by Eden Summers
“Don’t.” Ryan strode to the corner of the deck and poured the remainder of his beer on the lawn. “Don’t talk about shit you know nothing about. I’ve been through the smitten stage. And I watched it die a quick death. You’ll be the same. I can bet my life on it.”
Blake gave a feral laugh, his nostrils flaring as he took a menacing step forward. In a mass of scraping chairs, Mitch, Sean, and Mason stood, blocking Blake’s path.
“Take a walk, Ry,” Sean muttered. “You need to cool off.”
“Just trying to get you to learn from my mistakes.”
Mason scrutinized the rhythm guitarist. It may be attributed to the fading daylight, but Mason could no longer see the softness usually evident in Ryan’s features. The long-time married member of the group was shrouded in resentment, glaring at them without an ounce of the excessively polite man they were all used to.
“Your mistakes are your own,” Blake snarled. “And you’ll do well to remember that nobody will get away with talking smack about Gabi while I’m around. Keep the bitterness over your failing marriage to yourself.”
Ryan raised his chin, and a glimpse of undiluted anguish flashed in his eyes. “Point taken.” He lowered his gaze, focusing on the dogs for silent moments. “Well, I guess I’ll catch you all tomorrow. I’m going to bed.”
“Before the sun goes down?” Toni asked, following Ryan to the French doors.
“I don’t give a shit.” Ryan disappeared inside the house, leaving them in silence.
They all knew his reply meant more than a lack of care for the time of day. Never, in all their years together, had Mason heard Ryan speak to a female like that. Even when he was in a crappy mood, Ryan always ensured his manners, and all the gentlemanly bullshit Mason had never cared about was at the forefront of every conversation. Now, he no longer gave a shit about life in general. They were losing him, and his attitude wouldn’t improve unless his marriage did.
“Maybe Toni should slip into Ry’s room and show him a little lovin’.” Mitch slumped into his chair, placing his empty beer bottle against the chair leg.
“Or maybe I should shove my fist down your throat so you can’t blurt out any more stupid shit,” Mason drawled. The last thing he needed was his sister ingrained even more in his life. “Same rules apply as they did to my friends in high school—touch my sister and I’ll give you a thirty-second head start before I come after you with a shotgun.”
“I’m a fast runner.” Mitch grinned.
Mason raised a brow. “And I’m a fucking good shot.”
“Guys.” Toni leaned against the French doors, shaking her head. “Forget about Ryan for now. What are you going to do about Sidney?”
Mason took his seat, thankful for the reassuring nudge Shadow gave against his leg. “I’m not going to do anything. The police haven’t found who was responsible for the threats, and I don’t want to risk her safety.”
“Pfft. Safety’s overrated.” Toni waved a dismissive hand. “But love? That stuff is pretty awesome. If I were you, I wouldn’t be dumb enough to let it go.”
“I love how you always give advice with the added sprinkle of an insult.”
“I agree.” Sean sat back down, ignoring their bickering. “It’s been over two weeks with no sign from whoever was sending the threats. And the police are doing dick.”
Mason straightened. “How do you know there’s been no sign?” The jealousy spewed forth before he could rein it in. Fuck. Sidney hadn’t spared him a five second call, yet she’d spoken to Sean. “Forget I asked.”
“Just because you’ve got a thing for her, doesn’t mean I can’t still be her friend. Apart from the guy she works with, she doesn’t have a lot of support in her life.”
Always the gentleman, while Mason was always the douche. “I said, ‘forget I asked.’”
“Ladies, why don’t we pack our shit and head back to New York?” Blake asked. “I wanna get home to my girl, and we can perfect the tracks in the Grander studio.”
Mason kept his mouth shut. He might hate the city, but flying to New York would give him the perfect opportunity to call Sidney. For safety’s sake, he needed to inform her of his arrival. And if he happened to go for a stroll around Manhattan and found himself at her door, it would be rude not to pay her a visit. Right?
SIDNEY STARTLED AWAKE, frantically grabbing her cell off the office desk in front of her. She’d been sleeping with her eyes open again…well, daydreaming, completely lost to fantasy when the high-pitched trill of an incoming call spoiled a fond memory of her with Mason.
“Want me to answer it?” Justin pushed from his chair, already eager to take control.
He’d been overly protective of her since she arrived back in New York. Protective, with an underlying sense of annoyance. He still hadn’t gotten over her decision to help Mason. As a long-standing friend, she understood his perspective, but it was also slowly pushing them further apart.
Having nobody to cling to was the best thing for her. She had stuck to her goal of reclaiming her life and didn’t have time to wallow, over anything, least of all Justin’s hissy fits. The one day he’d let her fend for herself had made her realize she no longer needed to be weak. She’d never been this way before the scandal. She lost the desire to use her strength because Justin had done a great job sheltering her. It was a default setting she had recently learned to turn off.
“Thanks, but I can handle my own cell.” She waved him away and turned her attention to the screen in her hand. Her heart fluttered, almost threatening to burst under the anticipation of Mason’s name staring back at her. She cleared her throat, and swiveled on her chair to face the window, gaining a modicum of privacy even though her reflection was crystal clear because of the fading daylight outside. “Hello?”
“Hello, kitten.”
Her heart stopped. No more flutters. No more beats. She was dying, taking her final breaths after hearing the smooth endearment. She’d lost hope that he’d call. Their farewell hadn’t been the making of a Hallmark card, and although she was regaining her independence, she hadn’t found the courage to dial his number.
“Sid?”
“Yeah.” She closed her eyes, wanting everything and nothing from this conversation. The need to make him proud burned heavy in her chest. She’d slowly regained her life and wanted him to know what she’d achieved. In the same breath, she needed to remember his opinion didn’t matter. Nobody’s did. Not her best friend. Not her estranged family. Not even the man she loved. This was about her finding herself again.
“You sound surprised to hear from me.”
“I am,” she blurted, then bit her tongue. She was more relieved than surprised, and maybe a little turned on too. “I didn’t think I’d speak to you again.”
“Think or want?”
“Excuse me?” He was daunting her with his flat tone. She didn’t know if he was hiding his own excitement, or containing the annoyance he still held for her leaving.
“You didn’t think you’d speak to me again? Or didn’t want to?”
Her heart skipped a beat at the vulnerability in his voice. The arrogant, self-assured celebrity was nervous. How sweet. “Of course I wanted to. I just hadn’t heard from you and assumed…” Well, she’d assumed the worst, and imagined his love for her had vanished the moment she left Richmond.
“Assumed what? Didn’t you get the gifts I sent?”
Gifts? She scowled at her reflection, trying to calm her excited thoughts so she could scroll through the fog of the last few weeks. There hadn’t been any gifts. Not from Mason, or anyone else. There hadn’t been a letter from him, or an email, not even a text.
“Kitten? Did you get the things I sent you?”
“No.” She shook her head. “I have no clue what you’re talking about.” Then something she remembered from Richmond sunk in. Justin had shielded her from interacting with Mason in the past—screening calls and now hiding deliveries. She turned, focusing on her assistant who sat at his desk, back straight, chin high
with defiance. “Mason, where did you send them?”
The flare of Justin’s nostrils told her the answer before Mason confirmed he’d arranged delivery to her office.
“I don’t know the address of your apartment.”
“Of course you don’t,” she murmured, narrowing her gaze as the blood in her veins pounded through every inch of her body. “I’m sorry, I didn’t receive them. But I have an idea where they went.” Straight into the trash.
She glared at Justin, no longer caring about his need to protect her. He hadn’t spared a moment to let her explain what really happened in Richmond. He refused to listen. No matter how she tried to redeem Mason, Justin’s opinion wouldn’t budge. She doubted it ever would.
He blamed Mason for her career, for the family and friends who left her behind, and also the threats in Richmond. The whole situation was Mason’s doing, and her life would still be peachy if she never collaborated with Reckless Beat. At one time, he’d made her believe the same thing. Now, she had the fortitude to see through the brainwashing.
The person to blame was the one who shared the video. And she knew, without doubt, that wasn’t Mason.
“No big deal,” the masculine droll came over the line. “That wasn’t the reason for my call. I wanted to let you know I arrived in New York a few days ago. We’ve lain low, but a few fans spotted us today. I thought you should know for security reasons.”
“Oh.” Sidney turned to the window, unable to mask the disappointment reflected back at her in the glass. “Right.” He’d waited days to call her. Damn you, ovaries.
“I was also hoping we could meet for a coffee.”
Her lips curved. Coffee, cake, sex, she didn’t mind. All she wanted was to see him.
“Kitten?”
“Sorry…I, ah.” I’m nervous. “Will this be work related?” No matter how tough her exterior was getting, she didn’t want to go into this expecting a date, when all he may want is to talk business.
“If that’s the reason I need to get you here, then sure. It’s entirely work related.”
Sidney clenched her teeth, fighting the need to squeal. Her life was gaining momentum. Her positive attitude was paying off. She’d been patiently waiting for the dose of good luck to finally hit, and that dose was Mason.
“I’d love to.” She kept her voice soft, level, in complete contrast to the excitement making her dizzy. “You name the time and place, and I’ll be there.”
“Would this be an inappropriate time to say, my hotel apartment, now?”
She chuckled. His sense of humor had always been his most endearing feature, well, apart from his devious grin.
“No, seriously, I’ll kick Sean out, and arrange a car to pick you up.”
“Mason,” she warned. “Are you still picking on poor Sean?”
“Poor Sean?” He scoffed. “What about poor me? I lost the woman of my dreams, and find out she’s been chatting to my best friend behind my back.”
Laughter still accompanied his tone, but she sensed a dramatic switch in their conversation. Yes, Sean had called. He’d helped her gain perspective and taught her to trust her instinct that one day, if it was meant to be, she would find herself with Mason again.
That time was now.
“You should thank Sean.”
“Oh, really, and why is that, kitten?”
Sidney closed her eyes, letting his deep voice sail through her. “He convinced me to take another chance on us.”
A loud crack echoed through the room, ripping the breath from her lungs. Her eyes snapped open and she rested a hand against the glass to calm her rampant heart. “Jesus Christ.”
Justin’s reflection peered back at her through the window as he slammed another drawer on his desk, this one louder than the last.
“Sidney, is everything all right?”
She turned to face the room, her anger growing the more Justin acted like a petulant child.
“Mason, can I call you tomorrow? I’ve got something I need to deal with.”
“You sure everything is OK?”
The look on Justin’s face said it all. They were about to have a showdown. The confrontation had been forming for days. “I’m good. I’ll speak to you later.”
Sidney reluctantly ended the call, gently placing her cell on the table. Mentally, she counted to ten, scowling at the side of Justin’s head the entire time. The more he stamped his fingers against the keyboard, the more her chest began to pound. He needed to grow up. And he needed to know what he did with those gifts wasn’t appreciated. “You had no right—”
Justin’s chair sailed out from behind him, and he shot to his feet. “Don’t you fucking tell me what I did and didn’t have a right to do!” He stormed to her desk, pointing a menacing finger in her direction. “You didn’t have the right to drag our name through the mud again.”
Sidney’s mouth gaped, her heart now pounding for a different reason. His aggression pushed her off balance. “Our name?”
“Don’t start the bullshit about this being your business. This is a partnership. When you act like a fool, it makes me look fucking ridiculous too.”
She blinked. Stunned. Confused. He was furious, his eyes narrowed, his cheeks darkened. She’d never seen him this way, not directed at her anyway.
“The world knows you’re screwing him again. If I were you, I’d be humiliated. He played you. Again. All because he needed your help, and you’re too dumb to realize he’s using you.” Justin turned his back, clenching his fists as he began to pace. “Of course he’s going to send you gifts. He needs to butter you up to finish the fucking album.”
“It’s not like—”
“Oh, that’s right, you love him.”
“I never said that.” Her voice was weak. Useless. He was pushing the boundaries, and soon he’d go too far, crossing a line he couldn’t come back from. “I—”
“You’re pathetic. You want him so much you can’t see how he’s manipulating you.”
“No.” She tried to remain calm, merely shaking her head when what she wanted to do was scream in his face. “You’re judgment is clouded by hate. You need to get over the past, so we can move forward together.”
“I’m not surprised you still can’t get it through your thick head,” he grated, not bothering to look at her now. “Have you even thought about how a relationship with him would work? The public scrutiny would kill you. All you’d have to do is order a decaf coffee and the gossip mags would claim you’re pregnant. Everywhere you go, everything you do, they will be there. You’re not strong enough, Sid. You’re not the woman you once were. You rely on me to keep you strong. I won’t be your rock if you make the same stupid mistake again.”
After years trusting everything he said, she wavered under his vehemence. Maybe she was too weak. Maybe the threat of public scrutiny would kill her. But that was a decision she needed to make on her own. She wouldn’t be forced into believing it. “Go home, Justin.”
He stopped pacing and squared his shoulders. “Why? Because you can’t handle the truth? Because you want to keep pretending things could be different?”
Sidney’s throat threatened to close over. She slapped a hand down on the desk, fighting the need to scream. “Things could’ve been different. If you hadn’t screened his calls years ago, I would’ve known the truth, and maybe I wouldn’t have lost Mason or Sean from my life. Maybe even held on to my career. We could’ve waded through the mess together. It was you that got on your high horse and ruined everything.” She strode around the table, moving in front of him, too pumped up on adrenaline to be wary of the anger in his eyes. “You are the one to blame.”
As soon as the words left her mouth, she wanted to crumple under the weight of regret.
“You’re pathetic. Selfish and pathetic.” Justin shook his head, a sneer taking over his lips. He marched to his desk and retrieved his cell, wallet and keys. “I’ve stood by you through everything. I had to make the hard decisions when you were too weak to
even breathe without me. You needed me. You’ve always needed me.”
He stalked to the door, every inch of him rigid. He was right. She did need him, and probably always would. He was her best friend, and had carried her through the worst time of her life. No fight would change that. But it was his turn to overcome the hurdles. Justin had to realize she was capable of making her own decisions now. He didn’t have to hold her hand.
“Justin, I know this is hard—”
“You have no one, Sid.” He reached the door and then turned to face her, his eyes narrowed with disgust. “I’m all you’ve got, and you’ve pushed me too far. Make the wrong choice, and you’ll regret it.”
“Justin, wait.”
He didn’t listen. He shoved the door open and then left her alone in the silent room. She shuffled backward, her ass hitting the curve of her desk, jolting her body and her mental stability. They needed a break. Nothing permanent, or malicious. Just time to regroup. He’d been her crutch for too long, and neither one of them knew how to function properly without the other. Once they relearned who they were, they’d regain their friendship…at least, she hoped they would.
“IF YOU PRESS record, I’ll hurt you.” Even through the threat, Mason couldn’t wipe the grin from his face.
It was probably the reason why Sean continued to taunt him with his cell phone, aiming the camera in Mason’s direction. “Mitch and Blake deserve to see how love-drunk you are. It’s hilarious…actually, it’s pathetic. Where have your balls gone, my friend?”
The beep announcing the start of a recording sounded, and Mason pushed away from the dining room table. “Turn the fucking thing off.”
Still, his smile wouldn’t fade. Sidney had spoken to him. She’d given him hope, and if all went to plan, tomorrow he would convince her to go out for dinner. Fuck coffee, he was aiming for the stars. He might even prepare the jet to take them to someplace hot, where clothing was an option, not a necessity.
“Do you have any words to share with your smitten bandmates?” Sean drawled, moving closer.
“Only that I’m going to kick your ass if you don’t turn that off.” Mason stood, backing up the threat with a more physical one.