I shifted my stance, shoving my hands into my front pockets, shoulders sinking with the weight of it all.
“I knew that guy was bad news.”
I had told Ellie if he ever pulled anything, she needed to come to me. Needed to trust me to handle it.
I couldn’t help but wonder if this was the first time something like that had happened. I sure as hell hoped it would be the last.
“That guy’s gonna learn real quick,” Mac said, flicking ash off his cigarette. “Boone will beat his ass if he keeps that shit up. Hell, by the look on your face right now, I wouldn’t be surprised if you marched down there and did it yourself.”
I scoffed. He wasn’t wrong. I’d spent half the night lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, fists clenched, fighting the urge to show up at that restaurant and make sure Miles never stepped foot in Faircloud again.
“I’ll chase him out of this town without a second thought.”
Mac took a long drag from his cigarette, then stubbed it out in the tin can beside the truck. He leaned back, eyes narrowing like he was turning something over in his head.
“What about your feelings for her?” he finally asked.
Hell if I knew.
I cared about Ellie. Still loved her—hopelessly, stupidly, quietly. That hadn’t changed. But making a move? That was the part I couldn’t seem to do.
Things felt complicated.
After last night, I knew Ellie was going to need a friend and support. I had a gut feeling Miles wasn’t done. Miles wasn’t the type. Not willing to give up and leave her alone. If I told Ellie now how I felt, I feared it would bring on more pressure.
Navigating what to do about Miles was stressful enough, and having her best friend confess how he felt wasn’t something sheneeded to deal with either. Because if she were to say no and turn me down, I don’t think I could continue on like everything was fine.
“I don’t know,” I admitted, folding my arms across my chest, mirroring Mac’s stance as he leaned against the side of his truck.
“Why not just tell her how you feel?” Mac asked. “Clearly, Miles is done. Now’s your chance.”
“What if now she’s just beating herself up over all of it?”
That was Ellie. Always had been. Even when we were kids, she carried guilt like it was her job. Took the blame for things that were never hers to hold.
“Then be there to show her she doesn’t have to,” Mac said. “Show her there’s a good guy waiting for her and he’s been there all along.”
He stepped forward, tapped a hand to my chest, then grabbed the wrench and slid back under his truck.
“I will,” I said, more to myself than to him. “I’ll meet up with her and just… tell her how I feel.”
From under the truck, Mac groaned with the effort. “Trust me, don’t lose your chance. I know what it’s like to almost miss out.”
“Yeah,” I said with a smirk. “Look at you now, giving someone else advice when not that long ago, you were making drink menus and putting rose petals into hearts.”
Mac peeked his head out from under the truck, grinning.
“It fucking worked, didn’t it?”
I crouched beside him, chuckling. “How are things going, anyway?”
“Fucking fantastic,” Mac said, just as a rusty bolt dropped onto his chest. I reached in, grabbed it, then looked at him.
“We’ve been doing a lot of talking about the future,” he added.
“Oh yeah?” I asked, raising a brow. “Like what?”
He put the wrench down, sent me a sidelong glance, and smirked.
