Second Chances

Chapter 17

By the time Thanksgiving had grown closer, Mackenzie was more than ready to go home to Ohio. She had reached out to Sarah's parents since they decided to wait to have the funeral. A lot of her family was going to be away so they wanted to wait. Thinking of her family, Mackenzie just wanted to go home and see her mom. On the day she was supposed to leave she had her bags packed up and she was ready to go. "Luke, why aren't your bags packed? We have to leave now if we're going to make it in time," she said walking into the bedroom

"I'm not going." He shrugged and continued to flip through the channels on the TV against the wall.

"Yes you are. Pack your bags." Mackenzie crossed her arms.

"No, Mac, I'm not going with you." Luke sighed. "I can't go with you. Your family probably hates me now, besides you need some alone time with them. Romeo doesn't know where you are and probably thinks you are dead, which means he is going after me alone. I'm not coming and risking him find out that you are alive and have him try and hurt you. I can't just disappear, baby," he reasoned.

"Luke," she sighed, climbing onto the bed beside him where he was lying. He turned onto his side looking at her.

"Mac, baby-" he began, but she cut him off.

"I need you to be with me," she said sadly, "After Sarah," she started, tears filling her eyes again. "I'm not going alone. I can't be alone." Her voice, breaking as she tried to hold the tears back. He closed his eyes before sighing and taking her body into his arms before sitting up.

"You won't be alone," he whispered.

"You have your mom and Jackson, and didn't you say that Jackson's girlfriend had the baby? You have people around you," he said trying to comfort her.

"It's not the same," she sighed sadly. She paused for a moment. "Jackson's probably going to see his family instead. Friends can only do so much."

"Fine," he whispered against her forehead. "I'll come with you, let me pack my bag and we can go okay?" She nodded before he kissed her forehead and moved her back onto the bed before getting up off the bed, and grabbing a black duffel bag from his closet, filling it with clothes. He was grabbing his suit jacket and shoes when Mackenzie spoke up.

"You don't have to wear a suit, babe." Mackenzie smiled softly as she got up and walked over to him.

"I want to look nice for your family." Luke shrugged. She smiled softly before wrapping her arms around him and burying her face in his chest once more.

***

Half an hour later, Luke grabbed his bag and Mackenzie's before going down to the garage. Mackenzie followed and grabbed the keys on her way out. She unlocked the car and Luke put their bags in the back. Mackenzie slid into the driver's seat and started the car. "What the hell are you doing, Mac?"

"I'm driving my favorite car." She shrugged. Luke chuckled and shook his head and got in.

"I don't usually let other people drive my car." Luke looked at her as she backed out of the driveway.

"Well, I'm not other people. I'm your girlfriend, so I get to drive your SUV." She smiled. "Besides, I don't think you remember how to get to my parents' house."

"That's not true. I do remember." Luke chuckled. "I wouldn't forget that house." He smiled and turned the radio on. He hummed along to the song playing while Mackenzie drove.

It took roughly 7 hours and 15 minutes to reach Mackenzie's childhood home, with them stopping and switching drivers twice. "New siding?" Luke asked referring to the white siding that was in place of the old yellow siding he had seen so many times, as Mackenzie parked in the driveway.