“Sounds exhausting.”
“It was, but I thought it was supposed to be.” Kayla looked deep into Mack’s eyes. “It never hurts with you. It’s always felt good—right—to be with you. I thought I just had a crush on my best friend because she’s really hot.”
Mack’s smile turned decidedly cocky. “You always thought I was hot?”
“Yeah, of course I have. I mean, I have eyes. Don’t let it go to your head.”
“Fat chance. I’m celebrating that. I’ll get a T-shirt printed or something.”
They laughed together and it felt really good. Like old times, but with something new sliding into the air between them. Kayla couldn’t go another minute without touching Mack. She reached out, and Mack took her hand, cradling her fingers in her palm as though she was frightened to hold too tight. To push too hard. Kayla always knew she had to be the one to take the lead, and she was perfectly willing to take that role.
Kayla said, “The truth is I’ve always wanted you as more than a friend. I pushed it aside, though. Time and time again, I pretended it was nothing because thinking about you didn’t hurt. Not like it did with Skye. But the idea of losing you—”
She had to stop there because her throat was too tight. The air was too heavy. She had spent all day worried about what it would be like to lose Mack, but she hadn’t really let herself feel it. Now the fear and emptiness came crashing down around her, and it was so much worse than anything she’d ever felt. Mack must’ve known, because she pulled Kayla to her without hesitation. Kayla rested her cheek against Mack’s chest and closed her eyes against the fear. She couldn’t let it take her now. She wouldn’t.
Mack settled her chin on top of Kayla’s head and whispered. “It’s okay. I’m here.”
“This day has been torture,” Kayla said. “I never want to feel that again. I never want to screw up so bad again. I promise I won’t.”
“I know. I shouldn’t have run away. I’m sorry, too.”
“Please don’t apologize when I’ve been so selfish and stupid.” Kayla squeezed closer and said, “You’re my tether. You’re myanchor. You hold me to this life. You’re the one person who makes me feel like me.”
Kayla talked herself into silence. She was wrung out. Empty. And yet everything felt right when she was here in Mack’s arms. She stood there, listening to the quiet rush of the waves against the sand behind them and the strong, steady pound of Mack’s heart beneath her ear. She reveled in the warmth of Mack’s body against hers and the strength of her arms.
After a long moment, Kayla realized Mack wasn’t talking either. Now it was time to do the hard part. She took a steadying breath and stepped out of Mack’s arms. She made sure to keep her chin high and her breath even. She could do this. She had to do this.
“I love you, Mack. I’m in love with you, and I want to be with you. But that doesn’t matter if it’s not what you want.” She prepared herself for the worst. “What do you want?”
True to her style, Mack didn’t hesitate. “You. I’ve always wanted you. I guess neither of us really understood how much until now. I definitely didn’t until this morning when I thought I couldn’t have you.”
Relief flooded through Kayla like diving into a pool on a blistering hot day. “Me either.”
Lines cut into Mack’s forehead as she frowned. “I thought you felt the same way. I thought we had a chance. Then you let Skye pull you into another idiotic move, and what was I supposed to think?”
The words hit Kayla like a physical blow. Mostly because they were well-deserved. “I know. It was so stupid. It wasn’t Skye’s fault, though. It was all me.”
“Yeah, well, I’m still pissed at both of you, but maybe I could’ve been more honest about my feelings this week. I should’ve been honest before we even left the room this morning, but I chickened out.”
“You have every right to be pissed with me, and I should’ve been more honest, too. Maybe we can both work on that?”
Mack’s lips twitched up on one side. “Okay. I’ll start. I really want to kiss you.”
Kayla’s stomach fluttered in anticipation. “I want that, too.”
Mack lifted her hand slowly, cupping Kayla’s cheek. The warmth of Mack’s skin against hers made her knees go weak. As she leaned in, bringing her lips closer to Kayla’s, the weakness spread until it felt as though she was being held up by Mack’s hand alone. Then their lips met and, for the first time in so long, Kayla could breathe.
Chapter Thirty
Mack held Kayla’s handall the way up from the beach, through the resort, and up the stairs toward their room. She only dropped it as they approached their door because the resort cat who had adopted Mack on their arrival let out a long, disgruntled meow and launched herself into Mack’s arms.
Kayla had to raise her voice to be heard over the cat’s loud purring. “Wow, you sure have been busy this week. Any other women fall in love with you besides the two of us?”
Mack scratched the cat’s chin, making her little furry head tilt back and her eyes close in bliss. “No need to be jealous, this one is just a fling. She’ll forget all about me tomorrow.”
“I doubt it. You have a way of getting into a woman’s blood.”
Mack turned to her, and Kayla tipped headfirst into the crystal-clear depths of her eyes. How had she spent so many years in this woman’s presence and only now realized how captivating those green eyes were? “Right back at you, LaLa.”
