Don't Leave, Please

Maybe....

Cathy and Gabby were having a girls day. No work, no men, just the two of them spending some girl time together.

"Ok," Gabby said as she popped some chocolate into her mouth, "we got the movie going, we have snacks. Now we just have to do what every teenage girl does at a sleepover with her friends."

Cathy laughed.

"Talk about boys?"

Gabby nodded her head and laughed.

"Gabby," Cathy laughed, "we did this every time we had sleepovers."

"It's a tradition." Gabby smiled.

"Who are we gonna talk about?" Cathy asked.

Gabby smiled at Cathy.

"No!" Cathy sat up straight and pointed her pointer finger at Gabby," "we are not going to talk about Mac."

"Come on Cathy!" Gabby smiled, "I know you like him."

"Oh god why me?" Cathy groaned.

Gabby laughed.

"What about Jack."

Cathy looked at her friend.

"Oh my god," Cathy smiled, "You're crushing on Jack!"

"Am not!" Gabby pouted.

"Are too!" Cathy smiled and laughed. "You started crushing on him the first day he came into Dunkin Donuts with Mac!"

"You," Gabby pointed at Cathy, "wouldn't stop looking at Mac once he walked in the door."

"What?!" Cathy was blushing. "I was not!"

"Yes, you were Cathy. I know you." Gabby smiled.

Cathy sighed.

"I don't like Mac like that Gabby."

"Really?" Gabby scoffed, "then what is he to you?"

"A friend." Cathy said.

Gabby scoffed again.

"No, Cathy. He's not."

Cathy's eyes filled with tears.

"You know what happens when I fall for someone else. Danny comes after me. He threatens me. Then, he makes up lies and tells them to the men I date. And they don't believe him, until he threatens them. Then, they leave, or they go missing."

"Cathy," Gabby wiped her friends tears away, "Danny can't hurt you anymore. You wanna know why?"

Cathy sniffed and wiped her eyes.

"Why?"

Gabby smiled.

"You have Mac to protect you. He was there when you called him to get Danny off your porch. He woke you up when you had that bad dream. He protected you when Danny attacked you at the mall. Cathy, Mac is always going to protect you from any threat."

"I'm not so sure." Cathy said quietly.

"Why?" Gabby looked at Cathy, "why are you not so sure? Cathy, listen to me. Mac cares about you."

Cathy sighed.

"He will do anything to make sure you're safe."

Cathy looked up at Gabby.

"So he cares about me, big deal Gabby. That's what friends do."

Gabby sighed and looked at her watch.

"Look, I gotta go." Gabby grabbed her things and stopped at the door. "Cathy, just think about what we talked about, Ok?"

Cathy slowly nodded her head and watched her friend leave.

Cathy turned off the TV and threw away any trash. As she was cleaning up her house, she kept hearing Mac's voice in her head.

"Everyone at the Phoenix Foundation cares about you. That's you're family."

Cathy shook her head and headed towards her room.

"You have me......"

Cathy stopped. When Mac had told her that she had someone, Mac put himself first.

Cathy began to think about what Gabby had told her. How Mac cares for her. How he'd do anything, just to keep her safe.

Cathy smiled.

"Maybe...." Cathy thought out loud, "maybe, I do like Mac."