Page 111 of SNOB

Psychotic? Yes.

Manipulative? Check.

Fuelled with darkness? No doubt.

He’s also a fucking hero.

“You gave these girls thousands of dollars each?” I ask, back in Mac’s spaceship car as we drive down the highway.

A stack of papers sit in my lap, the words on them almost unbelievable. While I’ll never forget Red’s, it makes me feel like it was worth it. I have to believe that.

“I don’t think the boys will ever look at that site again.”

“They can’t,” I remind him. “It’s shut down. Thanks to you.”

It isn’t until I see the sign for The Hill that I tense up. And he notices right away. “You need me to pull over so you can hurl your guts out?” His casual tone settles that chill rolling up my spine.

Despite everything, he still doesn’t treat me with pity. He doesn’t treat me like a broken doll.

He treats me like his Butterfly.

“You didn’t say we were coming to The Hill. You know I can’t be here.”

“It’ll be okay,” he says.

“Not for me.” Sure we’ve gotten some things sorted, but the case on Beau isn’t closed. He knows that. And with his father out of the picture, he doesn’t have any leverage.

“Not for long.”

The police precinct is one of the first buildings to come into view when we cross into The Hill. Maybe Mac’s right, I'm going to hurl. Especially when he pulls in.

“Mac?” He parks the car and I lower my body, hiding. Then it hits me. “No.” My head whips to him with wide eyes. “You’re not doing that.”

“I am.” He turns to me, those cold eyes melting my fucking heart. “I’m the reason for this. I’m the reason you lost Jake. I’m the reason you ended up in that hellhole.”

“I shot you.”

“So fucking what?” I blink at his immediate response. “I deserved it.”

It’s hard to breathe as my hand reaches for his thigh. “No, Mac. You don’t. Listen, you can’t do this.”

“The only thing I have left to lose now, is you.” His hand comes to my face. “And I’m not doing that.”

A tear streams from my eye and hardly rolls down my cheek before he wipes it away. “But I’ll lose you.” My voice comes out a shaky whisper. “I just got you back.”

“So what do you suggest we do? Go into hiding? Be fugitives forever?”

Then I realize how insane I am when I say, “Yeah! Yes!”

A small smirk appears on his face. “I’m not taking your dream away from you again. You go back in that school and hold your head high. You deserve to be there.” He pulls his key from his pocket, placing it in my hand. “You deserve it all. I’m not clipping your wings anymore. The house, the car, everything is yours. Rightly so.”

“Fuck off, Mac.” My grip on his thigh tightens, the fabric of his slacks in my grasp. “We fly together, McKinsley. After everything? I have your back too. You’re—you’re all I have left.”

“I have to face my truth and you have to face yours.” He pulls that phone from the glove compartment, holding it in his hand. “Now, not another word.” Then he leans in, planting those soft lips on mine, a taste I’ll remember forever. When we part, that cold washes over me again. This time, it’ll linger. “I love you, Butterfly. Thank you for giving me purpose.”

And that fucking shatters me.

It shatters me more when he gets out the car.

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