It’s been a week now, and he hasn’t sat with us once. At first I thought it was a football thing, but today when I rounded the corner to head to my table, I stopped dead in my tracks. I heard her laughing, and it made my blood run cold.
Mason and I had never defined what we were. He’s never called me his girlfriend, and I’d never referred to him as my boyfriend, but after what we’d done I thought we were something. He’d never said he loved me, but he’d spent so much time building me up that I was beginning to wonder if my instincts were right all along. Was I a challenge? Did he ever like me? He hadn’t picked me up all week, and now I knew why.
I rushed over to where Amber was waiting, and sat down. “Did you know?” I tried to keep my voice even as my throat tightened.
“Know what?” she was confused so I guess she hadn’t seen what I just saw.
“About that?” my lip trembled as my eyes darted between them and Amber.
She turned around to see what I was talking about, and her face heated. “What the hell is that all about?”
“I don’t know,” I shook my head as I stared at them. There, over at their usual table were Mason, Brad, and Chris along with the other seniors on the football team. What sent me in a tailspin was who was sitting with them. Perched on Mason’s lap was none other than Alexis, his ex-girlfriend. She was rubbing his chest with one hand while the other threaded through his hair. Her lips seemed to be permanently attached to his ear as she whispered in it. He was alternating between laughing and groaning as his eyes fluttered shut. One of his hands was tucked under her cheerleading skirt and I wondered if he was brazen enough to do what it looked like he was doing.
“Dani,” Amber reached across the table. “Let’s go somewhere else.”
“No,” I shook my head. “Why would he do that?” I gasped as I fought off the tears. Anger began to build as I watched them. He was acting like I wasn’t even there, and his friends were laughing and egging him on. When his lips connected with her neck, it was enough to send me spinning out of control.
I pushed up out of my chair, grabbed my things, and stormed over to where he was sitting. “Congratulations!” I snarled as I stared at them.
“Thanks,” Alexis grinned up at me like she knew a secret. Mason’s face went white as he began to push Alexis off his lap. She scowled at him, but moved.
“Dani,” he slowly stood. “We need to talk.”
“This ought to be good,” Brad snickered from across the table.
“Shut up!” Mason barked at Brad as Chris shoved him. He turned back to face me as he lifted his shoulders in a shrug, “We had fun. Right?”
My mouth fell open as mortification set in. “Fun?” I squeaked.
“Yeah. No big deal, right?” he smiled at me and all I wanted to do was slap him. “You were the last piece.”
“Last piece?” the words tumbled out of my mouth as I stared at the entire group, who were looking at me like I was crazy.
“Your little group of friends,” Brad chimed in. “One of us has been with all of you,” he snickered. “The nerd herd got laid by the pipe masters,” his tossed his head back as he started to cackle.
My lip began trembling again and I felt the first tear fall. I squared my shoulders, “I’ll never forgive you for this,” I whimpered. “I thought you were different, but you’re not. You’re a jerk just like the rest of them, Mason,” I shoved his chest before turning on my heel and rushing toward the doors. I wasn’t sure how I was going to leave school. I didn’t have a car, but I knew I couldn’t stay there the rest of the day, especially with history still to come. No way was I going to sit in class with him beside me and pretend like everything was fine.
“Are you ok?” Amber’s voice was tentative as she came up behind me.
“No,” I shook my head as I bent my knees and sunk to the ground. “Can you take me home?” I peered up her, and she nodded.
“Come on,” she sighed as she held her arm out.
I leaned into her, and she began walking us to the parking lot. “I can’t believe I was so stupid. Amber, I gave him something that I can’t get back. He’s ruined everything. Everything I said I’d wait for. Everything I always told myself I wanted… he took it all, and he threw it away like it was nothing. How am I supposed to get past this?” I was a blubbering mess, and I was surprised Amber could even make out what I was saying.
“Like the rest of us did,” she murmured as she hugged me. “We’ve all done something stupid for a boy. You learn and move on, there’s nothing else you can do. Trust me,” she whispered.
Trust. Trust was going to be a foreign concept for me. I wasn’t sure if I’d ever trust a boy again. There was no going back from what Mason did. No matter how much time passed, or how much my heart healed, I’d never get the one thing he took back. He’d have it forever, and all I could do now was try and learn from it.
Chapter 13
Danielle
Present Day…
I spent the week convincing myself that Mason was nothing to me. The coffees continued to show up at my door each morning, but it was getting easier to throw them away. The times that I had to stop by the bar reminded me of all the times I avoided Mason at school. It was easier back then, because other than staring at me across the room, he pretty much left me alone. After he’d shattered my heart, he and Alexis took every opportunity they had to ease his ache. I even caught them behind the press box at the football field one day. I always wondered how girls like her acted that way. I mean, you have to feel something, right? How do you have sex with a guy, and it not mean something?
The last time I stopped by The Rusty Nail, Sam hadn’t been there. Mason had tried to corner to me with the illusion of talking, but I knew better. His half-hearted apologies in the past told me that this was more of the same. He’d been trying to tell me he was sorry all week, and now that he knew where I lived, it was never ending. When I’d come out of the bar that afternoon ready to head home and found daisies on the hood of my car, I was about ready to march back inside and shove them up his ass.
I was proud of myself though. I tossed them to the ground without a second thought, and then backed over them when I left. I’m kinda wondering now if he saw them, and how it made him feel. Deep down I felt kinda bad, but I needed to remember what it felt like all those years ago so I don’t let him take me back there.
“So, what did he do today?” Amber sighed as she flopped back on my bed. She’d come over to help me get ready for the opening tonight. I had everything ready to go, and was currently trying to talk myself into letting Jeff pick me up. We’d been playing phone tag all week, and while I wanted to meet him there, he wanted to pick me up like a real date.
“More coffee, a flower stuck in my mail slot, and more on my car. I swear Amber, I’m ready to do something drastic, like key his car. He won’t fucking leave me alone,” I whined as I stumbled around in my closet.
“I’m in,” she giggled. “He’s going to be there tonight, right?”
“Oh yeah. I’m actually worried about that,” I sighed.
“Worried? Jeff’s not going let him do anything to you. He’s a nice guy, and he’s a cop,” she sat up as she watched me. I know I looked like a fool. I was standing there in panties and a bra trying to talk myself into the dress that I’d bought for the event. I knew I looked good in it, but I also knew that Mason would flip out when he saw it. He always liked me in blue, and this dress was much sexier than anything he’d ever seen me in.
“I’m not worried that he’ll bother me, that’s a given,” I rolled my eyes. I’d already come to grips with the fact that Mason was going to remain persistent, and drive me nuts as long as he knew where I was. He’d done it years ago, and now he was taking it to a whole new level. He didn’t give up back then, and I knew he wouldn’t now. “I’m worried that he’s going to wreck the opening. This is work for me. I need this to go well.”
“Didn’t you say Mason was the doorman?” Amber pulled her legs up
on the bed and folded them under herself.
“Yeah,” I nibbled my lip as I finally gave in and pulled the dress off the hanger.
“He’ll be busy then. You’ve done tons of promotion, and you’ve got a great band. He’ll have a line to manage, I’m sure,” she nodded.
“I sure hope so,” I grumbled as I finished tugging the dress into place and turned to face her. “What do you think?” I shifted from side to side as I stepped out of the closet. “Do I look first date ready?”
“You look awesome. If Jeff doesn’t want to jump you tonight, I’m sure there will be someone else to take his place. Wow!” Amber gasped and I couldn’t help but grin. I had no intention of letting anyone near my lady bits tonight, but it was nice knowing that I looked good. “Got some heels to wear with that?” she tipped her head to the side.
“Oh yeah,” I smirked as I bent over to grab the heels that I’d only worn a few times. They were so high that it took me weeks of practice before I could walk in them, and even now if I stepped wrong, I might fall and bust my ass.
“Girl,” she whistled, “I might just come tonight to see this. I wanna be there when you walk through that door on Jeff’s arm. I wanna laugh my ass off when Mason’s chin hits the ground.”
“That won’t happen. Didn’t you hear? I was a bet. He didn’t even really want me back then. I was a challenge then, and I’m a challenge now,” I rolled my eyes as I flipped my hand in the air. I sounded bitter, but I didn’t care.
“Ok, if that’s what you’re going with,” Amber giggled.
“It’s the truth,” I groaned as I grabbed my clutch, and began walking out into the living room. Jeff and I had argued about how this date was going to go, but I finally convinced him to meet me at the bar. He’d been wanting to come and pick me up, but after the things Mason had been leaving at my door, I was kinda afraid of running into him alone with Jeff.
“Well, call me tonight if you need to talk, but I have a feeling that Jeff’s gonna be cleaning the cobwebs off under that skirt, and you might need some alone time,” she laughed again as she grabbed her keys and sauntered past me. “I do want details, though. You owe me that much since I fixed you up.”
“Nothing’s gonna happen,” I muttered as I stepped into the hallway and locked the door.
“I’ve heard that before,” she giggled again as she stepped through the door to the stairs and left me there. I don’t know what she thought I was going to let Jeff do, but this was just a first date. He’d be lucky if I let him kiss me.
ooooooooo
When I pulled up at The Rusty Nail, it took me a minute to get out of my car. I was rethinking the whole dress idea, and struggling to get my shoes back on when I felt a hand on my shoulder. “You look beautiful,” the deep voice vibrated behind me and I immediately tensed. “I’m sorry,” he stepped back. “I shouldn’t have snuck up like that. Let’s try this again. Hi,” he smiled when I turned to face him.
“Hi,” I ducked my face down and let my hair cover part of my eyes hiding me from his gaze. Jeff was a tall guy, taller than Mason but not as muscular. He had more of a swimmer’s body, where Mason still looked like he spent every day in the gym working out. “I’m sorry,” I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “I’ve just been so stressed about tonight, and Amber’s been stressing me out about other stuff.”
His brow creased as he appraised me, “Other stuff?”
“Forget it,” I waved him off. “I need to get inside and make sure everything is ready for the opening.”
“Allow me,” he offered me his elbow, and then began leading me to the door. I wobbled slightly in the heels, but he steadied me as we rounded the corner and I saw the one person I was hoping to avoid as much as possible. Mason was standing in the doorway with a line already forming, ready to get in. He looked annoyed, and ready to snap at the next person that encroached on his space, but when he saw me he froze.
When we got to the door, he stepped back and let us pass but made sure to only give enough room for one person at a time to pass, making Jeff release his hold on me. Mason glared as we stepped by him, but didn’t comment, and I was thankful for whatever little restraint he was using.
“What was that all about?” Jeff murmured as we stepped inside and he placed his hand on my lower back.
“Nothing. It’s nothing of any importance,” I shook my head as I searched for Sam. She was running around the back area of the bar along with a few other bartenders, and what looked like half the police force. “Did you know about this?” I looked up at him and he smirked.
“Maybe a little, but Sam wanted help. I know Dev was asking any of us that wanted off-duty work to let him know,” he shrugged.
“Are you working?” I scoffed. I didn’t think Jeff would be the type to do that and I was working after all, but after what Mason did all those years ago, I had major issues.
“No,” his head jerked back. “What kinda guy do you think I am? I’m here with you,” he began to lead us over to the bar, but I pulled back.
“I have to check with Sam. I’m working tonight, but I’ll meet you over there in a minute if that’s ok,” I watched as his eyes surveyed the room before he smiled and gave me a slight nod.
“See you in a minute. Do you want me to order you a drink?” I motioned to the bar.
“I can’t drink until later. Once things are running smoothly and I can step back, then I’ll have something,” I grinned as I turned and began heading to where Sam was talking animatedly with Dev. “What’s going on?” I tipped my head to the side as I approached them.
“Can you tell her to calm down?” Dev shook his head as he glared at Sam. “All this stress isn’t good for the baby,” he sighed as he placed his hands on his hips.
“What are you worried about?” I looked between the two of them.
“I’m worried that this isn’t going to draw the crowd I was hoping for,” Sam’s eyes dropped to the floor.
“Are you kidding me?” I laughed. “People were already lining up when I got here. I’m good at what I do. Don’t worry. Relax,” I smiled at both of them. “Go ahead and get everyone in their place. I’m going to start letting people in so we can get this party started.” I turned to head for the door, motioning to people as I passed by them to be ready.
oooooooooo
As the night wore on, business boomed. The Rusty Nail’s reopening had gone better than I’d planned. There were a few minor hiccups, but for the most part it was a blazing success. Sam had a smile plastered on her face most of the night, she was able to convince Jackknife to come back for a repeat performance, and Mason had steered clear of me all night.
“You look beautiful. I don’t think I’ve said that enough,” Jeff whispered as he leaned into my side. We were currently sitting at the bar. He was nursing a beer, and I was sipping a glass of wine. I didn’t drink the hard stuff unless I’d had a really bad day, and today was not one of those. I’d had my first successful solo event, and I’d managed to keep my wits about me with Mason a mere twenty feet away the entire night. “You ok?” Jeff nudged me in the side. “You seem distracted.”
“I’m fine,” I smiled at him as I sipped my wine. “I’m just happy. I haven’t had an event do so well, and I did this all on my own,” I grinned as I scanned the room, admiring my success.
“Well I’m happy for you,” he smiled back. “Wanna dance?”
“Maybe in a little bit. My feet kinda hurt, and I’m enjoying just sitting here,” I mused.
“I’m going to go to the restroom then. I’ll be back in minute. Don’t let anyone snag my stool,” he joked as he slowly stood.
“I wouldn’t dream of it, Officer,” I winked, feeling slightly brazen from the alcohol in my system.
His eyes flashed slightly as he scanned them down to where I had my legs crossed. The dress had ridden up slightly, exposing my thighs, and every male in the place had seemed to notice. He growled under his breath before turning to quickly walk away, leaving me sitting ther
e.
I didn’t know what had gotten into me, but it felt good. It had been a couple months since a man had shown any interest in me, and Jeff wasn’t bad to look at. I wasn’t really looking for anyone at the moment, but he seemed nice enough. I’d probably go out with him again if he asked, and some small part was secretly hoping that he would. The looks that Mason had been throwing my way for most of the night had reinforced that desire.
If I had been paying attention better, and not daydreaming, I wouldn’t have been caught off guard. But I wasn’t paying attention, and he knew it. The stool beside me shifted, the one Jeff had been sitting in, and without looking I knew exactly who had taken it. My body lit up like a candle as every hair on my arm stood at attention. His breath blew across my neck as he leaned in and growled, “You deserve better than him.”
My back straightened at the insinuation as I clamped down on my jaw. Anger surged through me, and I snapped my eyes in his direction. He shrugged like it was common knowledge before throwing a shot back, and standing to walk away. I watched as his back grew smaller as he weaved through the crowd of people and made his way to the door. He didn’t even look back to acknowledge me as he stepped outside.
Without even thinking about what I was doing, I sprung to my feet and stormed after him. I wobbled slightly before stomping to the door, but when I yanked it open and saw his back as he was rushing around the building, I growled and began running as best I could after him. He did not get to do this. He wasn’t going to ruin this night for me, and he sure as hell didn’t get to wreck whatever this was that I was doing with Jeff.
“Mason!” I screamed at his back as he fiddled with his car door. He glanced over his shoulder and smirked at me as I half walked/ half ran through the parking lot. “You don’t get to do this!” I continued. “You screwed me over, not the other way around!” I was fuming as I stepped up behind him and jammed my finger into his shoulders.
Say You Remember: book 4 in The Witness Series Page 11