She slapped her hand over her mouth and arched into me. A moan started in her throat, but then she bit her lip as if to suppress it. She winced, like she’d bit too hard.
Fucking Owen and his shitty-ass timing.
I pressed my mouth to hers, soothing her injured bottom lip with my tongue.
She trembled and held her breath, trying to be quiet. But I was selfish and wanted to hear her sounds of pleasure. I doubted Owen was listening outside the door anyway, so why should I lose the full experience of this?
I moved my hand faster and added more pressure with my thumb, until her breathing went wild and her body finally tightened and tensed around me. Her eyes slammed shut and her head lolled back. And I couldn’t resist. I nipped at the smooth skin of her neck, and she gasped then shivered one last time.
Her body relaxed into the wall, and I lowered her leg, gave her a second to find footing, then let her dress drop back to her thighs.
With pink cheeks, red lips and glossy eyes, she looked even hotter than she had when I first came in here. And she’d looked irresistible then.
I grinned as she caught her breath. “So exactly how many rules did we just break?”
She gave me a playful little shove back. “You’re just lucky I didn’t knee you in the balls.”
“Oh, don’t worry. I’ve inflicted enough pain on them for the both of us.”
A small smile tugged at her mouth.
“No worries. I’ll be thinking of you later when I take care of it.”
“Mason,” she gasped.
I put my hands up and chuckled. “Hey, didn’t want you to feel bad. You’ll play your part in the resolution, just so you know.” And she probably thought I was kidding.
She shook her head. “Geez, now that’s all I’ll be able to think about tonight when I’m trying to go to sleep with you right next door.”
And that was a mental image I didn’t need. “Uh, that’s not helping.” I winced as my jeans, which were already uncomfortably tight became unbearable. “Yeah, really not helping.”
She stared down at my pants and then threw up her hands. “I’m just going to leave. This is…Yeah. I’ll be outside.”
“Okay, I’ll be out in a second. I need a moment. But if anyone asks what took so long, tell them you were trying to run a six-minute mile. It’ll help explain that flush.”
She spun toward the mirror and patted her reddened cheeks. “Crap,” she groaned.
I chuckled as she turned on the cold water and splashed her face several times.
“What am I going to do? Between the two of us disappearing, my flushed face and the tent you’re pitching, everyone will know.”
I laughed. A worked-up Felicity was pretty hilarious. “And that’s a big deal because…?”
“It’s none of their business. That’s why.”
And then I remembered these were her friends who she had to see all the time. They were already way more involved in her life than she wanted them to be or they needed to be, so I saw her point. “Let’s go, then.”
“Go where?”
“Leave. We have my car. Text Isla and tell her we went to get something. Or went to talk. Whatever. Let’s just go.”
She seemed to think it over then nodded. “Okay. Why not?”
The house was quiet so it was safe to assume everyone was outside. We only had to make one quick left turn out of the bathroom and we’d be out of the house before anyone saw us.
Felicity opened the door, made sure the hall was empty then darted for the front door, but stopped short when she saw Owen leaning against the couch waiting for her.
Chapter 11
Felicity
Owen stood as he saw me emerge from the hallway then froze when he noticed Mason behind me.
“Um, I…We…” I stammered for an answer.
Mason’s shoulder brushed mine as he came up next to me. “Felicity is upset. We’re going for a drive to give her a chance to cool off. We’ll be back.”
Owen’s gaze slid to me, and I knew as well as Mason did, that he wasn’t buying our story. And he didn’t look too thrilled about what might have been going on in the bathroom either.
“Please, Owen, don’t say anything.”
His eyes softened and he sighed. “If anyone asks, I’ll tell them what I saw. You were upset and needed to get away. Mason offered to drive you around.” He turned to walk outside but paused and glanced back. “But Mase, don’t…” He ran his hand through his hair, sending it flying in every direction. “I’m not trying to sound like Colby, honest, T. But just…fuck…Whatever. Y’all be careful.”
Mason put his hand on my elbow and motioned toward the door. I glanced back at Owen.
“I’ll talk to him later.” He pulled out his keys. “Let’s go.”
I nodded and opened the front door. Mason shut it quietly behind us, and we made our way to his car.
“You want to go home or drive around a bit?” he asked.
“Let’s drive.”
I wasn’t ready to be alone with my thoughts, but it didn’t matter because once on the road, we drove in silence, and I was forced to listen to the nagging inside my head. What was I doing with Mason? Where did I think this could go? This was moving way too fast. Unless…he was my escape. What if this guy was my ticket out of this town?
Then the guilt hit. I’d never use Mason as an escape, regardless of Isla’s suggestion. I’d never really be able to commit to anything long-term with him, and it would be an abuse of our temporary relationship to make him think I could.
Of course, I was jumping ahead of myself, way ahead of myself. We didn’t have a relationship for me to take advantage of. And if I stuck to my rules, we never would.
“You know, you were wrong about one thing,” I said.
He grinned. “Just one?”
He’d been pretty on-point with most of what he’d said, but I ignored that little fact and went on. “I don’t hide behind rules. They are there for protection. For myself and others.”
“Protection from what?”
“Getting hurt.”
“You’re scared to get hurt?”
“Or hurting someone else.”
He nodded but didn’t say anything else.
“I’m sure you think that’s dumb, but I need some control over my life, and the rules give me that.”
Sticking to a plan ensured things turned out right. When people deviated from their set course, it ruined things. Important things. Like their future. So as long as I called the shots in my own life, I’d be okay. And if I wasn’t sure what my next move should be, I stayed put. It was safe, it kept my life in order and prevented me from inadvertently messing up someone else’s.
Mason finally broke the silence and asked, “Do you think your life is not in your control?”
“At times.”
“And that scares you?”
“I feel like sometimes no matter how much you plan and prepare, one bad decision can have a ripple effect. Something minor can have major consequences.”
“That makes sense. But I don’t think anyone can control that. No matter how hard they try.”
“Exactly. So I take what I can get.”
“I’m not saying you have to let go of control in every aspect of your life.” The corner of his mouth tugged up. “But maybe sometimes it wouldn’t be so bad to hand it over to someone else.”
“Sounds to me like you have a few control issues yourself.”
“Only in the bedroom.”
My lips parted, and I sucked in a tiny breath.
He glanced at me then chuckled.
Though I’d assumed he’d have some answer along those lines, I hadn’t actually expected him to say it. But damn was that hot. And if handing over control was anything like what had just happened, then maybe it wasn’t such a bad thing.
The car slowed and I snapped out of my thoughts. Then my whole body stiffened.
“Why are we stopping here?” My gaze flicked from John’s Ba
it ’n’ Tackle to the dark blue truck parked alongside the building. That damn truck held almost as many memories as this town did.
“Figured if we were just driving around, now’s a good time to get my paycheck from my uncle.”
I gripped the seat. “I’ll wait here.”
Mason stared at me. “It’s a thousand degrees out. My uncle likes to talk. Just come in.”
I gnawed the inside of my cheek. This was a part of letting go. No matter how much I wanted to control the future, even I knew the past couldn’t be controlled. And Brody couldn’t be avoided forever. But if I was lucky, he’d be busy stocking in the back room.
I swallowed the giant lump in my throat. “Okay.”
We got out of the car, and Mason held the door open for me. A bit of relief washed through me, seeing that no one was behind the counter. But then I realized it was because Brody stood one aisle over with his back facing us as he stocked lures.
“Hey, is John around?” Mason asked.
Brody turned. “Yeah he’s in ba—” His gaze slid past Mason and landed on me. He cleared his throat. “He’s in his office. I’ll get him for you.” He slipped down a small hallway.
Mason glanced at me, and I pretended to be really interested in a jar of something in front of me. What was it? Oh gross, fish bait. And it stunk. Bad. I yanked my hand back and walked toward a small drink fridge near the register.
John and Brody reappeared.
“Hey Mason. You here for your check?” John motioned for him to follow him down the hall. “You can come grab it.”
Mason turned to me. “I’ll be right back.”
I nodded and stared at the drink fridge, taking my time making a decision. Which was dumb since Brody knew better than anyone I didn’t even drink soda. I finally pulled out a lemonade and stepped up to the counter to pay.
He waved it off. “It’s on me.”
“Oh, I, uh, it’s only like a dollar.” I pulled out two bucks.
“Exactly.” He smiled.
“Thanks.”
“Want a bag?”
“I’m good.” I lifted the bottle and took a step back, awkwardly waiting for Mason.
“How have you been?” Brody asked, breaking the silence. His gaze drifted toward the hall Mason had disappeared down.
I forced a smile. “I’m good. You?”
“Good.” He raised his baseball cap, which had been facing backward, smoothed his hair then readjusted the hat on his head with the bill now to the front. It was a nervous gesture I’d seen him do countless times before, but rarely when talking to me.
It made me sad, considering all the conversations we’d had that went on until the sun came up, and now we couldn’t say more than a few words. Awful.
It shouldn’t be this hard to make conversation. We had to get past the awkwardness. This town was too small to avoid each other forever, though I’d tried. Boy, had I ever.
I smiled again. “Your little girl is getting big.”
His expression faltered the tiniest bit, and I immediately regretted bringing her up. I figured he’d be happy to talk about his daughter, but maybe it was like a slap in the face.
But he rebounded quickly, his smile genuine as he said her name. “Chloe keeps me busy. She’s crawling everywhere now.”
A bit of relief washed through me, and I was happy to see him beaming over her. “I hear you’re coaching the little league team this year.”
His lips twitched, corners dipping into a slight frown.
Dammit. I’d done it again. Why did I keep saying the wrong things? I wished Mason would hurry. Clearly, there weren’t any comfortable topics between Brody and me anymore.
He cleared his throat. “That’s right. Your nephew is on my team.”
I forced a big smile and nodded. “With a coach like you, the team will do amazing.”
He shrugged and looked down. “I’m out of practice.”
His defeated expression tugged at me. “You’re one of the best.” The words flew from my mouth because it was the truth, and though I hadn’t meant to blurt it, I wasn’t going to back down from my statement. He deserved to hear it.
His gaze flicked up, meeting mine.
My courage melted away. I stared down at my lemonade bottle.
“Was,” he muttered.
I looked back up, annoyed at the defeat in voice. We both knew that kind of talent didn’t disappear overnight. He’d never been cocky about his baseball skills, but he had been confident. Where had that gone? It had to be there somewhere. I refused to believe otherwise.
“Are,” I corrected. In fact, baseball could still be his future. It should be, anyway. Maybe he needed a push in the right direction. “There’s still time, you know. Walk-on. Spring tryouts. Something.”
Brody stared at me, with sadness and maybe a hint of regret, like the way someone looks at a kid who still believes in something magical right before they destroy that innocence.
“She’s not you.” Though his words were quiet, they echoed deep down in my body.
No, she was definitely not me. Unlike her, I’d done everything in my power to ensure he reached his potential. No matter how much it had hurt me, I’d only wanted the best for him.
Mason came around the corner and paused. He looked at me, then Brody, then back to me.
“Thanks for the lemonade.” I spun away and headed to the door. The little bells clanged as I pushed it open.
Mason reached over me and held it as I passed through. We got back in his car, and I popped open my drink. I sensed him staring at me as he reversed out of his parking spot, but I kept my attention focused out the window.
“Can I guess?” he asked.
I glanced at him. “Guess what?”
A hint of a smile played around his mouth as he pulled onto the main road. “What that was about?”
“It was nothing.” I didn’t want to be rude, but it was none of his business and I refused to badmouth Brody. His poor decision hurt him more than it had hurt me. And it hurt me a lot. But I needed no vengeance. He’d done it to himself. And if anyone harbored guilt over the way things had turned out, it was me.
“So I’m guessing that’s the ex-boyfriend.” When I didn’t respond he continued. “The one everyone’s been skirting around? The reason I’m the bad guy if I come within five feet of you? And, let me guess, he still has feelings for you?”
“He has a girlfriend. And a baby.”
Mason snapped his mouth shut, clearly not expecting that. I glanced at him and noticed his expression was a mixture of remorse and sympathy. “Shit. I’m sorry. So he cheated on you?”
“Of course not. Brody would never do that.”
“Oh.” His expression slipped to confusion. “He called things off with you?” At this point I couldn’t tell if Mason was thinking out loud or asking questions in an attempt to string this mess together and make sense of it. But if he was going to be around for a while, this story would leak out eventually. Might as well get it all out there.
I sighed. “He wouldn’t have done that either.” I focused on the passing buildings and whispered, “I did.”
“But you still love him.” He said it like a statement, and something about hearing him say it, annoyed me.
“Of course I do,” I scoffed then cringed, wishing I hadn’t blurted that to Mason, especially considering what we’d just done together not quite thirty minutes ago. But seeing Brody had stirred up all sorts of dormant feelings. “Not in a romantic way,” I clarified. “It’s…hard to explain. He was…” How did I explain the most complicated relationship of my life?
“Your best friend,” Mason offered.
I turned to him and slowly nodded. “Yeah. My best friend.”
“You don’t want him getting hurt. You never want bad things happening to him. All because you love him…but you aren’t in love with him.”
It was as if he’d extracted the words directly from my head. “Exactly.”
Mason kept his gaze trained
on the road, but his expression seemed far off. “You think you’ve completely let go?”
“Yeah.” And that was the truth. I’d let go enough to move on, which was all that mattered.
“Was it hard?” he asked.
I slumped back in my seat, as memories flitted around my head and tugged at my heart. “The hardest thing I’ve ever done,” I admitted.
Mason’s expression was still far off as he asked, “What made you do it? Break up with him, I mean.”
It was funny, but I actually had a simple answer to that question. Unfortunately, it created such a complicated mess of our lives.
“He had a future that didn’t include me.” I sighed. “So I wanted to make his choice easy.”
Mason flicked on his blinker and cruised into the right lane. “I’m guessing his girlfriend was some kind of rebound, then?”
“One that came with an eighteen-year commitment,” I grumbled, but instantly regretted. It’d been shitty to say. His child was the innocent product of this whole mess. “That was mean. I shouldn’t say that. He loves his daughter, and I’m happy for him in that regard, but if his girlfriend truly gave a damn about him, she’d pack their little family up and move somewhere he could be the person he was meant to be.”
“Maybe it’s his choice to stay. Things change. Priorities change.”
I thought back to that night, two months before high school graduation, when Brody and I sat in the cab of that blue truck. The night he broke down and told me he’d gotten her pregnant. His decision to stay, to give up his scholarship. To put baseball on hold.
The night I also realized I’d given Brody up for nothing.
I’d pushed him away so he’d choose college, far away from me and this shithole town.
Instead, he chose a party. The wrong girl. And a dead-end future.
“Maybe.” I shrugged.
“You okay?” Mason asked.
It was then that I realized I’d teared up. I shifted away and answered, “I’m fine.”
Mason reached over the console and slid his hand over mine. Didn’t say another word. Just simply held it. And I couldn’t say I minded, even if it added to the mystery that was slowly becoming Mason.
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