My Rebound (On My Own #2) - Carrie Ann Ryan Page 0,82
vacated and reached out as if to touch me. Only she froze, her eyes wide. “I don’t know where to touch you. I don’t know how I’m not going to hurt you.”
Since she was on the side that I hadn’t hurt, I reached out and gripped her hand, squeezing it hard. “I’m fine,” I said. “I promise.”
“You’re lying. You were shot.”
“I was grazed. You were almost shot.”
Tears fell, and she leaned down and kissed my brow. “You saved my life,” she whispered.
“Honestly, I think we saved each other. If you hadn’t looked at him when you did and tried to push me out of the way, I wouldn’t have known to turn.”
“I don’t even remember doing that.”
“Well, you did. You saved me just as much as I saved you. And I never want to have to do anything like that again. We are never going to get into that kind of situation again.”
She wiped away tears and kissed me softly on the mouth. “You’re right. We’re never doing that again. I love you so much, Pacey. I still can’t believe Hunter did that.”
I awkwardly reached for her with my good arm and brushed tears from her face. “I love you, too. And no, we’re never letting that happen again. I’m never letting you go, Mackenzie. I don’t know what will happen in the future or who we’ll be, but I know whatever happens, I’ll do it with you.”
She smiled softly. “I wasn’t expecting you, Pacey. But I should have.” Then she kissed me softly, and I knew that we had far more things to worry about than each other at the moment. And we would.
We still had another year of school, and we had to deal with the fallout of what had just happened. And we would do that, too.
But for now, I moved over so she could join me on the bed, even if the nurses hated it, and then held the girl I loved close. I knew we could figure this out.
Because she would make her plans, and I would make sure they came to fruition.
I hadn’t expected to fall in love with Mackenzie Thomas, and yet I knew it had been inevitable. It was meant to be from the first moment I saw her.
Even if she hadn’t been mine at first and couldn’t have been then. She was mine now. I smiled, knowing that this was the one rebound that would stick, no matter what.
Chapter 24
Mackenzie
I set out a veggie platter, and Tanner frowned. “Where’s the cheese? And the junk food? Why are you bringing broccoli to a house party?” he asked, though I knew he was only joking.
I rolled my eyes. “Because we need vegetables. They’re good for you.”
“So you say,” he grumbled, though he did take a handful of cauliflower and carrots.
“If you want to keep that eight-pack or ten-pack or whatever-the-hell-pack you have past college, maybe you should eat healthier.”
“I’m eating vegetables,” he growled, and Miles laughed as he came forward. “Just snap peas. But they are the best.” He grinned and took a handful.
“Well, apparently, if I just put random food in front of you, you’ll eat it. And I don’t have to worry about if it tastes good or not.”
“We’ll just judge you if it tastes bad,” Tanner said as he shrugged, taking a bite of cauliflower.
“You’ll do no such thing,” Pacey said as he wrapped his arms around me. Well, his arm, his other one was still in a sling, though he was healing. School was over, and we were headed into our summer classes and internships next week. I still couldn’t believe that Hunter had brought a gun onto campus and then actually fired it. I wasn’t sure Hunter believed it either. Sanders and his family had even called to apologize for bringing Hunter into my life. I think they were as shocked as I was at what had happened.
Hunter was dealing with charges that I didn’t want to think about and wouldn’t return to school or his ordinary life ever again.
The university had shut down for the week after the incident, and people made up finals and labs and did what they had to do, though I knew some were getting by without it. It had been traumatizing, even if Pacey had been the only one who got hurt. I had hit my head, but I was fine. I still couldn’t believe that Pacey had been shot saving my life.
Honestly, I couldn’t believe a lot of what had happened.