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Chapter 15
Mac was in the other bedroom changing out of her bathing suit when there was knock on the door.
"You decent?" Harm asked. Mac pulled a shirt over head and buttoned her pants.
"Yes." she said.
"Hey."
"Hey."
"The girls ok?"
"Yeah...a little sore and sorry but they'll live." Mac was a little embarrassed. It was like she thought Harm could read her thoughts...If only she could have read his she wouldn't have worried.
"You mad at me?" he asked.
"No Harm...why would I be mad?" He shrugged.
"I dunno, maybe you thought I was too hard on them..." Mac walked into the bathroom and he followed her and stood there while she applied make up.
"Ah...NO...they were brats. They deserved everything they got."
"Yes they did." He still felt like something was off but he couldn't put his finger on it.
"So we're all ok.?" he asked as he searched her face.
"Ye...s..." What was that? Hesitation? He thought. They weren't ok?
"Why what's wrong?" he asked.
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Chloe attempted to it on the bed next to Mattie but then jumped back up again. Her butt burned.
"How come you can sit." she said with a grimace and a rub.
"Um...maybe cos I have a higher threshold of pain...or maybe because I was smart enough to keep my ass covered." Mattie said sarcastically.
"Yeah well I guess I wasn't thinking about that at the time."
"Nope you sure weren't...or how your stupid semi shoplifting attempt would bring everything crashing down around our ears."
"Ok Ok I get . Believe me Harm made it perfectly clear."
"Oh really?" Mattie said with a roll of her eyes. "He didn't exactly tickle me either."
'Well you can still sit..."
"Cos I didn't go put a bathing suit on his credit that looked like it should be worn by an exotic dancer in some damn strip show in Vegas."
"Ok...geez tell me what you really think." Mattie turned over and laid on her tummy.
"Let's just forget it...it's over."
"Yeah...now they know what we were doing they'll never get together."
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"We're good Harm...I'm just a little confused...that's all. We're good but...WHAT are we?" He shrugged and said nothing. He clearly didn't know the answer which meant he didn't know either, she thought. Harm knew exactly what he HOPED they were heading towards being but he was frightened to say it unless it bit him in the butt again and she ran. What they both knew was that they'd crossed the line with that kiss. "You kissed me."
"Yeah sorry." he said not sure what else to say. "I just...it just happened."
"Uhhuh...don't have to apologise...but your timing was a little off."
"Yeah." he said finding himself standing behind her. A mixture of a little courage with a whole lot of hope was spurring him on. "How about now?" She smiled nervously and turned to face him.
"Harm...what if we ruin what we have...?" She so wanted to just throw herself into his arms but there was so much at stake.
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"Ok I'm hungry." Chloe said. "I say we go to lunch." Mattie dragged herself up off the bed. She really wasn't looking forward to sitting across from either Harm or Mac at lunch. She wasn't looking forward to sitting.
"I hope we're going somewhere that has some kind of cushioned seats." Chloe said as she flung open the door. Mattie looked around ...no sign of either of them. Maybe they were so pissed that they left them here to fend for themselves.
"Okay..." Chloe said with a big smile...they're missing...and the bedroom door's closed." She went over and propped her ear to the door. Nothing.
"Will you come away from there." Mattie said.
"I'm not doing any harm... get it... Harmmmm... I made a funny and I wasn't even trying."
"Chloe...you really wanna antagonise Harm now?" Mattie poked her tongue out but came away anyway.
"It's not like this place has a kitchen with actual food in an actual fridge... all it has is this itty bitty thing." she said opening the door. Mattie came over to where Chloe had just opened the fridge door. "Itty Bitty... but filled with some very interesting things." Mattie snatched a chocolate bar and a bottle of beer only to have them both snatched from her hand and stuffed back in the fridge again. Mattie replaced the drink and the chocolate and slammed the fridge shut.
"Do you WANT him to kill you?" She said incredulously. "Or even Mac for that matter."
"Lighten up Mattie I was only joking."
"Sure you were...that stuff's not free you know."
"Okay. I put it back."
"Actually I put it back for you."
"Yes Mom." Chloe paced up and down and then went to listen at the door again. Mattie gave up and put the TV on again and plopped onto the couch.
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"What if we don't and we're left always wondering what if?" Mac smiled.
"Do you think we could make it?"
"Mac...we've been really close before. One of us always runs the other way. I don't want to run anymore...I'm happy...I want you to be happy...I want US to be happy..." Mac giggled.
"Even with two rumbustious girls to worry about."
"Believe it or not that's a bonus." he said. "Mac...I love you and I just wanna share stuff with you...good stuff, bad stuff even the crazy stuff..." Mac's eyes misted she melted into him as he pulled her into his arms. The kiss this time was far from the light gently kiss he'd dropped on her before.
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"You know, I don't hear anything. We don't even know if they're in there." Chloe said.
"They said we were going to lunch...we'd come from the beach. They're probably changing or something."
"Uhhuh...It's the something that interests me. That and the fact I may just die of starvation."
"Chloe if they ARE in there I'm sure they'll be out in a minute."
"Maybe I should just take a little peak."
"Noooo. Geez. Just relax will ya?"
"I can't relax when I'm starving..."
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Harm and Mac stood silently wrapped in each others arms. Neither needed to say anything. Harm took Mac's hand and lead her to the bedroom.
"We can't now Harm." Mac said with a chuckle. "The girls are waiting to go to lunch."
"I KNOW that." he said as he sat on the bed and pulled her down beside him. "But we could make out just a little." he said with a grin.
"A little would be nice."
"Uhhuh."
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"Ok...I officially cannot wait any longer." Chloe said. "I'm going in." Mattie turned the television down. She may not of been game enough to open it herself but she'd be lying if she said she wasn't interested in the outcome.
Chloe flung open the bedroom door and her mouth dropped open with shock...if only for a second.
"Well, well, well...BOUT TIME PEOPLE!" she yelled.
TBC