“Yeah, well, ever since Melanie was killed, it’s been a hundred times worse, as you know.”
“I know.” Hansen sat down in the chair across from me, his brows furrowing as his eyes scanned my face. “Do you want her to leave?”
“Yes.”
“How about before she does, we all have dinner together?” Hansen said. “You should bring Jayce, too, and his mom, if you’re up for it. She can meet Melissa.”
“You and Paisley, too,” I said with a nod. “I think that’s doable.”
“It might be easier to kick her out with some backup,” said Hansen. “We’ve got your back, Macey.”
I worked a few hours of my shift, running only two calls with Addy before I was too tired to go on anymore, too shaky to take a patient’s blood pressure. I called my mom before I left the station to go to class. I’d been missing a lot of class recently, and if it wasn’t for Jayce, I would have already failed out, I was sure.
“I’m going to have some people over for dinner,” I said when my mom answered the phone. “Jayce and his mom Melissa, if she can, and Hansen and Paisley, too.”
“Why?” she asked, the disapproval in her tone evident.
“Because they’re my friends and family and I think it would be nice to do while you’re in town,” I said, only half-lying.
“Oh, all right,” Mom said. “But I’m not cooking. You can order pizza.”
“That’s fine, Mom.”
“Are you on your way home? Are you done with work?”
“I’m done with work but I still have class. I’ll let you know when Jayce and I are on our way over this evening.”
I knew she wasn’t pleased with this answer, but I didn’t much care. She was lucky I was willing to entertain her at all, let alone with some of my closest friends and family members.
Fatigue started to overcome me once more as I left the station, and I reminded Paisley to make sure they came over tonight. As I parked the car and began to walk towards campus, a sensation of lightheadedness overcame me, and I had to stop walking, supporting myself on a tree before I fell down.
“Mace?” a familiar voice said behind me. It was Kylie, and I felt her warm hand wrap around my wrist, voice dripping with concern. “Are you okay?”
“I’m good,” I said, trying to wave her off without vomiting. “Thanks.”
“Did you go home this morning? Your mom showed up looking for you, but she said she’d call.”
“Yeah, thanks, Ky.”
“No problem. Is she staying?”
“I hope not,” I said, inhaling a deep gulp of air. I pushed myself off the tree and moved forward, fighting the nausea in my stomach. “But she might be here for a couple of days. I can tell her to get a room.”
“Don’t be silly,” Kylie said. “Things are going really well with Peter—”
The new boyfriend,I reminded myself.
“—And he already asked if I wanted to stay with him for a few days. If I do that, then your mom can have my bed or you can have my bed, if either of you want it.”
“Thanks, Ky,” I said, stopping again to catch my breath in the middle of the quad. “We’re having dinner tonight at the apartment, you and Peter are welcome to come.”
“Thanks for the invite, but we’ve got plans already.” Flashing me a smile, Kylie’s expression suddenly turned unsure. “Are you sure you’re okay, Mace? No offense, but you kind of look like shit.”
“Thanks,” I said, and Kylie flushed red.
“I didn’t mean it like that.”
“It’s okay, I know I do.” Before Kylie could respond to this, a second figure approached us, and I was relieved at once to see that it was Jayce. He spotted me and stepped up to my side, linking his arm around my waist.
