A/N: Thank you for all the amazing reviews! Next chapter I'll get around to the shootouts but one in particular made my day today! IDEK thank you so much for that! This chapter has a minor Zammie and a lot of my favorite friendship. Honestly Macey and Cammie have a great friendship that really came out in the third book. So this is kind of a filler chapter but I felt it was necessary for some Macey growth. Enjoy!

Chapter 37

I was still frozen in shock. Zach was here. In Roseville! I kept staring at him in awe until his hand went on my cheek and he frowned.

"What's wrong?" I remembered what was wrong. A lot of things seemed wrong before, but now I couldn't think of anything wrong. I buried my head in his chest hugging him tightly. I heard the vibrations from his laugh and his warm lips on the top of my head. I pulled back and met his lips with mine.

"You're here!" He smiled at looked down at me.

"And you're shaking." He was already shrugging off his coat and draping it on my shoulders but I was already feeling warmer.

"Why are you here? I thought you were in Maine?" He slung his arm over my shoulder and pulled me towards the door.

"Well it seems Jonas had prior plans down in Alabama that he forgot to mention." I slowed my pace to a stop.

"Alabama? How could he not tell you he was leaving for Alabama?" He took my hand and pulled me towards the door again.

"I asked him that too. He told me he already thought I would be down here so he made plans with Liz." I slammed to a halt just outside the door.

"Liz? My Liz?"

"Seems so. Come on inside. I'll tell you the whole story when you warm up." He ushered me the rest of the way inside and in front of the fireplace. The one I was just sitting at with a very different guy. I reluctantly sat down hoping I could replace those moments with better ones.

He was sitting in silence just looking at the party around him. I couldn't take how casual he was being after dumping a bomb of information on me. I scooted closer to him and smacked his chest. He flinched and looked at me.

"Liz and Jonas?" I cried.

"So Jonas likes Liz a lot. They've been talking since we introduced them but them being them both are too shy to actually make a move. She mentioned how she spends New Year's Eve with her parents and a lightbulb went off in his head to go down, surprise her and actually ask her to be his girlfriend." My jaw was on the ground. Jonas was driving all the way to Alabama just to make Liz his girlfriend. I felt my phone buzz and I saw Liz texted in the roommate message.

Guys you won't believe this! Jonas is here!

"Looks like he just got there too."

"I guess we'll be hearing by the end of the night then." I was happy for them. They really were a perfect couple. I tried my hardest to be happy for them but a touch of envy entered my thoughts. Jonas traveled all that way for a girl he has barely seen just to make her his girlfriend. And here was Zach sitting here in front of me and we weren't really anything other than friends who kissed sometimes. That thought troubled me but that seemed to be a recurring thing when I was at this fireplace.

"Wait how did Jonas make it to Alabama the same time you made it here?" I saw a small blush on his cheeks and he avoided eye contact.

"Well, you see I made it to Roseville about two hours ago, but I didn't know the party was here. So I stopped by Gallagher and I found your mom instead." I covered my face with my hands and groaned.

"Oh no no no. That's not how I wanted you to meet her. What happened?" He had a timid smile.

"She's a lovely woman. Had a lot of questions. Well, her and Abby." I dropped my hands and my eyes felt like they were going to fall out of my head.

"Abby was there too?" He shook his head.

"Not physically. But after a few minutes your mom Facetimed her and they had a ball." Oh no. He's about to sprint out of here. Or tell me my family was too insane and this could never work. All I could think of doing was gripping his hand and begging him to forgive my mom and crazy aunt.

"I am so sorry. I hope they didn't scare you off. Oh my god I'm so sorry." He shut me up with a kiss and his hand rested on my back pulling me closer. I melted into the kiss and when he pulled back I was craving more.

"I'm still here." And I was glad he was.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Macey rushing towards me with Preston in tow.

"Cams! I need to talk to you!" She looked urgent and excited.

"Hey Macey." Zach stole her attention for a brief second. She looked at him and then us and a small smile crossed her face.

"Hi Zach. Glad you could make it." She snapped back to me. "Come on Cams." She dragged me away from Zach before stopping in front of Preston and kissing him lightly.

"You remember Zach. Go talk to him for a minute." She nudged him in Zach's direction and pulled me the opposite way. She didn't slow down when we heard a plate shattering, she just pulled me quickly into her room and shut the door.

"Zach's here?" She leaned against the door as to make sure no one would be barging in.

"Yeah. He drove down when Jonas said he was going to see Liz." She shook her head astounded.

"Liz and Jonas too? Love is in the air. Did you talk about what you are?" I bit my lip and looked away.

"Not yet. He just got here."

"Well tonight should be a good night for it. Start off the new year right." She wiggled her eyebrows at me.

"So is that the only reason you dragged me away from the boy, who just drove ten hours and had to talk to my mother for two hours, on the fireplace?" She shook her head.

"So remember last year how I tried talking you out of sleeping with Josh and all?" How could I forget?

"Are you trying to tell me the same thing for Zach because honestly Macey that wasn't even on my mind."

"I wasn't talking about you but good to know that's on your mind. I was wondering what you would say to me on that situation with Preston." I had to look at her to figure out if she was serious. She still had that urgent and excited look in her eyes but it was mixed with a slight fidgeting.

"Macey are you asking if I think it would be okay if you slept with Preston?" She looked away sheepishly.

"Well I just want to know if it's a good idea. I mean we've been dating almost two months and I really like him. A lot. But I want to know if I'm being careless."

"Macey, you're a big girl now. I think you know if this is a good decision or not."

"You're right."

"If it helps, you aren't the careless teenager everyone thinks you are. You've grown up since last year. I think you know that." She cracked a smile and I saw her eyes getting misty.

"No, I'm not. This whole relationship thing is just so new to me and I don't know how to handle it. It's not like I've had a very good model." She tried to joke but it fell flat. She slid down the door and curled her knees to her chest. I sat right next to her.

"What's really bothering you?" She kept fiddling with her hands.

"I don't think I'm cut out for the whole love thing." A snort came out of my mouth.

"Macey how could you say that? You can't just decide the whole love thing isn't for you."

"It's not for me. I wouldn't know what love is if it slapped me in the face. For all I know love is just not arguing or not having to wonder if he's having an affair. It's holding his hand in public and throwing it away as soon as the doors are closed." She was shouting and the ice was breaking. "I don't know if anyone has ever loved me." The ice broke and a whole damn of tears was unleashed. I threw my arm around her shoulder and hugged her tightly.

"Don't say that. You have shit parents. Don't let them think that you can't be loved. I love you, Macey." She shook her head in my shoulder.

"That's not the same."

"And why not? You're my best friend and I care about your well being. I don't think my life would be the same without you being in it and I'm glad you are. And Liz and Bex feel the same way. We're your family that will always love you." The sobbing calmed and she was taking shuddered breaths.

"And I think Preston is head over heels for you."

"Really?"

"Absolutely. He adores you. I'm surprised he hasn't told you yet. It's obvious that he loves you and I think you love him too." She pulled away and gave a half smile.

"I won't be my parents."

"You don't have to be. That doesn't have to be a normal for you." I heard her sniffle and she wiped her eyes, effectively leaving a streak of black eyeliner across her temple. She leaned her head on my shoulder and took a deep calming breath.

"Are you gonna be okay?" She gave a broken laugh but I saw her smile.

"I have a boyfriend who probably loves me. My shit parents approve because that gives the Senator a link with Governer Winters. It could be worse.." I gave her hand a squeeze before climbing off the floor.

"You're Macey McHenry. You'll find your own way of being in a relationship that will outshine everyone else. Now I'm going to go back out there to Zach if you're okay."

"Yes. Go talk to him! Make a decision already."

"I've made my decision. I just hope he feels the same." I checked my makeup in the mirror to make sure there weren't any streaks of mascara. One last adjustment on my strapless dress to hoist it up and I felt ready for this conversation. I turned to Macey for a final vote of confidence.

"How do I look?" She looked me up and down, taking in every inch of fabric to look for imperfections.

"Like all the single girls out there will hate you. And some that are in a relationship." I rolled my eyes.

"I'm going to need you to stop dressing me if all girls are going to hate me."

"You'll get used to it. Now go get him. He would be stupid not to want you." I felt the confidence you can only get from your best friend radiating through me. I walked high in my heels toward the door.

"Oh Cams." I paused and look at Macey. "I love you."

"I love you too Macey." A peculiar look crossed her face.

"You know. You are the first person I think I really told that to. I wanted to make sure my first was someone that wouldn't leave."

"You couldn't get rid of me if you tried." She didn't have any nervous fidgeting anymore. She sank into her cool and confident attitude, but I could see a happiness that wasn't there before.

"Happy New Year Macey."