Knead: Contemporary Romance (Creamy's Bakery Book 1) by Aspen Drake Page B

have to keep our relationship hidden from those she loves most in order to spare herself pain and rejection. That's not what I want for her.
    And Max feels the same way. If he had any idea how much this is hurting her, he would make the same decision that I'm making right now. He would realize one of us had to leave.
    Then maybe Carly could be truly happy. She would be sad for a while but she would get over it. And as much as it shreds me to admit, it has to be me. I have to leave the family I would walk on water to protect.
    Carly loves me. I know she does. But she loves Max more. She needs him more. Carly needs his gentle cuddles more than my firm embrace. She needs his silly jokes more than my commanding presence. She needs Max more than she needs me.
    It'll be hard on Max too. He and I have been best friends since we were kids. He’ll be hurt and pissed, but he'll have Carly.
    They’ll help each other move on.
    They'll take care of each other.
    They’ll get their happily ever after.
    I drop a hundred dollar bill on the table and slide out of the booth, heading toward the back. A server is walking out with a tray of drinks, and I hold up another hundred-dollar bill. “Where’s your back exit?”
    Her eyes lock on the cash for a moment before her she snatches it up. “Straight down that hall.”
    I walk out of the building, tossing my cell phone in the dumpster as I go, determined to leave behind the only two people in this world that truly matter to me.

 
     
     
     
    Chapter Twenty
    Mason
     
    By  Monday  afternoon, I can't stand the wait any longer. I don't want to call Beth and get her in trouble, but I do need to know that she's okay.
    Giving in to my stress, I do the only thing I can think of and call her sister Amy.
    “Mason, hi.” Amy's voice isn't as perky as it usually is.
    I wonder if she's already talked to her sister and knows what happened. “Hi, Amy. I'm sorry to bother you, but I was just wondering if you've talked to Beth in the past few days.”
    “Yeah, I have. Why?”
    “Well, is she okay?”
    “Um, yeah.”
    There's some hesitation in Amy's voice that isn't usually there.
    “Are you sure? When I sent her a text the other night, she seemed upset.”
    “She’s alright, Mason.” Amy’s voice softens and I feel a little better. She wouldn’t lie if her sister were in trouble. “I promise. She's just working through some stuff and needs some space. I promise she'll get in touch with you soon. Okay?”
    “Yeah, okay. Thanks.” I hang up the phone and almost throw it. I shouldn’t be pissed that Amy won't tell me what's going on, but I am. I still feel uneasy about whether Beth is really okay.
    There's obviously something going on that they don't want to talk to me about. Whatever. If she's not interested, she should just say so. It's silly to play these games.
    I slip my phone into my pocket and go out front. “Hey, Aaron.”
    “Yeah, Mase.”
    “You want to go back to Refuge  tonight?  I could use a drink.”
    His eyes light up with excitement. “Yeah. That sounds great. I'll be done by seven. Does that work?”
    “Yup. Just call when you're ready. I'm going over to Fierce to say hi to Carly.”
    “Sure thing.”
    Fierce Salon is just a few doors down from Creamy’s. This late in the evening, Carly is usually finishing up with her last client, and the salon is quiet enough that I can sit and visit for a few minutes without disturbing anyone.
    When I walk in, Paige is at the front desk with a big smile for me. “Hi, Mason. How are you?”
    “I'm good, Paige. How's it going?”
    “I’m great.” Her eyes flutter and her chin drops.
    No, thanks, jailbait. “Hey, is Carly busy?” I peek around her desk and look for my sister.
    “Yeah, good timing. Carly's almost finished with her last client. You can go in and have a seat next to her, if you want.”
    “Thanks.” I head toward my sister’s station and drop into the empty chair beside her client. A young woman is in her