Page 146 of That First Flight

“Oliver. What’s going on? What do you need?”

“Can I drop Mackenzie off with you? I have to get Macey from work.”

There’s a pause on the other end of the line and I hear her suck in a sharp breath. My sister cares so deeply for Macey and Mackenzie and I’m sure she’s sitting there doing exactly what I’m doing right now—running the worst case scenario through her head.

“Yeah. Yes. Of course,” she finally says.

“I’ll be there in five.” I hang up the phone.

I crouch down to eye level with Mackenzie, swallowing before I speak. “I’m going to drop you off at Emiline’s for a little bit. I don’t know what’s going on but I have to pick your mom up from work.”

She starts crying and I assume quickly that I’m not doing a good job at handling this.

“It’s okay, baby,” I tell her as I pull her into my chest and wrap my arms around her as tight as I can without hurting her. “I’m going to make sure she’s okay. I promise.”

Mackenzie nods. “I know you will.”

We grab our things and are out the door in less than a minute. My leg bounces the entire short drive to Emiline’s apartment. Mackenzie and I take the stairs two at a time. Her small legs keep up with mine because she’s just as eager for me to get to her mom as I am.

The door swings open before I can even knock and Logan stands where Emiline should be. Mackenzie scoots inside and I stand there glowering at my best friend in my little sister’s apartment for a beat too many.

“Oliver,” he groans like he’s finally been caught.

“You’re fucking lucky I’m in a rush. We’ll discuss this later,” I snap. “Don’t lay a finger on my little sister.”

Logan throws his hands up in defense before I turn and run back down the same way I came.

My brain runs a mile a minute trying to figure out what happened and why Logan was at my sister’s place. My worry turns to anger, but my brain snaps back to the issue at hand.

Macey. Please be okay. Please be okay,I repeat to myself the entire drive to Mollie’s.

I park in the employee lot, not giving a damn if I get a ticket or not.

A small black haired woman greets me at the back door.

“What happened?” I ask her.

“Her parents showed up,” she says.

All the air leaves my lungs and I feel dizzy. I’ve never met her parents and I thank god every day I haven’t because my fist would be in their faces. I don’t care who they are to her. They made Macey feel broken, and for that, I would love to break their fucking noses.

I rush past her, scanning the kitchen for any sign of my girl.

“In there,” the man behind the line says, pointing to a small door off to the side.

I throw the door open and find Macey in a ball in the corner of the supply room. Her body shakes as she cries into her hands. My heart shatters into a million pieces seeing how hurt she is. I can only imagine what those pieces of shit said to her to cause this.

I don’t say anything as I scoop her up into my arms.

Macey gasps when she notices it’s me. Then she envelopes her arms around my neck before she nuzzles her head into my neck, crying harder than she was before

“Shhh, baby,” I whisper. “I’m here. I got you.”

“Oliver,” she cries out. “My parents showed up.”

“I know. I know.” I sit her on my lap and she doesn’t release her hold on me. I rock back and forth giving her every ounce of comfort she needs right now. I can feel myself breaking with her. It feels like everything she’s feeling is being transferred to me and I can’t help it when my eyes begin to well with tears.

I don’t cry.

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