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“Mack, it’s fine, let’s just—”
Shoot, shoot, shoot!
Owen spots his sister, gunning for them, and he stands up in front of Lindsay.
How chivalrous.
I look away again.
“What in the world do you think you’re doing?!”
Mack has always been a hothead. Me? I avoid conflict like I avoid running.
I’ve gotten better about standing up for myself, but it still doesn’t come naturally to me. Not like it does to her.
“Mack—”
“Hi, Mackenzie.” Lindsay’s tone is so chipper, even I want to smack her.
“No, sorry,” Mack says, glaring, finger pointing. “You don’t get to say anything. Owen, what are you doing? Have you forgotten what this snake did to you?”
“Mack, hey, come on, let’s go sit,” I say, trying—failing—to pull her to a table.
Owen’s eyes find mine. I want to know what he’s thinking, but I can’t read him.
“No, I haven’t forgotten, but—”
“But nothing. She doesn’t get access to you, or us, or anyone, anymore.”
Lindsay tries to interject. “I get why you’re mad, and we’ve. . .”
Mackenzie holds up one finger to shut her up. “Sorry, the adults are talking. Maybe you should just leave.”
Owen shifts his weight. He doesn’t like this any more than I do.
“You shouldn’t even be here, Lindsay,” Mack says. “I can’t believe you think you can come in here and act like—” she shakes her hand between Owen and Lindsay, stopping mid-sentence. “You know what? No. On no planet do you get to get all buddy-buddy with my brother. Not after what you did.”
Lindsay turns on her stool and stands. “I’ll talk to y’all later.” She looks at me. “Bye, Emmy.”
“You will absolutely not talk to us all later,” Mack spits. “How about you go slither back under whatever rock you’re living under now and leave the rest of us alone?”
“Mack, enough.” Owen moves around his sister and nods at Lindsay, like they have an unspoken code or something.
Once she’s gone, Owen turns on Mack.
“What the heck?”
“Me what the heck?” Mack shakes her head. “I cannot believe you!”
“I’m not an idiot. Will you give me a little credit?” he snaps back.
“If you’re talking to Lindsay, then you are an idiot,” she says, causing him to roll his eyes and turn away. “Because now that you’re back and you’re doing well for yourself, she’s going to try and weasel her way back in. That’s what she does. You know she got married right? And he left her? Shocker.”
“I don’t care.” Owen shrugs. “I haven’t cared or wasted one minute thinking about her for eight years.”
I’m quietly happy about that.
“I’m a grown person. I can make my own decisions. I didn’t invite her here, she just sat down and—”
