Her brow furrowed. Should she tell him her ex-boyfriend was there? Or that they were hanging out this weekend? Was he the type to get mad about something like that? If he was, it probably wouldn’t be worth the drama. Wasn’t like he had anything to worry about.
His laugh was slow and warm and…oh, what she wouldn’t give to hear it beside her instead of across a state line. She rubbed her thighs together restlessly.
“That’s awesome,” he said.
“Why?”
“Call me deranged, but if I’d known you were at your parents’, I probably would’ve kept it up.”
Thank God he hadn’t known, then. She would’ve been glued to her phone all night, and her mom might have flipped out. “You must feel a little better.”
“Well…I’m all right.”
“Everything…the same?”
“Pretty much, yeah.”
She wanted to ask how things were going with his brother, but that would probably be the last thing he wanted to talk about. “Where are you?”
“Stephanie’s guest bedroom.”
“Hmm. I guess you have to be quiet then.”
“I’ve got no problem with that.” His voice dropped to an intimate timbre that made chills run from the tips of her toes to the roots of her hair. “I already miss you, Macy.”
She’d missed him before she’d gotten in Sam’s car and rode away. Her hand, which had been resting on her belly, inched downward of its own volition. To think just a couple nights ago…
“Can I take your mind off things?” she asked softly.
“That would be fucking splendid.”
“I was thinking about something earlier, just before I called you.” Her heart rate accelerated. She hadn’t exactly intended on letting him know just yet where her thoughts had been wandering, but if he wanted to occupy his mind with other things, she was certain she had the solution.
“Uh-oh.”
“We’re actually only three hours apart if we meet in the middle.”
“Are you being serious?” All humor had left his voice.
She pulled her lip between her teeth and considered for a moment. “If you’re up to it, absolutely. Not like this minute, because I need more sleep, but I just want to see you. I want to be there for you when I can. If you need to get away and you can’t come all the way home…I’ll come to you, I’ll come all the way if you need me to, but… say the word and I’m there.”
“I’m… I don’t know what to say, really.”
In the darkness of her room, she cringed. “Too much? I’m sorry.”
“No—”
“You’re dealing with something I have no experience with and I don’t know what to do to help. So tell me if I need to back off.”
“You’re helping me by talking to me. By being there. By doing every damn thing you’re already doing.” He was quiet for a minute. She was tempted to fill the silence herself, but she let him have it. “This is more bearable because of you.”
Her heart warmed, and she wanted so much to feel his lips on hers she might have driven those six hours right then, sleep be damned. That she wanted to be his any and every way she possibly could, both physically and emotionally, was a revelation that knocked the breath from her.
Cautious Macy had fallen for the very kind of guy that should send her running for the hills.
That had once, but she had her bearings now. She had a little of her old self back. Tiny, but it was there, and it was all thanks to him. She owed him far more than he could ever owe her.
“Are you off Saturday?” he asked.
Saturday. She was supposed to go to Jared’s Saturday. But if it came down to one or the other…there was no question.
“Yeah. I’m usually off on weekends.”
“Hmm.”
“What are you thinking?”
“I’m thinking by then I will damn sure need to get away for a few hours. I’m thinking overnight.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m not sure I should, but…” He gave a frustrated growl. “Shit.”
“Whatever you think,” she said quickly. “I don’t want to pull you away if you need to be there.”
“I know that, baby. But I wouldn’t be considering it if I didn’t need to see you, too.”
“You have to take care of you. I don’t care if we just talk all night.”
“Oh, I think we can find more to do than that.”
Chapter Nineteen
It had been the longest week of his life. Whether it was the anticipation of seeing Macy or the absolute devastation of basically being on a death watch, he didn’t know. The two factors simply amalgamated into one long, never-ending stretch of