Page 109 of Mace

“Why not? What are you doing that’s so pressing?”

“You’ve never done shit to help.”

Normally, their bickering wouldn’t faze me, but thismorning, it sets my teeth on edge. “Would you both give it a rest?”

They fall silent as I sag into the counter, my shoulders loose. Fuck, I’m officially tapped.

“You okay?” Ivy asks.

I force my back straight and turn to them with a painted-on smile. “I’m fine, but you two need to learn to get along. This constant bickering is annoying.”

“Sorry,” they both mumble.

I sink down into the chair and lean my elbows on the table so I can drop my head into my hands. “No, I’m sorry. I just… I miss him, and it’s pathetic, but I hate that he’s not here.”

Toby snorts. “You two are weirdly dependent on each other.”

“I think it’s sweet,” Ivy says, poking him in the ribs. “You both clearly love each other.”

The wistful tone in her voice has my head lifting out of my hands. “You think Mace loves me?”

Her brow arches as if I’m stupid. “Do you think he’s just hanging out here for shits and giggles?”

My pulse quickens as I mull this over.

“Believe me, he wouldn’t be here putting up with all our bullshit if he didn’t love you,” Toby says, wiggling his eyebrows. “Me and Ivyareannoying.” He throws my words back at me.

“You’re not annoying.”

“Yeah, we kind of are,” Ivy agrees with Toby for once. “Though Mace putting up with me and Toby is not how I know he loves you. It’s the way he looks at you, Maylie.”

“Maybe…”

“Do you love him?” my sister asks.

I don’t even need a second to consider my answer. “Of course.”

She smirks, but before she can say anything else, the sound of someone knocking on the door reverberates through the flat.

My stomach ices over. Mace wouldn’t knock, and he would tell me if one of his club friends was dropping in. I don’t want to scare my siblings, though, so I push up with a smile.

“Wait here,” I say to them, walking out into the hallway.

Fear churns my gut as I reach the peephole and roll to my toes to look through it.

It’s not Link on the other side… it’s fucking Bernie.

I consider not answering the door, but he’ll only come back, and if he does when Mace is here… well, I don’t want to test what might happen.

I slide back the chain and pull the door open. Bernie gives me that creepy, weird smile of his as his gaze drops to my lips and then my chest. I’m glad I pulled on one of Mace’s hoodies this morning. It drowns my body, hiding anything from dirty Bernie.

“I already settled the account,” I say before he can speak a word.

Mace staying over so much means some of the financial pinches I was feeling are less. He pays for groceries and towards the bills, though I know if he moved in, those would no longer be my responsibility. His help took enough pressure off my shoulders that I was able to settle my debt with Bernie.

Which means I have no idea what he’s doing here.

He stares at me like I’m a prize cut of meat. “Yes, I gotyour payment, Miss Fernsby. The problem is that several times now you’ve been behind, and since you weren’t willing to discuss alternative payment methods, I had to take matters into my own hands.” He dips his hand inside his coat, pulls out an envelope, and hands it to me.

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