Page 21 of Mac Meyers Needs Me

She nods and hugs me from behind. “Managing all the things. How’s my dad?”

Her parents recently separated, and she started dating Flip Madden, one of the Terror players, who her dad coaches.

“He’s doing okay. We’ll keep an eye on him for you,” Lexi assures her.

“Thanks. I appreciate it.” She smiles, but it’s weighed down.

Things have been understandably tense with Tally and her family for a plethora of reasons, not the least of which is Flip’s former playboy reputation. She’s been throwing herself into dance and school and actively avoiding all the social media speculation. It’s been a lot for her to handle, especially since she’s in her final semester, but she’s been holding a candle for Flip for ages. It sort of gives me hope that maybe me and Mac could also transition from fake-dating friends to something more.

“Okay! We should go! Love you! Talk soon!” I make a heart with my hands and end the call.

“You okay?” I ask.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Glad for the distraction and friends tonight.” She eyes my outfit. “I approve of this.”

I look down at myself. “Oh shit. I should change the hoodie.”

“No. Nope. The hoodie should remain. You’re Mac’s girlfriend.”

“Fake girlfriend.”

She pulls me up off the bed. “For now.”

CHAPTER 9

MAC

The family resemblance between Gage and his sister would be slightly less obvious if their hair didn’t match, but the white blond is striking.

Their fingers fly at a rate that renders my very basic ASL skills useless.

“Do you have any idea what they’re saying?” I ask Chase and Brody.

“I’m catching the occasional word, but that’s it,” Chase replies.

“Same,” Brody agrees.

A girl with hair that’s been dyed to look like fire, appears out of nowhere. “She’s pissed that he’s here.”

“But he came to support her,” I explain.

“She thinks he’s being overbearing.” The girl tucks her hair behind her ear, revealing a ladder of piercings that spell FUCK OFF. “He shows up at her dorm weekly to check up on her. She’s just trying to live her life and like…no offense, but having her fuckboy brother on the school hockey team is not helping her pave her own way.”

“Tell me about it,” Brody mutters.

She side-eyes him. “I’m going to intervene before one of them gets a hand cramp.” She stalks over to Gage and his sister, Jade, and joins in on the signing.

“What’s going on over there?” I startle and turn in time to watch Fee’s long, wavy blond hair tumble out of her Tilton toque, wafting her shampoo my way. Her cheeks are flushed pink, nose the same, cold rolling off her. She looks gorgeous and I can’t wait to spend the next two hours with my arm around her.

“Gage and his sister are having it out,” I explain.

“Why? Did he sleep with one of her friends or something?” Tally asks.

“Oof, that would suck,” Enid mutters.

“I gotta use the bathroom.” Brody rushes off, ears red.

Enid bites her lips together, and Chase cringes.