Page 116 of Emerald

“Thanks,” I say, giving her a smile.

“Max, please, he means a lot to me,” Elena tells him.

“Fine. But if you fuck it up, I’ll kill you and no one will ever find you,” Max warns, pointing his finger in my direction.

“If I fuck up, I think your sister will beat you to it,” I bite back. He glares at me before giving me a nod and walking away to join Anna and her father.

“Sorry about him,” Elena says, biting her lip.

“He’s being a big brother, I get it.”

“You have a sister?” Elena asks.

I nod. “I have a younger sister and brother.”

“How did I not know this?” she says, shaking her head in disbelief.

“It never came up.”

“What about your parents, are they still together?” she asks.

“Yeah, still together, happily married.”

“Aw, that’s cute.” She smirks.

“When things die down, I’d like you to meet them.”

Elena stills. Was that too much? She just said all those nice things about me. Did I read that all wrong?

“You would like me to meet your parents?”

“Only if you want to,” I add.

“You think I’m worthy of that?” Elena asks.

I cup her face. “You are worth everything to me,” I tell her.

She swallows hard. “I’d like that.” Thank fuck. I lean in and kiss her.

Someone whistles breaking up our kiss. “Mackenzie,” Elena squeaks as she launches herself into the other Clark sister’s arms.

“You made it,” Mackenzie says, hugging her, “I was so worried when I heard about the bomb …” Her words tumble out a hundred miles an hour.

“I know. It was a shock. But I’m so glad to be home.”

“Me too.”

I would never have thought that these two would be so close, they seem like opposites. Mackenzie, I remember, was the straight-laced doctor, trying to save the world. She and Sophie never got on, they were always arguing on the phone.

“And this must be Nash, nice to see you again,” she says, holding out her hand.

“Nice to see you again, too, Mackenzie.”

“He’s so hot,” she whispers to Elena, but I don’t think she realizes how loud she is. But the laugh that falls from Elena’s lips fills me with such happiness. She is so much lighter aroundMackenzie, she must really trust her. I notice she still is guarded around Sophie and Grace, but with this sister nothing but light.

“Kenzie!” Elena giggles.

“Sorry, I used my outside voice, didn’t I?”

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