by Kennedy Fox
When I look at Mason, he’s as taken aback as I am. “Wow.” It’s all he can say.
I glance over at Lennon who’s just as teary-eyed as I am. “Our sister is a badass,” she says proudly.
Liam’s mouth is hanging wide open, and I lean over and place my finger under his chin to shut it.
“Speechless?” I tease. “Maddie’s really going to like that.”
We wait for about ten minutes, and as if she was summoned, she comes from behind us wearing a huge smile on her face. “You liked it?”
I go to her and pull her into my arms. “I loved it, and I love you. You were amazing.” She’s worked so hard for this and deserves all the praise she’s receiving.
She rolls her eyes. “You’re just saying that because you have to.”
“I don’t have to,” Mason says, giving her a friendly side hug. “You were incredible, Mads. Like, for real.”
Lennon barrels her way through with her baby bump and pulls Maddie into a big hug. I’m still wiping away tears, but I’m smiling the whole time. While Hunter is giving her all the compliments, she looks at Liam and puts her hand on her hip.
“Well, Hulk?” She smirks, giving his tie a hard tug. “What’d you think?”
I wondered how long that’d take. Apparently only a couple of minutes.
Liam places his hand on her shoulder, and I think I see Maddie melt into a puddle right in front of us. “You were phenomenal.” He shakes his head. “I really have no words.”
A blush hits her cheeks, and Mason wraps his arm around my body. I lean into him, welcoming his touch as I watch Liam compliment Maddie. She’s eating it up, and it makes me happy to know everyone now has seen what Lennon and I know.
“Thank you,” I tell Mason, squeezing him.
“For what?” he asks with a side smile.
“For always being there for me.” It was like watching that performance made something click deep inside my soul, and I’m still trying to process it all. To find a love so great and then for death to rip it away in the blink of an eye feels a little too close to home, a little like reality.
Fans eventually bombard Maddie, so we give her space. We wait for her to make her way back to us.
“So I get a drink to celebrate tonight?” She perks up even though she already knows the answer.
“No, but I did plan on kicking your ass at darts tonight. Gotta knock you down a few pegs,” Liam jokes with her, but I notice the way his eyes soften as he speaks. Maybe Maddie finally kicked through his wall with her ballet shoes. I laugh to myself, and Mason notices.
“I don’t even want to know what you’re thinking.” He smirks.
“You don’t,” I admit as we walk out to Mason’s truck.
Maddie and Liam sit in the back seat, and Maddie continues to talk shit about how she’s going to kick everyone’s ass at darts and how she deserves a drink because she’s worked so hard.
“Oh whatever,” I interrupt her spiel. “You made it look so freaking easy. Like you were making soup.”
“It’s because I’m so flexible,” she says with a chuckle, and I glance over my shoulder and roll my eyes at her. I know she said that just for Liam.
We pull up to the Coliseum, and Hunter and Lennon are waiting for us at the front. Maddie is on cloud nine, fluttering around, and I know it’s because Liam is finally giving her more than five seconds of attention. Mason and I walk behind them, giving them distance, and I turn and look at him.
“Do you see what I see?” He gives me a wink, nodding at Liam and Maddie.
I nod, and a grin nearly fills my face. “He’s in trouble now. Give her an inch, and she’ll take ten miles.”
Mason chuckles and agrees. “You’re right. Though I have a feeling he’ll always think she’s too young for him.”
“Well, if we’re talking maturity years here, then they’re basically on the same level.” I snort at my own joke.
“Eh, more like he’d be too young for her then. He wouldn’t even have his driver’s license,” Mason mocks, then opens the door for me.
We sit at the table, then order drinks and food. After the guys have their beers, we all bombard Maddie. With a performance like that, it’s almost impossible not to. Of course, she’s so modest about her craft, and she blows it off like it’s no big deal. Maddie won’t always take the compliments about her dancing, but she’s polite and appeases us.
As she continues on about the underlying theme of the dance, Liam listens intently to her every word with bated breath, and it causes me to grin. After we get our food and eat, we decide to go over to the game room area and play darts. We gave Maddie the choice since it’s her night.
Mason lazily hangs his arm on my shoulder as we stand off to the side and watch her and Liam battle, but it’s not without smack talk from either of them. Lennon walks over to me, and Hunter decides he wants to start in with the trash talking too. The three of them have me nearly bending over with tears from their comebacks, but it doesn’t surprise me that Maddie can hold her own. She had lots of practice growing up with Lennon and me as sisters.
Lennon gives me a smile and yawns as she sits on a barstool.
“How are you doing, Mama?” I ask, leaning over to rub her belly.
“Tired, but good. This pregnancy is so much different than the last one,” she admits as I impatiently wait to feel a kick or something. She’s not due until March, but we find out next month what she’s having, which is so damn exciting.
“Is Hunter still dead set on it being a boy?” I ask, glancing over at him as he smacks Liam on the back.
“Yeah, and he might be right. For his sake, I hope he is, or he’s gonna have a house full of women, and he can barely handle two.” She snorts.
“And we all know how Dad turned out after us,” I admit. “But if you do have a girl, you can always try again for a little boy.” I waggle my brows, making my hint more than obvious.
Instantly, she starts shaking her head. “No, I think after this one, I’m done. If I survive being a mom of two toddlers, that is.” Hunter walks over and places a quick smack on Lennon’s lips and then gives Mason a high five.
“You’re all way too competitive for my taste.” I point at each of them.
Mason scoffs. “Says the girl who nearly had Liam naked the first time you came to the house.”
Lennon giggles, and we all remember the night of strip pool. It seems like a lifetime ago now. The guys walk to the bar for a refill, and Maddie comes over to us with rosy cheeks and a mile-wide smile.
Lennon just shakes her head.
“You’re way too transparent,” I tell her.
“I’m determined to break him down, and I think it’s actually working this time.” She falls back into an overly dramatic ballet pose, her body nearly bent in half. I don’t know how she’s so damn flexible. There are times when I can barely tie my shoe.
“He saw my moves, and now he can’t stay away,” she says with a bow.
Lennon nearly spits out her water, and it causes me to laugh at both of them.
Soon the guys return, and they go back to playing darts.
“I might make a million dollars soon,” Maddie says to all of us.
“How?” I ask, and she gives me an evil grin.
“Selling my virginity. I actually read an article about a girl who sold hers on eBay. She literally auctioned off her V-card,” she tells us all matter-of-factly, and I watch as Liam’s jaw nearly snaps.
Maddie notices too, which only encourages her further. “Apparently, she used the money to invest in some tech company, and it basically saved her life. She almost went homeless.”
“Don’t be stupid,” Liam tells her, his expression hard as stone.
“Stupid? I could make a lot of money,” she retorts. “I’m not exactly rolling in the dough here. Or dick. So…” She shrugs as if that’s the most valid reason on earth for selling your body.
“It’s probably a fake article. You can’t believe everything you read
on the internet,” I remind her.
“What if you get some weirdo or some old guy with shriveled up balls?” Liam’s trying to reason with her, and all she’s doing is teasing the hell out of him.
“If you’re so worried about it, I’ll give you the link when I make the listing, and you can place your own bid,” she quips, going back to her darts.
Liam grunts.
“What? Worried you’ll lose? Not a gambling man?”
When I look at Liam, he’s tense as fuck, and I think Maddie might’ve actually hit a nerve.
As Liam and Maddie go back and forth, Hunter notices how tired Lennon is, and they decide to call it a night. We all exchange hugs, and after Maddie completely destroys Liam and Mason in two more rounds of darts, we leave too. The entire ride to her dorm, she has me laughing to the point where my face hurts, and it feels good. There’s no worry or stress, and right now, I feel more like myself than I have in a month.
We pull into the dorm parking lot, and when Maddie gets out of the truck, Liam volunteers to walk her to her door. Mason and I watch as he chats all the way up the sidewalk with wide eyes.
“I’m shocked,” he says. “I think she’s really getting to him.”
“She said it was her dance moves.” I snicker.
Mason turns and looks at me. “It might’ve been.”
The air in the truck is thick as he looks at me with bright eyes. “Next week, my aunt wants us to have dinner with her.”
“What? I thought she would’ve forgotten by now,” I exclaim, and he shakes his head with a smirk.
“Nope, and it’s gotten to the point where she texts me twice a day to remind me. She said Tuesday. Will that work for you?”
I catch a glimpse of Liam smiling at Maddie, and I wish I could hear what they’re talking about. “Hmm,” I say, stalling.
“If you say no, I’m giving her your number so she can text you all day,” he threatens.
I lick my lips, wishing he’d kiss me right now, but I know he won’t cross the line. “Yeah. I’ll go.”
He grabs my hand and kisses my knuckles. “Thank you. She cooks a mean spaghetti and meatballs and doesn’t serve small portions, so wear your stretchy pants.”
A giggle escapes me. “She better because I can put away a lot of food.”
Unspoken words linger between us, but my thoughts are interrupted by Liam climbing into the truck.
“Did you kiss her good night?” Mason jabs.
“Shut the hell up and take me home,” Liam says, and it makes me wonder if Maddie’s now playing hard to get. I think she might actually have him where she wants him.
Chapter Fifteen
Mason
The weekend comes and goes and so does Monday. When I drive home from work, my nerves start to get the best of me because tonight I’m willingly taking Sophie over to my aunt Sylvia’s house. She’s my dad’s sister, has zero filter, and can be obnoxious at times, but I love her, and she typically means well. Regardless, I know she’s going to spill all my business on her expensive floor, and Sophie will know everything about me by the time we leave, but I want that. I want her to know everything about me, and Aunt Sylvia doesn’t forget and won’t leave any stone unturned. She has the memory of an elephant, hence her bothering me about this damn dinner for the past few months. The unpredictability of it all is what makes me the most nervous.
When I walk inside the house, Sophie’s sitting on the couch wearing black jeans, boots, and a nice sweater. Though it’s only early October and the temperature hasn’t dropped significantly since summer, she’s been dressing in more fall outfits, which I love on her. As soon as she sees me, she stands with a grin. “I’m ready.”
“You look great,” I admire. I empty my pockets, placing my keys and phone on the coffee table. “I’m going to change into some jeans, and then we can go.”
She gives me a nod and sits back down. I climb the stairs two at a time and quickly change.
When I come back downstairs, I shoot Sophie a smile and notice her mood’s dramatically changed. “Everything okay?”
She shrugs and hands me my phone. I look down and see a text message from Serena. I open it and read what she sent. Considering I have preview set up, I know Sophie saw it.
Serena: How are you and your girlfriend?
Without responding, I lock my phone and shove it into my pocket. That’s one text message I won’t be replying to, not now and not ever. While I know Serena means well, my relationship with Sophie needs to stay private. It’s something she and I share while we try to figure everything out. I can tell the text bothers Sophie, which concerns me since I’ve already explained our friendship several times.
“You have nothing to worry about,” I remind her as she stands and lets out a breath.
“I know.” She forces a smile, and all I want to do is change the subject, but luckily, Liam does it for me. He bursts through the door sweaty as hell from working out.
“Where you two going?” he asks, then takes off his shirt and wipes his forehead with it.
“Dinner with Aunt Sylvia.”
He snorts and lifts his eyebrows at Sophie. “Have fuuuuuuun. She’s nuts.”
“Shut the hell up,” I say.
“Hey, the fruit doesn’t fall too far from the family tree,” he throws back as he jumps up the stairs.
“Don’t even get me started!” I warn, then glance at Sophie. “Come on.”
She lets a real smile escape, which gives me hope that everything is going to be just fine. We drive across town, and Sophie tells me about her rehearsal today, and I’m so damn thrilled things are finally going better for her. It’s been a few weeks since she returned, and at first, it was rough, but she’s seemed to have worked through a lot of her emotional issues.
Though my aunt lives nearly thirty minutes away, it feels like I only spent five minutes with Sophie since we chatted the whole time. That’s one thing I love about her—time seems to fly by when she’s near. So many times I wanted to interlock my fingers with hers, but ever since she took my hand at the recital, I’ve been trying not to push my luck. We seem to finally be heading in the right direction, and I don’t want to jinx it. Each time we’ve made progress in the past, something happens, and she pushes me away. I want to avoid that this time.
We pull into the gated community where my aunt lives and park in her driveway. Sophie’s eyes go wide. “This house is gigantic.”
“Yeah, it is. She’s my father’s sister, remember? They’re all about appearances.” Sophie sucks in a deep breath, and I shoot her a wink. “She’s harmless, though.”
We get out of the truck, and I lead her up the sidewalk with my hand on her back. I look at the perfectly trimmed bushes, and before we make it to the door, it’s swinging open. Aunt Sylvia greets us with a charming smile, not a hair out of place as she waves her hand for us to come inside.
“I’ve been expecting you two lovebirds,” she singsongs, pulling me and then Sophie into a hug. Sophie looks around in awe at the high vaulted ceilings, chandeliers, and ridiculously expensive sculptures in the foyer. The marble floors are so shiny, I can see my reflection in them. Numerous political parties have been held here over the years, and I’m sure many more will be too. We enter the kitchen, and Sylvia has cooked enough food for a dozen people.
“Expecting a small army?” I ask, walking over to the counter where the gigantic meatballs, noodles, sauce, and homemade garlic bread are laid out.
“Nope, just us,” she says. She divorced her husband years ago, and my cousin has long since moved out. Sophie and I help her carry the dishes into the formal dining room where the table is set up all fancy. When I notice Sophie’s fidgeting with the hem of her sweater, I hope her nerves aren’t getting the best of her. As we walk back to the kitchen, I place my hand on the small of her back, hoping she relaxes a tad.
Aunt Sylvia grabs an expensive bottle of wine, and I grab the glasses. After we take our seats, she fills our plates with a mountain of fo
od. I glance over at Sophie and smile at her expression. I warned her and wasn’t kidding about the portions and stretchy pants.
As soon as she tastes one of the meatballs, she hums. “Oh my God. I think that’s the best meatball I’ve ever tasted in my life. Ever.”
Sylvia grins at me. “She’s a keeper, Mason.”
“Seriously,” Sophie continues, then eats another meatball. I can’t blame her, though; they are really good. She could open a restaurant and make a killing, but being a county judge is her passion, and she’d never give it up. Just like my father, she’s caught up in the attention. But unlike my father, she still has her moral compass.
“How’s Crystal?” I ask about my cousin. Ignoring the pressure of following in her mom’s footsteps, she became a nurse and was one of the main reasons I found the courage to choose my own path too. I knew my dad would get over it. Eventually.
“Doing great. She works a lot. I actually invited her to join us tonight, but she’s on swing shift so wasn’t able to. You’ll have to come over again and meet my daughter,” she tells Sophie, who agrees with a mouthful.
“Saw your dad last week,” Aunt Sylvia adds, and I instantly tense. I was hoping she wouldn’t bring him up, but that was wishful thinking. “Is he still married to that child? The secretary?” she asks suspiciously.
I stuff my face and give her a nod, but she continues chatting.
“Hmm,” she says, but now my curiosity is piqued.
“Why?” I ask.
She shrugs. “No reason.”
“This wine is great,” Sophie says, taking a big sip, thankfully moving the topic away from my dad. I chuckle because the last time she drank wine was with Liam and got completely trashed, which by morning I found adorable because of how embarrassed she was.