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“Jesse, man, if you love her…” Mac trailed off and Jesse waited, as if maybe Mac would have so, never finished the thought, and Jesse knew there was no easy answer

“She’s better off without me, Mac She needs to rebuild her life”

“Why can’t you be a part of that?”

“How can I? I’et over I’m Mitch’s best friend”

“She didn’t seem to care”

“Well, I do Maybe I need to get over this Maybe she’s part of the past that I need to forget” He lied, and they both knew it

“What are you doing here, Mac?” Jesse asked He turned the old spigot on by the side of the house and splashed lukeater over his neck Anything to cool down

“We’re worried about you,” he said “Rachel asked me to come by”

“Tell Rachel I’ the roof”

“You could tell her yourself on Sunday Steaks again, maybe some cold beer—”

Jesse shook his head It wasn’t for him Sunday family dinners The Fils

“No thanks,” he said

“But—”

“I can’t, Mac Just try to understand” He stared Mac in the eye for a long ti him to catch on that he just needed to be alone

The way he should have stayed all along

Finally Mac nodded “We’re here when you need us, Jesse”