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Chapter 14
Cord
Just having her hand in mine makes a sense of peace wash over me. I know it makes no sense. Macy is all chaos and noise, but to me, she’s my serenity. My calm. My tranquility. She’s everything I need to feel like my head isn't spinning in a circle all day long.
“So, do you like it here so far?” I glance down at the only woman I’ve ever cared about and try not to get too excited about this. I need to remember all of this is fake right now. If I can't convince her to give me a real shot, this might be the best I ever have.
“I mean it’s only been a few hours, but I know I'm going to love working with your dad. He’s always been one of my favorite people.” A sweet smile crosses her features, lighting up her entire face. It’s real and natural, something she doesn’t show a lot of people.
That’s the thing about Macy Hayes, she’s this loud, in your face person, but that’s all an act. She does it to protect herself and I swear she learned it from her sister-in-law. They’re so similar it’s scary.
But the real Macy is soft spoken and sweet. She loves cuddling and talking into the wee hours of the night. She wants to feel like she’s the most important person in the world to someone, though she’ll never admit that to anyone.
“I swear if that man had to pick between the two of us, he’d pick you. I couldn’t tell you how many times I’ve been told I'm an idiot for letting you walk away.” I shake my head and continue leading us towards the restaurant.
When Dad renovated the clubhouse, he put an entire restaurant in for players and staff. The cooks know what diets we’re on and make our food accordingly. They even have specific menus for each player, and a massive menu for everyone else to choose from. They know our likes and dislikes too.
“Cord…” Macy pauses mid stride and tugs on my hand. I spin around to face her and take in her furrowed brow and an adorable frown on her lips.
“What’s wrong?”
“Did that seriously happen?”
“What?”
“Owen got upset we ended things?”
“Of course he was upset. He loves you like a daughter.”
“But he was mad you let me go?” She’s staring at a spot on my chest, not wanting to meet my gaze. I get it, this is a hard conversation to have.
“He wasn’t mad, but he was definitely disappointed. He told me I should’ve fought harder to keep you and I should’ve done more to make you feel wanted and cherished.” I grip the back of my neck and rub it uncomfortably. I don’t want to talk about our time together like this. “My mom almost walked away from him for the same reason. I think it hit a little too close to home for him,” I say softly.
“I'm so sorry,” she whispers, throwing herself into my arms. A soft sniffle fills the air, breaking my heart.
“Hey, stop it, Mace. You have no reason to be sorry.”
I understand she’s the one who ended things, but she shouldn’t be sorry for doing what makes her happy. If being with me was causing her stress and making her miserable, she made the right move. It doesn’t matter how I feel about it. At the end of the day, all I’ve ever wanted is to make her as happy as possible.
“I caused a strain in your relationship with him. I never wanted that. I didn’t think about any of this until Charlie talked to me about Wyatt and everything he suffered through after they broke up. And it’s not just your relationship with Owen that was strained. I made things awkward for you and Cici. I hate that. I hate how I handled everything.”
“Baby, stop.” I hold her tightly against my chest, wishing I could take away all of her worries. “Don’t worry about any of that. My relationships are fine now.”
Resting my chin on the top of her head, I close my eyes and let my thoughts wander to how many times I’ve held her like this over the years. I truly believed I had the rest of my life with her, then she walked away.
Making her my fake girlfriend does protect her from the comments and looks she’d typically receive from the guys, but it’s also my chance to remind her of how good we were together. I’m hoping I can convince her to give me another shot, but I'm not holding my breath. You can't convince Macy to do anything she doesn’t want to.
“I’m still sorry,” she whispers as she takes a step back and I release her from my arms.
“Well, then you can make it up to me by coming to Sunday dinner. Mom would be thrilled to have you there, and obviously Cici would love to hang out. When you’re there, Dad picks on you and leaves her alone.” I chuckle.
“I can handle the hotter Powell.” A slow grin spreads across her face as she swipes at the last bit of moisture in her eyes.
“Sweetheart, if you keep calling him the hotter Powell, you’re going to give me a complex.” I take her hand again and lead her towards the restaurant.
When we enter, I don’t bother sitting with any of the guys at the long tables in the center of the room. I lead Macy to the right, where there are a handful of booths that provide more privacy.
We pass by a booth with Charlie and Wyatt talking quietly. I nod my head at them, but keep walking. I know they’d invite us to eat lunch with them, but I really want to spend some time alone with Macy.
