“Sorry.” I lowered my head.
“Your grandpa and I have officially put the deed to the house in your name, along with the few stocks we have. It’s not a lot, but everything is now under you. We have money set aside for the funeral expenses, so nothing falls on you.”
My eyes and nose burned with tears. I couldn’t talk, my throat too thick to push anything out.
“Sell the house and stocks, or do whatever you want. The most important thing is you live the happiest life you can. That is our first dream for you. For you to follow your heart no matter where it leads you. And I’m so sorry for making you believe you needed to do this to please us. Whatever you do will make us happy as long as you are.” Exhaustion fluttered her eyes. “You are my greatest gift, Mason.” She patted my hand, her lids drifting lower. “Stop acting as though you owe us. If anything, we owe you for giving us such joy in our lives.”
A hiccup caught in my lungs, my eyes burning.
Her mouth parted as she fell back to sleep. Leaning over, I kissed her forehead, tucking her in before sneaking out. My chest burned with unshed tears as I headed for my room. The terror of losing them had me gasping for air. They had been my rock, my world, stood by me, and gave everything up for me. Without them, I had no one.
My cell buzzed in my pocket. I yanked it out, seeing a text.
Emery: I’m here.
Nothing more, nothing personal, nothing telling me she missed me.
“Follow your heart no matter where it leads you.”
Fuck it.
I hit the call back button.
Chapter 25
Emery
“Are you going to tell me who you’re seeing?” Harper sipped at her wine. Addison was in her room chatting to her friends on the phone. Kevin had just left, and we were all full of pasta, cookies, and pie.
“I’m not seeing anyone,” I refuted.
Harper curved her eyebrow, “Mmmm-hmm. Sure.”
“I’m not!” Technically, Mason and I weren’t “seeing each other.” It was purely sex.
“So, you’re just sleeping together?”
“Oh my god, I’m not sleeping with my boss.” I shook my head, the idea of Daniel and me together making me cringe. Though if I let her believe it was him, they wouldn’t suspect it was the twenty-year-old who Addison crushed on. “He asked me out on a date. That was it.”
“If you say so.” Harper nodded at my bare finger. “You are interested enough to want to at least try again. That’s good.”
Yes, but not with Dr. Ramirez. How I wished it was him. How much easier this would be.
“You really are telling me nothing happened? Because you have these radioactive waves of sex coming off you. The look that screams, I’ve been so truly good and fucked.”
“Harp.” I palmed my face.
Addison’s laugh drifted from her bedroom.
“Good having her home again?” I changed subjects.
“Yeah.” Harper nodded. “I would love for her to move back now, but I know she’s happy there and loves her friends and cheerleading. I couldn’t do that to her.” Harper tucked her leg under her. “And honestly, I’m about to drive her back so I don’t have to hear any more about the Mason kid.”
Everything in me froze, panic burning around my lungs. “Oh?” I took a heavy gulp of wine.
Kid? I wanted to burst out laughing. If she knew what dirty things he did to me on the kitchen table last night.
“What is she saying about him?” Every syllable was even and tempered.
“He’s the most gorgeous boy she’s ever seen.” Agreed. “He’s dark and mysterious.” Check. Check. “When he looks at her, she feels all fluttery.” Can concur. “I have no room to talk, but he sounds like the opposite of the guy I want Addy to like. A heartbreak waiting to happen. The ultimate playboy, someone who will toy with her.”
He was using a “toy” on me last night.
“He’s not an asshole at all. Actually, with his past, he’s very sweet to those close to him.” Oh. My. God. Shut up, Emery. “I mean, he’s been around enough, so I’ve kind of gotten to know him.” I sure know how he feels inside me. How he loves my nails digging into his ass as we come together. The noises he makes when he’s pounding into me. It is also how smart and funny he is, how he takes care of his grandparents. Of me. How his past has shaped him to be more selective with friends, to trust very few. And how good it feels to be one of those special ones to him.
“Well, this kid Mateo sounds like a better guy for her.” Harper didn’t read into me defending him. “But Addy is too similar to me. I never wanted the good ones.”
“Until now.” I clinked my glass to hers.
“Oh, he may come across as nice, but that man is all bad in the bedroom.” She fanned herself.
“I think I should be grossed out.” I laughed. “But I’m happy for you.”
“Thanks. I hope you let someone in again. Believe me, I wasn’t looking for anyone so soon after Joe, and Kevin wasn’t either. Sometimes life doesn’t care about your plans. The right person comes along, and you just have to take a chance.”
I stared at the ruddy color in my glass, my heart twisting because right or wrong, no matter what I said about it being only sex, I really liked being with Mason. Talking and laughing with him. It scared me, but I missed him. Really missed him.
As if Mason could feel me thinking about him, my phone buzzed, his name blaring on my screen.
Shit.
Jumping up, I twisted my cell away from my sister. “Um, I should get this… it’s the shelter.”
She nodded, waving me on, believing the lie.
Darting back to the guest room, I shut the door, my finger pushing call.
“Hey,” I said quietly. Addison’s room shared a wall with mine.
“Hey.”
Shit. His voice should seriously be illegal. My nipples hardened instantly, my pussy pulsing like they were now conditioned to respond to his voice.
“I’m probably breaking another rule, but I needed to hear your voice,” he rumbled. “Having a good Christmas?”
It would be better with you here.
Then my mind actually tried to conjure it up. It could never happen. Addison would hate me forever, and no one would accept us.
“Yeah.” I licked my lip. “And you?”
“Just great.” His sarcasm was thick. “Rather be between your thighs right now.”
“Mason.” I tried to put warning in my tone while desire poured over me at the thought of him there.
“Don’t say my name that way if you don’t want me imagining my tongue fucking your pussy right now.”
A heavy breath surged from me, every nerve sizzling at the idea.
“Stop.” I really didn’t want him to, even if it was wrong. My gaze kept bouncing to Addison’s bedroom wall, hearing the muttering of her voice and music playing. “Addison said you texted her the other day.”
A deep hum came from him. “You sound jealous.”
“I’m not jealous,” I snipped a little too quickly. “I want to know if you are playing both my niece and me because if you are, I swear to—”