Page 93 of The Hookup Type

Maci put her hand on mine, and I glanced over at her.

“We are already here,” she assured me. “It'll be two seconds.”

I slid the gearshift back in Park, and she hopped out of the passenger seat. She threw her blanket back inside and stuck her hands in her sweatshirt pocket. I watched her look both ways before crossing toward the building.

I scanned the scene as she crossed because I knew she wasn’t paying attention. Two guys smoking cigarettes turned their heads to watch her enter the building. Another two guys that stood in front of piles of firewood for sale did the same thing.

I turned off the engine and stepped out onto the pavement. “Hey, Mace!” I yelled across the parking lot.

She spun around and looked surprised to hear me say her name.

“Get me a Gatorade.” I smiled.

She returned the gesture right before entering the store. I knew she probably rolled her eyes as soon as she turned around, but if it let everyone know she wasn’t by herself, an eye roll was worth it.

Even though I didn’t need a ton of gas to reach a full tank, I didn’t want to get back in the car until Maci got back. I slid my debit card into the machine so I could top it off.

I stared out at the wide-open field that was next to the parking lot. Trees lined the outskirts, and the sun was just peeking over the top of the green wall. Being in such a country state was weird when Charlotte was so busy and city-like. At least where I grew up, it was congested with businesses and buildings that stretched to the sky. Out here, it felt like I was worlds away.

The lever clicked on the handle to tell me the gas had stopped. I tucked it back into the pump and looked back to the entrance of the building. Maci still hadn’t returned, and it made me nervous that she was in there alone.

I opened my car door and peered inside. “I’m gonna run in and see what’s taking so long.”

Katie looked up from her phone and peered over my shoulder. “Jaxon, she’s right there.”

I turned around and watched Maci cross the parking lot. My shoulders relaxed, and I hadn’t realized I was holding my breath until she was right in front of me. This girl had walked a few feet away just to go into a store and I was imagining all the things that could go wrong. While it was a sketchy gas station, nothing was out of character for the area. I was just in my own head.

Is this what catching fuckin’ feelings does to you?

Maci slowed as she approached the Jeep and studied my expression. “You good?”

“Yeah.” I swallowed and offered her a smile. “Just making sure you’re okay.”

“How thoughtful of you.” She laughed and climbed into the passenger seat. She sifted through her bag of drinks and placed my Gatorade on the driver’s seat.

“They just got back on the highway,” Connor announced.

“Finally,” Katie murmured, and Maci laughed.

Before anyone else could devise a reason to prolong our stop, I pulled out of the parking lot and merged back onto the highway.

“You look like you need a coffee,” Maci interrupted my train of thought and slid a drink into my cup holder. “It’s Mocha, so it’s a little different from what we normally get from Dunkin. But you’ll like it.”

I popped the tab, and my mouth curved into a half smile. “You say that like you know me or something.”

“You know I do,” she snapped playfully, sipping her drink.

I chuckled and didn’t bother to argue.

Chapter52

Maci

March 2016

Around the halfway mark,we lost the happy couple to a mid-morning nap.

Katie and Connor were still watching movies in her bedroom when I got up to go to the bathroom around three last night. Even though Connor stressed the importance of being on time this morning for our group departure, he sure didn’t mind keeping Katie up way past her usual bedtime.

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