furrowed.
“I figured it was some sort of pissing contest with the two of
you,” I gulped.
“I knew there was something I liked about you.” He smirked.
“And I don’t care what that little weasel does in his spare time? He
has no morals, cares of nothing but himself. If I was you, I’d steer
clear of him,” he said and walked away.
Shutting my eyes, I breathed slowly. This party was off to a
good start. The temptation to leave was great. However, Cassie
was questioning my absence for the week, which I had no excuse
for. Well, other than complete embarrassment from the last time I
was at the club. Nick turned the corner before me and announced
that I was behind him. When I came around the corner, Cassie
squealed and ran over.
“I have missed you. Where have you been?” she asked, hugging
me. “Why have you not been answering my calls or calling me
back?”
“Can we talk about this another time?” I asked.
“No. We can talk now.” She grabbed my arm and told
everyone we were going for a walk. “Spill it,” she said, crossing
her arms.
“I was embarrassed, Cass.” I stretched my neck, feeling tense.
“That night at the club, I felt humiliated in front of everyone.” I
fought against the tears.
“I wouldn’t worry about it. Mason is an ass and everyone
knows that,” she replied, linking her arm with mine.
“Are you sure about that, Cassie? Because I sure felt like I was
the villain.” My brow furrowed and I prayed at that moment that
she was done talking about it.
“Oh, it wasn’t that bad. I’ve seen worse,” Cassie said, laughing.
“What bar were you at?” I gasped. “I saw your face, Cassie. I
can’t get it out of my head. You were just as mortified as I was.”
My hands covered my face.
“I wasn’t mortified because of that,” she said, pulling me in to
her chest. “I was worried about how you were feeling.” She stood
in front of me, shaking her head. “Mason is an ass. Just because
he’s family doesn’t mean I excuse his behaviour. He gets away
with it because he is handsome. It’s the women that fall for him.
One of these days, a woman is going to destroy him, and he will
regret being such a jerk,” she said, hugging me.
“I don’t know why I keep going to him,” I groaned. After a long
silence I added, “He showed up after work tonight.”
“Shut up?” she gasped. “Tell me everything.”
“Yes. He was standing by my car.” I shook my head, frustrated.
“He kissed me and told me he can’t stop thinking about me. I’m
confused, Cassie. I can’t tell if he likes me or if he is playing me.”
I grumbled. “He infuriates me. I knew I wasn’t ready for this. I’m
too damn emotional.”
“He didn’t see you cry, did he?” she asked. My eyes glanced
away. Cassie’s eyes widened.
Technically, he did see me cry but he didn’t know why I was
crying. He just found me that way.
“Lauren, please tell me you didn’t cry in front of him.” She
grabbed my shoulders.
I winced. “Earlier, after I served your appetizers. I was in the
back freaking out, and well, my emotions got the best of me. Then
he showed up at the back door.”
“That’s where he went.” She tapped her lips. “He doesn’t know
why you were crying?”
“No.”
“Good. Don’t let him in, I beg you,” she said, creating a steeple
with her hands. “I tell all my girlfriends who meet him that he is
nothing but trouble. If you let him in, Lauren, he will hurt you.”
She grabbed my face in her hands, looking me in the eye.
“I know,” I replied. My eyes shut and I let out a deep sigh.
Cassie was right. Mason had the reputation of breaking hearts, not
mending them.
“Now, Nick, on the other hand—”
“No. Nah-uh. Don’t go there.” I shook my head, walking away.
“He doesn’t have the bad-boy reputation that Mason has,” she
assured me.
I stopped and spun around, glancing quickly to see if anyone
was around, then whispered, “He kissed me on the dance floor that
same night at the club,
“I figured it was some sort of pissing contest with the two of
you,” I gulped.
“I knew there was something I liked about you.” He smirked.
“And I don’t care what that little weasel does in his spare time? He
has no morals, cares of nothing but himself. If I was you, I’d steer
clear of him,” he said and walked away.
Shutting my eyes, I breathed slowly. This party was off to a
good start. The temptation to leave was great. However, Cassie
was questioning my absence for the week, which I had no excuse
for. Well, other than complete embarrassment from the last time I
was at the club. Nick turned the corner before me and announced
that I was behind him. When I came around the corner, Cassie
squealed and ran over.
“I have missed you. Where have you been?” she asked, hugging
me. “Why have you not been answering my calls or calling me
back?”
“Can we talk about this another time?” I asked.
“No. We can talk now.” She grabbed my arm and told
everyone we were going for a walk. “Spill it,” she said, crossing
her arms.
“I was embarrassed, Cass.” I stretched my neck, feeling tense.
“That night at the club, I felt humiliated in front of everyone.” I
fought against the tears.
“I wouldn’t worry about it. Mason is an ass and everyone
knows that,” she replied, linking her arm with mine.
“Are you sure about that, Cassie? Because I sure felt like I was
the villain.” My brow furrowed and I prayed at that moment that
she was done talking about it.
“Oh, it wasn’t that bad. I’ve seen worse,” Cassie said, laughing.
“What bar were you at?” I gasped. “I saw your face, Cassie. I
can’t get it out of my head. You were just as mortified as I was.”
My hands covered my face.
“I wasn’t mortified because of that,” she said, pulling me in to
her chest. “I was worried about how you were feeling.” She stood
in front of me, shaking her head. “Mason is an ass. Just because
he’s family doesn’t mean I excuse his behaviour. He gets away
with it because he is handsome. It’s the women that fall for him.
One of these days, a woman is going to destroy him, and he will
regret being such a jerk,” she said, hugging me.
“I don’t know why I keep going to him,” I groaned. After a long
silence I added, “He showed up after work tonight.”
“Shut up?” she gasped. “Tell me everything.”
“Yes. He was standing by my car.” I shook my head, frustrated.
“He kissed me and told me he can’t stop thinking about me. I’m
confused, Cassie. I can’t tell if he likes me or if he is playing me.”
I grumbled. “He infuriates me. I knew I wasn’t ready for this. I’m
too damn emotional.”
“He didn’t see you cry, did he?” she asked. My eyes glanced
away. Cassie’s eyes widened.
Technically, he did see me cry but he didn’t know why I was
crying. He just found me that way.
“Lauren, please tell me you didn’t cry in front of him.” She
grabbed my shoulders.
I winced. “Earlier, after I served your appetizers. I was in the
back freaking out, and well, my emotions got the best of me. Then
he showed up at the back door.”
“That’s where he went.” She tapped her lips. “He doesn’t know
why you were crying?”
“No.”
“Good. Don’t let him in, I beg you,” she said, creating a steeple
with her hands. “I tell all my girlfriends who meet him that he is
nothing but trouble. If you let him in, Lauren, he will hurt you.”
She grabbed my face in her hands, looking me in the eye.
“I know,” I replied. My eyes shut and I let out a deep sigh.
Cassie was right. Mason had the reputation of breaking hearts, not
mending them.
“Now, Nick, on the other hand—”
“No. Nah-uh. Don’t go there.” I shook my head, walking away.
“He doesn’t have the bad-boy reputation that Mason has,” she
assured me.
I stopped and spun around, glancing quickly to see if anyone
was around, then whispered, “He kissed me on the dance floor that
same night at the club,
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