Previously in "Pages in Between", April & Matt and Damon & Elena celebrate another successful opening of the Mystic Grill, this time in New York, and Damon and Elena christen the back room of it. Katherine and Jeremy both say their goodbyes to Miranda, and Elijah comforts his wife when Jeremy comes out to tell them that she had passed away. Katherine tells Elena, and Jeremy tells Penny, who tells Mackenzie, about Miranda passing away.

Chapter Three

Mystic Falls – Fell's Church…

Mackenzie tried not to break down at the sight of her grandmother in front of her in the coffin that was open to the public. She was thankful for Riley coming with her and Penny for the funeral, because it just wouldn't be the same if he wasn't there.

Elena held Damon's hand as they sat together in the pew. She saw Mackenzie trying not to cry and took her hand as well, gently squeezing it. "It's okay, sweetheart," she whispered to her eldest daughter. "Don't hold your tears back. You can cry." As she said that, Elena started crying herself and Damon squeezed her hand, letting her know he was there for her.

Down the pew, Elijah held Katherine close to him, stroking her dark curls as she sobbed into his chest. Maria sat next to her father and Colin sat between Mackenzie and Katherine, his hand hold his mother's as she cried.

Up at the Altar – Fell's Church

Pastor Young looked out at the congregation and saw the mourners that turned out for the funeral. He cleared his throat and spoke. "Miranda Sommers Gilbert was a kind and loving soul. She leaves behind her husband, Grayson, her children Katherine, Jeremy and Elena, as well as eight grandchildren, whom she also loved dearly and she shall be missed dearly by them and everyone who knew her, including myself; she also precedes her younger sister Jennifer "Jenna" Sommers Saltzman in death, her brother in law Alaric Saltzman and niece Hannah and nephew Trenton." Pastor Young then said, "If anyone wants to say a few words, the pulpit is yours."

Everyone was shocked when Gavin stepped up to the podium to give his speech. "My mother, April, was forced to give me up for adoption, but if it hadn't been for the Gilbert family, Miranda included, I would not have been reunited with her. So I'm thankful for Miranda Gilbert being a part of my life, both as someone who looked after my mom, and for being my adopted aunt," he said before returning to his seat behind Maria.

Elena decided to go up next, so she let go of Mackenzie's hand and Damon led her up to the pulpit. "My mother was always there for us when we were growing up. She kissed our boo-boos and gave us cookies and milk. I'll always love her and I'll definitely miss her." She looked up. "I love you, Mommy."

A gentle breeze made its way through the room at her words and it lifted both Elena's and Katherine's spirits a little, because they both knew that their mother was there with them in spirit.

Damon took his wife's hand and led her back to the pew, kissing her cheek. "That was a beautiful speech, Elena."

She nodded then watched as Mackenzie and Penny got up there together, with Penny wrapping a gentle arm around her cousin's shoulders. "Mimi was always the person we went to whenever we didn't want to trouble Mom or Uncle Jeremy or Aunt Katherine," Mackenzie said, tears stinging the corners of her blue eyes. "She comforted us when we got hurt and was there for us, even when she got sick. She was there for all of us when we graduated high school and I know that she'll be there in spirit when we graduate college, and get married and have families of our own."

Penny gave Mackenzie a tissue and while her cousin wiped her eyes, she said, "Just like Aunt Elena, I remember Grandma Mimi giving me cookies and milk whenever I came to visit her. Then, afterward, we would sit on the swing on the porch and talk about all kinds of things. I loved seeing her smile and hearing her laugh. She would even spoil me and say, 'Mommy says no, but Grandma Mimi says 'yes'. Sure, Nana Pearl spoiled me too, but Grandma Mimi had that special way of spoiling me. And as Mackenzie just said, I know that she'll be there in spirit to see us graduate from college, get married, and have our own families." She blew a kiss up to heaven. "We miss you already, Grandma Mimi, but we know you're here, and we'll make you proud."

Later, After the Funeral – Mystic Grill Alley

Penny wiped away the tears then turned her back away from the door when she heard it open. "Penelope, what's wrong?" she heard someone ask and she knew immediately who it was. Only one person called her by her full name and she quickly began stalking away from that said person, putting some distance between them and her as she headed further away from the Grill.

"Go away, Riley," she demanded in a hushed tone. "Aren't you supposed to be inside with your girlfriend? You might remember her, she's also my cousin."

"Penelope, please wait," he said, pulling her back to him with his soft callused hands spanning her waist over the all-black dress-and-jacket combination she wore. "Can we please talk about what happened last year?"

"What is there to talk about, Riley? We had a fling, and we ended it. That's it, end of sentence," she said, willing her body not to give into the temptation of turning around in his arms and kiss him senseless.

Riley sighed. "Yes, but I feel like there were things that were left unsaid. I can't help but think about every time I see you. I love Mac, I do; she's wonderful. I also still love you, Penelope, and I don't want to have any unresolved issues so that I can move forward."

"You CAN'T love me, Riley, not when you're with my cousin!" Penny yelled quietly, her voice echoing into the alley, and Riley clamped his hand over her mouth, stepping with her until they were in a deserted building behind the Grill.

"Don't make a fuss, Penelope, or you'll alert everyone to our secret," he hissed when they were alone.

"Our secret has been a secret for over a year, Riley. We never told anyone," she hissed back, planting her hands on her hips.

Riley nodded as he watched her. "Exactly; I'm not saying we should tell Mac about it, because it would kill her, especially on the day of your grandmother's funeral, but I, I just…" He shook his head. "I don't know what I'm saying. I guess I'm just crazy…for both of you."

Penny shook her head, refusing to listen to anything he had to say to her. "No. You're going to deny that you ever had anything for me, Riley Talbot, or I'll make sure that you live to regret it if you expose us to my best friend, who also happens to be MY cousin," she said in a low, warning tone.

When she went to leave the building, Riley pulled her back and crushed his lips to hers, taking quick possession with his masterful tongue and moaning when his tongue collided with hers.

Mackenzie walked out into the alley, looking all around for Penny. She and Riley hadn't returned and she was getting worried about them. She then saw the door to the abandoned building behind the Grill was open and went toward it. When she got there, she saw Riley and he was kissing someone. A closer look told her that it was Penny. Flying into a rage, Mackenzie pulled Riley off of Penny, slapping him once she had gotten him off. "What the hell did you think you were doing, Riley Talbot?"

Riley rubbed his cheek. "It's not what it looks like, Mac."

"Oh, don't give me that. I know EXACTLY what it looks like," Mackenzie said. "You were kissing my cousin! I thought you loved me, you two-timing bastard! I invested two years into you and this is how you think me?"

Penny saw how angry Mackenzie was and tried to speak. "Mac, I…"

However, Mackenzie turned on her cousin. "Shut up, Penny! I'm just as angry with you as I am with him! I can't believe you! I thought we were friends, but now I see I was wrong!" She looked back at Riley. "You know what, Riley? You two deserve each other. As of now, you and I are over!"

Before Riley could say something in his own defense, Mackenzie landed a swift kick in his groin, sending him to his feet in pain. Then, giving Penny a nasty look, Mackenzie stormed out of the building, tears streaming down her face. She didn't want to see or talk to either of them, because in her mind, they had betrayed her.

On her way back into the Grill, she was stopped by her Uncle Elijah. "Sweetheart, what's the matter?" he asked in a gentle voice when he saw the tears.

Mackenzie shook her head, the tears still streaming down her cheeks, and Elijah opened his arms to her, which she fell into as he hugged her tightly to him. "I thought I had found someone I wanted to spend the rest of my life with, Uncle Eli, but it turned out to be a big, fat mistake," she sobbed into his shirt.

Elijah stroked her dark hair. "Oh, sweetheart, sometimes love throws curveballs at us that we don't really want, but we have to learn to take them as we go," he advised her softly.

Mackenzie sobbed as she listened to what Elijah was saying. She still couldn't get the image of Penny and Riley kissing out of her head. She had been betrayed, and she would never forgive them, not even if they came begging on their hands and knees.

She urged herself to calm down, even though her tears were relentless. She was just about to calm down when Damon came toward them, having seen Elijah hugging Mackenzie. He didn't know what was going on, and just assumed that his daughter was still emotional following the eulogy she had given for her grandmother. Mackenzie looked over and saw her father coming, sniffing and still hugging her uncle. "Hi, Daddy," she said.

"Hi, sweetheart," he said. "You gave a great eulogy for your grandmother today. I'm sure she was listening from heaven." He saw that her eyes were a bit misty and that the tear tracks were still fresh. "Mackenzie, I know that you miss her and believe me, we do too, but…"

"That is not why she is crying, Damon," Elijah said. "She is crying because the young man she was in love with broke her heart."

"What? Riley hurt you?" Damon said. "Oh, he's not going to get away with this." He immediately went into protective father mode. "Where is he? I'd like to teach that boy a thing or two about hurting my little girl."

"He's at the abandoned building behind the Grill," Mackenzie said. "Though, I think I've already taught him a lesson that he's going to feel for a long time."

"I'm still going to give him a piece of my mind," Damon said. "I hate seeing my daughter in tears. Mackenzie, you don't deserve what he did to you. So help me, I'll kill him and make it look like an accident. And, since my family has connections in this town, no one will find his body."

Elijah scowled at him. "Damon, that's enough. I know you're protective of your daughter, but really, violence won't solve anything. What would Elena think if she knew what you're planning to do?"

"What are you planning to do?" Elena's voice asked from behind the trio. "Damon, you will be sorry if you plan anything behind my back, especially when it has to do with our daughter. I'll be damned if I allow that to happen!" She turned on her heel and headed back into the Grill with Damon immediately following her

"Elena, please give me a chance to explain," Damon said as he grabbed her elbow in a light but still firm grasp, stopping her from going any further.

"Explain, then, Damon Salvatore," she hissed as she turned around to face him.

Damon bit his lip, seeing the fire in his wife's eyes. "Mackenzie got her heart broken by Riley Talbot. She didn't elaborate, but the tears in her eyes were enough to tell me that it was bad. And you know how protective I get when it comes to my children, Mackenzie included. When I heard what he did, I wanted to kill the idiot."

In the meantime, Jeremy and Anna were sitting at a nearby table when Penny rushed past them, looking as if she were in quite a hurry. Anna nodded to her husband that she'd be the one to talk to their only daughter before departing the table, kissing her husband on the lips as she left. "Penny, sweetie, what's wrong?" Anna asked when she joined her daughter in the front of the Grill, where Penny was getting ready to get into her car.

"I ruined my relationship with Ken, Mom," she said, referring to another nickname she'd given Mackenzie when they were little. "I ruined it by being the 'boyfriend-stealer' that no one wants to have in any family." She sniffed and stopped her search for her keys to her Volkswagen Beetle as she turned to face her mom completely.

"You and…Riley were together?" Anna asked, knowing that she was right. Penny nodded, the tears still running down her cheeks.

"It was last summer, when they were on a 'break'," she told her mom. "It was only supposed to be one night, but it turned into multiple nights, and soon it turned into a summer romance. I forced myself to end it once August came, asking him to forget about me completely. But then he approached me earlier, behind the Grill, and cornered me, wanting to talk about it, even going as far as kissing me again. Mackenzie caught us and now she's not going to talk to me, ever again. I am ruined, Mom. I can't even keep my friendship with my cousin afloat and I snatched her boyfriend right out from under her nose."

Anna hugged her daughter to her. "Sweetheart, listen to me. I know that you think you ruined things right now, but Mackenzie will forgive you in time. You made a mistake, we all do. Hell, your father and I made a few ourselves when we were your age. You'll see; things will get better."

A Few Days Later

Vicki approached the room that the nurses had directed her to, and pushed open the door, spotting both of her children, Aubrey in the bed, and Riley on the chair next to her. "Aubrey, sweetheart, you said this was urgent. What's going on?"

"Mom, I'm dying," Aubrey said simply, finally dropping the bomb on her mother, like she'd done to her brother weeks ago.

Vicki sat on her bed and hugged her daughter. "Who else knows?"

"No one else but you and Riley," Aubrey replied.

Her mother nodded slowly as she processed what her daughter had just told her. She gestured for Aubrey to scoot over and she settled on top of the covers over her daughter's legs then put an arm around her shoulders. "Have the doctors given you any time limit?" she asked Aubrey as she held her only daughter close.

Aubrey nodded. "They said I had at least 6 months at the most," she told Vicki softly.

Vicki felt tears welling up in her eyes. "Well, we'll have to try to make your last six months as comfortable as possible."

Riley nodded in agreement as he joined his sister and his mom on the end of the bed, at his sister's feet, his hand clasping Aubrey's as they connected as a family unit. "We all will," he vowed to his little sister.

Aubrey nodded. "Thank you. This means a lot to me." She looked at Riley. "I'm sorry about what happened between you and Mac."

He shook his head. "It was a stupid mistake that I'll probably never make again, even though I know I'll still pine away for her," he told his sister quietly. "And if she comes by to see you, don't tell her that I've been here every day. I don't want her to know, just like I'm going to promise to keep it from Liam as long as possible."

"Why would you keep this from Liam?" Vicki asked suddenly.

"Because, Mom, if he knew about it, we'd get into a huge argument, and I don't want to be all stressed and something happen unexpectedly," Aubrey tells her mom quietly.

Vicki shook her head. "Aubrey, you know that boy is crazy about you. I've met his father, and believe me when I say he's inherited his romantic streak. You can't keep this from him. He's going to find out eventually.

She looked at her son. "And, Riley, Mackenzie is going to know that you've been here, whether you say anything or not. She's not stupid, you know. The Salvatore intuition is the strongest of any family in Mystic Falls."

"I know, but you didn't see how angry she was at me when she caught me with Penny," Riley said. "The less she knows about this, the better."

Another Few Days Later…

Aubrey was resting in the bed she'd been assigned to for the duration of her chemotherapy when she heard the door open. Her head rolled tiredly until she was looking into the red, puffy eyes of her best friend, her brother's ex-girlfriend, Mackenzie. "I just heard the news. Why didn't you tell me?" Aubrey patted the bed in front of her and Mackenzie moved around until she had settled in front of the auburn-haired Aubrey, who wrapped her arms around Mackenzie and held her.

"I had only just found out myself a few weeks ago, Mac, and they said that I don't have very long to live, only 6 months," Aubrey explained as she stroked her friend's dark hair. "You also have to promise me that you won't alert Liam to this either, because if he knew, it would devastate him, and I know how much he cares about me. If he found out, he would need a friend, and you know that I'm going to want that friend to be you. Okay? You're the only one I would trust to comfort him."

Mackenzie nodded. "Sure, Aubrey, I won't alert him. And I'll comfort him too."

"Thank you, Mac," Aubrey said. "You're a good friend." She kissed her friend on the forehead. "I love you."

"I love you too," Mackenzie said. "I wish there was something that could've been done to save you. I already lost my Grandma Mimi, then I catch your idiot brother cheating on me with that traitor, Penny, and now I'm going to lose you too. This sucks."

"I know, but I don't want to spend my last six months being depressed," Aubrey said. "I want to smile at least once."

"I have a brilliant beyond brilliant idea!" Mackenzie suddenly blurted out, keeping her voice soft. She pulled out her phone then snapped a photo of her and Aubrey together, saved it to her phone and then went into her Photoshop app on it. Mackenzie selected a roller-coaster photo then dragged the photo of her and Aubrey over to it and saved that one. Then she showed it to Aubrey, who smiled for the first time in weeks, and cried a little at the sight.

"That's perfect, Mac. It's so us," she told her friend quietly.

Mackenzie smiled as well. "I know, right? And by making you smile, I think I made myself feel better as well."

However, Mackenzie didn't feel better. The betrayal still stung, and seeing Penny all the time in the dorm room didn't make things any easier. She was tempted to do what her father did when he was in high school: go out, get drunk and have meaningless, dirty revenge sex. While that might be a temporary solution, at least it would sort of be like giving Riley the middle finger.

Later That Night

Mackenzie arrived at Junction Function, owned by some friends who sponsored the advertisement of her dance studio. She greeted the bouncer with a smile and he waved her on through before she spotted Jacques at the bar, waving to him and claiming an empty booth. Mackenzie smiled when Jacques left the female bartender he was obviously training to the training of his other frequent bartender, Alexander, and settled into the booth next to her, kissing both of her cheeks then hugging her fiercely. "Mackenzie, you look broken-hearted. What is the matter?" Jacques asked in his flawless French accent.

"I am broken-hearted, Jacques. The boy that I thought I loved was cheating on me, with my own cousin," she replied. He hugged her some more and she was grateful to have him and his boyfriend/partner Giovanni in her life; they were her main supporters, both when it came to her first love of dancing and her second of just enjoying a night out.

Mackenzie then saw a guy sitting at the bar and said to Jacques, "Who's that?"

Jacques looked over at the bar and then looked back at Mackenzie. "That's Luke, Luke Garrison. He comes in here from time to time."

"Oh, yeah, is that so?" Mackenzie said. "Does he have a girlfriend or is he single?"

Jacques detected a seductive tone in her voice. "Mackenzie, don't. I know you're broken-hearted about you boyfriend, but the last thing you want to do is get mixed up with Luke Garrison. He has a bad reputation, a reputation that you don't want to have."

"Maybe I do, Jacques," Mackenzie said. "I want to show Riley Talbot that I'm through crying over him."

She got up from the booth and went over to the bar, where Luke had just ordered a beer. She found an empty stool next to him and sat down, letting her finger trace itself down her arm. "Hey there, hot stuff."

Luke looked up at her. "Hey, yourself; I thought your friend over there told you not to get mixed up with me?"

"So what's the big deal about that? I'm a big girl, I can handle myself." Mackenzie smirked evilly as she said that.

Luke smiled, obviously liking her moxie. Something told him that she was tough, and he liked tough girls. Mackenzie heard the DJ playing a rather raunchy number and she went toward the dance floor, taking off her leather jacket as she went. Luke went after her and grabbed her hand, pulling her to him as they danced, their hearts pounding in time to the music.

On a particular stanza of the song, Mackenzie rubbed her ass against his erection, causing him to tighten his grip on her trim waist. "You need someone to teach you a lesson, young lady," he growled in her ear.

"Are you going to be the one to do that?" she asked in a husky voice back.

Luke licked his lips. "Since there's no one else offering, I suppose I am. What's your name, baby?"

"I'm Mackenzie, Mackenzie Salvatore."

"Well then, Mackenzie Salvatore, I'm going to make sure you have the time of your life tonight," Luke said, "Does that sound like a plan?"

Mackenzie licked her lips. "That does, definitely. Do you live nearby?"

Luke nodded. "I do. My apartment is two blocks down from here."

That being said, he kissed her roughly and after he pulled back, he took her hand and after Mackenzie grabbed her jacket with her free hand, they walked out of the club, Jacques watching from his place at the booth. He had seen everything unfolding between Mackenzie and Luke and hoped that Mackenzie wasn't getting in over her head.

Meanwhile…

Tanya approached the front door to the apartment she and her mother had been sharing since, well, forever. It had always just been the two of them, even though Tanya saw her dad a lot too, in his new home, with his latest girlfriend, Meghan. Tanya only tolerated the redhead because she had connections to some big-time names in the entertainment industry.

Tanya was about to use the spare key Tatia gave her when she thought she saw Mackenzie going by her, holding hands with a strange guy. That's funny; wasn't she with Riley? Who was this guy that she was with? He looked like he was older, possibly five to ten years older, and although he seemed handsome, he didn't appear to be the type of guy Mackenzie would go for.

Deciding that it was none of her business, Tanya used the spare key and opened the door. Tatia saw her daughter walking in and smiled at her. "There's my precious angel," she said. "I've missed you since you left for college."

"You and me both, Mother," Tanya said. "Say, uh, do we have any new neighbors that have a son who dresses like a biker?"

"Not to my knowledge," Tatia said. "Why?"

"It's just that I saw my friend, Mackenzie, walking by and she was holding the hand of a guy who looked like he could very well be a member of Hell's Angels," Tanya said. "I didn't know what to make of it, especially since she doesn't date guys like that. She's dating Riley Talbot, or at least, I think she's dating Riley Talbot. I haven't spoken to her since before she went to Mystic Falls for her grandmother's funeral."

Across the Hall

Mackenzie got a glance around the small apartment that belonged to Luke as he searched for some wine and cookies. "Are you sure that you don't want any cookies?" he asked as he rummaged through the high cabinet above and to the left of his fridge.

"No, I'm not really that hungry," she replied in a low voice. He nodded in acknowledge to her statement before picking up the glasses of wine he'd poured and handing one to her, noticing the sad look in her eyes but not commenting on it.

She accepted the glass then looked up into his green eyes, feeling a rush of heat travel downward and hit her where she least expected it to, gasping softly when it did. Taking his glass and setting it aside, she did the same with hers as her arms danced up his chest to pull him down and fuse their mouths together. Luke took his time, drawing the kiss out as their tongues collided and they both moaned as he backed them toward the bed, clothes getting removed from their upper bodies, lowering her onto the cool covers, their lips still connected intimately.

Mackenzie moaned against Luke's mouth as their tongues danced against each other and felt his hands running up and down her small body. She was enjoying this, even though she knew she shouldn't. She told herself that Luke was just a distraction for her, and that tonight wasn't going to mean anything. They were only going to be together for the sole purpose of getting revenge against Riley, nothing more. She made a mental note to leave in the morning, with just a note thanking Luke for a good time.

Luke left her lips to kiss her neck and both of her breasts, licking the tender, aching nipples with his tongue. Mackenzie arched her back and let out a scream of pleasure. Luke heard her scream and smiled against the nipple he was licking, continuing to kiss down until he reached her belly button, after which he undid the button and zipper on her skirt, pulling it down, along with her fishnet stockings and panties, feeling himself getting hard at the sight of her. She was just as beautiful naked as she was fully clothed. "You're beautiful," he said as he kissed her thigh. "I'll bet you have guys lined up to be with you, huh?"

Mackenzie shivered at his words. "Luke, please…" Her voice was a soft, strangled plea as she looked at him.

"Please what, baby?" Luke said. "Tell me what you want."

"Don't tease me," Mackenzie said. "I don't like being teased. Just…take me and get it over with."

Luke nodded. "As you command, my love," he said in a low voice.

That being said, he removed his jeans and boxers before placing her hands above her head, kissing her roughly and driving himself into her, thrusting hard and fast and deep against her as Mackenzie wrapped her legs around his waist, gyrating her hips against him, keeping in sync with him. In that moment, everything seemed to melt away and it was just her and Luke. No Riley, no sting of betrayal, nothing.

The Next Morning…

As she had promised herself, Mackenzie slipped from Luke's loose embrace, keeping quiet as she tiptoed around the room to pick up her clothes, grabbing his shirt and boxers as a last resort, putting them on and carrying her clothes in a bundle as she quickly departed the apartment, startled at the familiar face she encountered once she was outside. "Tanya, I didn't know that you lived here!" she hissed at her dark-haired friend.

Tanya nodded her head, giving Mackenzie a strange look. "I do. But you are obviously trying to sneak out, aren't you?" she asked with a smirk. She heard her mother's voice from inside the apartment through the slightly ajar door. "It's just a friend, Mom. Go back to sleep!" Tanya turned back to Mackenzie. "I can get you out of here in a quicker way. I'll distract him and you can depart through the fire escape." She pointed to the window that was nestled between the two apartments and Mackenzie hurriedly opened it, while Tanya helped her climb out onto the stairs.

Luke stirred as Tanya was helping Mackenzie out of the window, groaning as he said, "Mackenzie?"

Tanya, as she had promised, went into his room and climbed into the bed, straddling him. "Mackenzie's gone, sweet thing. How about you play with me instead?" Not giving him a chance to reply, she kissed him roughly, grabbing his hands and placing them above his head. Not sure what to make of it, Luke returned her kiss, rolling her onto her back as the kisses got more persistent.

Outside, Mackenzie was going as fast as her legs would allow down the fire escape. She knew that she was probably going to catch hell from her parents if they happened to call, but at this point, she didn't care. All she really cared about was escaping and hoping that Tanya could keep Luke distracted. It was a pit that it was only a one-night stand, because he was a cutie, never mind the age difference between them. However, she couldn't allow herself to think that way. He distracted her and that was all that she wanted from him.

Two Hours Later

She drove all the way to Mystic Falls, where she decided that instead of going to her parents, she would get advice from her Uncle Elijah on what to do. He wouldn't have been her first choice, but he was the one who did comfort her after Miranda's funeral, and he was great with stuff like this, having been with Aunt Katherine long enough.

Mackenzie arrived at Elijah and Katherine's house and knocked at the door. She didn't have to wait too long because Elijah answered after a few minutes. "Mackenzie? Sweetheart, what are you doing here?"

"Hi, Uncle Eli, I'm hoping you could give me some advice of the heart," she said with a sad smile. He nodded quickly and stepped back, sweeping his arm for her to come in, closing the door behind her.

"This is about Riley, isn't it?" he asked once they were sitting on the couch in the study after he closed the doors to it as well to give them more privacy. Katherine had been married to him long enough to know that, when they were shut, he was in an important meeting or a conference call.

Mackenzie bit her lip. "Uncle Eli, I had revenge sex with a guy I met at my friend's bar. I was mad at Riley and I wanted forget him."

"Revenge sex?" Elijah said. "You mean like your father used to do?"

Mackenzie nodded. "Yes. I didn't want to tell him or Mom, so I came to you."

Elijah nodded, understanding that she needed a different adult's perspective when it came to love. "Before I met your Aunt Katherine, I was very unhappily engaged to a woman that my mother arranged the marriage with. I pleaded and begged and actually got down on my knees for her to break the contract, but she said it was for my own good. Finally, Father interfered and got it severed and I remember that Mother was furious with him for doing it," he told her. "I explained to Greta that I wasn't ready to be her husband, and that's when she told me that she was in love with another woman." He chuckled. "I felt a great weight had been lifted off of my shoulders as soon as she told me that, because it meant that I was free to love without my mother looming over my shoulder."

Mackenzie nodded before running a hand through her hair. "I'm so stupid."

Elijah pulled her to him in a hug. "Don't ever say that about yourself, sweetheart. You're not stupid, far from it. You're human, and you made a mistake."

Author's Note: That took a lot more out of me than I thought. I hope that you all enjoyed reading it and will come back for Chapter 4!