Page 92 of Mac Meyers Needs Me

“Are Gage and Brody home?” Fee asks as I grab her overnight bag from the trunk.

“Gage took his sister to the aquarium tonight.”

“Seriously, when did he become so sweet?”

“His hormones were overriding his nice-guy buttons for a while, but now that his sister is on campus, he’s like…settling down a bit, I guess? Her boyfriend broke up with her two days ago and she’s pretty heartbroken, so he canceled his plans and took her out instead.”

“One day, some girl will see the truth behind the I’m-going-to-bone-my-way-through-university façade and recognize him for what he really is.”

“He’s a stand-up guy,” I agree. “He really wanted to tune the guy up, but his sister was adamant that he not potentially ruin his future career with an assault charge.”

“That’s legit, and honestly in this case, it’s the thought that counts.”

“True, plus taking her to the aquarium is a lot more rewarding with far fewer consequences.”

I open the door and usher Fee inside. Brody left a note on the message board. He’s spending the night at his brother’s.

Fee grabs my hand and pulls me up the stairs. “Come on, I have a surprise for you.”

I quirk a brow. “In my bedroom?”

“Yup.”

“Is it sexy lingerie?”

“It’s better.” Fee throws open the door and leaps across to where an art-canvas-shaped gift is propped against the side of my bed, wrapped in gold paper and tied with a maroon bow.

“How did you get this here?”

“Brody helped. He picked it up from the studio and brought it here after you came to pick me up.” She does an excited knee bend. “You should open it.”

I cross the room and peel off the bow, sticking it on top of my head.

Fee snaps a pic and does a hip shimmy. “Unwrap it!”

“You’re really excited about this, aren’t you?”

“How can you tell?”

I grin and carefully peel the tape free, and the wrapping paper falls away, revealing the art beneath. The canvas has been divided into three sections across the top, almost like a comic strip. On the left is me and the guys in startling detail, standing in our kitchen, laughing and smiling, the middle frame is me on the ice, preparing to take a shot, and the far right is me with my arms wrapped around Fee. Each frame is a different color gradient, the left being blue, the middle pink, and the right green.

Underneath is the sketch Fee started here, in my bedroom, fully rendered in incredible, painstaking detail, right down to the tiny scar through my left eyebrow and the one in the center of my chin, from my bottom teeth cutting through when I fell playing street hockey as a kid. I’ll forever associate this piece of art with that night that marked another first for us, and now it’s connected to this special night.

“This is incredible, Fee. When did you have time to finish it?”

“Last night.”

“You have so many other things on the go, though.”

“It was the fun piece I worked on in my spare time, and I wasn’t sad about drawing or rendering you.”

“I love it.” I wrap her up in a hug. Everything about tonight feels right. I pull back and brush her hair over her shoulders. “I need to tell you something important.”

“Sure. Okay.” She links her fingers behind my neck. “You can tell me anything, Mac.”

She's my best friend, my teammate, the one person I can share everything with. “I love you, Ophelia.”

Her eyes flare, and then soften, along with her smile. “I love you, too, Mac.”