Lost and Found

Cracks in the Ice

The next day dawned gray and cold, a sharp winter wind biting at Evelyn's cheeks as she walked to school.

She pulled her scarf tighter around her neck and focused on the crunch of her boots against the icy pavement. Her thoughts, however, kept circling back to Mackenzie Brennen.

He'd apologized.

The words had been simple, almost hesitant, but they'd lingered with her through the night.

She didn't want to feel anything about it—not gratitude, not sympathy, not curiosity.

But as much as she hated to admit it, the Mackenzie she'd seen yesterday wasn't the one who'd tormented her for years. He was... someone else.

———————————————————

By the time she reached school, Evelyn had convinced herself to push the whole thing out of her mind.

She had bigger things to focus on—college applications, her part-time job, surviving the last year of high school. She wasn't going to let Mackenzie Brennen, of all people, derail her life again.

But fate had other plans.

In first period biology, Evelyn slipped into her usual seat and pulled out her notebook.

She was determined to keep her head down, take notes, and avoid Mackenzie's gaze. But as the door opened and he walked in, she felt a strange pull to glance up.

He looked tired, his steps slower than usual as he made his way to the seat in the front row. His scar, still faintly visible above his brow, caught the light.

"Good morning, class," the teacher began, clapping her hands for attention. "Before we dive into today's lesson, I need to assign lab partners for the next project."

Evelyn's stomach sank. Lab partners.

The teacher began reading names from her list, and Evelyn's fingers gripped the edge of her desk.

"Evelyn Turner and Mackenzie Brennen."

The words hit her like a slap. She felt the heat rise to her cheeks as she glanced toward Mackenzie. He was already looking back at her, his expression unreadable.

"Okay," the teacher continued, oblivious to Evelyn's silent panic. "This project is worth a significant portion of your grade, so I expect you to work closely with your partners. You'll have time in class today to get started."

Evelyn swallowed hard as the room erupted into chatter and students began rearranging themselves into pairs. Mackenzie stood and walked toward her table, his movements tentative.

"Hey," he said, his voice low as he slid into the seat beside her.

"Hi," she replied, keeping her tone neutral.

An awkward silence stretched between them as Evelyn opened her notebook and avoided looking at him. She could feel his presence beside her, solid and strangely quiet.

"So, uh, what's the project about?" Mackenzie asked, breaking the silence.

Evelyn sighed. "We're supposed to design an experiment related to plant growth. Something we can measure over the next few weeks."

He nodded, leaning closer to the textbook. "Do you have any ideas?"

"I was thinking we could test how different light sources affect growth," Evelyn said, her words clipped. She wasn't going to make this easy for him.

"That sounds good," Mackenzie said, scribbling something in his notebook.

Evelyn risked a glance at him, her guard still firmly in place. He seemed focused, his brows furrowed in concentration.

"Why are you so quiet?" he asked suddenly, catching her off guard.

Evelyn blinked. "What?"

"You're quiet," he repeated. "I mean, not just now, but in general. I've noticed you don't really talk to people much."

Her defenses went up immediately. "Maybe I just don't have anything to say."

Mackenzie frowned, his pen pausing mid-air. "I didn't mean it in a bad way. I just... I guess I was curious."

Evelyn didn't respond. She couldn't tell if his curiosity was genuine or if this was some new angle he was working.

They worked in silence for the rest of the period, exchanging only the bare minimum of words.

When the bell rang, Mackenzie stood and gave her a small, almost apologetic smile.

"See you tomorrow," he said before walking away.

Evelyn watched him go, her emotions a tangled mess.

———————————————————

At lunch, Evelyn found herself replaying their interaction over and over. Mackenzie hadn't been rude or dismissive. If anything, he'd been... considerate.

"You're doing that thing again," Lauren said, pulling her back to reality.

"What thing?" Evelyn asked, stabbing a fork into her salad.

"Zoning out. Who are you thinking about?"

"No one," Evelyn lied.

Lauren narrowed her eyes. "It's him, isn't it? Brennen."

Evelyn didn't respond, which was answer enough.

"I don't get why you're even giving him the time of day," Lauren said. "He made your life hell for years, Evelyn. Don't forget that."

"I haven't forgotten," Evelyn said quietly.

"Good. Because people like him don't change. He might act all sweet and confused now, but it's only a matter of time before the old Mackenzie comes back."

Evelyn nodded, though Lauren's words did little to settle the unease in her chest.

———————————————————

The rest of the day passed in a blur. By the time Evelyn reached the library after school, she was ready to collapse.

She found her usual corner and opened her notebook, determined to finish her homework before her shift at the diner.

She had barely started when someone cleared their throat.

She looked up, her heart sinking. Mackenzie stood there, just like he had been yesterday, his hands shoved into his jacket pockets.

"Hey," he said. "Do you mind if I sit?"

Evelyn hesitated. Every instinct screamed at her to say no. But something in his expression—a mixture of uncertainty and hope—made her relent.

"Fine," she said, gesturing to the empty seat across from her.

He sat down, pulling out his own notebook. For a while, they worked in silence, the quiet hum of the library filling the space between them.

Finally, Mackenzie spoke. "Can I ask you something?"

Evelyn didn't look up. "What?"

"Do you hate me?"

Her pen froze mid-sentence. She slowly lifted her gaze to meet his.

She didn't know how to answer his question. If it were the Mackenzie from before she would have answered that question with wholehearted hatred for him.

But as he sits in-front of her now with no memory as to what he had done to her before, she was at a loss of how to answer.

Mackenzie sensed her discomfort and decided to speak. "It's just... You seem... guarded around me."

Evelyn clenched her jaw. "Maybe I have a reason to be."

He studied her for a moment, his expression thoughtful. "I'm sorry," he said softly. "For whatever I did. I don't remember, but I can tell it hurt you. And I hate that."

Evelyn's breath caught. His apology felt genuine, but she couldn't let herself trust it.

"Words don't change the past," she said, her voice sharper than she intended.

"I know," Mackenzie said. "But I want to change now. I don't want to be the person everyone seems to think I am."

Evelyn didn't know what to say. Part of her wanted to believe him, to give him the chance to prove himself.

But another part of her—the part that remembered the pain he'd caused—refused to let her guard down.

"I have to go," she said abruptly, gathering her things.

"Evelyn, wait—"

But she didn't stop. She walked out of the library, her heart pounding, leaving Mackenzie alone at the table.

———————————————————

As Evelyn walked to the diner she worked at, Mackenzie's words echoed in her mind, his apology replaying over and over.

Could he really change? Or was Lauren right—was this just an act, a mask he'd wear until the old Mackenzie resurfaced?

Evelyn didn't have the answers. All she knew was that the walls she'd built to protect herself were starting to crack.

And she wasn't sure she was ready for what might come next...