I wasn’t sure how much more I could consume before I met my limit, but when I saw him, I knew I hadn’t had enough. There leaning against the bar laughing as he leaned into her shoulder was Jeff with another woman. I couldn’t tell who she was, but her slender figure seemed to melt into where his elbow rested on the wood.
I could feel the air in the room get thick as I began to panic. Why was this happening and what did I do wrong? Was she the reason that he was ok with waiting? She giggled as she leaned closer, and that’s when I figured out who she was… it was Lena. She looked different. Her hair was down, and she was wearing a leather skirt that looked like it would be illegal in some states. Her back was showing where the bottom of her shirt had been cut off. A tattoo of something was right above her waistline, and I watched as Jeff’s arm moved from the bar to around her shoulders.
It was like a bad accident that I couldn’t turn away from. He was oblivious to me watching, and as his lips moved closer to her ear I had to turn away. I couldn’t watch this. When I looked back in the direction they’d been, they were nowhere in sight.
“Here,” Amber thrust a glass in my hand. I stared at it blankly, not realizing that I was just standing there in the middle of the dance floor. “What’s wrong?” she gasped as she shook me lightly.
“He said he had to work,” I murmured as I started walking toward the back of the bar. It was slightly quieter there, and had a door I could take to get outside.
“Who? What are you talking about? Dani?” she followed me, and when I got to the door, she grabbed my shoulders and spun me.
“Where’s my drink?” I blinked a couple of times. I was so shocked that my brain wasn’t keeping up with everything that was going on around me.
“Forget the drinks? What’s wrong? What happened?” she began shaking me as panic set in.
“He was here?” I mumbled.
“Who? Mason?” her forehead creased as she watched me.
“No,” I shook my head. “Jeff. He was here with another woman. He said he had to work. Why was he here?” Tears pricked my eyes as I wrapped my arms around myself. “Why do they always do this to me? What’s wrong with me?” I began to cry, and Amber wrapped her arms around my shoulders as she led me outside.
Just as we rounded the corner of the building, Dev came striding up. His head was down, and he almost crashed into us. I assumed he was coming to see Sam after his shift. “Whoa,” he gasped as he put his hands out to keep from hitting us. We didn’t respond, only stepped out of the way. “Are you ok?” his concern only made my tears come harder. “What’s wrong? Did something happen in there?” His duty as an officer took over, and he grabbed my chin to tip it up so he could see my face.
I scowled when I remembered that Jeff and he worked together. Guilty by association, right? “Your buddy is cheating on me,” I growled as I pulled away from him. “Ask him if he had fun the next time you see him.”
“What are you talking about?” Dev looked confused.
“Jeff told her he was working tonight. She just saw him in there with some skank,” Amber snapped. “He needs to learn to lie better.”
“He IS working,” Dev’s brow scrunched in confusion.
“What’s he working on?” I barked. I was so angry and the fact that Dev seemed to think this was no big deal made me even angrier.
“I can’t tell you that. You know this,” he narrowed his eyes on Amber. “You need to trust him. Sometimes we have to do things on the job that look like they’re something else. You need to wait and talk to him. Dating a cop is hard, especially one in his division. If you can’t handle that, then you need to break things off. It’ll be better for both of you in the long run.”
“Come on,” Amber wrapped her arm around me, and began urging me toward the street so we could hail a cab. “We need to get you out of here.”
He came out of nowhere like a knight in shining armor as he strode around the corner and met us halfway. “I got this,” his voice was deep, strong, commanding, and when he pulled me into his embrace, I buried my nose in his chest. He was the last person I expected to find comfort in that night, and if I hadn’t been so upset I probably would have fought harder to push him away. “I’ve got you,” Mason murmured into my ear as he helped me into an approaching cab, and climbed in after me.
Chapter 19
Mason
At first I wasn’t sure what was going on, but when I rounded the corner, I saw them. Amber was standing there with her arm around Dani, and Dani was yelling and pointing her finger at Dev. The noise around me made it impossible to hear what they were saying, but the look of aggravation on Dev’s face had me head in their direction.
I was supposed to be taking my break, but when I reached them I knew I was leaving for the night. Amber was swaying drunkenly, and Dev was lecturing them about how Dani needed to talk to Jeff. I didn’t know what he’d done, but based on the tears that were running down her face, I knew it couldn’t be anything good. “I’ve got you,” I soothed as I reached for her. I thought she’d push me away, at least that’s what I was prepared for, but she didn’t. She came willingly and collapsed against my chest. She buried her nose there, and fisted my shirt in her hands as she sobbed harder. She was babbling about something, but I couldn’t understand her.
“Can you make sure they get home ok?” Dev sighed. “I’ll cover for you with Sam.” I nodded as I turned us, and began walking to the street. I thought about taking my car, but Dani only held on tighter when I tried to free myself from her grip.
“Please don’t,” she begged as she sniffed and burrowed into me further.
“I’m not going anywhere,” I led us to the curb, and signaled a cab before lifting her and climbing in. Amber glared at me at first, but then relented and waved goodbye. I was worried about her getting home, but I watched through the back window as she found her own cab.
“What happened?” I brushed Dani’s hair back off her forehead. It was stuck to her face in several places due to sweat and tears.
“I don’t wanna talk about it,” she mumbled as she pulled away from me. I wasn’t sure with the way things were between us if I should let her retreat or force her to open up. Dani was the type to keep it all inside, and I knew that she would soon bubble over if she didn’t let it out.
“That’s fine,” I reached for her and coaxed her head down onto my shoulder. We rode the short distance to her place, and after paying the cabbie I helped her upstairs.
Once inside her apartment, I carried her to her room and laid her down on the bed. She was barely awake and other than the sobs that kept coming, she really didn’t make any noise. I grabbed a blanket, and pulled it over her before making my way out to the living area. I paced the room trying to decide what to do. I didn’t want her to wake up and be alone, but I didn’t think she’d be ok with me staying at her place. She’d asked for space, and I’d been trying to give it to her. I still wasn’t quite sure what was going on, but based on what little bit I’d heard, Jeff was the reason behind all this.
I wandered into the kitchen and poured myself a glass of water before sitting down on her couch. I texted my sister so she wouldn’t worry, and then I sat there over analyzing every minute of the night. Would Dani flip out if I was here when she woke up? Would she hate me? Yell? Scream? Would she be happy? Before I could totally twist myself up, there was a light knock at the door. I glanced at my watch, and scratched my head in confusion. It was two in the morning. Who would be here at this hour?
I slowly stood and made my way to the door, thinking that the only logical explanation would be that Amber left something behind. When I cracked open the door, every muscle in me tensed. Standing there in jeans and a leather jacket was Jeff.
“You need to leave,” I growled.
“Is she in there?” he craned his neck trying to see around me.
I stepped more directly in front of him as I puffed up my chest, “Maybe I wasn’t clear. YOU. NEED. TO. LEAVE,” I growled again.
> “You need to get out of my way. She’s my girlfriend, not yours,” he snapped as he pointed his finger at me.
“Not anymore. Go stick your dick somewhere else,” I smirked.
“I need to talk to her,” he shook his head. I could tell I was getting to him. He was annoyed with me. Well, too bad. I didn’t know what he’d done really, but Dani was too good for him anyway.
“You’re not talking to her tonight. You need to leave,” I pointed down the hall.
Finally, his shoulders sagged and he turned to walk away. “She’s too good for you,” he mumbled. “Tell her I’ll call her tomorrow.” He disappeared around the corner as I called after him.
“She’s too good for both of us,” I muttered as I closed the door. I flicked off the lights, toed off my shoes, and flopped down on the couch. “She’s too good for both of us,” I mumbled again to myself. What the fuck was I doing? Dani was going to kick my ass when she found me here in the morning.
ooooooooo
Danielle
When I awoke the next morning, it took me a minute to figure out where I was. My head was pounding from the mix of crying and alcohol. My eyes were puffy and swollen, and I was still dressed in my clothes from the night before.
I rubbed my eyes before standing to shuffle into my closet. I stripped out of my clothes, and replaced them with a pair of sweats and a t-shirt. I wandered into the bathroom to take care of business, and gasped when I saw what I truly looked like. My hair was a mess and mascara streaked down my face. I quickly pulled my hair into a messy bun, removed my contacts that I’d slept in, and washed my face. After slipping my glasses on, I slowly opened the door in search of coffee.
When I rounded the corner, I stopped in my tracks. Standing in my kitchen, shirtless I might add, was Mason. He was opening and closing cabinets as if he were searching for something.
“Pantry,” I mumbled as I headed in his direction, causing him to startle.
“Shit! You scared me,” he hissed as he clutched at his chest. He opened the pantry and grabbed the coffee before going back to his task. “How are you feeling?” his voice was quiet, tentative almost. It was like he was afraid of what I was going to do.
“Like ass,” I groaned as I squeezed my head between my palms. We stood there in silence as the coffee brewed, and as the aroma filled the small space I began to relax.
“Thanks,” I murmured when he handed me a steaming mug.
“You’re welcome, although I’m not sure I got the sugar right,” he chuckled.
“No. I mean about last night. Thanks,” I turned away from his stare.
“It’s ok,” he murmured as he shuffled around the kitchen attempting to find something to fix for breakfast. “Do you ever eat?” he laughed when he opened another cabinet and found it empty.
“It’s just me,” I shrugged. “I order out a lot.”
“Feel like grabbing something down the street?” he turned and leaned back against the counter across from me. He sipped his coffee as he crossed his ankles. “We don’t have to if you don’t want to,” he mumbled before pushing off the counter. “In fact, I better head home.”
When those words came out, my chest tightened. I wasn’t sure why, but the idea of him leaving hurt. I didn’t want him to leave, but I didn’t think I wanted him to stay either. I wasn’t sure what I wanted. I was hurt over Jeff, and I didn’t want Mason to read too far into it, but I really liked having someone to talk to, and Amber just didn’t understand at the moment. I missed Mason. I missed the way we used to be able to talk to one another. I didn’t realize how much until just a few weeks ago. Now, it was like he was leaving me all over again.
He placed his mug in the sink before shuffling over to the couch where he grabbed his bar shirt. As he was tugging it on, I couldn’t help but stare at him. The muscles in his back and arms flexed with the movement, and I had to remind myself who it was to keep from groaning. When he finished, he slipped on his shoes, stuffed his wallet in his pocket, and began heading for the door. When he reached it, that was all I could take. “Wait!” I called out. He spun and looked at me expectantly. “Breakfast sounds nice,” I shrugged.
“Really?” he sounded almost like a little kid.
“Yeah,” I nodded slowly. “My treat,” I added, “to say thank you for last night.”
His face fell slightly, “You don’t need to thank me. I didn’t mind. Honest. I did it because you needed me. I’d do it again too. I’m not doing this to get something out of it.”
“Well, I still want to thank you,” I nibbled my lip as I rocked on my feet. I set my coffee mug down and twisted my hands together before moving to stand in front of him. “No one’s ever done that for me.”
“Go put some shoes on,” he motioned to the bedroom and smiled. “I know a great place real close to here.” I smiled at him before scurrying down the hall to grab my sneakers.
ooooooooo
Mason
“When you said go get breakfast, this really wasn’t what I had in mind,” Dani murmured as we pulled into my apartment complex.
We’d taken a cab back to The Rusty Nail to get my car, and then I’d driven her here. I questioned what I was doing several times, but I knew I had the fixings for a nice breakfast at home. My heart pounded as I turned off the car. I wasn’t sure if this was going to drive her further away, or not.
“Just wait,” I grinned at her. “I make a killer omelet,” I winked and her cheeks flamed. God, I missed that. I used to do things all the time to make her blush. It became a challenge after a while, but I seemed to know just what to say. She sighed, and pushed open her door. I could tell she was apprehensive, but she was trusting me. How and why, I didn’t know.
“Killer, huh?” she smiled sweetly.
“Sure,” I shrugged. “That’s what Jenni says anyway. She looked at me funny before her face went blank. “Jen lives here too. I told you this, right?”
She smiled, “Yeah, I just forgot I guess,”
She followed me in silence up to my door, and stopped me right before I opened it, “You’ve changed, Mase.”
“I had to, and one more thing,” I looked back at her and gave a half smile.
“What’s that?” her forehead wrinkled.
“Nobody calls me Mase anymore. I kinda left him behind. It’s Mason now,” I tried to read her face when the request passed my lips, but I couldn’t make it out. I wasn’t sure if it was hurt, relief, or understanding.
“Ok,” she nodded.
“Do you want me to call you Danielle?” I whispered. “I noticed that everyone calls you that except Amber.”
Her face wrinkled even more, “No, I like that you call me Dani.”
“Well, let’s eat… Dani.” I opened the door to find my sister sitting on the couch watching old reruns of Saturday Night Live while cuddled under a blanket. “Hey, Jenni,” I waved. “This is Dani,” I teased. I couldn’t help myself. The girl I wanted more than anything in the world was in my apartment, and she was going to let me cook for her. I felt a mix of happiness and fear at where all this was going.
Dani laughed lightly as she waved at Jen and made her way over to sit beside her. They shared a look before Dani curled up beside her. When the whispering and sneaky glances started, I knew I wasn’t wanted in the room.
I shook my head at them, and shuffled to my bedroom. I wanted to change, take a shower, and then I was going to cook for my girls. Shit! What was I saying? My girls? Slow down dumb ass, she’s only here because her boyfriend screwed up. As soon as they work it out, she’ll be gone. Only I hoped that they didn’t work it out. I hoped that this was the beginning of something real, something that could show Dani that we were meant for each other, something that could make her see that I loved her more than anything and I was willing to wait as long as it took for her to admit that she loved me back.
Chapter 20
Danielle
It seemed odd, being here in his space. While Jen and I talked about nothing really, Mason
had disappeared down the hall. When he reappeared about twenty minutes later, he was wearing a pair of running shorts and a t-shirt. His hair was wet from his shower, and he smelled so good. I caught a whiff of his cologne as he breezed through the room on his way to the kitchen. I know I probably looked kinda weird sniffing the air, but back in high school his cologne always drove me crazy, and from what I could tell he still wore the same stuff.
“Breakfast will be ready shortly. I just need to let the pan on the stove heat up,” he called as he started whistling in the kitchen. I couldn’t see him, but I could imagine him in there dancing around the kitchen as he prepared our meal.
“What did you do to him?” Jen whispered as she nudged me.
“Huh?” I turned to stare at her. She was curled under a blanket still in her pjs.
“He doesn’t hum,” she shrugged. “Most mornings he’s running or going to the gym. He hasn’t cooked for me in months.”
I settled back into the couch cushions as I let her words sink in. Had I caused this change in him? I hadn’t done anything. I’d pushed him away, not let him closer. “Anything I can help with?” I called out nervously. I didn’t like the feelings I was getting sitting here. It felt a little too much like a boyfriend/ girlfriend thing.
“Nope,” Mason’s head popped around the corner grinning. “Do you like onions in your omelet?”
I wrinkled my nose as he chuckled. I’d always hated onions on everything, and Mason loved them. I still remember our argument over pizza when we first started hanging out back in high school.
“Sorry,” he pursed his lips. “How could I have forgotten? Mushrooms then?” he winked.
I laughed as I shook my head, “I’ll eat anything but onions and peppers, that hasn’t changed.”
“Noted,” he called from behind the kitchen wall.
Say You Remember: book 4 in The Witness Series Page 15