figure it all out, except Mac and me.
Colin blushed. “There wasn’t one.”
I choked and laughed at the same time. “You had a code name for us, but there was no plan?”
“It’s just what I called you guys. It was obvious you liked each other. And he was so mopey that I couldn’t take it anymore.”
“Well, it’s a good thing we worked it out, huh? Thanks for all the non-help.” I smacked his arm.
“Hey,” he complained, and I realized that Colin wanted some of the credit. “I helped. I kicked Hayley out that one time and told her she couldn’t come back.”
“Did you hear what happened to her?” Dayton was suddenly back in the conversation.
“Yeah, she broke her legs in some skiing accident in Mammoth,” Colin offered nonchalantly. “She won’t be back.”
“She did? Damn,” Matt said. Clearly, this was news to him.
Then again, had Rocky not said something to me, I wouldn’t have known either.
“I’m glad she’s gone,” I said before I could stop myself.
The guys started oohing and aahing like I’d said something that was a low blow, but that girl was the biggest drama bitch queen I’d ever met. And even though I knew Mac wanted nothing to do with her and she was no longer a threat in my eyes, her presence had still irritated me. I was glad we wouldn’t be running into her on campus anymore.
“We all need girls like you, Sunny,” Colin said with a grin, and I saw Mac shoot him a look that could kill.
“Speak for yourself. I want to be single as a Pringle.” Matt tossed his dish in the sink, and we all started laughing, even Mac.
“We need to go,” Mac directed, and the guys all started moving around frantically. He definitely ran this house. “I’ll catch a ride with my girl. See you guys at practice.”
Mac’s hand was on my lower back as he pushed me toward his bedroom, where all of our things were. I palmed my car keys, and we headed out, the other three guys piling in Dayton’s car at the same time.
Once I parked at school, Mac sprinted to the driver’s side and opened the door for me before helping me out. He seemed to get even sweeter with time.
As we walked on campus, holding hands, I saw the numerous glances in our direction, but they didn’t seem as mean-spirited as usual. There were no narrowed glares or snarls on faces. People simply seemed more curious than anything else.
“It’s calmer than I thought it would be,” I said as he walked me toward my building even though his class was clear on the other side of campus.
“What is?”
“Just being with you. It was pretty hellish for Danika the whole time.” I remembered all the crap she’d gotten from other girls after she started dating Chance.
“Well, I think dating a Carter is a different experience altogether.”
Mac was probably right, but I wasn’t going to admit to anything that might make him feel less than.
“I wouldn’t change a thing.”
“Me neither.” He kissed me in front of the entrance to my building. “I love you,” he said as he pulled one of the doors open and held it for me to walk through.
“I love you too,” I said before he turned around to hustle toward his own class.
Mac Davies still loved me. And I was never going to get tired of hearing him say those words to me. Ever.
End of the Semester
Mac
T
he last few weeks had flown by. Time seemed to do that once you were in a routine. Sunny and I both missed New York, which was insane because we’d barely gotten to know the place. We argued one night that maybe it was Danika and Chance that we missed and not the location. But when we both started shaking our heads at the thought, we knew we were wrong.
It was definitely both. Our best friends and the place.
I’d been dreading the semester ending since the day it’d started. I was one step closer to my last season of playing baseball at Fullton State and hopefully getting drafted. It would all come down to the next few months. I’d been working my ass off in the weight room and on the field. I’d never felt more prepared to tackle a season than I did right now. But it wasn’t all up to me, and I wasn’t sure if that made things better or worse.
Winter break also meant that I had to go back home to Arizona. And even