“He’s not that hard to wake up.” Macon got that mischievous look in his eyes.
“I’m not doing that to him. I’ll make something.” I bent down to find a pan. One of the few things I made well were omelets, and I knew we had tons of eggs.
My phone rang, and I didn’t even think about answering it.
“It’s him.” Macon held up my phone.
“Good for him.”
Macon smiled. “On the positive side, he finally noticed you were gone.”
“It only took him an hour and a half.”
“Actually, if it had already been more than an hour when you called me, we’re closer to two hours.”
“Really helpful.”
“I know I am.” Macon smirked.
I’d cracked enough eggs to make two omelets when I heard the text notification on my phone.
Macon cleared his throat, and I knew he was about to read the text. “I know you’re mad, but please at least tell me you’re okay. Did you get a ride home?”
“Tell him I’m home.” I was glad Macon had my phone. I probably would have typed something far less polite.
Macon laughed, and I changed my mind.
“What did you say?”
“I’m home. Lucky for me, not all the men in my life keep me waiting more than an hour.”
“You didn’t!” I yanked my phone from his hand. Macon’s words stared back at me. “Oh no. Come on, Macon. He already thinks there’s something between us.”
Sure enough, I got another text. Macon? You called him to drive you home?
“What happened to him not being worth it?”
“I still don’t want him getting the wrong idea.” Yes. I called my friend when I realized you weren’t coming back.
Did you listen to my voicemail?
No.
I’m sorry. It was a really important call. Any chance I can come over there?
No.
Please. I don’t want to go to sleep like this.
You could have gone to sleep in a very different state.
I had to take the call, but I’m sorry. How can I make it better?
You can’t.
Don’t be like this.
You left me waiting for more than an hour. You could have at least stopped in to check on me.
Macon read the phone display from over my shoulder. “Check on you? What are you six?”
“You know what I meant.”
It all moved so fast. I finally finished and you were gone.
I waited as long as I could.
“What the hell?” Brody stormed out of his room. “What are you two burning?”
I looked back at the stove where my first omelet was a charred mess. “Do you have bad food sensory or something, Brody?”
“No. I smelled smoke.” He was already dumping the remains of my meal down the disposal. “I’m guessing you had a bad night?”
“Colin took a work call during sex and never came back,” Macon happily supplied.
I punched his arm.
“He picked up while you were having sex, or he stopped and then picked it up?” Brody asked.
“Ick. He stopped first.”
“See, it could have been worse.” Macon laughed.
“I’m guessing that thing I threw out was supposed to be eggs of some sort.” Brody leaned back against the counter in a pair of PJ pants. “Want me to make you something?”
“I can’t ask you to cook for me in the middle of the night.”
“You don’t have to ask. Sorry about your night.”
“You’re too good to me.”
“Yeah, yeah. You’ll be doing my laundry for months at this rate.”
“Wait, what? Maddy’s trading laundry services for favors?” Macon hopped up on the island.
“You two sound awful. Make your female roommate do the laundry.”
“I’m getting it in exchange for cooking for you. That’s not playing gender stereotypes.”
“I guess lover boy gave up.” Macon gestured to my phone.
“I guess so.” I couldn’t help but think he’d given up pretty easily. I didn’t want to see him, but I expected him to try harder. It was further proof he wasn’t worth it.
I’d just settled in to my omelet—the far superior one Brody had made for me—when we heard the knock on the door.
“I guess he didn’t give up.” Macon nodded toward the door.
The knocking increased.
“We have to get it before our neighbors complain.” Brody was always the rational one.
“Fine.” I started to walk to the door.
“Do you want to see him?” Macon asked with surprising seriousness.
I shook my head.
“Wait in your room.”
I nodded, more than happy to let Macon handle Colin. The night’s events had upset me more than I would have expected. I guess it made me feel unimportant. I wanted a guy who would put me first. Maybe I had unrealistic standards, but I wasn’t ready to forgive him.
“I need to talk to her.” Colin didn’t bother with the pleasantries. I listened through my door, but I could imagine the look of annoyance on his face that Macon was keeping him from me.
“She doesn’t want to talk to you.”
“She doesn’t, or you don’t want her to?”
Oh no. Macon wasn’t going to take this well.
“Do you really think I’m trying to steal Maddy? Because if so, you’re delusional. If Maddy and I wanted to date, we’d be doing it. She’s my best friend, and she deserves someone who doesn’t jump to conclusions about her, and who definitely doesn’t treat her like you did tonight.”
Wow. Macon was standing up for me. I was tempted to leave my room, but that would undermine Macon, and considering how awesome he was being, that didn’t seem like a great idea.
“Did she tell you? Do you know what happened? I didn’t hurt her or anything. It’s okay to let me in.”
“Didn’t hurt her? Maybe not physically…but man to man here, doing what you did hurts a girl. She’s already got an ego issue. Way to make it worse.”
I cringed. Did Macon have to go there?
“It was a call from work. I had to take it. I didn’t mean to hurt her ego. I don’t understand why it would.”
“And here I thought you were smart.”
“What? She thinks I don’t want her? That’s ridiculous. She knows how I feel about her.”
“Dude, you walked out on her during sex.” Brody entered the conversation, and I sat down on the floor. It was only going to get worse.