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He finds another tissue in his pocket and hands it to me. He rubs my back in slow, comforting circles, and when I secretly try to blow my nose, he laughs and then nestles me under his arm.
When he pulls away, a few minutes later, he does so with a concerned lowering of his eyebrows: “Hey, I’m sorry. What I said—it came out all wrong. I don’t buy into that whole ‘everything happens for a reason’ thing. I just like the idea of there being something more out there.”
I swipe at my now dry eyes. “I get what you’re saying. And I know I just made a whole speech about vehemently disagreeing with you, but I like that you think that way. Larry was like that, too. You both have that same…” I wave my hand haphazardly in his direction.
His eyebrow cocks. “Delusions?”
I shake my head. “More like a sense of optimism—and faith that your Toronto Star horoscope holds all the answers.”
He laughs, tipping his head to the sky. “Was your uncle a Pisces?”
I don’t know the answer. “Maybe. His birthday was March fifteenth.”
Mackenzie knocks his elbow into mine. “Well, that explains everything. I’m the twelfth. We’re dreamers. The cosmic whisperers. Born with an all-access pass to the universe’s deep thoughts and prone to write moody poetry.”
A laugh escapes my throat. I join him, looking at the sky.
I close my eyes, not exactly listening to the cosmos but also wondering what exactly I’ll hear if I do.
I don’t expect to hear a repeated buzz, buzz, buzz coming from somewhere nearby.
“Do you hear that?” Mackenzie looks around, confirming the universe is talking to him as well.
The answer takes a moment to click. “I think that’s our doorbell.”
Mackenzie scrambles to his feet and holds out his hand. I take it, and he pulls me up. As we near the fire escape, the buzzing gets louder, confirming that it’s the doorbell to our apartment.
Mackenzie climbs down the ladder first. Waiting at the bottom, he calls up, “Hey, be careful. It’s still a bit slick.”
I fling one leg over the ledge and flip around, lowering my feet onto a rung as I grip the sides of the ladder. The first and second rungs present no issues, but when my shoe finds the third, it slides off completely. The motion causes my other shoe to slip, and I’m left dangling by my arms, which hold out for all of two seconds before they give up and let go.
My entire life flashes before my eyes as I fall. It’s too brief and a little too sad. But just as I get to the end—my lifeless body splayed out on the pavement below—two strong hands grab me and pull me to safety.
“Whoa, easy there. You okay?”
My feet are on solid ground. Well, at least the steel grating of the landing.
My stinging hands are clenched in front of me. I open them slowly, the shock of my slip still driving adrenaline through my body.
“Oh, shit.” Mackenzie turns my shoulders so I am facing him. Reaching for my hands, he cradles them in his, peering down at the red mess coating my palms.
My head is woozy, and I sway. For a second, I think my knees are going to come out from under me, but then Mackenzie’s arms come around me to hold my elbows and keep me steady.
My vision clears, and I find the nerve to open my hands again.
They are covered in something, but it is not quite red, more of a brown or a—
“Rust.” I rub my thumb with my index finger to confirm the theory. “It’s just rust from the ladder. I don’t think it broke the skin, and if it did, then it’s a sign from the universe that I should probably make sure I’m up to date with my tetanus shot.”
Mackenzie takes both my hands and presses them to his chest, where they leave rust-colored handprints on his shirt. I can feel the wild beat of his heart. The speed matches mine.
We stand for a moment, both of us just breathing, and I wonder if he is waiting for me to pull my hands away, but then his thumbs stroke the backs of my palms.
I can’t tell if it’s meant to be a soothing gesture or if he is doing it subconsciously.
What I do know is that I like it.
Just as I like the concerned crinkle of his forehead as his eyes skim my body from top to bottom, only relaxing as they return to my face.
