Scorched (The Frenemy Series Book 4)

by Kate Benson

  “What’s wrong?” Mason asks as he faces him and I push our private moment away, promising to revisit it later when I’m alone.

  “It’s Evie,” he says as I pull the door open fully, raking his palm over his perfectly edged scruff. “She’s locked herself in her room. She won’t talk to anyone.”

  “She was when we left her,” I assure him. “We were only gone for a few minutes.”

  “What the hell happened?” Mason asks, making him shake his head.

  “I don’t know, Mase,” he replies, handing me the keys to my car. “Not a fuckin’ clue. My friend showed up with Alex’s car, so I walked downstairs to get her keys. When I came back up, Amy said she asked her to take the kids to my mom and kicked everyone else out,” he continues. “She won’t even let me in there,” he shakes his head. “She only wants you.”

  chapter twenty-four

  mason

  “Evie? Baby?” he calls out. “Mason’s here, pussycat. Will you unlock the door?”

  There’s a slight shuffle on the other side of the door, but she doesn’t respond. When we finally hear the lock click, I’m surprised to see my mom.

  “Is she okay?” Dash asks, pulling a teary nod from my mom.

  “Yeah, baby. Everything’s gonna be just fine,” she promises, reaching for his hand and giving it a gentle pat. “She just needs a minute. You know how she gets,” she winks, making him nod through a relieved smile. “Mason, honey, she’s waiting for you.”

  I nod at them both, giving Alex a quick glance before I slip inside, pushing the door shut behind me. The room is exactly as we left it, save for everyone who is now waiting just outside, and my sister is sitting alone in the corner on a plush couch, sniffing quietly to herself.

  “Eve?” I call out, my voice low as I make my way toward her. She raises her blue eyes to mine and my heart clenches when I see them glistening slightly, her features sadder than I’d seen them in years. “I’m here.”

  “Hey,” she manages, her voice breaking slightly.

  “Hey,” I reply, taking a seat beside her on the couch, careful not to get caught up in the elaborate dress that still doesn’t really even do her justice. “What’s up?”

  “Is Dash okay?” she asks, glancing over at me. “And the kids? Are they okay?”

  “Yeah,” I nod. “I mean, he’s worried sick about you, but he’s good. The kids are with Amy. Mom and Alex are just outside the door,” I assure her, leaning forward on my knees. “They said you wanted to talk to me?” she nods, carefully wiping at her tears once more. “You okay?”

  “Yeah,” she starts, shaking her head. “No,” she corrects herself, finally giving me a shrug. “I don’t know. I was fine. Stressed as hell,” she allows. “But I was really okay until this morning.”

  “What happened this morning?” I ask, gently pushing away a stray piece of her hair and tucking it behind her ear. “Did you and Dash have a fight or something?”

  “No,” she says immediately. “Nothing like that at all,” she promises. “I just…” she trails off once more, choking on the words she’s trying to get out. “I um…”

  “Are you okay, kid?” I ask, slipping off the couch and crouching down to face her. “Are you having second thoughts or someth-?”

  “No, not at all,” she cuts me off, her expression shifting into slight panic. “Oh, my God. He doesn’t think that, does he?”

  “I don’t know,” I admit. “I don’t think so, but we might ought to shoot him a text.”

  “Crap,” she sniffs, pulling her phone out to type something quickly as she continues to shake her head. “I just didn’t want him in here because of bad luck,” she explains, tossing the phone to the side. “And I really just wanted to talk to you. I think you’re the only one who…”

  Her lower lip starts to quiver once more.

  “Hey,” I pull her back, reaching for the tissue box at her feet and handing her one before I pull one out myself and begin carefully patting at her tears. “Babe, what’s going on? What happ-”

  “Everything was totally fine. Really,” she assures me. “And then the minister called and said he’s not going to make it.”

  “What?”

  “It’s fine,” she shakes her head. “I mean, I had a mini-meltdown, but then Amy reminded me she’s certified to do it so it’s not that big a deal.”

  “Okay, so what’s bothering you.”

  “Well, before that, when the minister called, I was alone for a minute,” she explains with a sniff. “Mom had taken the kids down to Dash for a minute and Amy was in the bathroom and … I don’t know where you or Alex were,” she shrugs. “Anyway, I was by myself and I started to panic and was trying to come up with a solution and started thinking about Daddy,” she admits, her features contorting as mine slowly start to shift in understanding. “He always knew what to do. About everything,” she shrugs. “And I was thinking about how if he was here, he could fix it, but…” she trails off again, but this time, she doesn’t hold it together quite as well. “Mason, I don’t know how to do this without him,” she cries, her words coming out with such heart, such emotion that it pulls her elbows to her knees as she lets out a low sob. “And I can’t tell mom,” she says, the words finally starting to click into place. “I already feel like a dick telling you, Mase, but I know you get it.”

  “Why do you feel like a dick telling me, Eve?”

  “Because you sacrificed everything for me,” she cries, taking my hand in hers. “You did everything you could to make sure I didn’t miss him anymore than I had to,” she shakes his head. “I’m not sure I ever said thank you for that, but…”

  “Eve,” I whisper, sniffing back tears of my own now for the second time today. Fucking weddings. “You don’t have to say-”

  “Yeah, I do,” she argues. “You did everything for me, for us,” she sniffs. “And I know if I asked you to do this for me, too, you would, but it just…”

  “I know,” I nod in understanding. “But I still will.”

  “We can’t leave Dash up there by himself,” she shakes her head. “He’ll look like a loser.”

  “Well,” I shrug, making her laugh through her tears. “There,” I sigh, giving her a wink. “There she is.”

  Her cheeks heat slightly and for a moment – a split second really – I see the same determined, blonde little hellraiser I taught to ride her bike in front of our house. The same fresh-faced little girl I walked home from school every day. The same mouthy teenager who used to pit me and my best friend against each other every weekend. The same girl that, despite all my warnings and idle threats, fought for that same pain in the ass, nervous wreck who is now pacing right outside her door.

  “He’d be so fucking proud of you, Eve,” I whisper, holding her hand in mine and meeting her eyes. “He wanted so many things for you,” I manage, smirking when she blots at my face with her own destroyed tissue. “You surpassed them all, kid.”

  She holds her small smile, her thoughts somewhere else altogether, likely in the same place as mine are. When she finally speaks again, her voice is just as ravaged as mine.

  “Mase,” she whispers, sniffing back the next impending round of tears as she faces me. “He’s supposed to be here. He promised he wouldn’t miss this.”

  “I know,” I say low, running the pad of my thumb over her cheek. “I know what he said, and I know he’d have done anything to change that if he could, but…”

  “I know,” she sighs. “And maybe it’s stupid that I’m just now having this breakdown,” she shrugs. “I mean, it’s not like I never thought of it before. We’ve just been so busy planning everything and taking care of the kids and working and …” she trails off once more, still shaking her head. “I really should’ve seen this coming, but this morning, I glanced down at my phone and I saw his picture and then the minister happened and … Mason, I just lost it,” she admits, biting her lip to fend off the emotion. “And now I’m just not sure how I do it,” she shrugs. “How do I get ma
rried without Daddy?”

  I sigh, glancing away for a moment before my eyes move back to hers. “I think you just have to.”

  “Mason,” she starts, her expression shifting from emotional to annoyed instantly. “That’s terrible advice.”

  “Well,” I chuckle, still holding her hands. “I mean, you still want to get married, don’t you?”

  “Yes. Of course, I do, but I was hoping for some sage shit,” she exclaims. “I mean, why do you think I let you in?”

  “I know,” I admit, my smirk fading slowly as I take her in. “Look, I can’t tell you how to feel better about this,” I admit. “Hell, I know that’s what you want, and I’d do just about anything in the world to make you happy,” I admit, making her eyes soften. “But this is just one of those things, Eve. I can’t do anything but cry along with you, kid.”

  “I know,” she sniffs. “I mean, you were supposed to know what to say, but-”

  “Yeah, I know,” I cut her off this time. “I’m sorry,” I whisper, making her shake her head as she gives my hand a squeeze. “If I’m being honest, I don’t know what the hell to tell you most of the time,” I shrug. “You’ve been making it pretty clear since you were about six that you already know everything.” I glance up in time to find her rolling her eyes, stifling a giggle of her own as I rise and pull her to her feet. “Shit, look at your life and look at mine. I ought to be asking you for advice. I hate to break it to you, but I’m kind of a fucking idiot.”

  “Shut up,” she laughs, squeezing me tighter for a minute. “If that’s true, you’re still my favorite idiot.”

  “Thanks,” I chuckle.

  She leans into my chest and returns my embrace, squeezing me tight before we both let out a long, cleansing breath.

  “Love you, Mase,” she sniffs, pulling away to look at me with a soft smile as she pats my cheek. “Thanks for looking out for me.”

  “Always, kid,” I whisper, pressing my lips to her hair. “I love you, too,” I smile, kissing her hair once more before I finally pull away and give her another look over and sigh. “So, what do you want to do? Should I sneak you out the back? Pull a couple fire alarms?”

  “No,” she shakes her head, her lips quirking up easily on either side. “I want to get married.”

  “Okay, then let’s do it,” I nod, releasing her completely. “I’ll get mom so you can get your veil back on.”

  “Okay,” she nods, wiping beneath her eyes and finally giving me the bright smile I’ve been waiting for. I move toward the door and am about to leave when she calls out for me again. “Hey Mase?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Thank you.”

  “Anything for you, kid,” I wink.

  chapter twenty-five

  alex

  “Hey,” he says, his voice low as he approaches me from behind. I pull my gaze from the gorgeous rooftop on the other side of the glass doors and glance up at him. While only a moment ago, I was having more than a little stage fright, I can’t deny the calm that washes over me as his hazel eyes find mine. “You about ready?”

  “I think so,” I nod, discreetly blowing out a deep breath. As much as I hate to admit it, I’d inadvertently eavesdropped on the conversation he’d had with his sister. I hadn’t meant to overhear so much, but with the hallway so quiet, each of us waiting to make sure everything was alright, it was impossible not to. Now, it’s even more impossible to deny that his patience and kind words – something I’d rarely witnessed before this week – is having a pretty intense effect on my heart. “Is Evie okay?”

  “Oh, yeah,” he replies immediately, waving me off. For everything swirling in my chest the way it is, the movement seems out of place. I have to remind myself that I’m the one having the breakthrough – or breakdown, we’ll see which one later – not Mason. “She’s a tough one. You know how she is,” he shrugs, his lips turning up fondly on either side with the thought of her. “She just needs to have a little meltdown here and there, kind of work out all the kinks.”

  “Hmm,” I smirk. “Yeah, I think that’s fair to say for most of us.”

  “Touche,” he agrees, his eyebrows raising just a bit in amusement. The music outside begins to grow louder, the small gathering beyond the doors seeming to increase tenfold in less than a blink. When I blow out another deep breath, this one not quite as discreet, he notices. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing,” I lie, shaking my head incessantly as my grip on the small, lilac bouquet begins to tighten. “I’m just um…” I trail off, fanning myself. “I don’t really like crowds or people staring at me, y’know?”

  “I wouldn’t have guessed that about you,” he teases, pulling an eye roll from me. “So, you’re nervous?”

  “No,” I lie again, willing the word to be true before I release a long, low breath. “Actually, that’s total bullshit,” I admit, my words rushed and panicked. “I’m terrified. I have the worst stage fright for shit like this.”

  “So, why’d you agree to do it?” he chuckles, pulling my eyes back to his immediately.

  “Because Evie’s my friend and I love her,” I shrug. “It doesn’t matter if it’s scary. You do scary things for the ones you love.”

  “Hmm,” he nods, his eyes softening with my words. “Well, if it helps, people will only be looking at you for a minute and then they’ll all be looking at someone else,” he offers as the glass doors leading to the rooftop suddenly fly open. “Well, maybe not everyone.” My eyes move to find his still trained on me, taking in the elaborate getup Evie had insisted on – not that I fought her much on it. Girl’s a freakin’ nutjob, but she’s got amazing taste. When his words finally hit me, I can’t stop the immediate blush staining my cheeks. “I’ll keep you distracted,” he promises, extending his arm so I can thread mine through it. “Just keep hold of me until we get up there and try really hard not to throw up.”

  “Okay,” I manage, nodding quickly once more. “Thanks.”

  I rest my palm on the inside of his elbow and shut my eyes tight, count to three and squeeze, grateful when he begins leading me out. My eyes flutter open in time for the photographer to snap a half dozen pictures all at once, stunning me for a split second before Mason pulls me forward again.

  “Try to smile,” he whispers, cutting his eyes at me in time to watch my lips spread way too wide. “Calm down, psycho,” he teases, and this time, I giggle at his words and the effect has me relaxing just enough to make a few more steps. “There she is.” My cheeks heat once again, and my firm grip loosens up just enough as I take another cleansing breath to pull a low hum from his chest. “See? Nothing to it.”

  “You’re good at this,” I say low, swallowing hard. “I can see why Evie depends on you so much.”

  “We’ve seen each other through quite a bit.”

  “I know,” I allow, giving his arm another squeeze. “But I was also standing right outside the door with everyone else. I heard what you said to her,” I admit, my eyes meeting Dash’s as we get closer to the altar. He flashes us both a quick smile, his eyes settling on Mason’s for a second longer, years of friendship resting there effortlessly, before his eyes move behind us, eager to catch his first glimpse of Evie. “You’re a good guy, Mason.”

  He says nothing for a moment, long enough that I wonder if he heard me or if what I’m feeling is just my nerves. I glance over at him just before we pull apart and move to our designated spots and his lips curve up into a smile.

  “I thought you said I was eighty percent douchebag?” he teases, making me giggle.

  “My numbers might have been a little off,” I admit with a shrug. “And even if they weren’t, who says you can’t have it all?”

  “You know I like to mix it up,” he whispers, giving my hand a gentle squeeze as he escorts me to my spot and moves to Dash’s side. “Thank you.”

  I watch as he leans in close to Dash, whispering something that has them both beaming before Amy joins me, her hand giving mine a tight squeeze, and the crowd I’d j
ust been terrified of does exactly as Mason promised – we all turn at once to see the bride.

  I join the others, my gaze falling on Evie, and my eyes begin to prick with overwhelming happiness for my friend and I can still feel the warmth of his gaze hot on my skin.

  Well, almost everyone, he’d whispered.

  When I brave a glance to my left, his promise stands firm. His eyes are still on me, and that’s when it happens.

  That’s when I realize I’ve totally fallen for Mason King.

  mason

  As the music slowly begins to shift, I force my eyes away from Alex and focus on the end of the aisle, smiling wide as the twins make their way toward us. Dimples on full blast, they both run directly to their father so quickly, we barely catch a glimpse of the signs they’re both holding.

  Get Ready, Daddy! says Aspen’s, followed by Here She Comes! in pretty script in Dallas’ chubby-fingered grip.

  “Thanks for the warning, guys,” he smirks as he bends to catch them, giving them both a quick kiss before, despite their reluctance to leave him, Amy and Alex manage to corral them to the other side of the aisle.

  The doors, which had been hidden behind the sheer, lilac curtains blowing in the breeze across the entrance, are finally pulled apart, the darkness inside the building broken by soft, flowing white. Dash looks up from his spot, still crouched down from greeting the twins, and as he slowly comes to a stand, he sees her and releases a long, low sigh of affectionate relief.

  “Finally,” he whispers. “There she is.”

  His anticipation is so intense, it feels like time stops for all of us as she takes a moment to release a long, relieved breath of her own. While every eye in this place is locked on her, she only has eyes for the guy standing beside me.

  She finally comes to a slow stop in front of us, my mother perfecting her veil one more time as she glances up at Amy, waiting patiently to marry them.

  “Who gives the couple their blessing?” she asks.

  “Her father, his mother, Mason and I,” she answers, before she sweetly presses her lips to Evie’s forehead, everyone’s resolve slightly breaking all at once with her words.