Lost and Found

Just Stay for a Little While

As the final touches of their biology project came together, Evelyn leaned back in her chair and let out a satisfied sigh. "Finally," she said, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face. "We're done."

Mackenzie, sprawled out on her bed with his arms crossed behind his head, grinned at her. "Told you we'd get it done. You should have more faith in me."

"I'll consider it when you stop treating this like a vacation," she replied, smirking as she started organizing their papers.

Mackenzie stood and stretched. "You're a tough critic, Turner. But I gotta admit, we did pretty well." He glanced at the clock on her nightstand. "What time is it anyway?"

"Almost six," Evelyn said absentmindedly.

Just as Mackenzie was reaching for his backpack to pack up, a light knock came at the door.

Evelyn's mom peeked in, smiling warmly. "Hey, kids. You've been working hard all afternoon—how about staying for dinner, Mackenzie?"

Evelyn froze, her heart sinking. "Mom, that's not necessary. He was just about to leave—"

"Nonsense," her mom interrupted, ignoring her protests. "It's getting late, and it's the least we can do after all that work you've been doing." She turned to Mackenzie. "What do you say?"

Mackenzie looked from Evelyn to her mom, then back to Evelyn with an amused grin. "I'd love to, Mrs. Turner. Thanks for inviting me."

Evelyn groaned inwardly and shot her mom a pleading look. "Mom, really—"

Her mom raised an eyebrow, her expression firm. "Evelyn, it's just dinner. Be polite."

The unspoken don't argue with me in her mom's tone made Evelyn bite back a retort. She sighed, clearly outnumbered. "Fine. Whatever."

Dinner at the Turner household was a casual affair.

Evelyn's mom had whipped up a simple but hearty meal of baked chicken, mashed potatoes, and steamed vegetables.

Mackenzie sat across from Evelyn at the dining table, his usual cocky demeanor softened by her mom's warm hospitality.

"This is really good, Mrs. Turner," Mackenzie said as he took another bite. "Way better than anything I usually eat at home."

"Oh, thank you, Mackenzie," her mom said, beaming. "I'm glad you like it. You're welcome here anytime."

Evelyn winced, feeling her cheeks flush with embarrassment. "Mom," she muttered under her breath.

"What?" her mom asked innocently. "It's nice to see you working with someone, Evelyn. You're always so independent—it's good to have a partner every once in a while."

Mackenzie shot Evelyn a smirk. "Yeah, Evelyn's been a great partner. Super patient with me."

Evelyn shot him a warning look, but Mackenzie just chuckled and took another bite of his food.

The conversation turned to lighter topics—school, hobbies, and family.

Evelyn mostly kept quiet, letting her mom and Mackenzie talk, but she couldn't help noticing how easily he charmed her mom, which is unusual, since her mom is rarely charmed by her friends, hence why Evelyn never brought anyone over.

After dinner, Mackenzie offered to help clean up, but Evelyn's mom waved him off. "You're a guest. Evelyn and I will take care of it."

Mackenzie nodded and leaned back in his chair. "Thanks again for having me, Mrs. Turner. Dinner was great."

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As Evelyn dried the last dish and placed it in the cabinet, her mom turned to her with

a pointed look. "Evelyn, why don't you give Mackenzie a ride home? It's getting

late, and I don't want him walking home in the dark."

"What?" Evelyn said, her voice rising slightly. "Mom, he can—"

Her mom cut her off with a firm stare. "Evelyn."

Evelyn sighed, recognizing there was no way out of this. "Fine," she muttered, drying her hands on a towel.

The car ride to Mackenzie's house was quiet at first, the awkward tension from earlier dinner still lingering in the air.

Evelyn focused on the road, keeping her hands tight on the steering wheel.

Mackenzie finally broke the silence. "Your mom's really nice."

"Yeah, she is," Evelyn said flatly.

"She's got a thing for inviting me to stay places, though," he added, grinning.

Evelyn rolled her eyes. "She was just being polite. Don't think too much into it."

Mackenzie chuckled, leaning back in his seat. "You know, you don't have to act so annoyed all the time. It's okay to admit you had fun today."

"Fun?" Evelyn scoffed. "I wouldn't call it fun. Productive, maybe."

"Come on," Mackenzie said, his grin widening. "Admit it—I'm growing on you."

Evelyn shot him a sideways glance. "Don't push your luck, Brennen."

They fell into a more comfortable silence after that, the tension easing slightly. Evelyn followed Mackenzie's directions, eventually pulling up to the large, gated driveway of his family's estate.

"This is it," Mackenzie said, gesturing to the keypad at the gate. "You can just drop me off here. I'll walk up."

Evelyn frowned. "Are you sure? It's kind of a long driveway."

"I'll be fine," he said, already opening the car door. He hesitated for a moment before turning back to her. "Thanks for the ride, Evelyn. And for not totally losing your mind when your mom invited me to dinner."

She gave him a dry look. "Don't get used to it."

He smirked, stepping out of the car. "See you tomorrow, partner."

As Evelyn watched him walk toward the gate, she couldn't help but feel a strange mix of relief and unease.

She had survived the day without too much drama, but something told her that this was only the beginning.

Because with Mackenzie Brennen, nothing ever stayed simple for long.