's mum had visited and had a long talk with her apologizing for blaming her, telling her she needed to move on and live her life and the one that had made her finally want to keep living; to do it for Rachel.