A/N: hello folks! god, what a world we are living in. everything is just...a burning dumpster fire. in avoiding the internet as a whole the last few days, I've spent a lot of time finishing up this chapter instead.
I just want to say thank you, as usual, to everyone who has read and supported this story and Mackenzie & Nate's journey in the last year. I started posting The Chase over a year ago and look where we are! Thank you to everyone who reviewed last chapter, too: Purplestan, Jess, Rebelspy023, Gingerandspice1, Rachem and my B geminibbyy. Ya'll motivate me more than anything! much love.
Now, before you read this chapter, I want to say I'm very nervous about it. I set this one up a bit differently. Each part isn't exactly chronological but, all these pieces of the story come together by the end! If it's in italics, it happened earlier in the week. If it's not in italics, it's happening on the Saturday. I think it's easy enough to follow but I'm worried! I always want to challenge myself as a writer, even in this FF realm, so I had an idea for this chapter and decided to run with it. Let me know what you think!
I was inspired by chapter 5 of The Chase, actually. Feels like forever ago I wrote that but it gave me the idea to frame this chapter with these different scenes from different moments of the week. Ahh, anyway.
And bonus mini cameo of some faces from geminibbyy's gilded. You guys are all reading that too, right? You should be!
Okay, here we go!
Saturday, 11:45 PM - Brooklyn
Mackenzie stumbled towards the door of her apartment building, cursing to herself about the stupid heels Jenny convinced her were so perfect for her outfit.
Her outfit, which she only wore to ensure she would coordinate with Nate at the Spectator Holiday party. The party she didn't even end up going to. The party she couldn't even get into because, despite their half-assed attempt at making up, Nate had removed her from the guest list. She leaned against the railing on the stairwell once she was inside, reaching down and yanking the heels off her feet.
She balanced the heels in her right hand as she started up the stairs, fishing around in her small purse for her buzzing phone. She pulled it out, hoping to see Nate's name but instead, it was her sister.
"Hey Jen," she mumbled as she tucked the phone between her ear and shoulder. "I'm finally home."
"What took you so long? You left here three hours ago. I really laid it into Nate about the guest list, by the way, although he was playing dumb about the whole thing."
"If he was really concerned, he could call me," Mackenzie said simply, slowly getting up to the top landing and waiting outside the loft door. "I met up with Viv for a bit. She soothed my pain with a few cocktails."
"Are you okay?" Jenny's voice was laced with concern at her sister's tone. "I'm worried about you, Mack."
"I'll be fine. I just.." She reached for the door and keyed in her code, only to twist it and find the door still open. "Shit. How did I not lock this before we left earlier?" Mackenzie sighed and pushed open the door, dropping her heels to the ground as she glanced around the room.
"What the fuck?" Mackenzie's eyes grew wide when she saw someone across the apartment. "Jen, let me call you back."
"Mack, what's going on?"
"There's s-
Mackenzie looked down at her phone as the call seemed to suddenly drop. She looked back up and found herself face to face with the intruder, standing opposite her at the edge of Mackenzie's bedroom door. Her arms were full of Mackenzie's things, eyes wide.
"Maya, what are you doing in here?"
Five days earlier (Monday Night) - Upper West Side
The minute Mackenzie slipped into the backseat of a cab outside of Nate's apartment building, a wave of regret washed over her. Maybe she had overreacted about the earring. It truly wasn't in Nate's nature to betray her in any way. But she couldn't get over how he omitted the fact that Taylor had been over at his apartment in the first place.
Maybe it was female intuition but Mackenzie had felt uncomfortable about Taylor for a long time. She hated playing the jealous girlfriend but what else was she supposed to do?
And the shit he said in the hallway...
She muttered her address out to the cab driver just as her phone was buzzing with a call from Nate. She sent him straight to her voicemail and squeezed her eyes shut. Maybe she shouldn't have rushed away and maybe she should hear Nate out. But the more and more she thought about those options, the more her brain raced. It felt like the world around her was somehow moving in slow motion and hyperspeed at the same time.
By the time she got back to the loft, exhaustion hit her. She cried herself to sleep, yet again. And part of her started to wonder: was this whole thing with Nate worth it if they couldn't be honest with each other anymore?
Nate followed Mackenzie down towards the elevator, trying to reason with her. He laid out an apology over and over, anger slowly building as all Mackeznie did was shake her head and press the elevator button again and again.
"Mackenzie, please, listen to me. Just don't go, we can figure this out," he pleaded, reaching for her hand. "I just forgave you for all that Carter shit so can you please just understand this isn't what it looks like."
"This isn't about me and the Carter situation anymore, Nate," she snapped back at him, pulling her hand away as the elevator doors finally opened. "You know how I feel about her and you still chose not to tell me she was here last night. I really don't care that she was upset and crying. Why do you have to play the white knight all the time? You clearly blurred the lines with this girl and I'm left feeling like an idiot because of it."
Nate rolled his eyes, clenching his teeth. "It's not like that. You know that." He stuck his hand out to stop the doors from closing as she got into the elevator. "I think you're picking a fight with me on purpose."
"Oh, yeah, that must be it, Nate." Her words came out like icicles hitting him in the chest. "What a rich idea."
"Well, I was mad at you last week and now there's some part of you who wants to get mad at me, make this even or something, I don't know." He threw his hands up in the air, as if his whole body was shrugging.
"Are you kidding me? You think I like feeling this way? Like I want to be upset about this?" Mackenzie clutched at her chest, closing her eyes. "It's really fucked up you would think I'd do something like that, Nate." Her voice came out low, timid. "Please, move your hand and let me go."
He did as she said, meeting her eyes as the doors closed between them. He couldn't hold back once they did, letting out a loud, frustrated groan in the hallway.
He leaned against the kitchen counter, scrubbing his hands down his face. "Fuck." He sat up, shaking his head. He grabbed his phone from his pocket and immediately tried to call Mackenzie, even though he knew she wouldn't answer. He left a voicemail anyway, even though he knew she wouldn't listen to it.
After, he went to his kitchen and grabbed a rocks glass from his cupboard. Next, it was filled with two fingers worth of bourbon. He quickly emptied it into his mouth, reaching a hand into his pocket. He pulled out that stupid fucking earring, letting out a huff.
A pink fucking diamond earring.
How could one tacky piece of jewelry blow up into such a heated fight with Mackenzie?
His chest grew hotter and hotter as he stared at it. He hated fighting with Mackenzie. This wasn't what they did. They had dumb arguments and made up a little bit later, laughing into each other's lips, hands sliding across their skin. But now, he was filled with regret and doubts and residual pain knowing that he hurt the person he loved more than anything else in the world.
He grabbed his glass again, tipping the remaining droplets of the bourbon into his mouth. Then, he let out a howling string of curse words and threw it across the apartment, hearing it shatter across his living room wall.
Saturday, 11:29 PM - The NY Spectator Annual Holiday Party
Nate was trying not to be irritated by how his night played out. After their conversation that morning, he really thought he and Mackenzie were on their way to sorting things out.
'I miss you too much to be mad anymore, Nate.'
He didn't anticipate she would completely bail on his party. He wanted to argue about how keeping up appearances at these events were important to his upcoming political campaign but truthfully, that didn't matter to him.
What mattered to him was making things right with Mackenzie, kissing her, holding her hand, letting his hands run down her back as they danced. He wanted them to be okay again, he wanted to beg for her understanding and forgiveness for everything he said.
Yet, she was nowhere to be seen.
Despite all that, the night was going well enough. Taylor had given him space, keeping everything completely professional whenever she interacted with him. She stayed close by throughout the night, reminding him of the names of some of his guests when required and held onto his phone when he asked so he wouldn't get distracted.
He leaned against one of the tall tables to the right of the bar, finally having a moment to take a breath. He had spent the last hour locked in a conversation with J.D. Rockefeller about his campaign plans, narrowing in specifically on tax levies and added support for international business growth in Manhattan. It had taken a lot out of him to keep up with his energy but with the promise of a business lunch with him in the New Year, Nate knew it was well worth it.
He swept past the bar to grab a drink then spotted Jenny a few tables away, mid conversation with someone. He unbuttoned his suit jacket and headed that way.
"Jenny, hey," Nate started, giving her a smile.
"There's Mr. Spectator himself," the other woman started. Nate turned his attention to his right, a smile crossing his face.
"Odette! Hey." He extended his hand to pull her into a side hug. "Your dad just talked my ear off about his plans to double his revenue in the New Year."
"Of course he did." Odette replied with a smirk. "Nothing says Christmas like a thorough lecture about the stock market." While Nate hadn't talked with Odette Rockefeller in years, he was comforted in their familiar rapport. That's what happens when a friendship remains close to intact from kindergarten to adulthood. Odette had been a facet of their high school circle, often battling with Blair over her asinine rulings at Constance but she always stood her ground. The stubbornness she displayed was balanced with a fair heart, and in a lot of ways, it reminded Nate of Mackenzie.
"Hey, Jen said you're dating her sister. Do I get to meet her?"
"I don't know where she is, actually," Nate said with a shrug. "She didn't even bother showing up tonight."
Jenny, who had been standing silently beside the two of them, eyes glaring into Nate's head, let out a dry laugh. "Says the guy who chose to remove her from the guest list."
"What?" Nate's head snapped from Odette back towards Jenny. "What are you talking about?"
"We came together but your tight-ass receptionist downstairs insisted she wasn't allowed in since you had authorized her name to be removed from the guest list." Jenny rolled her eyes. "In true Mackenzie fashion, she conceded and left to go home hours ago."
"Jenny, I swear I had nothing to do with that. Mackenzie's my girlfriend, why would I not let her come to this party?"
"I don't know, Nate," Jenny took a sip of her drink, face tense. "But I'm getting really tired of seeing my sister tear up over you."
"Damn," Odette said with a smirk, glancing between the two of them, waving to someone across the room. "Sounds like you've got some shit to figure out, Nate. It was nice to see you. You too, Jen. Call me about that dress, okay?"
Nate tipped the rest of his drink into his mouth and turned back to Jenny. "Honestly, Jen, please. I don't know what's going on here but I'm going to figure it out and I'm going to fix it."
Jenny just shrugged at him blankly, giving him a small nod of approval as he darted away from her.
Nate swept through the crowd, darting his eyes around to look for Taylor. He narrowed in on her at the front of the room, standing near the door with Lindsay. Nate didn't want to deal with either of them at that point but he had to figure out what was going on.
"Nate, hey," Taylor said as he approached. She stood up straight off of the table she had been leaning on, adjusting the hem of her dress. She ran a hand through her hair and tilted her head with a smile. "What do you need?"
"My phone, now," he said, his lips turned into a straight line. He held his hand out as she pulled his phone out of the pocket of her blazer. He scanned the notifications, seeing messages and a few missed calls from Mackenzie. "Why didn't you tell me I had so many phone calls?"
Before she could spit out an answer, as his anger grew, he turned to Lindsay. "And can either of you explain why Mackenzie Humphrey was removed from the guest list tonight?"
Four days earlier (Tuesday afternoon) - The Spectator Offices, The Haven Youth Centre
Unsurprisingly, Nate hardly slept and felt like a zombie when he got to the office Tuesday morning. He grunted a hello to Lindsay at the front desk as he walked in, sunglasses still on. He took the back staircase and slipped into his office through the side door, slumping down into his desk.
Once he composed himself, he swung open the door to his office and shot a glance to Taylor, who was typing away at Marie's desk.
"Taylor," he called her name out, drawing her attention.
"Nate, I didn't even see you come in," she replied, her eyebrows raised indicating her surprise. "Do you need a coffee or anything?"
"We need to talk," he said curtly, motioning for her to come into his office. She stood slowly, grabbing a notebook and pen and heading into his office behind him.
She sat across from him as he returned to his chair. "What's up, boss?"
Nate swallowed the lump in his throat, then reached into the inside pocket of his suit.
"Can you explain this to me?" He reached across the desk and left her earring on the edge, shining in the morning sun. He watched as she opened her mouth into a surprised gasp, grabbing it quickly.
"Wow, thanks. I didn't even realize until I got home Sunday that I must have dropped this at your place. I thought I lost it in the cab." She shot him a smile. "Thanks, Nate. I know I al-
"Taylor, after the party wraps up this week, you're off my desk." He let out a heavy sigh. "I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong impression here but leaving this in my bathroom, whatever your intention might be, we are not on the same page."
Taylor's expression quickly changed from one of gratitude to one of shame. Then, it dropped into a hard, angry frown. "I don't know what you're implying, Nate." She sat up straight in the chair, closing her eyes for a moment. "I didn't leave this in your bathroom."
"Well, that's where Mackenzie found it." Nate didn't need to explain anything to this girl and his irritation with her was growing the more they talked.
"Listen, I don't know what issues you're having in your relationship Nate, but I'm offended you think so little of me that I would hide a piece of my jewelry in your home." Her lips turned into a smirk. "Frankly, I think what you're saying really toes the line of harassment. Just because you're in a position of power and asked me to be your assistant, you think I have some sort of -
"Taylor," Nate put his hand up to cut her off. "I'm not talking about this any further. You can go."
Later that morning, Nate met with Leo, Taylor, Lindsay and a few of his other junior staff to discuss the details for the holiday party approaching.
"Lindsay will send you the final guestlist to go over," Leo said to Nate.
"And the DJ and catering company will be in at four to set up. So, I think we're on track." Taylor added in.
"Thank you," Nate replied, nodding as they continued to give him details. Leo carried on about who was going to be there from Nate's Board of Directors and the team from Common Pantry who would be attending to collect the donations.
Frankly, Nate didn't have it in him to go through with the party. He wanted to cancel or just make an appearance. But he knew this was important, especially to schmooze with his investors. The cost of an open bar and over the top gift bags was enough to keep his team happy.
As they all departed from the board room, Taylor stopped Nate outside his office.
"What?" He knew his tone was unnecessary with her but he had a hard time reigning in his frustrations, still.
"Just wanted to remind you the car will be here in half an hour to take you to the Toys for Tots luncheon," Taylor responded to him with the same level of anger, rolling her eyes as she returned to the desk across from his door.
Nate sighed. He hadn't even looked at his calendar and it was too late to bail now. The luncheon was a culmination of the fundraising efforts for the Toys for Tots christmas toy drive and The Spectator had made a sizable donation. Among the other donors was The Bass Foundation.
Considering the fact that Mackenzie was ignoring him entirely, he was not looking forward to it.
Mackenzie managed to keep a low profile at the Toys for Tots luncheon. Chuck was speaking on behalf of The Bass Foundation so she stayed at the back of the room with Miguel, taking notes about the event and ironing out their plan for the press release.
As she applauded through the final donation totals being announced, she spotted the table Nate and Leo were sitting at. They were tucked into the corner of the room, large smiles on their faces as they celebrated the overwhelming success of the annual toy drive. The Spectator had made a generous donation and covered the cost for all the media aligned with the campaign. Mackenzie had been so elated to be working alongside Nate's company but now, when there was about to be a photo op off all the large donors, she was feeling sick to her stomach.
She wanted to make up with Nate, she truly did. The time spent apart from him was elevating her anxiety more and more as the hours ticked by. But she was really feeling hurt. The words he had thrown at her outside of the elevator really sent a wave through her and she was feeling something she had never before with Nate: doubt.
Maybe their morals weren't as aligned as they had been before. Maybe this second go at their relationship had finally moved past the honeymoon stage. Maybe, foundationally, they had made the wrong choices all along.
It wasn't fair. She didn't want to do this anymore - have an internal battle over what was best and what was right, especially when it came to Nate. She had come so far getting past this mental anguish but it was coming right back again.
"So," she heard a pair of hands clap at her side. "Did you and Nathaniel kiss and make up?"
Mackenzie plastered a smile on her face as she turned to Chuck. She melted at the sight of his attire - a normal fitted suit but it was accented by a seasonal tie featuring an array of evergreen trees. "Oh my god, your tie."
She could have sworn she saw Chuck's cheek flush pink but he brushed her off with a wave of his hand. "It was suggested by Henry that I dress in something Christmas-y." A soft smile grew on his lips.
"Well, that's the cutest thing I've ever heard," Mackenzie replied, patting Chuck on the arm as they headed to the front of the room for the photos. "And to answer your question, no. In fact, instead of making up, we got into an ever bigger fight."
She saw Chuck's face fall and, for some reason, it made her feel guilty. She didn't want to drag their friends into whatever fight she and Nate were facing.
"I can talk some sense into him, if required," Chuck said quietly as they approached the crowd of donors. "I'm not kidding, Mackenzie."
"Thanks Chuck," she replied, clutching onto his arm as they crowded onto one end of the group for the photo. "But that's not necessary. I just need some time to figure my brain out but then maybe we can figure it out."
"Consider how you'll crush Henry's dreams of being Nate's best man at your future wedding."
"Best man? Really?"
"I'd gladly offer the position to my son, if that made him happy."
After the photo-op, despite Nate making his way towards her with a hopeful look on his face, Mackenzie darted in the opposite direction. She ducked into the women's washroom down the hall and leaned against the counter to catch her breath.
"Mackenzie, hello. The Board was so happy with the donation from The Bass Foundation, you're really helping do some great things."
She turned to her right to see Lily drying off her hands, a warm smile on her face. Mackenzie was actually kind of comforted by the sight of her. In the last few weeks, while wrestling with guilt over fighting with her dad and the sting of her fighting with Nate, she had been really missing her own mother.
Seeing Lily in this moment she was feeling on the vulnerable side almost brought tears to her eyes.
"Darling, are you okay?" Lily twisted to face Mackenzie, gently placing a hand on her forearm.
Mackenzie let out a long exhale and closed her eyes, fighting back tears. She shook her head.
No, she was not okay.
Saturday, 11:52 PM - The Humphrey Loft, Brooklyn
Mackenzie had been pleasantly drunk when she left the bar on her way back to Brooklyn. And now, standing face to face with Maya inside the loft, she really regretted any of the alcohol she had consumed.
"How did you get in here?" Mackenzie's eyes darted around the loft. She was trying to stay calm, she really, truly was. But this was the last thing she expected to come home to. Her mind was racing thinking about some explanation why Maya was there.
Maybe she..needed somewhere safe to be. But why would she come to the loft? And break in? And go through all Mackenzie's things?
She looked down towards her phone, uncertain if she should call the police or Nate or -
Maya dropped all the things in her arms and charged towards Mackenzie, easily pulling the phone out of her hands. "I can explain, please."
"Maya, give me my phone." Mackenzie took a deep breath. "I don't know why or how you got in here but you need to leave, right now. This is trespassing and-
"Stop, just stop." Maya's voice came out like a loud screech, holding a hand up to cut Mackenzie off. "Let me explain."
Mackenzie inhaled sharply and took a step back from the girl. The version of Maya she had met before, insecure, awkward, uncertain was still there but there was an intensity in her eyes Mackenzie hadn't seen before. She thought back to all the moments she had spent with the girl so far - the initial interview, the awkward reveal of potential shared DNA, the continuous follow-ups, their lunch date the week before.
Everything had felt so strange and Mackenzie should have listened to her instincts and not humoured her. But now, she was standing face to face with her. Maya was dressed in dark clothes, just jeans and a hoodie and her hair was tucked into a low bun. She looked tired, really tired.
Mackenzie took another step back and landed on one of the stools at the island, looking towards the living room. Spread out on the table was a laptop and more things from around the apartment. The lockbox Mackenzie kept under her bed was there, pried open. Spilling out was all her jewelry, passport, some cash, important paperwork, photos.
The remainder of the gowns she had tried on earlier that week were piled on the couch, one of her duffle bags was on the floor, full of shoes.
"How did you even get in here?"
Maya's eyes narrowed towards the door. "All those high-security lock systems have a system override code. The code is unique to each keypad but I found a lead on an algorithm that could decode it." She let out a laugh. "Literally the only benefit from my half-assed education was figuring out digital security loopholes.."
She let out a long breath when she was finished rambling and turned to Mackenzie. "I know this looks crazy," Maya started slowly, motioning around the room. "But I'm not crazy, honestly. I just.. Mackenzie, I made some bad decisions. And I sort of fucked up on some agreements. And I was hoping that maybe if this sister thing was true, if you were my sister for real, you could have helped me out." A frustrated groan left her mouth as she muttered a few more things to herself.
"Helped you out with what, Maya?" Mackenzie did not understand what she was rambling on about and quite frankly, found her energy incredibly unsettling. All she could think of to do was remain as calm as possible and talk to her.
"I owe..some people money. A lot of money. And I was hoping you had some and you'd be willing to help me out."
Mackenzie's eyes flew open. That's what this has been about? Money? Maya was robbing her..to pawn her stuff? For money?
"When my dad died, he had tons of debt. And then there was his leftover medical bills for his palliative care. And it was all stuck on me because I'm his only living relative."
"Listen, Maya, I'm really sorry you're dealing with this. Truly. But you can't just fucking break in here and rob me. There's gotta be another way to figure this out. You know, there are debt support teams through a lot of major banks and -
"No." Maya's words came out quickly and her tone was sharp. "You don't understand, Mackenzie. I need a lot of money. A lot. I borrowed some already from a friend of a friend and …" She trailed off, closing her eyes. "I've been given a deadline and if I don't pay him back.."
Mackenzie closed her eyes. She was truly too drunk to be dealing with this. Why why why was this happening? She was starting to believe it would have been easier to not show up and intercept her.
"I can't let you leave with all my stuff, Maya."
"Well, this is only a start." Maya crossed her arms and let out a huff. "If you hadn't shown up, this would have been it. But now that you're here, I'm feeling a bit desperate. You had way less shit that I anticipated. You're dating Nate Archibald and your dad is a retired rock musician yet all you keep on hand is like $500 cash?" Her breath picked up and she started to nod aggressively. "I need your help, Mackenzie. Or I don't know what I'll do."
"What do you expect me to do?"
Maya looked hesitant. She took a few deep breaths and crossed her arms, pointing at Mackenzie. "You need to figure out a way to get me $50,000."
"You can't be serious." Mackenzie shook her head, eyes wide. "I don't have that kind of money."
"Yeah, but your boyfriend does. Or that foundation you work for. You must have access to something."
"Maya, are you hearing yourself?" Mackenzie brought a hand up to her face, scrubbing it across her jaw. "I can't just launder money from a national charitable foundation because you made some bad decisions. I'm sorry but you've gotta figure something else out and leave before I call.."
That's right. She didn't even have her phone. Mackenzie was doing her best to keep control of the situation unfolding in front of her. Maybe it was adrenaline or the alcohol but her anxiety seemed to be staying at bay. That was the only fraction of a silver lining.
"Listen, Maya. Why don't you just take what you want and leave? Then we can just..move on from this. I'll let you walk away, I won't call the cops or anything like that." The idea of parting with all the material items from her life strewn on the table was trivial in comparison to peace of mind that this psychotic girl was out of the loft.
Maya shook her head a few times, her lips drawing into a straight line. "No, there's no way. If you're here, you're going to figure something out for me."
Mackenzie was starting to feel more and more uncomfortable as Maya stared at her. She couldn't believe this was happening and the worst part was, it seemed like Maya believed this was the only option. And what was Mackenzie supposed to do?
"No, I'm not."
Maya let out a huff and moved to drop down on the couch, pulling up a backpack she had left beside the couch. She reached her hand in to grab something. She paused and looked up at Mackenzie before closing her eyes, as if hesitating. Her hand pulled out as her eyes opened again, revealing a small black pistol.
"Yes, you are."
Mackenzie's eyes grew wide as her stomach dropped. Why why why was it always guns? She did her best to breathe slowly but she could feel her chest tightening as her brain raced. This was not the time for a panic attack.
Why couldn't she have just been on that stupid party guest list? Why couldn't she just be making up with Nate, feeling his hands wrapped around her, safe in his arms?
Three days earlier (Wednesday night)
By Wednesday evening, when Nate got home to his apartment, he was feeling especially defeated. He was easily distracted at work, busying himself in reports, data, writing, editing. But the in-between moments where he glanced at his phone or had a thought he just really wanted to share with Mack, he felt a pain in his heart.
After tearing off his suit, he sank onto his couch and scrolled through their conversation on his phone. It was especially one sided. But, he thought he would try again.
He hit dial on the conversation and held the phone up to his ear, hoping that maybe, just maybe, she would pick up this time.
"Hey Nate.."
He nearly dropped his phone when he heard her voice. He quickly sat up and leaned forward on the couch, taking a deep breath. "Mackenzie."
She didn't say anything else but he knew she was still there.
"I really want to fix this, Mack." He paused. "I'm so sorry I hurt you, I should have just told you about everything, including Taylor coming over on the weekend."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
He exhaled and squeezed his eyes. "I got in my head, I guess."
She let out a laugh. "Well, you know I understand that."
Hearing her laugh, even if it was..awkward, made him feel better. "It's really nice to hear your voice."
"Nate." There was a heavy pause. "I'm having a hard time. How did we get to this point?"
"Can I come over? Please."
"No, I'm not..ready for that. I still need some time."
"Time for what, Mackenzie?"
"To think, Nate! I don't want to fight anymore."
"Well, don't you think it's worth the fight? Please, Mack."
"Listen, I've gotta go. Jen's bringing me some dresses to try on. I'll..I'lll see you Saturday."
Mackenzie ended her phone call with Nate suddenly, tossing her phone down onto the coffee table in front of her.
She was dreading going to The Spectator's holiday party but she knew, deep in her heart, that her and Nate would fix this by then. And until then, she would just keep trying to make it through the week. Luckily, work was very distracting. It was peak donation season and it seemed like they had an event to be at every day.
It was refreshing to be distracted.
A few minutes after she hung up on Nate, she heard Jenny climbing up the stairs. Mackenzie opened up the door for her and helped her in, her small frame overwhelmed by the stack of dresses she was slinging over her arms.
"You're my favourite sibling, I hope you know that," Mackenzie said with a smirk, laying the dresses out on the couch.
"I should hope so," Jenny replied as she pulled off her coat, shaking her blonde head. "Considering my clothing hookups, I should always be ahead of Dan in rank."
"He and Serena aren't even coming Saturday," Mackenzie said as she headed towards the fridge. She had promised Jenny wine if she helped procure some dresses for her.
Mackenzie had been flipflopping on the party for a while but she knew how important it was to Nate. Fight or not, she wanted to be there for him. And she wanted to look good. She really felt her self-esteem take a dive recently, especially thinking about Nate's dumb assistant pining over him. It shouldn't matter, of course. But Mackenzie knew feeling good about what she was wearing made a huge difference to her self confidence.
"I think Serena is having a hard time with her baby body," Jenny added, accepting a glass of rose from Mackenzie. "And Dan is always happy to skip these social events anyway."
Jenny had one of her interns at work zip around the city that morning to pick up some outfit options for Mackenzie.
A Siriano gown, a skirt set from David Meister, a vintage Waldorf dress…
They settled on a strapless tube dress with a long pleated skirt. It was black but had a shimmering detail to the fabric. Jenny forced her into a pair of forest green stilettos and clapped with excitement.
"Hair up or down, this is hot," Jenny said proudly. "I'll bring some shiny jewelry for you, too."
Mackenzie walked towards her room and looked at herself in her full length mirror. The dress fell just above her ankles and flowed as she twirled. It was more than what she pictured she should wear, especially the heels. But, Jenny was the expert and admittedly, she knew Nate would probably love the generous amount of cleavage she had on display.
She didn't realize it, of course. But as she walked back towards her sister, Jenny had her phone up, snapping pictures. She sent out to Nate with a short message: 'I'm not sure what you're wearing Saturday but plan to match this.'
His reply came back immediately: 'Thanks Jen, she looks incredible.'
Mackenzie quickly moved all the dresses into Dan's old room and changed into a pair of leggings and a hoodie, falling onto the couch. Jenny followed suit, clinking their wine glasses together.
"So, are you going to tell me what's going on?" Jenny turned her head towards Mackenzie, leaving her wine glass on the table in front of them. "I thought you guys would have solved this by now."
Mackenzie sighed. "Me too. And honestly, we kind of did. But then it blew up again." She tipped the rest of her wine glass into her mouth and closed her eyes. "I don't know how to do this, Jen. Aside from our break up, Nate and I have only had one really bad fight before."
"You know he's only human, right? And you, too." Jenny reached her hand out and squeezed her sister's knee. "People fight, it's normal. Don't you remember mom and dad growing up?"
"Should I remind you about their separation and follow up divorce, Jen?"
"Before all that, Kenzie. They fought over some stupid stuff. Same with Dan and Serena. Chuck and Blair are always in the middle of something stupid. But what matters most in the end is.. If you love him. And you do. And he loves you. So, you just have to deal with the hard stuff."
"But I don't want tooooo." Mackenzie laughed, letting out an overdramatic whine.
"Well, too bad," Jenny gave her arm a nudge. "Welcome back to your adult relationship."
Sunday, 12:22 AM - The Humphrey Loft, Brooklyn
Mackenzie knew that complying and being patient with Maya was the only way she could possibly get an upperhand. She didn't want to, but she cooperated when Maya told her to stand up and turn around.
She also didn't fight when she felt the gun pressing against her back as Maya secured her wrists with a heavy industrial tape.
It was evident to Mackenzie that this plan was being made up as she went along and she was hoping her own mind could figure something out quicker. She thought about the time spent in her kickboxing classes and how some of those moves could be used for self defence. Yet every time she thought she might have the upper hand she remembered the searing pain of a bullet hitting her leg years ago and her body tensed up.
The biggest issue, of course, was Maya kept reaching for that stupid gun whenever she felt a need to be in control again.
"We're going to text Nate," Maya had been crouched down at the coffee table, keying something into her laptop. "He's got to have enough liquid cash on hand or accessible."
"It's his holiday party tonight," Mackenzie said slowly, staring at Maya from where she sat her down on the couch. "He hasn't been answering me."
Maya waved Mackenzie's phone in her face. There were half a dozen missed calls from Nate and tons of messages. He was reaching out to her now. This was the only thing that made Mackenzie feel even slightly okay about how this whole thing had escalated.
She did her best to send any kind of message into the universe, through her mind. It was stupid but she kept thinking again and again and again about how much she needed Nate.
Maybe the universe would have some way of getting that message to him.
"So you want me to tell him you're holding me hostage or something?"
"No," Maya snapped her head to look at Mackenzie as she stood up. "You're not a hostage, Mackenzie. Don't be silly. This is just..you're..collateral or something." It was clear Maya did not mean for this situation to have played out this way. Her voice shook as she spoke. "Now, tell me your passcode."
Maya stared down at the phone, typing and erasing a series of messages. She paused and turned to Mackenzie with a smirk. "Seems a pretty one-sided conversation here. Lots of apologies from him and you then you just ignoring them."
Mackenzie rolled her eyes. The last thing she needed to talk to Maya about - Maya, the psychotic 20 year old holding her at gunpoint - was her relationship issues.
Maya let out a frustrated yelp, clutching her fists together tightly. "I don't know what to say."
"Let me just.." Mackenzie was slow to speak, an idea forming in her mind. She knew that no matter what was going on with her and Nate, he would always always ensure her safety. But, how could she convey what was going on without telling him what was going on? "I can get him here. Alone."
Maya huffed and glanced from the phone back to Mackenzie. "Fine. Tell me what to write."
Mackenzie took a deep breath. "Type this exactly: Hey peaches, having issues with my sister. Need you at the loft, please. I don't want to fight."
Maya typed as Mackenzie spoke. "Your... sister?"
"Yeah, my real sister, remember? I had a fight with her before the party. That's why I didn't end up going."
This wasn't true, of course.
Mackenzie knew Nate. Or at least, she hoped she still knew him well enough to assume he would come save her.
Saturday, 8:40 PM - The NY Spectator Annual Holiday Party
Mackenzie swallowed hard as she climbed out of the cab outside The Spectator offices. Their annual holiday party was in full swing upstairs on the top floor of the building, just like it had been when Mackenzie first attended years ago.
Her and Nate had hardly even started to date then. In fact, their relationship had still been a secret tryst at the time. The memory was warm and another reminder that their history, everything they had been through, was well worth it.
Mackenzie was ready to get upstairs and wrap her arms around Nate, whispering all her apologies into his ear. This time apart had been painful, even if it was at her own hand. She couldn't wait to see Nate dressed up in his best suit, that Archibald smile on his face. She wanted to breathe him in and feel his hands caressing her back.
She wanted Nate again and for the rest of their lives. It was just Nate. She needed Nate.
"You ready?" Jenny hooked her arm with her sister's as she followed her out of the cab, leading them up the stairs into the building.
There was a short line waiting to get through the security checkpoint and guest list. Mackenzie grabbed her phone and sent Nate a message: 'can't wait to see you - can we talk right away? :)'
She didn't get a reply and she didn't expect one, really. He was probably busy but she was certain she could steal him away for a few minutes, at least.
They had texted a bit throughout the week. Not like they used to, but a few thoughts back and forth. It was something.
Then that morning, when Mackenzie woke up alone in her bed again, she was tired of everything. She missed him so much. It was time to just let everything else go and decide what was more important than worrying about assistants and past one night stands and all that mess. It was about the two of them.
She texted him right away when she woke up: 'I miss you too much to be mad anymore, Nate.'
Mackenzie knew he must have been relieved because he sent her a dozen messages after, apologizing again and again. Especially about how he couldn't just come see her right then and there. He said he was counting down the hours to the party to finally kiss her again.
She could hardly wait.
She and Jenny approached the security guard and breezed through after having their bags checked. But, the trouble started when they were stopped by Lindsay, the office receptionist who was guarding her clipboard guestlist like it was tethered to her hand.
"Name?" The young brunette girl tilted her head at them both and Mackenzie nearly let out a series of expletives. But, she stayed calm and gave her a smile.
"Lindsay, you know who I am," Mackenzie said slowly. "Mackenzie Humphrey."
"Hmm," Lindsay flipped over a few sheets of paper on her clipboard then pursed her lips into a pout. "I have a Jennifer Humphrey but no Mackenzie. Sorry."
"What?" Mackenzie arched her eyebrows. "Are you kidding?"
"Nope," Lindsay continued. "Actually, your name might have been on here but it looks like it was removed." She tilted the paper and indicated to a large black line in the middle of the page. "I'm sorry, I can't let you go upstairs. We have strict rules."
"Lindsay, Nate's my boyfriend, this is absurd," Mackenzie took a deep breath. "Let me call him."
Jenny and her took a step to the side and she quickly dialed Nate. Of course, he didn't pick up.
Mackenzie did swear, that time.
"Hey, I can call Leo and just -
"No, don't bother him." Mackenzie sighed. "You know what, I'll just..I'll just go."
All her positive build up, all the surges of love and good feelings she had, seemed to dissolve. How did she read this all so wrong? What had changed between that morning and now? Did Nate have a change of heart?
"Can you just wait down here? I'll find Nate when I get upstairs and -
"No, Jen, it's fine. He can just..call me, I guess. I'm gonna go." Mackenzie crossed her arms and turned around, not even bothering to look back towards her sister of Lindsay. She squeezed her way past the new crowd gathering to come in and outside into the cool evening air.
While almost every part of her knew this had to have been a mistake, there was one nagging voice in her head that was growing louder and louder. Maybe he left me off that list on purpose. Maybe this wasn't going to be fixed. Maybe he needed space this time. Maybe..missing each other didn't matter.
She took in a few long breaths outside before raising her hand to hail a cab. She took out her phone and called Viv. She needed a drink. Or four or five.
Sunday, 12:39 AM - The NY Spectator Annual Holiday Party
After retrieving his phone and having it out with both his former temporary assistant and front desk receptionist, Nate messaged Mackenzie again and again. He called her a few times, too, but she didn't pick up.
He couldn't stand going back to the party and continuing to put on a smile with his investors but he did just that. It was all he could do to calm his mind until he settled on his next move. He'd go to Brooklyn after the party - he'd surprise her at the loft, they'd finish this stupid fight and finally make up. He couldn't do this anymore. All night long, he wished she had been there at his side.
Why didn't he follow up with her earlier when he first realized she wasn't at the party? Idiot.
As he paused at the bar for another cocktail, his phone buzzed. Mackenzie, finally.
He opened the message so quickly he nearly dropped his phone: 'Hey peaches, having issues with my sister. Need you at the loft, please. I don't want to fight.'
He read it over three times, shaking his head in confusion. Jenny didn't mention any issues they were having. And why was she calling him peaches? When it finally clicked, his chest suddenly felt hollow. Peaches. It was a joke they used a few times now, about a codeword in case of emergency.
"I was joking about that but for peace of mind, the codeword can be peaches."
"Maybe we should have a safeword just in case, though. What was it before? Peaches?"
Nate tipped his cocktail into his mouth and hit dial on his phone, hoping she would answer her phone this time.
His chest felt tight.
Something was wrong.
He was so relieved when she answered.
"Mackenzie, what's going on? Are you okay?"
"Nate, I'm fine. I just..I really miss you. I don't want to fight anymore. Please. Can you come to the loft?" Something was off about the way she talked. He couldn't put a finger on it. Her voice sounded more tense than usual, like it did when she was lying to him about having a panic attack.
"I'll be there right away. Just remember to breathe, okay? I love you, Mack. More than anything."
There was a pause. "I love you too, Nate." Her voice cracked as she said his name. "See you soon."
The minute the call dropped Nate rushed out towards the hallway. He desperately hoped Jenny hadn't left. He sprinted down the hall when he spotted her and Leo, mid-conversation.
"Jenny!" He stopped in front of them, darting his eyes from Leo to the blonde. "When did you last talk to Mackenzie?"
Jenny's eyes grew wide, eyebrows arched at his aggressive approach. "Just before midnight, I called her to check in. She had just got back to the loft. Although, it was weird. She dropped our call really quick, like something caught her off guard."
Nate swore under his breath, shaking his head. "Were you guys fighting?"
"Nate, what's going on?" Jenny turned to him, grabbing onto his forearm. "We definitely weren't fighting. I mean, she was a bit of a mess when we parted ways earlier but her and I are on good terms."
He shook his head again. Why did she say she was fighting with her sister? Unless..
Nate closed his eyes and swore once more.
"What's going on, boss?" Leo titled his head, glancing between Nate and Jenny. He hadn't seen Nate worked up like this before.
"I have to go figure something out." He ran a hand through his hair, then down across his face. "Jenny, if Mack calls you, please call me."
Before Jenny even had the opportunity to reply, Nate was slipping away from them and darting through the rest of the patrons crowding the hall.
The elevator door opened as he headed towards the staircase and he paused for a moment as Chuck stepped out.
"Nathaniel, where's the fire?" Chuck read his face quickly as Nate continued on, motioning for him to follow.
"I was hoping to catch J.D. for a chat now that Blair has gone home," Chuck called to Nate as they hurried down the staircase. "What's going on?"
"I think..I think Mackenzie is in trouble." Nate started to surmise all the information he could to Chuck as he headed towards his office. In all this chaos, as his mind raced about how to decipher the message from Mackenzie, he was worried it was one specific thing causing whatever this unfolding situation was. Or, rather, one specific person.
Once he was inside his office, he pulled open his bottom drawer and pulled out the large manila envelope he had received from Chuck's P.I. weeks ago. Written on top was the name Maya Peron.
"You haven't opened that yet?" Chuck's eyes were wide as he hovered over his friend's shoulder.
Nate spilled out the contents of the envelope, grabbing the sheet of paper on top with Andrew's notes.
Maya Peron...expelled from New York City College of Technology...'Ms. Peron manipulated grades of her classmates in exchange for payment, plead not-guilty to the disciplinary committee'
Nate's eyes scanned over the document. She had a few misdemeanors scrubbed from her record as a teenager, a nullified arrest from a break & enter, and -
"Nathaniel.." Chuck reached down and grabbed one of the documents laying in the pile. It was a voluntary discharge report from somewhere called Northbrook Behavioural Health Centre. There were a few notes about her recommended stay and a diagnosis of generalized anxiety disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. A line underneath indicated recommendations for medication and anger management assistance.
"Where is Mackenzie?" Chuck asked, putting his hand onto Nate's shoulder.
"Fuck," Nate shook his head. Why hadn't he read this before? He knew Mackenzie should have cut this girl off weeks ago. What if she was seriously in trouble now?
"The loft, I'm going there now."
"I'm coming with you."
"No, I need to go alone."
"Then I'll wait in the car." Chuck's tone was stern. "Arthur is outside still. Let's go."
Nate wasn't going to protest. He just needed to get to Brooklyn as quickly as possible.
Sunday, 1:02 AM - The Humphrey Loft, Brooklyn
It was clear that as time ticked on, Maya was becoming more and more erratic.
Mackenzie didn't instigate anymore conversations with her as she sat and waited for Nate to show up. She just kept trying to remain as calm as she possibly could, controlling her breath as best as possible. Maya continued to pace through the apartment, muttering to herself. The gun remained in her hand.
As she sat on the couch, Mackenzie tried to wiggle her hands out of the tape around her wrists. It was a losing battle, but she hoped that maybe if she had enough slack on one side, she could rip it apart. She sighed and leaned back, her arms feeling strained in the position.
"Maya," Mackenzie spoke slowly, trying to get the girl's attention from across the room. "You know, this isn't too far gone. You can still just leave before Nate gets here. I won't say anything."
Maya shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut. She walked over and plunked down beside Mackenzie, leaving the gun on the coffee table beside her laptop. "I need the money, Mackenzie. I don't give a shit about anything else. If I can't pay these guys off..I just..what's the point.."
Suddenly, there was a noise at the door. Knocking.
"Mack?"
Mackenzie had never been so relieved to hear Nate's voice.
"The door's unlocked," Mackenzie called back.
As the door pushed open, Maya stood up and headed towards it, already putting herself between Nate and Mackenzie.
Nate didn't know what to expect when he got to the loft. All he could think about, pray for, was Mackenzie being unharmed. If something had happened to her, he..well, he couldn't even bear to think about it. He had bounded up the stairs two at a time, asking Chuck to wait for at least half an hour.
If he didn't hear from Nate in that time window, then he needed to get extra help.
Chuck agreed, although he didn't want to.
Nate knocked on the door and pushed it open after hearing Mackenzie's voice. He braced himself for the worst, whatever that could be, and stopped after taking a few steps in. His eyes darted around, landing on the young girl standing in front of him, then to Mackenzie sitting on the couch.
He was so relieved to see she was okay as he met her eyes. They were glossy, as if she might cry. But even sitting there, face flushed red, black gown ruffled up on her lap, a mix of gratitude and unease in her eyes, she was as beautiful as ever.
"You must be Nate," Maya's voice broke through his thoughts. "I'm Maya."
"Mack, are you okay?"
"She's fine," Maya answered quickly.
Mackenzie just nodded when he met her eyes again. She was fine, really. Freaked out, finally sobering up, nervous about the gun sitting across from her. But, she was okay. Nate was there. This whole thing was going to be over soon, it had to be.
It was funny - all the nerves building up in her body over the last hour, watching Maya pace and unravel, they seemed to lessen when she saw Nate. There he stood, dressed in a dark grey suit with forest green tie, eyes full of love and worry. How had she gone the last few weeks without getting to see him every day? How could she have ever had doubts about her feelings for him, or his feelings for her, when here he was, bounding into the loft to protect her?
Their eyes locked again and she nodded once more. 'I'm fine' she mouthed to him. Her eyes went wide for a minute and she moved them quickly to the coffee table then back to him.
Nate inhaled sharply when he followed her eyes and saw the small handgun.
What was going on?
"Listen, I'm going to make this really simple. I need some money then I promise I'll leave Mackenzie alone forever. I didn't want this to happen, trust me. I just..I just don't know what else to do."
Nate swallowed hard as he listened to Maya talk. He wasn't sure he could take her that seriously, considering she looked like a teenager. But, he remembered everything written in that file and he figured this wasn't the time for doubts.
"How much do you need?"
Maya swallowed as she looked at Nate, shifting to cross her arms. "I need $75,000."
"What?" Mackenzie shifted to look at Maya, face furrowed in anger. "You told me it was 50."
Her head snapped around to look at Mackenzie directly. "Well, it's 75 now."
"Okay, fine." Nate took in a short breath. "That's fine, Maya."
"Nate, no," Mackenzie shook her head.
"Mack, please," Nate took a step towards the couch to look at her. He pursed his lips together and met her eyes. He reached into his pocket, slowly, and looked over at Maya. "I can transfer you $10,000 right now and get the rest of it for you tomorrow. Would that be okay?"
"Like I'd give you my bank information," Maya spat. "I want cash."
Nate took a deep breath and sighed. "I don't think you understand how this works, Maya. Most people don't just have thousands of dollars in their wallets or-
"Don't talk to me like I'm an idiot," she hissed back to him, throwing up her arms. "You have people, I'm sure, who can get you what I need."
The way Nate was standing, facing Maya, Mackenzie was out of her line of eyesight. Hoping that would be enough of a distraction, Mackenzie shifted in her seat, slowly. She pulled at her wrists more and more, trying to wiggle at least one of her wrists free. She nearly had it, too. But, as Nate continued on with Maya about making a phone call, she finally turned back to look at Mackenzie.
"Mackenzie, hey," Maya hurried over towards her, pushing her back onto the couch and grabbing the gun from the table. "Just..sit there. Please. Please don't make this worse."
Nate stiffened as this girl pushed Mackenzie, even if it was gentle and just into the couch. He had to figure something out fast or just let this continue to stall until Chuck came inside.
"Give me your phone," Maya stalked back over towards Nate, gun in hand. Her voice shook and her hand trembled as she did. Nate sighed and listened to what she said. He was almost certain this girl was not going to use that gun for anything other than a scare tactic but it wasn't something he felt comfortable taking a chance on.
"Okay. I can make a phone call and get you some cash tonight." Nate took a step back from Maya, his back ending up against the kitchen island. "Will that work? I'm sure a friend of mine can get you at least 50 in cash."
Maya nodded her head aggressively. "Fine. But one phone call, that's it." She held the phone out to him tentatively, waiting for him to agree.
"One phone call." Nate nodded, extending his hand.
"I'm serious!"
"I know you are," Nate replied to her calmly. "We're going to help you, Maya."
"You cannot call the police."
"I won't." Nate put his hands up to try and reassure her he was being honest. His eyes darted over to Mackenzie who was staring between them both. Slowly, Maya's right hand raised and she turned towards Mackenzie, pointing the gun at her.
Both Mackenzie and Nate froze.
"Maya," Mackenzie's eyes were locked on the gun. "Please, just put the gun down. You don't need it. You're not going to shoot me."
"Mack," Nate took a step towards them, holding out a hand. "Stop."
"No, this isn't funny anymore and none of this makes sense. Maya, please."
The young girl shook her head. "Just make that phone call, Nate. This is.."
"Maya, put it down," Mackenzie repeated. "You didn't want to do any of this. Let's just do this in a rational way. Nate will get you the money, we won't say anything to anyone and -
"Stop," Maya looked over at her, hand shaking. "Just stop."
"Maya."
"STOP!" Her hand moved suddenly, pointing the gun towards the window and pulling the trigger. She let out an aggressive scream, eyes squeezed shut as she did it.
The gunshot wasn't as loud as it was startling, as the glass rained down onto the floor.
Mackenzie let out a loud shriek as the moment unfolded, closing her eyes and leaning far back into the couch.
Nate, on the other hand, took this opportunity to charge towards Maya. He wrapped his arms around her from behind and tackled her onto the floor, knocking the gun out of her hand as he did.
Maya cried out from under him, sobbing and apologizing again and again.
If there was ever a time where it felt like the world was moving in slow motion, that was it. Nate remained in contact with Maya while she tried to wrestle her way out from under him. Moments later, the door flew open again. This time, entering the loft was two police officers in tactical gear. Mackenzie shrieked again as they appeared, followed by Chuck who had his phone up to his ear.
As the police officers took over for Nate with Maya, he scrambled to his feet and raced to Mackenzie. She was hyperventilating trying to get her arms free, tears finally falling from her eyes. The sound of the gunshot rang in her ears again and again and again. Nate gently turned her to get her hands out of the tape, pulling hard to find a weak tear in the adhesive.
"Mack, you're okay, you're okay," he said quietly at her side. She yelped as one of her hands was finally free and swung her arms around to wrap around Nate.
"You idiot," she sobbed into his chest. "You don't tackle someone holding a gun. What if something happened?"
"Mack, I'm okay," he whispered into her ear, as he held her tightly. "Your idiot is okay."
Sunday, 3:00 AM - Nate's apartment, Upper West Side
Nate never thought he would take any kind of comfort in helping Mackenzie through a panic attack. But as she laid beside him on his bed, their bed, taking long breaths and counting backwards from ten again and again, he was unusually happy.
She was safe in his arms, at least. That was one of the most important things in the world to him, if not the only thing that truly mattered. She had been sobbing for most of the night, since giving her statement to the police.
They weren't sure what was going to happen next with Maya, what exactly she could be charged with for what had happened, but there was a slight sense of peace that she was in police custody for the time being. Nate was so grateful Chuck hadn't listened to him. It was clear the minute Nate got out of the limo and headed inside that Chuck had made a phone call and prepared for the worst.
This wasn't how their night was supposed to go. But in a way, Nate wanted Mackenzie beside him in bed at the end of the night. So, that was a fucked up silver lining, at least.
"Mackenzie," he cooed into her ear, running his hands up and down her bare back. "You're safe."
"I shouldn't have trusted her," Mackenzie's voice was barely audible to Nate. "I was so stupid."
"Mack, listen to me," Nate moved his hand from her back and gently laid it across her cheek, prompting her to tilt her head to look up at him. Her eyes looked so tired. "You didn't do anything wrong. Maya has a lot of issues she's dealing with and you were just being kind. I love that about you."
"I'm really sorry," she said next, closing her eyes and nuzzling into the crook of his neck.
"Sorry for what?"
"I don't know, trusting her but not trusting you," she muttered out, holding onto his torso tightly. "If I hadn't been so stubborn this last week-
"None of that matters, Mack." He leaned over and pressed a kiss against her forehead. "All that matters right now is this, okay? You and me."
"Me and you," she repeated with a yawn, nuzzling against him again. "Just promise me you won't tackle someone holding a gun ever again, please."
He laughed lightly. She could feel the rumble in his chest. It was especially comforting.
Nate ran his hand against her cheek again, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "I promise."