“Just look for a huddled group of fans,” Sindy replied. “You know how the world gravitates toward him wherever he goes.”
“Have you seen Mason?” Tessa repeated the question, this time to her brother.
“Yeah. He just left with some chick.”
Mason left with Big Boobs. Tessa felt as if the floor opened underneath her and it took all of her willpower not to react, something she had perfected over the years. Overtly outspoken and brutally honest with strong opinions, no one would have ever suspected that she’d been holding back her feelings for Mason all these years. She’d known him since the day she was born. He was almost a decade older than her and her brother’s best friend.
A childhood memory flashed inside her head, as vivid as a movie on a TV screen. They were on tour with Immortal Angel and she was listening to Mason and Lucas playing their instruments in the playroom. The playroom was an extra bedroom in one of the grand suites her parents stayed in when they weren’t on the massive double-decker tour bus. It housed all of their toys, including Mason’s drum kit. Tessa had felt the beat of the drum in her chest when she walked past the playroom and it ignited her soul. She had recognized the Metallica cover since that’s all Lucas ever wanted to play when he was a kid, and she bounced on the heels of her feet. She bobbed her head to the beat, but wasn’t content to listen through the door and turned the knob. They didn’t see her at first, and she stood in the doorway watching.
She had idolized her big brother, but it was Mason who left her spellbound. He looked like a king behind a throne, calling his followers with the gong of the drum. When her excitement bubbled over and bopping to the music didn’t suffice, she sang the lyrics to Master of Puppets at the top of her lungs. Granted, she missed some of the words, but she’d heard the song often enough to have memorized a good portion of the lyrics, and on that day her voice took on a new trajectory. It wasn’t just a toddler’s loud babbling, and she recognized the pitch and power of her voice.
Lucas and Mason had snapped their heads in her direction as soon as she started singing, surprise and awe plastered across their faces. When the song was over, Lucas patted her on the shoulder. “That was awesome, Tessa! You sang really, really good! Almost all the words!” She had been enamored at the praise from her big brother, but it was Mason’s reaction that had the most effect on her. Mason jumped off his stool, ran to her and picked her up. He kissed her cheek and flashed one of his killer smiles. “That was wicked cool! You’re gonna be our new lead singer and you’re gonna make us famous.” That’s all it took for her three-year-old heart to fall for Mason Wilder. Her cheeks had flushed and she hid her face in her hands and giggled. By the time she was 14 she vowed to marry him. She had wondered if it was just a teenage crush back then, but as the years went by they’d grown closer and formed a deeper connection. Now, at 22, she was ready to stake her claim. Tonight was the night. The time was finally right. Until Big Boobs showed up and interrupted her plans.
“What’s wrong?” Sindy asked.
Obviously, Tessa’s poker face wasn’t working too well right now. She opened her mouth, but didn’t know what to say so snapped it shut. Without answering, she whirled around and darted through the room. Several people tried to talk to her – another journalist; some guy who offered to get her a drink; a girl who tried to strike up a conversation about fashion – but she ignored them all. She was hell-bent on finding Mason because she wasn’t going to let him fall into bed with that girl.
She burst through the doors to the ballroom. Fans screamed from behind a barricade as soon as she stepped into the open area, causing her to stop abruptly. Security moved to her side ready to escort her through the lobby, but she didn’t know where she was headed. “Have you seen Mason Wilder?”
The guard pinched his brows together. “Who?”
“The band’s drummer.” She didn’t try to hide the annoyance in her voice. This guy didn’t even know who he was supposed to be protecting. She huffed with impatience. “Did you see him or not?”
He shook his head. “I just got here a few minutes ago.”
She ran to the row of fans at the barricade, knowing that they wouldn’t have missed Mason leaving the ballroom. They waved CD’s and ticket stubs and asked her to sign them. She grabbed a marker and started scribbling while phones snapped photos at all angles. She remained calm and smiled, even though her heart was beating so hard it felt as if she was about to break a rib. “Did you happen to see Mason leave the ballroom?”
“Yeah,” a guy answered. “He just left with some chick with double D’s.”
Oh God. She was too late. She dropped the marker in her hand and bolted in the other direction. Running down the carpeted hallway, her heels pulled at the Berber carpet as she headed toward the bank of elevators. She dodged security guards and hotel staff milling around the corridor, moving as quickly as she could. She had to catch him. She couldn’t let him take that girl to his room. Her lungs burned from the sudden sprint, even though she was a seasoned runner. At last, the row of elevators came into view and she spotted Mason waiting with a group of security guards, Big Boobs still hanging on his arm. By the time Tessa got to him, she was so winded she needed to pause in order to catch her breath.
“Tessa,” Mason said, surprised to see her so out of sorts. “What’s going on?”
The girl’s eyes widened. “Tessa Blade Garcia. Oh my God. I can’t believe this. First Mason Wilder. Now you. This is incredible. It’s so nice to meet you.”
Big Boobs was nice, not at all what Tessa expected. She held up her index finger while she panted and swallowed air. “It’s nice to meet you, too,” she finally said, then quickly turned toward Mason. “Can we talk for a minute?”
“Yeah. Sure.” He took her by the elbow and glanced back at the girl. “Give us a second.”
Once they were a few feet away, Mason stopped, still holding her arm, and searched Tessa’s face with concern. “What happened?”
“You can’t take her back to your room.”
He relaxed and flashed his signature smile. “Sure, I can. She’s young, but she’s over 21.”
Tessa shook her head vehemently. “That’s not it.” She opened her mouth, but the words wouldn’t come out. They were stuck in her throat. For the first time in her life, she was mute. She didn’t want to tell him she loved him in the hallway. That’s not how she envisioned this moment, and she stood there with her mouth gaping open. Hot tears slowly burned her eyes as fear gripped her. She realized that she was going to lose him, even though she never had him.
Mason placed his hands gently on her shoulders. “I don’t understand why you’re upset.” He paused and glanced back at the girl. “Did she do something to you?”
“No. It’s . . .” Tessa’s chin dropped into her chest and she squeezed her eyes shut while she battled with the thoughts pulling her head in two different directions.
“Just tell me what’s wrong.”
She wished she could, but it took all her strength just to find her voice. “Just don’t take her to your room. Please, Mason,” she begged.
He tried to read her face and her eyes, confusion causing his brows to pinch together and his forehead to crease. He still didn’t get it. Why couldn’t he just figure it out? He was smart and sharp and he knew her so well.
Her vision blurred as the tears welled on her lower lids and threatened to fall. Emotion clogged her throat reducing her voice to a shaky whisper. “She’s not the one for you.”
Mason’s mouth pulled back into a smile and his expression grew lighthearted. “Don’t worry about it, Tess. We’re not getting married. I’ll probably never see her again after tonight.” He ran his hands down her arms. “Just give me an hour or so and we’ll talk. I promise.”
Her heart deflated as she saw her lifelong dream crushed, along with her heart. She hung her head with despair, too distraught to look at him. “Forget it.”
“No. I’ll give you a call in a little while and we’ll talk.�
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Her inner voice kept urging her to tell him how she felt, but she couldn’t do it. Not in a hallway surrounded by fifty people. She’d tell him afterwards. Afterwards. The idea that he was about to sleep with someone else made her queasy, and she felt the blood rush to her feet.
She’d seen him with girls before. He’d had girlfriends for short periods in the past. Not in a long time, though, and another flashback from when she was seven or eight years old suddenly passed through her head. Mason had been about 14 and on his way to the movies with a girl he had been on a few dates with. Tessa had pouted and stuck out her bottom lip because she wanted to see the movie too, but, really, she was just jealous. He hadn’t even made it to the door before he turned around and took her by the hand and brought her to the movies with them. He let her tag along on his date without the slightest hesitation. He’d bought her popcorn and a soda and let her sit in between himself and his date. She had pretended that the girl wasn’t with them and she was the one on the date with Mason that day. It left her head inflated for a week, and that feeling infiltrated her heart and eased some of her pain right now. “Go,” she told him after a long pause.
His furrowed brow questioned her dismissal. “Are you sure?”
No. She wasn’t sure about anything right now. This was supposed to be their night – a night she had planned for since they booked this tour over a year ago and one she’d been waiting for her entire life. She closed her eyes for a long moment, hating the situation and berating herself for not getting to the party sooner, before he met this girl.
“Tessa, what’s wrong?”
“I can’t talk about it now.”
He looked back at the girl for a moment, apprehensive about what to do, but made no move to join her. It didn’t matter. The moment had been ruined. She missed her opportunity. Exasperated, she waved him away. “Go. I’ll talk to you another time.
“Are you sure.”
Tessa nodded, unable to speak around the ball of emotion in her throat.
He let out a deep breath and his shoulders slumped. “OK.” The elevator dinged and he walked toward it. He looked back over his shoulder at her for a brief second before turning away again.
Tessa watched Big Boobs take his arm and nuzzle his neck the moment they were on the elevator, but Mason wasn’t paying attention to her. He was looking at Tessa. Their eyes were glued on one another. I love you Mason! her inner voice screamed. Can’t you see that? She tried to burn it into his brain with mental telepathy. There was a shift in his eyes as if he understood, and she sucked in a breath. Then the doors closed, crushing her heart. She ran to the elevator. “Mason!” But it was too late. He was gone. A sob left her throat and she sunk to her knees, devoid of strength. Embarrassed, she buried her face in her hands while she sobbed and hoped no one noticed her. This was so fucked up. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. She had a plan. She should have stuck to it. Now how was she supposed to tell him?
After a few minutes, she steadied her emotions with a few deep breaths, and she got to her feet, wiping her face. She was still too shaky on her legs to go anywhere so she sat on the bench across from the bank of elevators and stared at the floor. She pushed her fingers through her hair and groaned as fresh tears filled her eyes, and she buried her face in her hands again.
A chime signaled that the elevator had returned to the ground floor, and she lifted her eyes just as the doors opened. “Mason.” Big Boobs was still with him, but no longer hanging on his arm and wearing an annoyed scowl on her face. Then the girl took off.
A small gasp escaped Tessa as she locked eyes with Mason and every muscle in her body tensed. Mason stepped off the elevator, never averting his gaze, and approached her. He squatted in front of her, his usual cheerful face clouded with worry and concern. He wiped his thumb across her cheek and looked at the droplet he lifted.
“What are you doing here, Mason?” she whispered with disbelief.
“I couldn’t leave you like this. Something is wrong.” He took her arm and led her onto the elevator. “C’mon. Let’s go upstairs and talk about it.”
This is it, she told herself on the elevator ride. Finally. Her heart had been on hold for so long while she waited for the right time, gearing up for the day she could confess her feelings to Mason. It would all be over, out in the open, in a few minutes. It was a relief and terrifying at the same time. Her gaze moved from the floor of the elevator to Mason, who was staring at her intently while she was lost inside her head. She swallowed loudly, nerves tickling the back of her neck.
The elevator doors slid open, and she followed him down the hall. She bit her lip while he flashed his card key across the scanner, and they both entered the room.
“Tell me what happened,” Mason insisted.
As he waited for her to speak, she listened to her heart pounding in her ears. It was as if she was listening to a time bomb, knowing that one of those ticks would ultimately result in an explosion that would change their lives. She counted down to the blast off. Three. Two. One. Silence. Instead of blurting out how she felt, she threw her arms around him and kissed him.
She felt his surprise. His body jerked, and it took a moment before his hands landed apprehensively on her upper arms, but his mouth puckered in return. Until her lips parted and she tried to deepen the kiss.
He jumped back and abruptly pulled away, his eyes wide with shock. His mouth hung open, and he blinked rapidly while his brows skyrocketed. “Tessa! What the fuck are you doing?”
She exhaled all the stress and tension inside of her and proclaimed her stake in his life. “I’m the one, Mason. It’s me. I’m the one you should be with.”
“What are you talking about?” A puzzled expression creased his brow, and he cocked his head to the side. “Is this some kind of joke?”
Her heart was racing so fast and her hands were shaking, but the words fell out of her mouth. “I’m in love with you, Mason. I’ve been in love with you for as long as I can remember.”
He stared at her, disbelief clear across his face, too stunned to say anything.
Dread and fear crept into Tessa’s throat, but she swallowed it down. “We’re perfect for one another. I know everything about you. You know everything about me. We grew up together. We want the same things in life. Don’t tell me you don’t see it.”
It took him a moment to find his voice. “You’re my best friend’s little sister. I’ve known you since the day you were born, Tessa. I’ve watched you grow up. You’re like a sister to me.”
She felt as if she just got punched in the stomach. “A sister?” She spat the words, as if they burned her tongue. “You have to feel more for me than that.”
He slowly shook his head. “I’m sorry. No.”
Her heart sank to the floor. She had been so sure his feelings for her were deeper. How could she have been so wrong? Humiliation engulfed her, but it was her broken heart that crippled her. She wished the floor would swallow her up and she could disappear. Or that she could go back in time and never have told him, because loving him in secret was bearable. The rejection, the knowledge that he didn’t want to be with her, was too much.
Mason placed his hands on her shoulders. “Tessa . . . I don’t know what to say. I feel so bad. I never expected this.”
She squeezed her eyes shut so he didn’t see the pain and devastation. The heartbreak. Somehow, she found the courage to make one last plea to get him to see her differently. “Didn’t you notice me when I went from a nerdy adolescent to a teenager?”
“Of course, I noticed. But in the same way Lucas noticed. I remember one time we both turned to one another and shook our heads. I said, ‘we’re gonna be kickin’ a lot of asses’, and he just groaned.” Mason lowered his eyes, and his cheeks flushed a hot pink. “I’m sorry, Tessa. That’s all there is. I had no idea you felt this way.”
He looked full of regret and sadness. She’d never seen his features this dark. The wide smile, dimpled cheeks and sparkle in his eyes were all
nonexistent. Part of her wanted to run from the room with defeat and humiliation. But her inner strength pushed through, refusing to believe he had no idea how she felt about him. “How could you not know that I was in love with you? I’ve told you a million times in my songs.”
He didn’t know what to say. He just kept staring at her as if he’d been blindsided. That was it, she reasoned, he was too surprised to process his true feelings. “Kiss me,” she blurted out.
He flinched. “What?”
“Kiss me, Mason. Then tell me you don’t feel anything for me.”
“I can’t do that. You’re Lucas’ little sister. There’s a code. That crosses a line. You don’t fool around with your best friend’s sister. That doesn’t happen.”
She folded her arms across her chest, dismissing his claim. “Lucas won’t care.”
His eyebrows shot up again. “Yes. He will. He’s protective of you.”
She brazenly took a step closer, challenging him with a sudden burst of confidence. “Lucas doesn’t tell me what to do.” When he didn’t respond, she lifted her chin and leaned up toward him.
“No!” He took a giant leap backwards, putting distance between them. “This isn’t happening, Tessa. I’m sorry.”
Never had there been such seriousness in his face, and the finality of it hit her. He didn’t want to explore his feelings for her, because there weren’t any. Her chest tightened and she couldn’t breathe. She felt as if the air had been sucked from her lungs. Her face burned red hot, and tears of rejection boiled on her cheeks. She was devastated, and all she wanted to do was run and hide so she bolted from the room.
“Tessa! Wait!”
She ignored him and kept running down the hall.
Mason chased her and called her name, but she didn’t turn around or slow her pace. She had nothing left to say. Nothing left in her soul. Her room was only a few yards away and she just wanted to lock herself inside and forget tonight ever happened.
A security guard turned the corner just as she reached her door. “Is everything all right Miss Garcia?”
MASON WILDER: Radical Rock Stars Next Generation Duet Book 2 Page 3
