Six ways to sunday.
Idiom
Meaning: Thoroughly or completely; in every possible way; from every conceivable angle.
Six Ways to Sunday
Chapter Six- Stupid Cupid
The buzzing of Riley's phone wakes her up early the next morning. She grumbles into her pillow before reaching over on her nightstand for the annoying device. She opens her eyes, squinting against the bright light on the screen.
Bozer's name flashes across the screen so she answers.
"Do you know what time it is?"
"I've been trying to call you all morning." Bozer said quickly.
"Do you know what time is?" She said again.
"Listen to me, Mac got back from the mission this morning."
"Good for him," she says sarcastically. She's not sure what she's to gain from that information. She wasn't even sure what mission it had been. She just knew he went after Desi on a solo mission and that was all she needed to hear.
"Will you just listen."
Riley sits up against her headboard. As the drowsiness fades she realizes the serious tone of his voice.
"They didn't come back alone." Bozer continues.
"Okay..."
"Desi's fiancé came back with them."
"Desi's what?"
"You heard me. Mac won't talk me. I figure the only person he'd want to talk is you." he said.
"Bozer I can't. We're not in the best place right now. Every time he and Desi have a blow out I can't be the shoulder for him to cry on. It's— it's not good for me."
"Whatever drama you have going on with Mac can continue on after today. I just want to make sure he's okay." he said.
After she gets off the phone with Bozer she spends some time in bed debating what she should do. Does he even want to see her? She had told him to leave her alone last time they spoke. But these are different circumstances altogether. And she was curious about the whole fiancé thing.
She tries his cell but doesn't get an answer. She longs to know what's going on in his head right now. What he's doing.
Two hours later Riley let's herself into the house with her keys. Keys she couldn't seem to give back. Mac is on the couch sitting alone in the dark house. She doesn't announce her presence because she knows he knows she's there.
She sits next to him and puts her feet on the couch. Mac looks exhausted, he had a scrape on his chin and two stitches on his forehead.
He leans into her moments after she sits. He nestles his head in the crook of her neck and she feels his body relax against her own. She knows they're okay.
She moves his head to her lap so it isn't uncomfortable with her and lets him sleep because it's not something he does nearly enough. She whips out her phone and begins to play candy crush to keep her company.
He sleeps into the early afternoon and stirs awake around two pm. He looks up at her and smiles. He looks happy she thinks. His default setting is usually brooding so it's a nice change for her to see him looking so rested and happy.
They enjoy the quiet moment together. He hums contently when she plays with his hair or scratches his scalp gently. She wishes they could remain like that. But she has too many questions about the mission.
He seems to know she's ready to talk and sits up from her lap.
"So you're girlfriend is engaged? Wow Mac, that's a new low for your dating game." She jokes and feels them easily slip back into the comfortable dynamic of their friendship.
Mac's easy laugh turns into a cough as he holds his sides from pain. He clearly bruised a rib or two. He eases back against the couch still looking happy despite his injuries.
"Ex-girlfriend. And yes she does. Evan. Nice guy." Mac said.
"Nice guy?"
Mac shrugged, "he was in Desi's unit. He supposedly died in enemy territory. Never found his body."
"I'll bet," she said.
Scuffing he nods. "Turns out he was captured by some radicals following this according to him 'not a cult leader'."
"He's been held captive all this time?"
Mac nods with a deep sigh. "Until the radicals sent out a video to the dark web explaining their strong views of government and in the background...I guess Matty spotted Evan and gave the intel to Desi."
"Of course Matty knew he existed."
He shrugs defeatedly, "I've honestly given up on Matty and her secrets. Guess she has her reasons." Riley wants to reach over and squeeze his hand but doesn't want to send mixed messages. She also doesn't want a repeat of last time...although this time it wouldn't be cheating.
"He was in bad shape when we raided the compound...but you should have seen his face when he saw Desi." His eyes look far away and Riley can't tell how he feels about it exactly. He seems to be relieved but also with a bit of regret. With Mac you never know.
"It's going to be pretty tough for him to get back to the real world...a lot of therapy too. But he'll have Desi by his side." he said. Something felt wrong. He spoke like Desi was a colleague and not his girlfriend-well ex-girlfriend. Wasn't this the same Desi he seemed incapable of breaking up with.
"You guys talked?" she said.
Mac nods. "On the plane back we sorta did. It's Desi and I- we're not exactly the best communicators around. Evan was sedated. She told me...she told me..."
"What?" she said.
His eyes bore into hers. "She told me I don't have to feel guilty anymore."
Riley spoke quicker than her mind processed. "Guilty?"
She felt the comfortable easy going mood slip out the room when she realized what Desi had meant. It was like they were back in her apartment that day. Lust charges the air and makes goosebumps crawl up her arm. Instinct kicks in and she has to consciously tell herself that right now, they're not doing anything wrong. Sitting next to each other, him looking at her lips...there's nothing wrong with it.
"I knew she would go back to him the moment she laid eyes on him..." he said with the same far away look in his eyes. It makes Riley feel he's talking to himself rather than her. "I keep thinking that maybe something is wrong with me."
"What do you mean?"
"Why aren't I more upset about this? Don't you think I should be more...something? I don't know."
Leave it to Mac to feel guilty about not feeling sad or angry. There was truly nobody like him.
"Give yourself time to process it. It only just happened." she said, though she had a hunch that time would not get a reaction out of him either. He and Desi had been checked out of the relationship long before he feelings and Evan got into the picture.
"Well just for the record and Bozer's peace of mind. Are you okay?"
"Bozer? I spoke to him this morning." She silently curses to herself. Bozer had duped her to get her over here. Poor man's cupid. The anger fades almost as quickly as it appeared. She's glad she came. Being on the end of his hypnotic like stares is reparations enough.
"I'm fine. Deep down I knew she would never be able to love me like she loved him. And I couldn't pretend that I didn't have feelings for someone else for much longer anyway."
Her breath catches in her throat. "Mac—" His name dies on her lips when he leans into her space.
His warm hand is cupping her cheek and she can no longer give merit to any of the excuses she'd worked out in her head. She wants him too. She meets him halfway and her eyes flutter close as their lips hover each other. He closes his arm around her and feels his heat on her exposed arms and through her tank top. His hand slips from her cheek to her neck. It's firm and demanding against her skin and makes her want to follow him wherever he lead.
Impatience ripples through her, and she sinks her fingers into his hair and presses a closed-mouth kiss to his lips. Bolts of sensation spreads straight to her chest in amazing waves of warmth and adrenaline. He takes the lead, drawing the kisses out and making her head spin. His tongue delves into her mouth and moves against her own tongue. She can't stop the quiet moans at the back of her throat that never seem to be able to role off her tongue.
His taste floods her senses and passion begins brewing in her stomach. The harder he kisses her the more her brain becomes scramble eggs. In fact, she's having a hard time remembering her own name. There's only Mac.
He sucks on her bottom lip and laves the sensitized skin before taking her mouth again, she wants this everyday for the rest of her life. Now that she's gotten a taste, how is she supposed to stop?
The room spins and she can't breathe because she forgotten to breathe. She pulls away and nestles her cheek against his own while she replenishes her lungs. A deep chuckle escapes his chest and she feels a chaste kiss on her shoulder. She closes her eyes and breathes him deeply. He hands are on his biceps and his neck. She's making sure he's real. That it really happened. A switch flips in her head, like she's now seeing an advertisement for a product she's been coveting. Angus MacGyver is finally available.