“Mack, you’re making me nervous,” Rachel sighed, watching her friend pace the waiting room.

“I’m sorry! I hate storms,” Mack replied, biting her thumbnail. She jumped at the loud clap of thunder and fell onto a nearby chair, covering her ears with her hands.

“Well, maybe looking at my ring will help you calm down?” Rachel said as she held out her free hand. Her other hand was clasped to Cal’s as if they were stuck together with glue. Cal smiled and kissed the side of her head.

“Rachel you flash that ring in my face again, I’ll bite off your finger,” Mack grumbled, lowering her hands. Rachel quickly snatched her finger back. At the sound of footsteps the girls turned their heads to look down the hall. Trace was walking back towards them, his hands shoved into his jeans pockets and an odd look was in his eyes.

“Mr. Fletcher’s with him and my parents,” he said, his voice oddly hallow. “They said they’ll stay with him so we can go. They want us to get some sleep.”

“Well, we have been here for, like, three hours,” Rachel said with a little yawn.

“Rach, it’s only been an hour,” Cal corrected her.

“Really?” She asked, looking at the clock. “Well, damn. Let’s get some ice cream on the way home, then, babe.” She said, patting Cal’s knee and then standing. “Trace, I’m sure he’s going to be fine,” she said, giving him a big hug.

“Thanks Rach,” Trace mumbled, rubbing her back. “Thanks for coming, Cal,” he added, giving Cal a one-armed hug.

“Anytime,” Cal replied with a tip of his hat.

“Call me later,” Rachel said to Mack with a small wink. Mack made a face while Cal placed his hand on the small of Rachel’s back and led her out of the hospital.

Trace ran a hand through his hair. He turned to say something when he noticed Mack was holding out her hand. “What?” Trace asked.

“Give me the keys,” she replied, wiggling her fingers.

“Why?”

“Because you’re not going to drive in this condition.”

Trace let out a little laugh. “Mack, I’m not going to drive us into a ditch.”

“You might,” she replied.

“You have a better chance of driving us into a ditch, you rabbit,” he replied. “You’re so jumpy during storms, it wouldn’t surprise me if somehow the car ended up jumpy because it knew you were in it and jumped us right over the edge of a cliff.”

“Don’t be stupid, there are no cliffs around here.”

Trace blinked. “That’s the part you decide to zero in on?” He rolled his eyes. “I’m driving.”

“Trace, say something,” Mack said as she followed him into her house. He would’ve stopped at his but he knew how freaked she got during storms. Staying at her place by herself would’ve have been a smart move so he decided to stay with her. Especially since her parents wouldn’t be home until the next day because of the bad storm.

“Do you want pizza?” He asked, walking straight into the kitchen. He heard her following him into the kitchen as he grabbed the phone and dialed a number.

“What?” She asked, lifting her eyebrows and putting her hands on her hips.

“Pizza,” he repeated. “Do you want any?”

“You want pizza at a time like this?” She asked incredulously.

“Well, we haven’t eaten practically all day,” he replied, holding the phone up to his ear. “You like the philly cheestake kind, right?”

“Juan Ayala, you put down that phone, right now!” She ordered, pointing at him and doing her best to look intimidating. He merely raised an eyebrow. When he didn’t budge she stomped over to him, grabbed the phone, and disconnected the call.

“Well, if you weren’t hungry you should’ve said so.”

“Stop avoiding the damn subject! You’re upset, why won’t you say anything about it?”

“I’m not upset,” Trace replied.

“Bull,” she instantly shot back.

“He’s getting up there in age. Something like this was bound to happen sooner or later,” he reasoned.

“You’re not doing a good job of convincing me, Trace. This has to be hurting you even a little bit.”

“Nothing hurts as much as Sam leaving,” Trace replied. And then he closed his eyes at the words that he let escape. He swore he was over her but every now and then she came back into his mind. It wasn’t fair. She’s been gone for two years, when would he be able to forget about her. “You know, you think you know someone and then they turn on you and rip your heart out, like they didn’t care about you at all. Like you didn’t even fucking matter.” He angrily slapped his palm against the wall and she flinched. “I gave her two fucking years. Two fucking years of my life and she…she leaves me for him. I…I…fuck, I was going to ask her to marry me! And then she went and got knocked up and hoped I would understand. I’ve been hurt, I think I can handle my grandfather having a fucking stroke!”

He panted heavily from his outburst. His head started to pound slightly and he did his best to calm himself down. He almost jumped at the sudden brush of fingers across his face. He hadn’t noticed that Mack had stepped closer to him. She brushed the lone tear off of his cheek. The feel of his stubble tickled her palm. She rested her hand on his cheek and lightly rubbed it, seemingly mesmerized by the way his stubble moved under her palm. He stood still, closing his eyes at her touch. It’s been too long since he let someone of the opposite gender touch him like that.

So long since Sam.

Something in his stomach stirred. It intensified when he opened his eyes and saw the way she was looking at him. He could see pity and compassion. The green in her eyes stood out more than usual.

“It’s okay to cry, you know,” she told him, snapping him out of his thoughts. She dropped her hand and he almost whimpered when cool air brushed against his skin where her hand used to be. “It’s not good to keep stuff bottled up.”

Trace forced a smirk. “Coming from the biggest hypocrite on the planet.”

“I’m not a hypocrite. I cry and stuff in private,” she replied while wagging her finger as if scolding him.

He grabbed her finger and laughed when she tried to pull it out of his grasp. She huffed and wrinkled her nose. He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to the tip of her nose. Then he tilted his head and kissed her cheek. Before he could stop himself he pressed his mouth against hers. He dropped her finger and was about to pull away but stopped when he felt her hands go to his waist and she stepped closer to him, tilting her head to deepen the kiss. He thought his heart would jump out of his chest once their bodies touched.

He brought up his hands and dug them into her hair, gently tugging at the strands that curled around his fingers as their lips moved together. A smirk formed on his lips when he felt her teeter closer. An action that caused her to pull away and look at him, annoyed.

“What’s so funny?” She asked breathlessly, her fingers going towards the buttons on his plaid button-down shirt.

“Need a lift?” He quipped, nodding at her standing on her tiptoes.

“Fine time to make fun of my height deficiency,” she mumbled, unbuttoning the last button and pushing the shirt off of his shoulders. “Damn Trace, since when do you work out?” She asked, running her hands up and down his sculpted chest.

His reply got caught in his throat when she bit down on his nipple. His cock jumped in his now suddenly-too-tight jeans. He grabbed her by the thighs and lifted her off the ground. She let out a little shriek but wrapped her legs around his lower back, holding onto him tight as he walked over to the island. He dumped her down onto the counter top and attached his lips to her neck.

“Oh god,” she moaned, digging her fingers into his hair, lightly scratching at his scalp. She tilted her head to the side, giving him move access to her bare skin. “Trace,” she breathed as his tongue brushed against her neck.

“God, I love when you say my name like that,” he growled, grasping the hem of her t-shirt and tugging it up and over her head. Her arms dropped back around his neck as their lips sought out the other. Their tongues slid against each other, as if searching through the other’s mouth. He pulled away while his fingers fumbled at the back of her bra. Her breath was hot against his cheek. Her body felt alive in ways she didn’t know possible. She liked the feeling of being in his arms, feeling safe and protected.

And needed.

Her eyes popped open at the feeling of her bra snap opening. “Wait, wait, wait,” she said, lightly pushing on Trace’s chest.

“What? Am I going too fast?” Trace asked. His voice was raspy, filled with lust.

“No, but I’m not having sex with you on my kitchen counter,” Mack replied, swallowing when he kissed her bare shoulder. “So, if you want me to take care of this…” she paused to grab at his bulge in his pants. He let out a hiss and lightly bit her shoulder. “You’ll find a better place—whoa!”

Trace lifted her up again and took the stairs two at a time. With each step her warm center rubbed against his cock through their jeans. By the time they reached his bedroom her head was spinning at the need of wanting to have him inside of her.

Trace kicked the door shut with his heel and set her down on the ground. He grunted when his back connected with the door but he didn’t complain when he felt her bare chest press up against his. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him, gently this time. Loving. Her lips moved slowly against his and he took in every caress, every touch. His hands went to the dip in her back and explored every inch of exposed, warm skin within his reach. He moved his lips to her neck while bringing his hands to her front. He squeezed her breasts and she arched her back in response, pressing against him. A gasp tumbled from her mouth when he pinched the sensitive and pebble-hard nipples.

Getting fed up; she slapped his hands out of the way and went for the button on his jeans. He grabbed her hand and stopped her. “Getting a little antsy, eh?” He asked with a teasing smile.

“You’re taking too damn long,” she replied, now going for her own button. He placed a hand on her shoulder and backed her up until the back of her knees hit the bed and she fell backward onto his dark comforter. He unbuttoned her jeans and grasped the hem, sliding them down her legs. Once they were off completely he kissed her stomach and pulled her underwear down. He stuck his finger between her slick folds and she bit her bottom lip.

“You’re wet already?” He chuckled, inserting a finger inside of her. She squirmed against his hand as he slowly pushed in and pulled out.  She felt like a warm, slick glove surrounding his digit. He pulled his finger out and she let out a whimper of disappointment, lifting herself up onto her elbows.

He fumbled to undo his belt and dropped it to the ground, where it hit with a heavy thud. He hooked his thumbs into the waist band of his jeans and boxer-briefs and tugged those down as well. His hand immediately went to his hard cock which stood at attention. “So.” He grinned down at her. “Tell me, what do you want?”

Her lip curled in annoyance as he slowly stroked himself. He knew exactly what she wanted and he knew she would be too proud to say it, beg for it even. She wanted him so badly but she didn’t want to say the words, not if she had to see that stupid smirk come to her face.

“I want you,” she practically whimpered. “Trace, please.”

He paused and pretended to think it over. “Sorry, darlin’, but that’s not good enough,” he said in his thick southern drawl. She glared at him but her eyes quickly widened and her jaw slacked when he pressed his thumb against her swollen clit. “Tell me what you want me to do to you. I want to hear you say it,” he said as he rubbed it in a circle, very slowly.

“Trace,” she hissed through clenched teeth.

“Yes?”

“God, Trace, I can’t say it!” She snarled. Her mind was swimming. She couldn’t concentrate. She needed him in her now.

“Really? You can’t? A few minutes ago you weren’t so shy about what you wanted,” he teased.

“Trace, come on!” She begged, pushing her hips into his hand.

Much as he wanted to hear her beg some more, he didn’t have any more self-control left in him. And with that he climbed on top of her and thrust himself into her. He felt her walls squeeze him as soon as he slipped in and they both let out strangled moans at the feeling of being intimate with each other. As he moved her hands went from his hair to his back to his buttocks and to his thighs, pulling his hips closer. She pulled and clawed at him, biting into his shoulders in an abandoned display of desire.

Soon he felt her body tense beneath him. He continued to push into her, trying to hold back his own climax, but it felt like swimming against a tide. He held on a bit longer before he finally came, biting hard into her shoulder. He slowly pulled out of her but rested his sweaty body ontop of hers. She gently stroked his hair as their warm breath mixed together, slowly returning to their normal breathing.

“Whoa,” Trace muttered.

Mack smirked. “That’s the only thing you can say?”

“Well, that and why didn’t we do this sooner,” he replied and kissed the side of her head.

“How much sooner are you talkin’?”

“Since we reached puberty,” he replied with a little laugh, reaching to grab at the discarded covers.

“”Cause I hated your guts.”

“And what about now?” He asked as he pulled the covers over them.

“Well—“ her response was cut in half by a loud clap of thunder. She let out a little squeak and buried her face into his chest. He smiled against the side of her head and held her close, loving the feeling of her naked body pressing against his. “Well, let’s just say you’re more useful now.”

It’s amazing how dead Trace was to the world once he was asleep. Mack practically fell out of her bed the next morning, stumbled around to find clothes, basically knocked everything over in the bathroom, and moved their clothes from downstairs into the laundry just in case her parents came back early and spotted it in the kitchen. That was one conversation she didn’t want to have with them nor wanted to talk about with anyone. Ever.

She didn’t even understand what last night meant, herself. With Justin she knew for a fact it was only because she was lonely and craved a man’s touch. With him it was basically rushing to see who could get relief first and that was it. With Trace…he was more caring about how she was feeling and paid more attention to her. She felt something different when she was in bed with him. She felt loved.

And that freaked her out.

She got a pot of coffee ready. If anything was going to wake him up it would be the strong smell of coffee. Then she could kick his ass out and try to figure out what it was exactly that she was feeling. With any luck he’d be out before her parents got home or Rachel decided to drop in unannounced like she always did.

She walked into the kitchen and grabbed the remote off of the coffee table. She clicked on the power button and had sat down for all of five seconds when MTV News popped up. Her mouth fell open at the words that were coming from the announcer’s mouth but they wouldn’t process in her head.

She jumped when her cell phone rang and she scrambled to get. She briefly checked the screen and then connected the call.

 “Justin?” She said breathlessly. She found it hard to breathe the longer she listened to the newscast.

“Mack.”

“Did you see--?” Her voice trailed off.

“Yeah,” Justin whispered.

“I can’t believe it…”

“Me either.” Justin shook his head. “I can’t believe she’s gone.”

“It’s crazy. Almost a year after—“

“Aaliyah,” the two said in unison. An eerie calm fell over the line. No one was talking on either side; they stared at the TV as the reporters droned on about the death of Left Eye. Justin’s ears buzzed. The words weren’t making sense to him at all. He couldn’t believe them. There was no way someone as energetic, driven, inspiring, and caring as Left Eye could be gone…just like that…

“Justin? You still here?”

He swallowed thickly. “Yeah.”

“J—“

“I know. I’m sorry too.”

“…only a few more days.”

“Can’t wait.”

She swore she could see him smile through the phone.

Maybe everything will work out.