Chapter 29
Twenty-Nine
“You’re here!” Lily jumped up from her chair and ran straight at Mae. “Oh my goodness, I’ve missed you!”
“Why didn’t you just tell me you want me to come this week? You know I would have.” Mae asked.
“No, you wouldn’t. You would have come up with some excuse to delay so that you were only here for the ceremony and the baby shower.
That won’t do. I can’t celebrate all this…
” Her hand waved around at their friends, laughing and busy moving around the room.
“Without you. You’re the original glue, Mae. We aren’t the same without you.”
“Don’t make me cry. I just got back.”
“Right, right! Come on, no tears. Let’s get you over to everyone. Gia’s out helping grill, but I’m sure she’ll be back in a sec.”
Lily looped her arm through Mae’s and she already knew her friend wouldn’t be letting go anytime soon.
“Oh, Lacy! Look at you!” Mae’s eyes bounced from her friend's slightly rounded face down to her hugely rounded belly. Lacy smiled from the recliner and gave a little wave.
“You’re going to have to bend over and give me a hug. This little girl is pressing right on my sciatic nerve and Nash is being a worrywart about me moving around.”
“I heard that!” Nash turned around from where he was talking to Gunner. “You almost fell yesterday from the pain. I’m not taking any chances. You’re going to sit there like a good girl with the heating pad on your back and if you do, I’ll reward you tonight.”
“Promises, promises… You and Gunner need to scoot on out of here. Go. Let the women folk talk without fear of you butting in.” Lacy rolled her eyes, but sank back just a little more into the chair. Mae bent over and gave her a gentle squeeze before moving to hug Sloane, who was sitting on the sofa.
“You and Nash are still so cute together. I can’t get over how beautiful you look, Lacy. Pregnancy suits you.”
She huffed. “Hopefully having a newborn suits me, too. I’m beyond ready to have her here. But not until after next week. She’s staying inside until we get through Lily and Gunner’s big day. And even then, she needs to cook a little more.”
“I’m sure she’ll behave,” Lily laughed.
“Have you guys settled on a name? I know the last time I called you were still arguing…”
“Nash wants to name her Camilla, and I’m going to cave, but I like to give him a hard time, you know?”
“Why Camilla? Is that a family name?” Mae asked.
“No. Her middle name is going to be Nadine, though, after his grandmother. I got to choose that.”
“So, he just likes Camilla?”
“Actually, it’s for Embrie. Because she has a cheese nickname with ‘Brie’. Nash wants to be able to call Camilla ‘Cami’… a nod to Camembert.”
“Stop. It.” Lily sighed. “Oh my god, that’s adorable.”
“Brie loves it.” Lacy winced and shifted her hips, trying to reach back to grab the heating pad.
Mae took a second to help her get everything situated.
“Thanks for the help,” she sighed. “Honestly, I love how he put so much thought into keeping the joke with Embrie alive for this little one, too. It’ll always be their special thing with their dad… even if it is extremely…”
“Cheesy?” Mae laughed.
“Exactly.” Lacy wiped at her eyes. “And here I am crying over it.”
“It’s really sweet,” Sloane cooed as she laid her hand on Lacy’s arm.
“Alright you.” Mae pointed at Sloane. “While we let Lacy gather herself…. Let. Me. See. It.”
Sloane smiled, holding her left hand out to Mae.
“I still can’t believe he proposed to me while my family was here visiting. It’s been so wonderful having them back in my life, and to know Gage put in so much time to make sure they were included…” Sloane sighed. “He really is just the perfect man for me.”
“It’s perfect. The ring. The proposal. I know we have a wedding to celebrate next week, but I’m just as excited for the day I get to come back to celebrate the two of you.”
Sloane’s brows pulled together. “Come back?”
Mae’s smile fell. “I didn’t mean… but I don’t think I can stay. I want to see him. Feel his arms around me again. Tell him I’ve missed him beyond words. I’ve played the moment over and over again in my mind. But what if I’m not ready?”
“Will you ever truly be ready?” Lily asked. “After so much time, it almost becomes too easy to not fight for what you want.”
“I know I’ve missed so much…”
“Life keeps moving,” Lacy said, her hand running circles over her belly.
If life moved the way it was supposed to, Mae’s baby would be in her arms. She swallowed the bitter taste in her mouth, not aimed at her friend and the happiness she was radiating, but just at how differently she knew her life would be if things had worked out another way.
Mae cleared her throat. “It hasn’t for me.”
“There’s another person here who probably feels the same way.” Lily’s hand squeezed Mae’s arm.
She heard the door to the balcony slide open.
Mae forced herself not to look up when he walked into the apartment, stopping dead in his tracks the second his eyes landed on her.
Don’t do it, Mae. She refused to turn towards him as she felt his gaze heat her skin for moments so long it felt like an eternity.
It was so stupid! Why was she acting like that? God, she wanted to run right over to Stone, wrap her arms around him and never let go! To ask him how he’s been. If he was healthy. If he was happy.
But when she turned to look over her shoulder, when she stood to make her move, her eyes landed on empty space. He was gone. Just like that.
Poof.
And in his place was Gia.
Oh, God. She was out helping him grill.
“Mae?” Sloane’s voice held the same amount of tension that was currently holding Mae’s body together.
“Give me one second. I just need some air.”
Sloane nodded, and Mae knew if anyone would understand, it would be her. “We’ll keep everyone distracted.”
“Just flash that ring around and you can hypnotize them.”
“Hey, Mae! It’s so great to see you again.” Gunner’s sister Gia smiled as Mae passed her.
“You too. Excuse me for just a second, okay?”
Oh fuck.
She was back.
She was there in Sloane and Gage’s apartment and no one had thought to tell him. To warn him. To give him some fucking time to wrap him mind around the idea of being in the same room as her again.
Stone’s eyes immediately found Mae in the room. Her hair was longer, and she looked healthy. Truly. The last time he’d seen her, the dark circles under her eyes had broken his heart. But they weren’t there any more. And she’d gained back some of the weight that the stress had stolen from her.
Powdered doughnuts.
A little spark of hope ignited in his chest that maybe, just maybe, she’d been indulging in the afternoon treats he was sending her each day. She’d never been able to resist a powdered doughnut and an iced coffee. Not in all the years that he’d known her.
Mae was radiant. Everyone had gathered there to celebrate Lily and Gunner, and yet, Stone couldn’t imagine how all of the attention wasn’t on her. She was perfect. He watched as her head tipped back, her mouth curved into a smile and she laughed at something Sloane had said.
Seeing the girls all back together pulled at something deep inside his chest. He’d known they still talked. But there was a Mae-shaped piece missing from their hearts. And he’d caused that.
There were always plans, in the back of his mind, to talk to her when she came back for the ceremony. But a year had passed, and even though he told himself to be patient and went over what he wanted to say every day in his mind, he knew he couldn’t wait another goddamn day.
“Is she seeing anyone?” Stone stormed into the kitchen where Hawk was grabbing a beer.
“Thanks, Hawk. For making Wings fly all the way to get the love of my life, when his wife is only a few weeks away from giving birth… so that I can stop putting off seeing her and finally have a conversation with the woman I love.” Hawk’s voice was an octave higher than usual and he kept batting his eyes at Stone.
“Yeah, thanks. Is. She. Seeing. Anyone?”
Hawk laughed. “I didn’t ask. And she didn’t say. So, I guess, if you want to know for yourself, you better go talk to her.”
“She doesn’t want that. Mae won’t even look at me. She kept her face turned away from me the minute I walked through that fucking door.”
“What did you tell me when she first left?”
Stone sighed, opening the fridge and pulling out a beer for himself. He popped the top off the bottle and took a sip.
“It doesn’t mean her rejection still doesn’t sting.”
“What did you tell me?”
Stone ground his molars together. “That I would wait.”
“How long?”
“It didn’t matter.”
“Right. You said it didn’t matter how long she needed.
That you’d work your whole life to make things right.
And you have. Jesus Christ. The way you’ve given her space for nearly a year.
I couldn’t do it. But that’s just it. You didn’t do what was easy for you.
You didn’t put your needs in front of hers.
Everything you’ve done this last year… the schooling, the therapy, the renovations, the leadership roles at work, everything has been to shape you into the version of the man you wanted to be for her.
You’re there, Doc. So go talk to my sister and help fix this broken family. ”
The air in November was always one of her favorite things about the season. Especially in Silver Springs. It was so crisp. She could almost taste the ice in the air, even though it was still above the temperature that any ice or snow would form.
Still, she wrapped her arms around herself, reaching up to dust away the tear leaking from the corner of her eye. If there was only one thing Mae wanted, it was to never cry again.
Good grief! She had never been an overly emotional person, but the way the last year broke her and stitched her back together, Mae feared her newfound sensitivities might be a part of her forever.
“Michaela.”
The lump in her throat made it hard to answer.
Mae loosened her locked knees and forced herself to turn around.
There was no reason they couldn’t be friendly towards each other.
The love she had for him, the feelings that made her chest ache and her heart go into overdrive, could be pushed down.
Turned into something that worked platonically if he had moved on.
“Sully.”
His lips tipped up in a smirk. God, he looked incredible.
His eyes were clear, his skin still deliciously tanned and smooth.
Stone was clearly letting his facial hair grow in, a well-kept beard now in the place where his five o’clock shadow had always grown.
It suited him. And Mae couldn’t help but wonder what it would feel like for him to kiss her with all that facial hair.
She’d normally giggle against the stubble, and tease that she didn’t like the scruff…
Her eyes dropped down his body. Oh hell, she would have sworn he wasn’t that fit when she’d left last year. He must be working out more.
Stone took another step towards her, raising his hand as if he wanted to touch her to make sure she was real. And god, she wished he would.
“How are you? How have you been?” Mae blurted out, trying to take a step back. But damn, she was already up against the railing.
“I’m okay.”
“Your head? Are you—”
“All better.” He chuckled, taking a step closer. “Maybe not all better. But the therapist I’ve been seeing now for about… yeah, ten months… he’s a nice guy, and he’s helped put a lot of things into perspective.”
“Perspective is good.” Stone took another step towards her, and her breath hitched.
“Yeah.”
She cleared her throat. “And physically? You’re okay?”
“Yeah.” Another step. He was close enough now that if she gave in, if she launched herself at him, he would no doubt catch her. Was that what she wanted? To be held in his arms again? Who was she trying to fool? Of course it was!
“Have you been seeing anyone?” she whispered, terrified of the answer he was about to give her.
But he just sighed. “No, Michaela.” He pressed his lips up close to her ear. “It’s always been you. It will always be you. I’ll wait my whole life for you to come back to me. I’ll wait into eternity if that’s the time you need.”
He swept his lips across her cheek, so light she couldn’t be sure she hadn’t imagined the touch. And then Stone turned, heading back to the door.
Just as his hand reached out to the handle, he stopped.
“I’m really happy you’re back. Whether it’s just for this week leading up to the vow renewal or back forever, I’m glad you’re here.”