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 getthe 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.”
