Chapter 25

Leah

It’s been a week since Mason left. I wasn’t going to use his key, but tonight I am. We’ve talked on the phone, briefly. I haven’t been online as Daisy Ren at all. Taking a couple extra houses to clean this week helped make up for the money I spent in California and did wonders for keeping me occupied, so I don’t overthink.

“It’s about damn time,” Mak says when I answer my phone. “Shew. Playing phone tag all week was ridiculous!”

“I know. You work too much.”

“Says the pot to the kettle.”

“Fair.”

“Sooo, how was the trip? Tell me everything .”

“It was wild . Weird and wild. And fun.”

“All good things.”

“I saw Aly.” For some reason, that’s been weighing on me all week.

“No way! How the hell did that even happen?”

“She was DJing at a club we went to.”

“That’s oddly coincidental.”

“Tell me about it. We’d been dancing for hours and when we came out at closing time, she was there. She recognized me before I even saw her.”

“Holy crap, Leah. How’s she doing?”

“We didn’t get a chance to catch up, really. She looked good.” I walk circles around Mason’s living room. “Seeing her brought up a lot of shit, though. I’m in my head about it.”

“Talk me through it.”

Tucking hair behind my ear, I pivot and start walking circles the other way. “She said she was proud of me.” Mak stays quiet. “I think she meant it. And that got me all fucked up, because why would she say that?”

“Did she say it out of the blue or…”

“I’d introduced her to the guys. Once I got to Mason, she was called back into the club. That’s when she hugged me and said she was proud of me. I hadn’t even told her about what I’ve been up to with my new potential business venture. And I know she’s not all that thrilled about my Daisy Ren stuff.”

Mak stays quiet.

“Say something, Mak. I’m feeling awkward and dramatic over here.”

My bestie clears her throat. “How did you introduce Mason to her?”

“Uhhh as Mason.”

“You were like, this is Mason?”

“Yes. No. Wait.” Pinching the bridge of my nose, I think back to that night. “I introduced him as my boyfriend. To which she looked shocked out of her mind, snort-laughed at me, and then repeated the word boyfriend like it was a made-up word. Then she changed her attitude when she saw I was serious.” I pivot and pace in the other direction again. “It felt like being hit with an anvil when she hugged me goodbye and said she was proud of me. I’ve been fucked up about it ever since.”

Mak doesn’t say anything again.

“Damnit, Mak truck, don’t do this.”

“I’m not doing anything, Leah.”

“Yes, you are! You’re making me feel worse!” I drop onto the sofa and tuck my legs in. Mason’s condo sucks. There are no blankets or pillows or anything comfy. It doesn’t even smell like him in here anymore. I hate it. “I don’t know why I’m feeling so anxious.”

“I do. And you do too, you’re just being thick headed about it.”

“Gee, thanks.”

“Leah, I love you. You know that. We’ve been friends for how many years now?”

“A bunch.”

“Mmm hmm. And you’ve never had a boyfriend. You only have hookups.”

“And dates.”

“Also just hook ups.”

“I’ve seen a few of them more than once.”

“Still hookups.” Mak sighs. “Does Mason know about the camgirl thing?”

“Why?”

“Does he?”

“Yeah.”

Mak’s voice softens. “Remember when we talked about how this wasn’t a commitment? That you both can have fun, then split off into your separate lives?”

“Yeah.”

“Well. Do you still feel that way?”

“No,” I confess quietly. “Oh my god, I’m broken. He’s busted me all up. How am I attached already?”

“That’s what happens when you fall for someone.”

Oh god, what if she’s right? “This is going to hurt.” I feel sick to my stomach. “I don’t want to get hurt.”

Mak sighs. “Who says this won’t last? There’s no reason to think you’ll get hurt, Leah.”

Every man breaks a woman’s heart. Only fictional book boyfriends are safe. There was a time when my mother was head over heels for my dad. They used to dance in the kitchen and hold hands in the grocery store. The bliss didn’t last. Day after day, year after year, their love turned into hate, cruelty, and misery.

I can’t imagine how painful it would feel if Mason did that to me.

“He said he loved me when we got back from California.”

“Holy. Shit.” Mak pauses. “That’s…”

“Fast. Stupid. Probably a lie.” We’re just in some kind of delirious happy-new-couple phase. It’ll die down, eventually. He said it in a moment of excitement and probably wasn’t thinking.

Except that doesn’t sound like something Mason would do. The man is calculative and brilliant. Thoughtful and thorough. I don’t think he’d say anything he didn’t mean.

Mak clears her throat. “What did you say back?”

“Nothing.” I bury my face in my hands. “I diverted the conversation by having sex with him.”

“Okay, okay. So, if he said it again, right now, what would you say?”

I don’t want to admit my answer. It’s too insane.

“Holy fuckballs, Leah.”

“What?” Defensiveness forces me to stand up. “I wouldn’t say anything.”

“Liar.”

“I…”

“Leah, this is what your sister meant. I’m telling you right now, Aly saw in your face what I’m hearing in your voice. You’re in love, girl.”

“No. It’s just good dick and fun.”

“That can be part of love too, you asshat. Carson’s good dick and fun. Look how fast we fell for each other.”

“Yeah but.”

“No yeah buts. Aly’s proud of you for finally letting your damn guard down. For giving a man a chance to treat you right.”

“All my guys have treated me right.”

“No. They treated you like temporary entertainment. And you’re no better. Look,” she says, clearing her throat. “Mason isn’t going to be like your dad was with your mom, honey. Don’t put your past on him like that. It’s not fair.”

She’s right. “Oh my god, I’m in love with him.” My ass hits the leather cushion. “I… this is…” I don’t know how to feel about it. “I’m in love with Mason.” Saying it out loud makes me giddy. “I’m in love with Mason Finch.”

“Yup.”

My heart skips around like a child holding a balloon. “I am head over stiletto heels in love with Mason motherfucking Finch.”

“Say it louder for the people in the back.”

“I have a boyfriend.”

“Sure do.”

“And I love him.”

“We’ve established that already.”

My cheeks hurt from how big my smile is. “This is crazy , Mak.”

“Love is crazy. Trust me. It makes you do wild shit you never thought you could do.”

“Like get collared and chased in the woods?” I tease.

“Or get on a plane when you’re terrified of flying just to spend a couple days with each other because twelve hours apart was too long.”

Holy shit. We did that. “I’m crazily, wildly, passionately, completely, happily in love with Mason Finch.”

The way we fit, our personalities, our energy—we’re the perfect storm together. Squealing, I rock back on the couch, kicking my feet. “I gotta go, Mak.”

“Love you.”

“Love you, too!”

My hands shake as I pull up my contacts list to find his number. I just want to hear his voice. I want to say something. Tell him… fuck, I don’t know. That I’m over the moon for him. That I miss him. That I want to come see him.

“I heard you were in love with someone, Princess.”

My heart stops.

Mason leans against the archway of his living room with his arms crossed. He tips his head and narrows his gaze. “What was his name again?”

“Mason,” I walk around the coffee table with butterflies in my belly.

“ Mason. ” He puckers his mouth and saunters towards me. “There are a lot of Masons out there. You’ll have to be more specific.”

“Mason motherfucking Finch.” I jump into his arms, wrapping my legs around him tightly.

His eyes widen. “Hey that’s me.”

Fireworks blast through my heart, lighting me up from the inside out. “It sure is, you lucky sucker.”

“I’ve missed you, Princess.”

“I didn’t think you were coming back until next Tuesday.”

“Yeah, well, that was too long to be away from you.”

I agree. “This is nutty.” I shove his hair back and kiss him.

“Nutty was thinking I could go without you so damn long.”