by Kate Benson
“Just admit that I’m your favorite child and I swear I’ll drop it,” I smirk. “It’s the least you could do after breaking my heart, mother.”
She glances over her cup at me, blowing the steam away with a smirk as she shakes her head at my words.
“You’re probably right, but the fact remains that I love you and Mason the same.”
“Lies,” I wave her off, sitting up and sipping from my iced latte, the swirl of caramel sweet on my lips. “Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me. It would only hurt Mase and he’s a good man.”
“You’re such a shit,” she chuckles, swatting playfully at me.
“I know,” I shrug. “So, what exactly is this trip for again?”
“I booked a four day girls trip with a few of my friends from college before I knew your spring break would be the same as mine and Mason’s,” she explains. “I tried to reschedule, but the tickets were non-refundable. I told you all about it over Christmas, honey. Don’t you remember?”
“Yes,” I admit, leaning forward to rest my chin on my palm as I recall the conversation we’d had a few months before. “I do now. I’m sorry, I must have been a little distracted when you brought it up before.”
“Well, I’d say so,” she winks, making my cheeks heat in childish embarrassment. “Are things still going well with you and Dash?”
“Yes, ma’am,” I nod, failing in my attempt to hide my girly grin behind the thin straw.
“That’s great, honey,” she says with a genuine smile, patting my hand once more. “Have you thought anymore about talking to your brother?”
“I have,” I sigh, glancing down at the cup in front of me, swiping my name into the condensation that’s formed over the plastic. “I absolutely have thought very long and hard about it.”
“And what have you decided?” she pushes, her eyebrows raising as I bite down onto my lower lip, preparing myself for the tongue lashing I know is both coming and well-deserved.
“What I’ve decided, mother,” I start. “Is that it’s a horrible idea and probably in everyone’s best interest if Dash and I just keep the whole thing a secret forever.”
“Evie Grace!” my mom shakes her head, her tone making me squeeze my eyes shut tight. “Do you really think that’s in everyone’s best interest or are you just trying to find an excuse to weasel out of it?”
“Well, I think we both know the answer to that,” I smirk. “But that aside, I genuinely believe that this is a rock solid plan.”
“You do, do you?” she asks. I don’t have to see her to know her eyes are narrowed as I nod back at her. “Okay, fine. Let’s play a game and test this little theory of yours.”
“A game?” I ask, one eye remaining sealed as the other braves a look at my mother. She doesn’t look happy, but she does look slightly smug, proving she simply can’t be trusted. “No. I don’t want to play a game. You’re going to trick me into learning a lesson or doing some kind of horrible adulting crap that I’m totally going to hate.”
“I’d never,” she lies, making me smile wider. “Come on. I raised brats, not cowards.”
“Fine,” I huff, facing her. “Let’s play your awful game.”
“Wonderful. So, let’s imagine you follow through with this master plan of yours and don’t talk to Mason,” she starts, the thought filling me with an immediate calm. “Six… eight… ten months pass and you’re able to keep it under wraps,” she says, raising her eyebrows at me at my expression and making me stifle an eye roll. “What if things don’t work out with Dash? He’s Mason’s best friend, has been for years. You wouldn’t be able to avoid him forever, Evie. Family events, holidays, random weekends home would all be spent with him and there wouldn’t be a thing you could say or do to stop it, would there?” she asks. “How would you deal with that?”
“Well, Mason already thinks Dash and I hate each other,” I shrug. “In that case, we’d just go back to acting the way we have to act around him now. He would never know the difference.”
“I thought you’d say that,” she admits with a small, knowing smile that makes my stomach turn with anxiety. “Now, let’s look at the other end of the spectrum.”
“Oh, good. I can’t wait,” I deadpan, making her snicker.
“Let’s say everything goes perfectly and in two or three years, Dash proposes and you accept. There would be a wedding, Evie. You’d have a cake and a dress and everyone fawning all over you. Your special day,” she continues, her words making my chest sink slightly. “Now, you said you thought you’d just protect Mason by telling him nothing, but do you really think you could get married, have that day, without your brother?”
“Mother!” I groan, resting my forehead against the table like a toddler, not worried in the least about the scene I’m making. “What did I just say about learning lessons today?”
“You agreed to play my game,” she sings, pulling my deadpan expression up to meet her evil smirk. “Would you be able to ask Dash to get married without his best friend there to stand with him?”
“Oh, you just think you know everything, don’t you?” I groan, the child in me hating the maternal smugness radiating off of her.
“Well?” she pushes again, finally making me sit back against my chair, the false victory in my expression fooling even me. “You’d never be able to tell Mason where you live, if you had children… your entire relationship would be a ruse in order to avoid a single conversation, Evie. Your babies would never know their uncle…”
“Don’t you think you’re being a little dramatic?” I scoff, sipping my coffee. “We’re liars, Mother, not criminals. We’re going to hell, not enrolling into the witness protection program.”
“You might wish otherwise if you lie to your brother much longer and he finds out by accident.”
“Can’t argue that,” I admit with a smirk.
“Seriously, Evie. Is that really something you think would be best for Mason? Or is it simply the best solution to getting your way during this particular trip home?” she goes on. “Even if you don’t tell him now, there will be other trips. You’ll have to tell him eventually and the longer you wait, the harder it will be for everyone.”
I stare back at her, eyes narrowed at the outcome I had to know deep down was coming.
Dammit!
“First of all, I think it’s safe to assume that a wedding between Dash and I isn’t something anyone needs to worry about, like… ever,” I say with a laugh. “And even if I’m proven wrong, we could cross that bridge when we came to it.”
“And you think it would be easier for your brother to find out three years down the road when you’re marrying his best friend than telling him you’re dating now?”
“Well, maybe not,” I admit, detesting the game even further as I scramble for any redemption and hating that I know there is none. “But at that point, I’d have the bride card and could play it to get out of trouble for crap,” I beam as I clench onto my crappy attempt. “Yeah, that’s what I’d do. Play my bride card so Mason couldn’t get mad at me. Bam! I win this horrible game.”
“Evie,” she says quietly, her smile in place, but softer this time. “It’s been long enough. It was one thing when you and Dash were just testing the waters, so to speak, but that’s not what you’re doing now, is it?”
I look over toward her, holding her gaze and bite down sharply onto the inside of my cheek.
“No,” I confess, shaking my head.
“You have feelings for him? You love him?”
“Yes,” I nod, sinking back into the seat. “And yes.”
“I thought so,” she sighs, squeezing my hand. “You need to tell him while you’re home this week. The sooner the better,” she continues. “I know you’re scared, but Mason loves you both and he deserves to know,” she insists. “Besides, I’m tired of lying for you. I have a life, too, you know? Maybe I’d like to have a few secrets of my own for once.”
“What secrets do you have?” I narrow my eyes suspici
ously once more, pulling a wink from her.
“You’ve got until I get back from my trip,” she ignores me again, making me shake my head. “After that, I’m done covering for you.”
“So, are you saying that if I can keep it a secret until you get back, you’ll tell him for me?”
“Absolutely not,” she says immediately, deflating my cowardice. “You’re an adult. You’ve made your bed, you lie in it. I’m done making it for you, Evie.”
I glance up and selfishly, for the first time, I see how much the dishonesty has been weighing on my mother. Swallowing my feelings, I slowly lean forward and prop my chin back onto my palm, giving her a small, relenting nod.
“Fine. I’ll be a stupid grown-up,” I relent, shaking my head before I narrow my eyes playfully. “I should have known better than to play a game with you.”
“Yes, honey, you really should have,” she winks. “Momma fights dirty and she plays to win. Now, come on and get in the car. These nails of ours aren’t going to do themselves.”
chapter three
evie
“She’s right, ya know? We do need to tell him.”
“Oh, what?” I raise my head from his chest and narrow my eyes at him. “Are you two working together now or something?”
After giving him a recap of the talk I’d had with my mom, I’d hoped he’d side with me and by dinner we could be halfway to Mexico. As I take in his words and the way he’s not budged an inch from where we’re sprawled out on his couch, he’s making it pretty clear that plan is a bust.
“No,” he shakes his head, smiling. “We’re not working together, but I think enough is enough. We need to figure it out.”
“Really?” I ask. “Do we really?”
“Baby…”
“Okay, yeah, I know, but think about it,” I start, cutting my eyes at him in thought. “Like, who are we really hurting by not telling him anything?”
“Evie…”
“Just hear me out,” I cut him off again, carefully raising to straddle him while I hash out my stroke of genius.
“Okay,” he sighs, resting his palms on my thighs while shaking his head at my cowardice.
“We already know he’s probably going to be pretty pissed, right?”
“You are correct,” he smirks.
“And when you’re mad, that means you’re unhappy.”
“Mhmm.”
“Unhappiness causes stress which can lead to all kinds of health prob-”
“Evie,” he chuckles.
“Really serious health problems, Dash!” I talk over him dramatically. “He could legit die.”
“Trust me, babe,” he shakes his head. “If anyone dies in this scenario, it ain’t gonna be him.”
“Ugh! Don’t be so dramatic,” I roll my eyes. “My mom would never let him kill you.”
“Your mom?” he laughs loudly, eyes wide. “What about you?”
“Shut up! You’re distracting me!” I cut him off, laughing at his expression before I shake my head clear. “So anyway, by not telling him, we’re actually doing him a favor. It shows him how much we love him, because we want him to have a long and happy life,” I resolve, the maniacal smile forming over my lips making him roll his eyes. “We’re good people.”
“So, that’s your master plan, huh?”
“Yes,” I nod triumphantly, already envisioning the depth of my amazing decision.
Oprah’s going to be so impressed when she has me on her show… my autobiography will be on her book club… I’ll sell millions and be besties with Kate Middleton…
“Well, it’s fuckin’ terrible,” he says bluntly, pulling me from my fantasy. “Easily the worst idea you’ve ever had.”
“Well, I don’t see you coming up with anything better!” I say defensively. “Besides, this is your fault anyway.”
“My fault? How the hell do you figure that?”
“Dash, we’ve talked about this at length and you were supposed to handle this while I was gone.”
“No, we didn’t!” he insists, narrowing his eyes in disbelief. “When?”
“When I told you I wasn’t doing it and you needed to figure it out.”
“What?”
“Yeah, don’t you remember? I told you right after I bailed you out of jail I wasn’t doing it and you needed to handle it,” I start. “Remember? Your voice got all high-pitched and that little vein in your temple popped out.”
“Have you lost your fucking mind?” he rails, pulling a nod from me.
“Yes! Just like that!” I smirk as he props himself up on his hands and moves so close, I can taste his breath on mine. “See? I knew you listened. Nagging does work.”
“Let me tell you something, Evie,” he smirks, although the humor has long faded from his expression. “This little manipulative shit you try might work on Mason, hell it might even work on your mom, but it ain’t working on me, sweetheart,” he starts, prompting me to give him a pout and a quick bat of the lashes, my hips slowly beginning to move as he snickers back at me through clenched teeth. “Nope. You can bat those pretty little eyelashes at me and grind your hot little ass all over my cock until we’re both blue in the face. You’re just as responsible for this shit as I am and if you think I’m gonna let you throw my ass to the wolves, you’re dead fuckin’ wrong, babe. I love you to death, but I will not be going gently into that goodnight.”
“Why the hell not?” I demand. “I would do it for you if you asked me to!”
“I am asking you to,” he chuckles, shaking his head. “Jesus Christ… What the hell do you think we’ve been talking about for the last forty-five minutes?”
“Baby, come on!” I whimper, resting my forehead on his head in defeat. “You know, you’re supposed to do shit like this for me. It’s one of the unspoken rules of relationships. You do shit for me when I don’t want to and I don’t laugh at your stupid sex faces or bitch at you when you watch the porn you don’t think I know about.”
“Well, first of all, you have laughed at me and I’m pretty sure if you ever stopped bitching at me for dumb shit, I’d never hear you speak again,” he smirks as he lazily sips his beer before setting it back on the table and leaning back against the couch. “Second of all, this is one of the only relationships I’ve ever been in, so I have no way of knowing these rules of yours.”
“You know them now.”
“You have a good point,” he sighs. “Unfortunately for you, apartment rules clearly state that I don’t have to do anything I don’t really wanna do and I don’t really wanna do this, so…”
“Apartment rules?” I narrow my eyes. “Relationship rules trump apartment rules.”
“Not the unspoken ones,” he disagrees, pulling me back to his chest. “In here, I just can’t cheat on you or dump you if you start getting fat.”
“You’re such a pig.”
“Oink, oink, baby.”
I peer up at him, the dimple peeking through his beard as he holds his smirk solidifying his vow to take me down with the ship.
“No dice, huh?”
“I got nothin’,” he holds my gaze.
“Feels like you got somethin’,” I whisper suggestively as I move slowly, grinding against him once more.
“Do your worst, baby,” he husks, eyes heavy for a moment before he chuckles, leaning back against the couch, propping one arm under his head in victory. “You can turn me on all you want, but you ain’t changing my mind.”
“Fine, I tried,” I shrug, hiding my own smirk as I glance back over at the television, twisting myself out of the straddling position and resting against the couch beside him with a sigh. “I’ll text him and ask him if he wants to meet in the morning for coffee and I’ll just talk to him then.”
“Yeah, that’s not gonna… wait, what?”
I glance back over at him, the ease in which the chips fell into place astonishing even me as I take in his shocked expression.
I’ve got him right where I want him.
�
�Well, I mean, you’re obviously not comfortable with it. Besides, even if Mason wasn’t your best friend, it’s unfair for me to expect you to do something that might put you in an awkward situation with my brother,” I shrug, giving him a small, understanding smile. “We talked about it, you’ve been honest with me and despite my nerves about the whole thing, I agree it’s gone on long enough. He needs to know and it looks like our options are down to one, so I’ll just bite the bullet and talk to Mason in the morning.”
“So, that’s it?”
“Yep, that’s it. Good game, baby. You win,” I hold my smile. “Hey, maybe I’ll get him one of those muffins he likes for breakfast when we meet up. That’ll soften the…”
“Wait a second…” he cuts me off with a suspicious whisper as his eyes narrow. “You’ve never let me win at anything in your life. This feels like a trap.”
“Dash,” I chuckle, leaning closer and savoring the way his arms wind around me as I nuzzle back into his chest. “It’s not a trap. I just happen to agree with you and my mom. You were both right. Enough is enough.”
“Okay, but…” he starts, releasing a low sigh, squeezing me closer. “It’s not fair for you to have to do it alone, either. Maybe I should come with you. We can tell him together.”
“Don’t you think that would be riskier?” I ask, genuinely this time. “I mean, don’t you think he’ll feel cornered, maybe think something way worse was up and then overreact?”
“Yeah… yeah, maybe,” he considers. “I didn’t think about that.”
“We don’t want to make it more awkward than it already will be,” I shake my head, resting my arms at his sides, inhaling his scent. “I’ll just do it and catch up with you after.”
A moment passes and after longer than I expect, silence still fills the air. I glance up to find him deep in thought, staring at the ceiling above us in concern. Sucker.
“I don’t like it.”
“What don’t you like?”
“You going on your own.”
“Well, I really don’t think there’s another option, babe,” I sigh, sharpening the hook. “We agree both of us telling him was a bad idea. One of us has to and you said there’s nothing I can do to persuade you,” I slip my fingers beneath the band of his sweats, biting suggestively onto my lower lip as his eyes lower to mine. “Which is really a shame,” I continue in a low husk. “Because I am prepared to do just… about… anything.”
