My Rebound (On My Own #2) - Carrie Ann Ryan Page 0,80

to forget it. I don’t get to lash out and tell you to go away when things get hard. Yes, things are a bit insane right now, but I don’t get to be that person.” He took a deep breath and looked me in the eyes. My stomach clenched, and I licked my lips. “I love you, Mackenzie. I love you so fucking much. I know it’s too soon. I know I was only supposed to be a rebound, but I’m not. I love you, and I’m sorry for hurting you.”

I blinked and then moved forward, cupping his face in my hands. “I love you, too, Pacey. I know I wasn’t supposed to fall for you because we didn’t know what would happen in our futures. And as someone who needs to know those things, I figure this is probably a mistake, but I don’t care. I love you, Pacey. Falling for you has been the most delightful and entangled thing I’ve ever done in my life, and I would do it again in a heartbeat. I left yesterday to give you space, but I’m not going anywhere. Not really.”

“I went by your house to find you. Now, I’m here. I’ll follow you to the ends of the Earth if you let me.” And then he leaned down and brushed his lips against mine. My heart raced, and I wrapped my arms around his neck. People cheered, and I realized that I’d forgotten we were in public, but I ignored it all because I was falling more in love with my boyfriend—the guy who wasn’t my rebound.

I pulled away and leaned my head against his. “Wow,” I whispered.

He smiled against me. “Wow is a good thing.”

He kissed me again, and then I looked over his shoulder as he leaned forward and frowned.

“You stupid bitch,” Hunter shouted. “You don’t get to take away my spot! My everything!”

I was so confused. Tried to let my mind catch up to what I was seeing. And then Pacey turned and blocked me.

I screamed as a metal glint and something in Hunter’s hands caught my eye as he came at us, and then Pacey pushed me to the ground. My head hit the concrete, I heard a loud sound, and then something warm slid over me. But there was no pain. Because Pacey blanketed me, and his face was pale. People were screaming.

And I shouted right along with them.

Chapter 23

Pacey

“I’m fine, Mum,” I said as I leaned into the pillow on my hospital bed. And it wasn’t a lie. Hunter didn’t have good aim, and I’d shoved my body over Mackenzie’s just in time. I only had a small wound on my shoulder. The fact that the location of the graze meant that if I hadn’t pushed Mackenzie out of the way soon enough, she’d have been hurt far worse wasn’t lost on me. But it wasn’t something I would think about. Not when I was on pain meds and trying to explain to my mother that I wasn’t going to die.

“You say you’re fine, but you were hurt,” my mother said and shook her head. “I cannot believe you were shot. On campus.”

“The shooter dropped the gun as soon as he fired,” I said. “Campus security was there and took care of him.”

Hunter had been taken away in handcuffs, sobbing. I had a feeling he’d had no idea that he was capable of something like that. It had surprised all of us, probably Hunter more so than anyone. Not that I had much pity for the guy. He had hurt me and tried to threaten and kill Mackenzie. It might’ve only been brandishing a threatening weapon to her, but he’d still fired.

The campus was on lockdown, even though it had been a single-shooter incident, and I didn’t know when we would be able to go back. Or if we would at all. It was scary. I’d had to deal with questions from the police already, even after I’d had my arm bound.

I would have a scar, and thanks to my autoimmune disease, I would likely have to deal with an infection, but we were taking all the precautions. I would be in the hospital for a few days, longer than most people in my situation.

My mother had been by my side the entire time. I knew Mackenzie wanted to be, as well, but the authorities had questioned her even more than they did me. The same with the professors. It wasn’t Mackenzie’s fault. I