Status: Contest entry, let me know what you think!
Family Is All It Takes
Chapter 19
“Okay,” Mac breathed a sigh of relief. “I’ll call you later.” Hanging up, she let her hands drop to her sides. In less than 24 hours, she and Jake would be in North Carolina with Jordan and Heather. Everything would be okay.
But what would she do about Brandon? She couldn’t just walk away. Mac wasn’t that type of girl.
As if she had spoken aloud, her questions were answered.
“You’re just going to leave?”
Turning around, Mac came face-to-face with Brandon.
Not sure of how the words would come out, she just nodded.
“How can you do that?” he asked. “After everything that’s happened?”
“That’s just it,” Mac said as more tears spilled over. “After everything that’s happened, I just can’t deal with it.”
“You can’t hide from it,” Brandon shook his head and grasped her hands in his. “I can’t let you leave.”
“You have to.”
“No,” he insisted. “I don’t.”
Mac looked at him with tear filled eyes and trembling lips.
“What about everything your family did for you?” he reminded her. “Hmm? What about them?”
“They’ll understand,” she countered, trying to convince herself and Brandon. “I know they will. They’re family, after all.”
“Exactly!” he said. “What would you do for yours?”
“Anything,” Mac said breathlessly. “Family is everything, you know that.”
“Then you can’t leave them after everything they did putting this together,” Brandon told her firmly. “We all just defended you.”
“And I’m so grateful,” Mac assured him. “I’ll be back eventually. You just have to give me a chance to think my life out.”
“And why can’t you do that here?”
“Because I feel suffocated!” Mac admitted. “Okay? I feel like my mom is just waiting for me to slip up. And you know what? I have! I’ve fucked it all up so bad, B.”
“Then I’ll back off!” he told her. “Just stay here. Stay here so I know that you’re safe.”
“I’ll be safe,” Mac shook her head slowly. “I’ll be with Jordan and Heather and everyone in Carolina. I won’t be wandering.”
“Don’t leave,” Brandon said quietly. “Please.”
Mac looked at him sadly. “I have to, B. It’s what’s best for me and Jake.”
Brandon couldn’t find words to express what was going through his mind. He just nodded, knowing continuing to try and reason with Mac was futile.
Mac stood up on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek. “Try and forget about me, B. It would be best for you.”
Brandon silently watched her walk away into the cold air of Pittsburgh to her car. There was nothing he could do.
But there was one thing he could say.
“I love you.”
But what would she do about Brandon? She couldn’t just walk away. Mac wasn’t that type of girl.
As if she had spoken aloud, her questions were answered.
“You’re just going to leave?”
Turning around, Mac came face-to-face with Brandon.
Not sure of how the words would come out, she just nodded.
“How can you do that?” he asked. “After everything that’s happened?”
“That’s just it,” Mac said as more tears spilled over. “After everything that’s happened, I just can’t deal with it.”
“You can’t hide from it,” Brandon shook his head and grasped her hands in his. “I can’t let you leave.”
“You have to.”
“No,” he insisted. “I don’t.”
Mac looked at him with tear filled eyes and trembling lips.
“What about everything your family did for you?” he reminded her. “Hmm? What about them?”
“They’ll understand,” she countered, trying to convince herself and Brandon. “I know they will. They’re family, after all.”
“Exactly!” he said. “What would you do for yours?”
“Anything,” Mac said breathlessly. “Family is everything, you know that.”
“Then you can’t leave them after everything they did putting this together,” Brandon told her firmly. “We all just defended you.”
“And I’m so grateful,” Mac assured him. “I’ll be back eventually. You just have to give me a chance to think my life out.”
“And why can’t you do that here?”
“Because I feel suffocated!” Mac admitted. “Okay? I feel like my mom is just waiting for me to slip up. And you know what? I have! I’ve fucked it all up so bad, B.”
“Then I’ll back off!” he told her. “Just stay here. Stay here so I know that you’re safe.”
“I’ll be safe,” Mac shook her head slowly. “I’ll be with Jordan and Heather and everyone in Carolina. I won’t be wandering.”
“Don’t leave,” Brandon said quietly. “Please.”
Mac looked at him sadly. “I have to, B. It’s what’s best for me and Jake.”
Brandon couldn’t find words to express what was going through his mind. He just nodded, knowing continuing to try and reason with Mac was futile.
Mac stood up on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek. “Try and forget about me, B. It would be best for you.”
Brandon silently watched her walk away into the cold air of Pittsburgh to her car. There was nothing he could do.
But there was one thing he could say.
“I love you.”
♠ ♠ ♠
Sorry it's short! I just needed to affirm the fact that she was leaving and that he loved her. The next chapter won't be very much. It's just going to focus on Mac in Carolina and then the chapter after it'll take place in Pittsburgh. So yeah. Let me know what's on your minds, lovelies!