Page 132 of When Ellie Falls in Love

“That’s what she said,” Mason snickered as Chase seemed to reluctantly laugh as well. Charlie rolled her eyes as she sat in one of the chairs around the fire pit.

“Mace, don’t,” Ellie laughed, rolling her eyes at her sister.

“Hey, I gotta get in my jabs before Sadie leaves. It’s just how she gets initiated into our family.”

“I thought that was when your mom caught us making out in my car?”

“Several times,” Ellie added.

“In one day.”

Mason laughed. “I’m impressed.”

“Wow,” Sadie looked at Ellie and smiled, “we’ve impressed the master.”

Ellie groaned as she laughed. Mason, however, looked insanely happy. “Don’t say that.”

“Yeah, dude,” Chase groaned, “why did you say that?”

Mason pumped her fists in the air as she dramatically leaped onto a small concrete retaining wall that doubled as a place where Delaney planted flowers.

“I am the master! Mackenzie Master. Master Mackenzie. Master Mason Mackenzie.”

“See what you did?” Chase smiled as she sat in a chair and pretended to look annoyed. But Sadie could clearly see the love for her wife radiating from her.

“Dude, get down.” Ellie sounded more like Isla than Sadie had noticed. “You’re going to be a mother soon. Act like it.”

“My wife says I have full permission to goof off as Master Mason Mackenzie until the stick turns blue. Right, baby?”

“Like that’ll change anything.” Chase rolled her eyes with a laugh. “Give it time. She’ll soon be going by Master Mother Mason Mackenzie.”

Sadie was thankful for the silly conversation around the fire pit. It kept mind off the inevitable: that she’d had to kiss Ellie goodbye all too soon.

It was another hour before Mason and Chase headed home and Dylan left. Charlie and Delaney left them alone to have their goodbyes as they went to bed. Sadie and Ellie found their way up to her room and out the bedroom window onto the roof.

“It seems fitting we say goodbye here.” Ellie had her knees pulled up to her chest, with her chin resting on them. Even in the moonlight, Sadie could see tears in her eyes. “This is where things first changed for us.”

“The night of the prom.”

“Yeah.”

Sadie scooted closer to Ellie until their hips were touching. As Ellie wrapped an arm around her shoulder, she kissed her cheek.

“I’m really glad you came over that night.”

“I knew you were upset and I couldn’t stand the thought of you being alone. I had to be here for you.” Ellie kissed her cheek again and Sadie heard her sniffle. “I’ll always be here for you, Sadie.”

“I’ll always be here for you, too, Ellie.”

Tenderly, Ellie put her hand under Sadie’s chin and lifted it to her lips. Sadie melted like butter on a warm roll. How would she make it untilOctoberwithout kissing Ellie?

Ugh.

“I’m going to miss this,” Sadie whispered against Ellie’s cheek.

“We can make it until October. Because then we have fall break, Thanksgiving break, and winter break all back to back to back.”

“Very true.” Sadie kissed her again. “Thank you for coming over that night. It changed my summer and life for the better.”

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