Page 51 of Last Resort

Fine. I’ll be at my place in twenty.

She headed into the conference room. The guys were so closely watching the footage, none of them even realized she was there. She walked over to Chance.

“I’m going to go and rest for a little while before the doctor’s appointment.”

Chance was on his feet immediately. “Are you okay? Do you feel sick? I can drive you home.”

They’d ridden in together. She’d forgotten about that. “No, no. You have important and time-sensitive work to be done. I’m okay to drive myself.”

He was torn, she could tell. She hated that she was deceiving him, but what choice did she have?

She reached out and touched his arm. “No smothering, remember? You can walk me out to the car, and I’ll text you when I...get there.”

That was vague enough not to be a complete lie.

He still didn’t like it, but agreed. “Okay, I’ll walk you out.” He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and led her to the back alley, where they’d all parked today to avoid the front door.

He pulled her in for a hug at the car. She hugged him back. She needed his closeness.

“Be careful,” he said into her hair. “And let me know you’re okay. I’ll see you at home.”

Guilt ate at Maci. Chance wanted her to be safe and she was running off to meet with an unstable woman, but if she could spare him another run-in with her mother, she would. With a wave to Chance, she got in the car and headed back to the past.

MACI’SMOTHERWASpacing in front of the door when she arrived.

“Took you long enough.”

Maci ignored her, quickly texting Chance that she was okay, before ushering them both inside. The sooner she took care of this, the sooner she could get back to the better parts of her life.

“What do you want, Mom?”

As if she didn’t know. As if calling EvelynMomwasn’t practically a joke.

“You could at least pretend to be happy to see me.” Evelyn walked around looking at things in the apartment like she’d never seen them before and was fascinated by how Maci had decorated. “I don’t even know what’s going on with you. You rushed me out of here so fast last time.”

Maci grit her teeth. She knew how this game was played. Evelyn was going to do whatever was the exact opposite of what Maci wanted.

If Maci wanted to spend time and try to connect, Evelyn would want to leave. If Maci was on a tight schedule, Evelyn would be clingy and refuse to leave.

It was a childish game, and they’d been playing it for as long as Maci could remember—even when she lived at home.

“I need cash.”

Of course, she did. “What happened to what I just gave you the other day? You can’t have run through it all already.”

“You didn’t give me that much.”

“Because I don’t have much to spare. Any, actually.”

Evelyn spun around to stare at her, crossing her thin arms over her chest. “We both know that’s not true. I saw the car your boyfriend was driving when he took you out of here. I know he owns his own company with those so-called brothers of his. I don’t believe they all aren’t loaded.”

Maci hated hearing her even mentioning Chance or his brothers. The Pattersons were all good. Chance deserved better than to be dragged into Maci’s toxic family drama.

“First of all, he’s not my boyfriend. And yes, I may work for the Pattersons, who own their own business, but that doesn’t mean they’re loaded and it especially doesn’t mean I have extra money.”

Evelyn started walking around again. “But you could get it if you wanted to. Especially to help out family.”

Maci sat down in the kitchen chair by the small table. This pattern with her mother was never going to end. Not if Maci continued to let it go on like this.

---