Chapter 27

It had been a week.

A whole seven days since Macklin had texted me and for seven days, I had successfully dodged doing anything about it.

Not because I didn't want to respond—I did. I just... didn't know how.

I told myself I needed time to figure out what to say. But then a day passed, and then another, and now it had been a week. And at this point, texting him back out of nowhere felt weird. Like, what was I supposed to say? Hey, sorry I ignored you for an entire week, how's life?

It was just that I didn't want to mess up whatever this was. Macklin and I had been talking. We had something going. I wasn't entirely sure what, but it was something. And then the party, and... well, things got messy.

Gabi and Will thought I was being ridiculous.

"It's not weird to text him, Lex," Gabi had told me this morning, rolling her eyes as I laid dramatically on the couch.

"It feels weird," I argued, staring at the ceiling.

Will scoffed. "Only because you made it weird."

I sighed, knowing they were right but refusing to admit it. "I just... I don't know what to say."

Gabi groaned. "How about, Hey, sorry for the delay. Want to talk?"

I made a face. "That sounds unnatural."

"Unnatural?" Will repeated. "Lex, it's a text, not a Shakespearean monologue."

I sighed again. "I'll think about it."

That was apparently the wrong thing to say because they both groaned in unison.

On the other hand, at least one guy got the hint. Luke, after sending one very specific text about getting coffee, finally took the very obvious silence as a no. I felt kind of bad about it at first, but honestly? I had bigger things to worry about.

Like Jackson.

If Luke had gotten the hint, Jackson had burned it, buried it, and built a shrine to ignoring social cues.

The man had lost it.

The second I blocked one of his Instagram accounts, he made another.

Then another.

And another.

I was genuinely impressed by his level of commitment. Like, at this point, did he even have a job? Hobbies? Was his entire schedule just "create fake accounts to harass Lex?"

Will thought I should get a restraining order. Gabi thought I should ignore him.

I was leaning towards the restraining order.

But tonight? I wasn't thinking about any of that. Tonight was girls' night.

Gabi had planned it earlier this week, insisting that we needed a real night out—just the two of us. No men, no drama, just a fancy dinner, some drinks, and looking absolutely stunning.

She told me to dress pretty, so I did.

I stood in front of my mirror, smoothing down my dress.

It was midnight blue, the kind of shade that looked almost black until it caught the light, revealing tiny specks of shimmer. Gold bejeweled accents lined the neckline, adding a subtle touch of elegance. I paired it with gold heels, a dark blue Dior purse, and delicate gold jewelry.

My makeup was on point—soft yet polished, complementing the outfit perfectly. My hair was curled in loose waves, effortlessly falling over my shoulders.

I looked... good. For once, I actually felt as good as I looked.

I glanced at my phone to see a message from Gabi.

Gabi: Meet you at the restaurant! Stopping by Will's first!

Which meant I had to walk in alone. Taking a deep breath, I grabbed my purse and stepped out the door.

Tonight was about me and Gabi.

No men. No drama. No stress.———

The restaurant was exactly the kind of place Gabi would pick; dim lighting, soft jazz playing in the background, and just enough luxury to feel fancy without being over the top. A warm golden glow lit each table, giving the whole place an intimate, cozy feel.

I stepped inside, immediately feeling the contrast between the crisp night air and the welcoming warmth of the restaurant. A hostess greeted me with a polite smile.

"Reservation for two under Lex," I told her, smoothing my dress as I spoke.

She nodded, checking the system. "Of course! You're welcome to wait at the bar, or we can seat you once your friend arrives."

I smiled. "I'll wait, thanks."

I shifted on my heels, checking my phone again.

Lex: Where are you??

I had barely hit send when the restaurant door opened behind me, sending another cool gust of wind through the entrance. I didn't think much of it until I felt a strange, unshakable feeling of being watched.

I turned and there he was.

Macklin.

Dressed in a fitted navy polo and tailored slacks, his hair slightly tousled in that infuriatingly effortless way. His gaze landed on me immediately, and for a moment, neither of us moved.

I should've looked away. I should've pretended not to see him and gone right back to checking my phone.

Instead, I just stood there, caught in whatever weird gravitational pull he had over me.

His eyes flickered down, taking in my dress—the deep midnight blue fabric shimmering under the warm restaurant lighting—and I caught the way his lips parted slightly, like he was about to say something but forgot how.

"You look beautiful."

My breath hitched. His voice was lower than usual, softer in a way that made my heart do something stupid.

I forced out a small, completely normal and not at all flustered response.

"Oh. Uh... thank you."

Great. That was eloquent.

Macklin gave a small nod, his gaze lingering for a second longer before he gestured toward the hostess stand. "Are you waiting for someone?"

I cleared my throat, pretending my skin wasn't buzzing from just standing near him. "Yeah, Gabi. She said she'd meet me here."

Macklin pulled out his phone and glanced at the screen. His brows furrowed slightly before he looked back up at me.

"That's weird. Will told me to meet him here, but he's not answering."

I blinked.

Something was very off.

I looked down at my phone just as it vibrated with a response from Gabi.

Gabi: Have fun with Macklin. Talk it out! You got this <3

Oh.

Oh, no.

I exhaled sharply, rubbing my temples. Those little shits.

Macklin must've sensed something because he gave me a questioning look. "What?"

I sighed. "Give me your phone."

He handed it over easily. I pressed the call button for Will. I called Will on his phone rather than mine because he probably would reject my call. After three rings, the line clicked.

"Lex, before you freak out, just wanna say—this was totally Gabi's idea."

"Excuse me?! You were fully on board, do not throw me under the bus like that." Gabi scoffs at Will's accusation.

I narrowed my eyes. "Did you two just Parent Trap us?"

A suspiciously long silence.

Then—

"...Yeah, kinda," Will admitted.

"One hundred percent," Gabi added, not even trying to deny it.

I squeezed my eyes shut. "You have got to be kidding me."

Macklin, to his credit, looked equally blindsided, though I caught the smallest flicker of amusement on his face.

"Listen," Will continued, "you two obviously have stuff to talk about, and neither of you was gonna make the first move. So... congratulations! You're officially on an accidental dinner date."

I groaned, rubbing my forehead. "I cannot believe you did this."

"You're welcome, by the way," Gabi chimed in.

Macklin crossed his arms, giving the phone a pointedly unimpressed look. "And what, exactly, are you two doing right now while we're stuck here?"

"Oh, we're together," Will said casually.

"Just watching a movie," Gabi added. "Relaxing."

My jaw dropped. "ARE YOU SERIOUS?"

"Oh, and order dessert!" Gabi continued, ignoring my outrage. "Lex never orders dessert, but she deserves dessert!"

I hung up on them.

Macklin exhaled a small laugh, shaking his head as he took his phone back. "Wow. We really got played."

"Completely," I muttered.

Then, because I had absolutely no other choice unless I wanted to storm out of the restaurant in this dress and heels, I sighed and gestured toward the hostess.

"Guess we're doing this."

Macklin tilted his head, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "Guess we are."

I gave him a pointed look. "If this turns into a disaster, I am blaming them."

He grinned now, eyes glinting under the soft lighting. "Deal."

And with that, we were led to our table.

-=+=-

Lil shorty chapter 🤏🏼🤨