by Cotton, L A
I didn’t doubt it.
Macey was wasted at the party. After I’d told Amy it wasn’t going to happen, I’d stumbled back into the house and saw her. She was a girl on a mission, drinking shot after shot. I’d wanted to go to her and tell her to stop. To use me as her punching bag instead of turning to alcohol, but something held me back. Then Trey Berrick swooped in and it was like all my insecurities about Caitlin and Lo rushed to the surface.
I would never be the guy who got the girl.
It didn’t stop me helping Trey put her to bed though. He’d reassured me that it wasn’t like that between them, and I believed him. But it didn’t matter, I was done.
Macey hadn’t picked me.
She’d let me go.
“I didn’t think she had,” I said, rubbing a hand over my face.
“You didn’t?”
“She was drunk, and Trey’s your friend. He wouldn’t do that to you or Macey,” I exhaled a painful breath. “Do you really think I would have left her in that state if I thought he would take advantage of her after—”
“After what?” Maverick’s whole demeanor changed. But I’d already said too much... or had I? Macey talked about fighting her own battles and being able to look after herself, but it wasn’t supposed to be like that.
Not when she had people who cared about her to stand in her corner.
Steeling myself, I said, “Do you know she used to let boys blackmail her to protect you?”
Maverick’s face paled as he white-knuckled the bottle in his hand. “What the fuck did you just say?”
I nodded slowly. There was every chance he would take his anger out on me, but if it fixed his relationship with Macey, I’d take it. She needed him. She needed someone to look out for her. And there was no one better for the job than Maverick.
“It’s Macey’s story to tell, but you should know she’s spent most of her childhood trying to protect you.”
He let out a strained breath, his jaw still clenched tight. “She’s always been guarded. Right since we were kids. But something changed when she started tenth grade. I’ve always wondered...” he paused, flexing his fist in and out. “Fuck! Something happened, didn’t it, and I was too wrapped up in my own shit to see it?”
“You should ask her. Macey puts on this hard front, but underneath she’s just like everyone else. She needs you, Maverick.”
“Fuck, you think I don’t know that? But she’s completely shut me out. Ever since Lo—”
“I don’t think it’s about Lo, not really.”
His intense stare slid over to me. “You seem to know my sister pretty well, Lions.”
I shrugged, staring at the ground. “Macey is like no one I’ve ever met. At first it was just a bit of fun, you know, but then I got to know her. To see underneath her hard shell... I wanted it to work, I really fucking wanted it to work.”
“So, what’s stopping you?”
He stunned me all over again.
It was one thing coming here to talk about her, but I couldn’t imagine a scenario where he was okay with it. Time and time again, Macey had told me he wouldn’t understand, that he would never accept me.
Yet, here he was, in my house, drinking my beer, telling me what sounded like he wanted me to fight for her.
“It’s doomed, man. Even if this,”—I jabbed my finger at him and then myself—“means you don’t want to beat the shit out of me. Nothing’s changed. I’m still me and she’s still—”
“Too good for you?” His smirk said he was joking, but he might as well have punched me square in the chest. “Sorry, that was—”
“It doesn’t matter. You’re right. She’s too good for me.”
“I know my sister, and there’s no way in hell she really wants to move halfway across the country. She’s running, and I think you know why.” His heavy stare burned into me, and I lifted my head slowly, staring back.
“This isn’t only about me,” I said.
“I know that.” He gave me a sharp nod. “And I’m prepared to do whatever I need to, to make sure she doesn’t make a big mistake. But the real question is, are you?”
Of all the ways I’d imagined today going, I never in a million years imagined sitting here with Maverick Prince.
His question swirled around us, pressing down on my chest. I didn’t doubt he would do everything in his power to make Macey reconsider her plans. I wanted him to fight for her, to make her see that she still had him to stand by her side. Macey was hard, but she was soft. Strong yet fragile. She’d spent so long guarding her heart it had become suspicious, untrusting of everyone around her, and it played tricks on her.
It eased the jagged hole in my heart knowing he would always look out for her. Whatever she decided to do with her life, wherever she decided to go, Maverick would always fight for her.
But the question was, would I?
Chapter 29
MACEY
“Can we talk?” I motioned to the seat beside Kiera and she gave me a half-hearted shrug. “I know it’s my fault we haven’t talked much,” I said.
It was an understatement—we hadn’t talked at all. Kiera came around the house sometimes, and I knew she hung out with Summer and Nick occasionally. But whereas my sister had accepted Kiera into the family without question, I hadn’t.
“It’s not a big deal,” she said without looking at me. “They warned me you can be a bitch.”
I smiled at that; I couldn’t help it. I might not have made any effort to get to know Kiera, but it didn’t stop me noticing her. She’d transferred to Wicked Bay High from a dive school in Rotunda Heights, and she stood out like a black thundercloud on a summer’s day. But Kiera didn’t gravitate to the shadows, she owned her style. And I could respect that. Part of me even envied her.
“They would be correct,” I said, and we shared a moment of quiet laughter. “But it’s my issue, not yours.”
“Sure, if you say so.” Kiera kicked her legs out in front of her, her black combats clunking against each other.
“I didn’t sleep with Trey,” I rushed out, knowing if I didn’t say the words right now, I probably never would.
“Ooookay.” She glanced at me sideways. “And I care why?”
“Kiera, you don’t need to do that with me. I don’t care who you like or don’t like. I saw the way you looked at us that morning, it was written all over your face.”
The air whooshed from her lungs. “Y- you’re wrong. I didn’t... I wasn’t...”
“I get it, more than you know.” I offered her a sad smile. It was all I could manage. “But you deserve to know the truth, and I wanted to be the one to tell you.”
“Please, don’t tell anyone. Kyle would—”
“If you think he doesn’t already know, you’re more foolish than I give you credit for. Kyle knows. Trust me. But sometimes denying it is easier than accepting the consequences.”
“Shit,” she mumbled under her breath. “We haven’t... I mean, nothing happened between us, not really.”
“It’s none of my business. Just be careful, okay? Trey is... well, he’s older, and his reputation isn’t exactly—”
“I get it. I do. And thank you. This is probably the strangest conversation I’ve had since meeting Kyle.” A deep frown crossed her face. “Actually, every conversation with my brother is weird.”
“Try living with him. He’s insufferable.”
Kiera shuddered, fighting a smile.
“Should I be worried?” Kyle’s voice boomed across the yard.
“Nope, we’re done here,” I said standing up. “If you ever need to talk, I’m here.”
Kiera’s mouth fell open, but she managed to nod, and I walked away feeling lighter than I had in a while.
My good mood however, was short-lived when I found Rick in my room. “Either you leave,” I said. “Or I will.”
He slipped around me with lightning speed and blocked off the door. “I am not leaving until you hear me out.”
“I
hate you.” Narrowing my eyes, frustration licked at my stomach. I’d managed to keep things civil for Christmas Day. It hadn’t been worth the fight not to. Everyone came. Uncle Rob, Stella and Bethany, Beatrice and August, Lo. Even Nick had turned up to play charades in the afternoon. I couldn’t have wormed my way out of it if I’d have tried. So I’d forced a smile and played happy families.
“You don’t hate me, Macey.” He leaned back against the door, folding his arms across his chest. “When we were growing up, I was in awe of how strong you were. You didn’t take any shit from anyone. You didn’t bitch out the girls who used you to try to get to me, and you never gave in to their bullshit games. You just held your head high and got on with it. And I envied you. I was always so confused and angry. I couldn’t understand how I could be so good at basketball, and so stupid where words and letters were concerned.”
“Rick—”
“No, Mace, you need to hear this,” he went on. “You were always in my corner, helping me with class, homework. You were my biggest supporter, and I took that for granted. I never stopped to consider how being my sister might have affected you.”
What?
What the hell was he talking about?
“I saw Devon,” he said as if he heard my unspoken question.
My arms went around my waist. I felt stripped bare. He’d talked to Devon... about me? Without killing him?
“Fuck, I used to hate him so much.”
I blinked, sure I’d misunderstood.
“U- used to?”
“It’s hard to hate the guy who loves your sister, even if she is as stubborn as hell.”
“I- I don’t understand what’s happening right now,” I admitted, tears burning the backs of my eyes.
“I’m trying to tell you, I’m sorry. Sorry I let you stand in my corner for all those years, when I didn’t stand in yours. Sorry I didn’t see what you were doing for me, and I’m sorry I didn’t protect you the way I should have. I figure there’s a reason you haven’t told me the truth, and that’s okay. But I want you to know, when you are ready to tell me, I’ll be right here, Macey. No judgment. No anger. I promise.”
“I—” An ugly sob ripped from my throat, but Rick rushed to me, enveloping me in his strong arms.
“I’m so fucking sorry.” He hugged me tight, letting me cry into his sweater. I wanted to argue; to tell him he was wrong. But I was so tired of keeping my secrets. Of protecting him from the truth.
As we stood there, the weight of our past hanging over us, I realized something too. Lo was right. Rick had changed. He was still my brother, but he was no longer the angry volatile person he was before he met Lo. She’d found a way to help fix him, the way Devon had begun to fix me.
Maverick let me cry until there were no more tears left. When I finally eased out of his hold, I dried my eyes on the back of my hands and smiled up at him. “I’m a mess.”
“We’re all messed up, Macey. It comes with the territory. But you’re not alone; you never have been.”
“I made a huge mistake, Maverick. I pushed Devon away, and by the time I realized... it was too late. He- he’d already moved on.”
“Moved on? Are you shitting me? I saw him four days ago, and he looked as miserable as you. Why do you think I went to him in the first place?”
“I- I don’t understand. I saw him at the party. He was with a girl, they were kissing—”
A dark cloud crossed my brother’s face, but after a couple of seconds it melted away. “Like he saw you with Trey? Maybe you need to ask him what really happened, before you jump to conclusions.”
I stepped back, giving myself some space. If what Maverick was saying was true... if I’d misunderstood what I saw... oh, God. What if I’d gotten it wrong?
“I’m such an idiot,” I cried over a fresh set of tears.
“Love makes us do crazy things.”
“Who are you right now?” I snort-laughed.
“If you ever breathe a word of this to Stone, I won’t be held responsible for my actions.”
“Your secret’s safe with me.”
“Are we good here?”
Nodding, I smiled. And for the first time in a while, it wasn’t forced or uneasy. It was real. “We’re good,” I said.
“I meant what I said, Macey. When you’re ready to talk, I’m here.” He moved to the door, grabbing the handle. But he paused at the last second.
“Rick?” I asked, wondering why he was just standing there.
“Did you send the application for Florida State yet?”
My brows knitted together. “No, why?”
“Because I think there’s something downstairs that might change your mind,” he said around a knowing smirk.
“There is?”
“I love you, Macey. It’s time to stop running.” He slipped out of my room before I could ask what it was.
I didn’t follow. I needed a second to catch my breath.
I still couldn’t believe he’d gone to see Devon. I’d been so sure Rick would hate me for ever looking twice at him. But maybe, deep down, it had been a lie I’d told myself. Maybe the issue never was my brother.
It was me.
I realized that now. Using Rick and my family’s reputation and status in Wicked Bay, gave me an excuse to keep Devon at arm’s length. Even when he wore down my walls and I finally let him in, part of me was still waiting for him to hurt me. To use me to hurt Maverick.
Someone knocked on my door, startling me.
“Hello?” I called, half-expecting to see Rick again.
The door opened slowly, and my heart catapulted in my throat at the sight of Devon standing there. “You didn’t come down,” he said around an uncertain smile.
“I was just... you’re here?”
“I’m here.” He stepped into the room taking the air with him.
“But... I don’t understand.”
“Your brother can be pretty persuasive.”
I hadn’t realized, but I’d moved closer to him. Devon moved then, eating up the rest of the space between us. He gazed down at me with so much emotion that the tears I thought had all dried up, rushed back to the surface. “Do you have any idea how much I’ve missed you?”
“You have?” I swallowed, my mouth dry.
“I am completely and utterly crazy in love with you, Macey.”
“B- but I saw you with a girl, at the party...”
“You saw me... Fuck.” He reached out, brushing my cheek with his fingers. “I’m guessing you didn’t stick around to see me push her away and tell her it wasn’t going to happen?”
My eyes fluttered closed. He hadn’t kissed her. She’d kissed him, and he’d pushed her away.
“How could I kiss anyone else when all I see is you?”
My eyes drifted open, finding nothing but love shining back at me. “I’ve been so stupid,” I admitted. “When I found out everyone knew, I panicked. I thought it would be—”
“Ssh.” His thumb drifted to my lip. “It doesn’t matter. None of it matters. All that matters is how we feel about each other. So, Princess, how do you feel about me?”
“I...” The words were right there. Saying them would change everything... again. This time when I spoke, there would be no more running. No more second guessing or doubts.
“I love you, Devon Lions. I love you so much it terrifies me.”
“We can be terrified together then.” He leaned down, pressing his head to mine, breathing me in. “Be with me, Macey. Be mine.”
I answered him with a kiss, sliding my hands around his neck and anchoring us together. Our lips met cautiously. As if they needed time to reacquaint. But then Devon pressed me closer, running his hands down my spine, and deepened the kiss. His tongue tangled with mine and I felt the silent apology for our mistakes and misunderstandings flow between us.
“No more running,” I breathed, happy tears rolling down my face.
“There’s something else,” he said breaking the kiss. “I know you w
ere really digging dating a construction worker, but how do you feel about dating an aspiring musician?” Excitement lit up his face and my eyes widened.
“You mean...”
He nodded. “My old man saw the error of his ways and wants me to chase my dreams.”
“And what are your dreams, Devon?”
“Easy,” he said without a second thought. “You, and music. It’s all I need. It’s a little overdue, but Merry Christmas, Macey.”
I smiled up at him, the boy who broke down my barriers and showed me how to love again, and I whispered, “Merry Christmas, Devon.”
Epilogue
Eight months later...
MACEY
“Kiera, you came.” I smiled at the girl standing at the door. “I like your hair.”
The pink highlights suited her. I could only imagine what Kyle thought about it, but that was one of the things I loved about her, how she made it her life’s mission to rub him the wrong way.
“Kyle almost had a heart attack,” she said around a knowing smirk.
“I heard that,” he called over her head. “Are you going to make us stand out here all day?”
I stepped back, letting them in.
“Holy shit, Sis,” Kyle whistled through his teeth as he surveyed my off-campus apartment. “This is—”
“I know.”
“I can’t believe Momma P’s letting you live off-campus in your freshman year.”
“It’s not a big deal.”
“What’s not a big deal?” Devon looped his arm around my waist, hooking me into his chest, and Kyle’s eyes went immediately to my boyfriend’s hands.
“Dude, we talked about this.”
“No,” Devon laughed, hugging me tighter. “You talked about this. Way I see it, if Rick can cope seeing us like this then you need to get over it.” He pressed a kiss to my neck and a soft moan slipped from my lips.
“Oh, God,” Kyle grumbled. “It’s like watching Lo and Rick all over again.” He threw an arm over his eyes and whined, “Kiera, make it stop.”
“Me?” She rolled her eyes, fighting a grin. “What the hell can I do?”
