Here's the next chapter. Thanks as always for reviews and comments.

Disclaimer: Still not mine.

Chapter 9: The Heartache

Macy had thought that there was nothing like the hurt she had felt when Kevin had all but ignored her and left her to find her own way home. The drive home with Joe and Stella had done nothing to cheer her up, especially when her two friends were too wrapped up in each other to really even notice that she was there with them. There was no way she could have found any comfort in them.

So, she had gotten home and hidden in her room. She had laid in the dark all night, letting her thoughts wander and wonder whether or not there was anything she could have done differently to save herself from her current situation. She couldn't think of anything other than not participating in the bet at all, though even there she wasn't sure how she could have avoided it while saving her friends.

At least she was certain that there was nothing that could make her feel worse during a weekend when she would be far away from the Lucas boys and Brooke.

***

Macy tried to collect herself as she stood on the porch, staring at the door. She could feel the tears on her cheeks and knew she must look like a mess. If only she had thought things through. But really, she had simply been moving, and she hadn't been able to process any logical thought.

Her gammy was in the hospital, probably dying. This was the only thing she could really focus on after her mother had woken her in the middle of the night to say they had to move. Gammy had had a heart attack and she was in the hospital and she wanted her daughter there by her side.

With Macy's father already out of town on business and her mother sure that the long stay at the hospital was more than Macy could or should have to deal with, she had told her daughter to pack up some clothes and go stay with Stella for a few days. Besides, there was only one seat free on the next flight out and she wasn't going to wait in case another was freed at the last minute on a later plane. Macy had agreed, knowing that's what her mother needed and that Stella wouldn't even require a phone call, but that she could just show up and find her friend willing to take care of her.

Or at least that's what she'd thought when her mother had dropped her off and sped away in a panic that had her thinking about nothing but the fact that her flight was leaving in less than an hour and she was more than late to get herself to the airport. It was then that Macy had remembered that Stella was out of town.

So, she'd started walking and before she knew it, here she was. Thank God her ankle was finally back to 100%.

She didn't even bother trying to fix herself up before she rang the doorbell.

"Hey, Macy. What's up?"

It was five in the morning and he didn't even seem surprised to see her. Macy stared up at Kevin who offered her the same smile he offered her every time he saw her. Macy stared up at Kevin who looked happy, and warm, and safe, and like nothing was wrong in the world. Macy began to cry once again.

"Hey," Kevin said, softer than before as he reached out and pulled her against him. "Hey, it's okay. Come on in. Come on. It's okay."

She didn't care that her bags were outside on the sidewalk. She didn't care that she looked a mess and was only wearing pyjamas. She didn't care that Kevin had all but ignored her the day before and had gone off with Brooke. Macy could only cry.

"Shh," Kevin whispered into her ear as he stroked her hair. "Shh. It's okay."

Somehow they were sitting, and she heard him tell someone that everything was fine and they'd talk later, and she supposed the world was moving around them, but Macy missed all of this, simply letting Kevin soothe her as torrents of tears fell from her eyes.

And then she fell asleep.

***

"Hi."

Macy blinked. She took a deep breath. She opened her eyes. She blinked again.

"Hi," she mumbled, feeling the blush on her cheeks at the sight in front of her.

"Are you okay?"

"No."

"I guess I meant why aren't you okay," Kevin explained as he helped Macy sit up on the sofa from where she'd been lying in his arms.

"I'm sorry I just showed up. My mom got a call this morning and my grandma's in the hospital and she might die and my dad's out of town so I was supposed to stay with Stella but Stella's out of town and—"

"Okay, okay," Kevin interrupted as he pulled Macy against him. "Okay. Don't worry about it. The point is that you need somewhere to stay for a while, right?"

Macy nodded.

"Good. Why don't you go take a shower and wake up, I'll drive you to your house and you can pick up whatever you need while you're staying here. You probably didn't remember everything when packing last night if you were in a rush."

"Staying here?"

"Well, Stella's out of town, right?"

"Yes."

"Then we aren't going to let you stay anywhere else. Go shower. I'll go see what I can find us for breakfast in the meantime."

Kevin patted her back and helped her stand. Macy was halfway to the bathroom before she got back some of her senses.

"Thanks," she said, over her shoulder.

Kevin's wink in answer was assurance enough.

***

She had never seen this side of Kevin. She had seen excited Kevin and anxious Kevin and friendly Kevin and all kinds of Kevin, but she had never seen this Kevin. He was chatty but not overly excited, and he was optimistic, but he wasn't cheerful. He was just enough to be distracting without asking her to pretend to be any emotion that she wasn't.

It wasn't helping. It was simply reminding her of her stupid bet and what she stood to lose. It was also bringing back the swirling feeling in her stomach that she'd muffled away for so long. Macy had worked hard to stop being the obsessed fan in love with all three members of Jonas. She had to keep reminding herself of what she stood to lose if she let Kevin's kindness get the best of her and send her tumbling back down.

Unfortunately, from what her mother was telling her over the telephone when they talked each night, Macy would have about a week of this before she could get away.