Page 154 of That First Flight

I don’t stop kissing her until we both come down from our high.

“Jesus.” Macey breaks free from the kiss. “That was…”

“That was perfect.” I finish for her.

And it was.

I want to tell her I love her right here and right now, but it doesn’t feel like the right time. It would feel like I’m saying it because of how strong that just felt.

Macey deserves so much more than that.

And I’m going to make sure she knows that.

I’m on my third shift of the week and of course, it’s the busiest one.

I think the universe just knows when you’re tired. That’s when it decides to throw a shit show at your face to really test you.

According to Jan, my parents showed up again two days later. Thankfully I wasn’t here. I don’t understand why they’re sticking around. I also don’t get why they are showing uphereif they want Mackenzie so badly.

Since Jan told me that they showed up again, Oliver has been more careful if he runs to the store or does anything with Mackenzie. He had asked me to show him a picture of them so he wouldn’t be blindsided.

It’s been a whole week since I saw them and for the first time in my life, I’m so damn proud of myself for not falling back into the hole I always end up in. I let myself have that night to soak in my issues and the next day I got myself back up and stood taller than ever before.

If it wasn’t for living in New York and finally being content with life, I’m not sure the outcome would be the same. There was a brief thought this week where I wondered what would have happened if they found me while I was upstate.

Would I be this strong? Would I be back in Montana right now?

I had to brush off those thoughts quickly because it didn’t happen and can’t happen. There was no use in letting it take over when it wasn’t a possibility anymore because I was here.

“Macey,” a server calls my name through the window. “I’m so sorry, but they are back.”

I groan.

Strangely, I don’t feel panic or fear anymore. If she came up and said this yesterday, I might have felt differently. I’m just too exhausted to care right now.

“Thank you,” is all I say to her as I get back to preparing whipped mashed potatoes for a table.

The potatoes still haunt me and I definitely triple check them before I serve them. I’m happy to announce I haven’t messed it up again since my first night here.

“You good?” Kevin asks from my side.

I nod. “I’m good.”

“You know, Jan and I got your back. You need me to kick their asses to the curb, I got you.”

“And if you need me to put contact lens solution in their potatoes, I got you,” Jan adds.

Every part of my body warms at their threats to the people who jeopardize my happiness.

They’re not the first people to say things like this either. After I told the girls what happened, their responses had me simultaneously laughing and also in fear for my parents' life.

Peyton

You have got to be joking.

Avery

Do I need to pull out the big guns? I can find out where they are staying and put bed bugs in their hotel room.

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