Chapter 33

Chapter Thirty-Three

Mason

I hold on to the bottle of Patron as the room spins around. I don't know where I am.

"Two fucking days drinking. I told you to grab water, not the tequila." Matt takes away the bottle and hands me an uncapped water bottle with two aspirins. "I'm glad you called Jacob and not Ainsley."

I pop the pills in my mouth and chase it with the entire water bottle. Setting the empty container on the floor, I rub my eyes, looking around.

"Two days?"

"Yeah, asshole. You called on Tuesday, around midnight, loaded. It's Thursday—seven at night. I haven't slept at all. The owl is about to go ballistic because he hasn't hit the bed either."

Jacob grunts.

Matt bares his teeth at me but laughs. I'll never understand why Nine and Jacob called him the owl.

"Your drunk personality is a fucking nightmare." Matt hands me another bottle of water. "If it wasn't because we owe you years of babysitting, your ass would be in the morgue."

"Matt's the one who came up with the idea of calling your buddies to help us—Harrison and Hawk. Between the four of us, we were able to bring you back to our place. They gave you some pill to lower the alcohol levels. Or was it to hydrate you? Hawk told you to fix your shit or he would shoot you."

I backtrack my steps.

The moment I saw her, Nine, with another man. Fuck, she's moving on, and I'm stuck here battling between fighting for her or letting her find a guy who can give her the shit she deserves. It's not like I couldn't.

"As long as there's love, the rest solves itself in one way or another," I say aloud, slamming my head as I try to remove the haze. Stupid alcohol.

"Great, he's going to start again," Jacob complains. I look up and stare at him. "We've heard a fucking play-by-play about your stupid life for the past two days. I wish Ainsley had clawed you, but she was pretty decent."

"Yep, my sister went easy on you after you broke her heart," Matt agrees, and now I get who they're talking about. Their sister, my Nine. "So far, she hasn't transformed to the Queen of Ice, but if she does, I'll pay your friends to fuck up your face. They gave me their number."

I bob my head without saying a word because I have no recollection of what they're saying. How much I talked, drank, or did. After the coffee shop, I headed to a liquor store and bought a bunch of shit. Then made a beeline to my office, and I lost track of what happened after. I scratch the back of my head.

"You sure it was two days?"

"Yep," Jacob sighs, looking around the room. "Matt, mind replaying for us ‘she's fucking dating again?' Oh, and add some of the ‘I'd fucking fly to the sun if she asked me.' And don't forget the ‘I swear if she gives me another chance, I'm never going to stop worshiping her.'"

"Wait," I lift my palm toward Matt before he starts his stupid action scenes. "You're fucking serious about it? Did I tell you about the breakup, too?"

They both nod. I rub my entire face, trying to remember something, and still nothing comes up.

"Is she dating that guy?" I have to ask.

"No. During our daily call, we asked her about Tuesday night."Matt gives me a ‘you fucked up badly' look.

I miss those calls. The three talking and including me meant something deep. I was family.

"She went out with Oscar for a cup of coffee. He broke up with his boyfriend. Ozzy is Ainsley's friend. They're close and well, she found a soul mate to spend some time with, though I don't think they're each other's type."

"Ainsley loves you, you idiot," Jacob adds. "Didn't I tell you to break up with her before the shit hit the fan?"

I nod.

"We knew this would happen. You weren't ready, and she was," Matt growls. "Which is funny because you have always been the one swooning for her—since we were children."

"True story," Jacob takes over. "Your little boy crush on her never disappeared."

The way these two communicate is hilarious, and if Nine were with them, the three would be talking as one person with different voices.

"I propose that you sober up tonight," Jacob tells me. "We can fix your shit as long as you really want to. Another strike and I'll make sure you regret being born."

"Any pointers on how to grovel? Because I fucked up big time, and I just can't lose her. I love her so much, I haven't…"

Wait, did I just say I love her? I guess… yep. I do love Ainsley. All this time I have been in love with her. She's my home. I found the place where I belong but was just too scared to admit it to her and myself.

"Slept in over two weeks, you're about to die because you haven't held her for what feels like an eternity, and all that fucking shit," Jacob finishes my sentence and covers his ears. "Shut up, we heard that already, several times. We told you our plan already, but you were drunk."

Matt grits his teeth as he narrows his gaze at me. "She better not be upset. I hate when she's like that."

He does, but not for the reasons everyone thinks. Jacob and I know that he hates it because that means her soul hurts.

"While we talk to her on your behalf, sober up." Matt points at me, loosening his jaw. "Stay here. We'll be back tomorrow."

I drag a hand through my hair, hot bile rising in the back of my throat. The thoughts of the way I treated her weigh heavily on me. Now I have to depend on these two to fix the shit I broke.

"Again, can you tell me the plan?"

"We're visiting our baby sister so she can take care of us after all your abuse," Jacob casually says, then grins. Their plan is to annoy the hell out of her? "Wait until we talk to her. The Ice Queen needs some softening before you appear to confessyou're an idiot who loves her."

"Think big words and great gestures," Matt recommends.

"Grand gestures," Jacob corrects him.

Matt shrugs and they leave me alone at their place, and I debate between searching for more alcohol or hitting the shower and sleeping.