Page 20 of Mac Meyers Needs Me

Working on a new chapter this afternoon!

“Dibs on first beta read!” I squeal and side-hug Cammie. “Tally and Enid are in.”

“Cool. First beta read for what?” Gage asks.

“Cammie’s fic,” Chase says.

“I can’t wait for the next chapter,” Gage says.

The table goes silent.

“What? Everyone else is reading it, why shouldn’t I? Right, man?” He elbows Brody.

“Yup.” Brody’s face turns red and his food is suddenly super interesting.

We finish lunch, and I get irrationally excited when Mac lifts me off my feet in a goodbye hug before I head to my next lecture. My good mood improves when I spot my recent sticker on someone’s binder.

After class I head back to my apartment and call my sisters before I get ready for movie night. Their faces appear on the screen and my niece tries to hide in my sister’s cleavage. “Ariel! You get bigger every time I see you!”

She wrinkles her nose and shoves her stuffed goose’s beak into her mouth while still playing shy.

“How was practice today?” I ask. “For both of you?”

“Good. The boys are solid this season.” Lexi bounces a babbling Ariel in her lap. Ariel is a perfect mix of her and Roman with dark hair and huge eyes.

“I had a shutout today! Which is great because we’re playing against our biggest competition this weekend and they have a high scoring record,” Callie informs me.

“But they only scored on you once the last time you played them.” Roman tucks himself in beside Lexi, and Ariel clambers into his lap, snuggling into him.

“Hi, Roman, how was your day?”

“Full of hockey, just like these two. What about yours?”

“I was hanging with some hockey players, so hockey adjacent. I’m going to the movies tonight.” I finger-comb my hair.

“On a date?” Lexi perks up.

“It’s a group thing.”

“What about that boy you mentioned?” Lexi presses.

I widen my eyes at her.

“What boy?” Roman frowns.

“He’s just a friend. They’re all just friends,” I assure him.

Tally knocks on my door and pokes her head in. “You ready?”

I give her a thumbs-up. “Speaking of friends, Tally’s ready to go.”

“Tell her I say hello!”

Tally gazelle-leaps over and waves. “Hi, Roman, Lexi, Callie, and little Ariel!”

“Hi, Tally!” Callie’s eyes light up.

“You doing okay, kiddo?” Roman asks.