Page 37 of And Then There's You

Mack:Oh, I know. But you don’t have one now, do you?

What is happening right now? It’s weird having this conversation out of the blue. That and the fact Mack is so forward which is not something I’m used to.

Maci:Nooope. You’d think I’d have time to find one with how often Avery is with Miller though. Speaking of, if anyone knows, it’s you. When am I going to get to start wedding planning?

Mack:Wow, Maci, at least let me take you on a date first.

Maci:You know what I meant!Eye roll.

Maci:A date couldn’t hurt though.

I feel a little guilty sending that text, knowing very well there is a part of me that isn’t over Dean yet, maybe ever. I would never want Mack to feel like I was using him to help me with that, but also, it’s Mack. Even if I don’t have the same relationship with him as I do Avery, he has still been in my life for over a decade, and that sounds like a safe place to start.

Mack:Don’t sound so excited. Lol Sunday then? I get in Friday night but promised Avery I’d hang out with her Saturday before her “best friend steals me away forever.”

Maci:Wow, she’s not putting pressure on this at all. I mean, I love you by association and all, but I haven’t seen you in years.I hit send before I realized the I love you part was weird.

Mack:Are you surprised? That’s my sister for you. Look, no pressure coming from me. How about we ignore Avery this weekend and any plan or ideas she throws our way? Whatever happens, happens.

Maci:Okay, okay, deal. I’ll see you this weekend, Mack.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

Thedoorswingsopen,and Avery hops up from the couch. She leaps at her brother, completely ignoring Miller, who has barely had a chance to make it into the entryway. Mack’s deep laugh is muffled against his sister as he steadies himself so he doesn't fall over. When she steps back to let him walk into the room, he looks exactly how I remember, just a little older. His hair is a darker brown than Avery’s, but he has the same jade green eyes. I know he played soccer in high school, and I vaguely remember him coming home from the gym with his friends on occasion or from a run on the weekends. I always considered him attractive and fit, as much as you would consider your best friend’s older brother while you were in a relationship.

He still has a varsity team preppy vibe, but now, something about his body seems different. More mature maybe. He’s a little edgier with his backward hat and a hint of scruff on his face. His blue jeans hug his ass perfectly, and I can see the definition of the muscles he has now under his plain black t-shirt. When he looks over to me, he smiles enough to light up his eyes, and my face starts to burn.

He walks over to the couch, waiting for me to greet him. When I stand, I become more anxious as he gets closer, but the second he pulls me into him, a wave of calm rushes over me. It's similar to the feeling I get around Avery, like I’m safe and have nothing to worry about. This is another level though. It’s like I’m melting into his arms. I’m snapped back to reality when I notice Avery’s matchmaker eyes staring at us as she wiggles her eyebrows enthusiastically. “Hi, Maci.” He says it like I’ve been away far too long and have finally arrived home.

He smells like cinnamon, but a little sweeter, and I lean into my urge to breathe him in. “Hi,” I whisper on my exhale. Pulling away, I sit back on the couch. Mack slides down right next to me, close enough our thighs touch, as Avery walks over with a pot holder and a tray of pizza rolls she just pulled out of the oven. Miller stops her before she reaches the living room and demands a kiss. After appeasing him, she sets our dinner on the coffee table in front of the couch.

“Thanks for picking up Mack from the airport,” Avery says to her boyfriend.

“Anything for you, babe. And Maci.” He shoots me a wink before sitting on the floor on the opposite side of the coffee table.

Oh great, he’s in on the scheming too. I should have known they would be conspiring together on this like they do everything else. I roll my eyes. Mack chuckles, but changes the subject. “This is such a warm welcome,” he jokes as Avery runs back to the kitchen for plates and hot sauce. “I guess this is you returning the favor after all those years of me making the two of you after school snacks, huh?”

“Yeah, except I’m a broke college student, so I skimped on the veggies you always forced us to eat.” Avery sticks her tongue out at her brother as she joins Miller, sitting cross-legged on the floor.

An image appears in my mind of Avery and me sitting at her kitchen table after school doing homework, like we did at least a few nights a week. Her dad was usually at the bar, or at least that’s where we assumed he was. I don’t remember Mack being there every day whenever I’ve recalled this memory in the past, but he clearly materializes into the picture as I think of it now. He always made us something to eat when we got home. It was usually simple like pizza rolls, or spaghetti, but now that I’m thinking about it, there were also always vegetables. That’s such a strange thing for a teenage boy with no parental guidance to be conscious of. It’s weird enough I feel the need to mention it. “Wait, what fifteen year old always remembers the vegetables?”

Avery pauses, a pizza roll halfway to her mouth, now curious too.

Mack stares at me for a moment like he can’t remember the answer. “I thought you knew.”

“Knew what?” Avery asks, a look on her face equally contemplative as mine.

He looks between the two of us, before settling his eyes on me. “Your mom. At the beginning of the week she’d bring over a box of precut veggies and freezer meals. She’d tell me it was because she didn’t want you eating all our food, but I knew…” he trails off as I sit there with my mouth open. I guess at thirteen, we didn’t even question it, even though it’s clear now what my mom was really making sure happened. Something I love about Avery is that she has never been ashamed of her parents, or used them as an excuse for how anything in her life has turned out. She’s proud of herself for how much she’s grown despite them. By the way he delivered this new information, I can’t tell if Mack feels the same.

A surge of love for my mom overwhelms me, but I also feel a rush of emotion thinking about Mack and how hard it must have been for him to take care of not only his sister but also me. I’m not sure what to say in response to this revelation. Thankfully, Mack speaks again with a change of subject. “So how's house hunting going, Sis?”

“Oh yeah, about that…” she trails off. “Miller and I are looking at a few tomorrow. There are a few we love, and now that we have our loan pre-approval, I don’t want to risk losing the perfect one. Don’t hate me, but, rain check?”

“I fly all the way here from another state to visit you, and then you ditch me. I see how it is,” he jokes.

“Oh shush, Maci told me she doesn’t have plans tomorrow, I’m sure you two can find something to do instead.” She shoves her last pizza roll into her mouth. “Also, I’m getting kind of tired. I think we’ll head out and stay at Miller’s tonight. You can sleep in my bed, Mack. Only if you need to.” She sends an obnoxious and exaggerated wink our way. Subtle.

“Avery!” I catch a slightly hurt look on Mack’s face as I say her name with evident frustration. It’s just a lot all at once. I know Avery is trying to help get rid of the currently super lame and depressing version of me. Plus, we are at the age where instead of being annoying, it would be a dream to have your best friend and brother fall madly in love. I just don’t want her to get her hopes up. Before I jump into anything, I want to make sure I’m confident in what’s going on and how I feel, and I don’t know him well enough to make any kind of judgment yet.

---