Page 68 of Macon

Mac joins in the laughter, moving down next to me and pulling the covers over us both.

I’m laughing so hard that tears are falling down my face. I take a deep breath so I can calm down.

Mac reaches up, wiping the tears away.

I clear my throat and say, “Thank you.”

His voluptuous lips spread open, giving me his pearly whites. “Any time, beautiful.”

Beautiful. I like that.

I curl into him, and he wraps his massive arms around me, making me feel safe.

Mac kisses my head and says, “We’ll find her. I promise.”

I squeeze him back. “I hope so. I just don’t know what I—”

Mac interrupts me. “Stop. Don’t go there. We’ll find her.”

We lie there embracing each other when my cell phone rings.

Neither of us moves.

Mac groans, “Do you need to get that?”

My first instinct is hell no, but of course, my subconscious always wins.

“What if it’s Steve?” I answer.

Mac releases me. Jumping out of bed, he grabs my phone just as it stops ringing, and hands it to me.

Unlocking it, I see it was Phoenix. A little disappointed it wasn’t Steve calling to say he found my sister. I hand it back to Mac. “It’s my friend Phoenix.”

He grabs it, and it rings again right before he puts it on his nightstand.

What the hell?

He hands it back, and we both see it’s Phoenix again. Which isn’t like her, so I answered, “Hello?”

“Bitch, where are you?” she yells into the phone.

Mac smiles.

“I’m still outta town,” I answer with a laugh.

“No shit? Like I didn’t know that. When the fuck are you coming back? I miss you,” Phoenix says, pouty.

Instantly, my mind races. Am I going back? Do I want to go back? Fuck.

Mac looks at me, waiting for my reply as well.

I smile at Mac and say, “I don’t know. Probably not for a while.”

“What! Why? I thought you only had to deal with some family shit,” Phoenix demands, sounding upset.

This also gets Mac’s attention, and he raises a brow in question.

“Hold on a second,” I say, putting my phone on mute.

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