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“We were dealing with our own loss—”
“We were all dealing with that loss and instead of facing it together, you told us to get over it. We fell apart because we lost someone we love.” Em said, clearing her throat. “We refuse to stop speaking about him because we want his memory to stay alive. But that doesn’t mean we didn’t handle his death as well as we could.”
Rachel shifted on her feet, but held her chin up. “Be that as it may, when Mac inevitably leaves, the two of you won’t be able to handle it.”
My mouth dropped open. I had no words for her. This was how they handled everything when we were growing up. If they thought we couldn’t handle something, they’d shut us down before ever letting an idea take flight.
I wanted to say something, anything. Em had gotten the brunt of this mindset way worse when we were younger and, at the time, I didn’t know what to do. It seemed like not much had changed in that department. I wanted to protect her and to set them straight, but I didn’t know how.
“I’m not leaving them,” Mac said, emerging from the room. His arms were loaded with our bags and my heart grew five sizes at the sight of him. “I am leaving this lake house, though. All three of us are.”
Normally, I didn’t enjoy being bossed around by anyone, especially Mac Savage, but that was one of the hottest things I’d ever seen him do. That was why the three of us needed each other. I didn’t know how to help Em in that situation, but Mac swooped in and rescued both of us.
Like lovesick puppies, Em and I followed him out the door and to our car without turning around to see the inevitably gawking faces we’d left in our wake.
Ava ran out, waving us down before we pulled out of the driveway.
Em got out, and I rolled the window down.
“I’m sorry it ended up like this. I wouldn’t have asked you to come—”
“It’s them. Not you,” Mac said.
“Still, I wanted the three of you to know I’m thrilled for you.”
Em pulled her cousin into a tight hug. “Thanks, Ava.”
We said our goodbyes and Em slipped back in the car.
“What a frustrating trip,” she said, frowning at me in the rearview mirror. “We didn’t really resolve anything.”
“We said enough.” I reached for her hand.
“Will they ever accept us?”
Mac reached for her other hand and kissed the back of it, careful to avoid her bandage. “I’m not sure, but I’m not going anywhere.”
“I know.” A soft smile stayed on her lips as her eyes fluttered shut and we left the lake house behind us in a cloud of dust.
Chapter Twenty
Emily
“That feels so good,” Mac moaned as I held the shower head over his shoulders.
“Scrubbing the lake house off feels good,” I added. “Sometimes I forget how stressful they all are.”
“I get why Bardot is cranky all the time—”
“I can hear you,” Bash called from outside the shower.
“Good,” Mac said, grinning at me. “You need to get those fuckers out of your system.”
I tilted my head and Mac stroked my chin with his wet hand.
“Your parents are miserable people. Let’s forget about them and do whatever weird shit they’re going to make us do at the retreat. Maybe it’ll be mushrooms and we can have a therapy session—I know I need it after being around them for a day.”
“Imagine a lifetime,” Bash muttered.
