Chapter 34
Double M? It sounds like a big-ass bra size
I stopped in my tracks when Mason and I stepped inside the cabin belonging to Jackson’s uncle around dinner time.
“Happy birthday, Mase,” Chase said, hugging my boyfriend.
“Thanks, man.”
“I’ve missed you.” He greeted Craig next before turning to me. “Mellllll.” He moved closer to kiss my cheek. “Look at you. You’re even hotter than I recall.”
Mason grabbed my hand and knitted our fingers together, calming my jittery heart.
I had no idea why I was nervous to be here, but I believed it was because I had ignored most of the people present tonight after my whole life had been shattered last year.
They were Mason’s friends for the most part, and I didn’t feel like I was allowed to hang out with them once our friendship fell apart.
Never releasing my hand, we stepped further inside, and more people from our high school days rushed toward us, welcoming us and bumping fists with the guys standing tall on each side of me.
Jackson hugged me, something he’d never done before. “It was about time you two realized you were a perfect match.” He lowered his voice and spoke into my ear. “You can use the same bedroom as usual. I’ve already reserved it for you and Mase.”
I felt hotter by the second. We’d only been here two minutes. Had word already gotten out that Mason and I were together? From the way he looked at me and held my hand, I bet it was hard to miss.
A group of girls I used to spend time with came to talk to me. I was relieved that no one seemed to be holding a grudge against me for how I’d acted last winter. More friends of Mason and Craig came to say hi. It was weird being back here, but not necessarily bad weird…just surprisingly weird.
Sheldon neared me. “Mel. I heard the news. Can I call you Miss Quarterback now?” Sheldon and I had been friendly in high school, but I didn’t recall us having a full one-on-one conversation.
A loud laugh parted my lips. “Please, no. It sounds terrible.”
He punched his chest, pretending to be hurt. “How about Miss Number Twenty-Two?”
Twenty-two had always been Mason’s jersey number, his birth date.
I shook my head. “Nah. Can’t we stick with Mel?”
“Too boring.” His face lit up. “I have it. What about—and no, you can’t refuse this time—Double M? It sounds badass.” He bobbed his head once. “Yeah, that’s the one.”
“Double M? Sheld, it sounds like a giant bra size.”
“Oh, very big tits. You’re right. Even more perfect.”
“No.” I hid my face with a hand for a second. “It’s not. Not at all.”
Mason interrupted us. “What are you two laughing about?” He slid one arm lazily around my waist, and I leaned into him.
“Sheldon thinks—”
His friend cut me off. “I’ve finally come up with a cute pet name for you two.”
Mason watched me with a fearful expression. “Why do I sense it’s gonna be terrible?”
“Don’t worry, Captain, I made it good. From now on, we’ll refer to you two as Double M.”
Mason grimaced. “Double M? It sounds like a big-ass bra size, Sheld. Not super appealing.”
I stared at Mason. “That’s exactly what I said.”
“Cap, if it refers to tits, it means it’s the one.”
“Jesus, Sheld. Find something else. Or better, find nothing else.” He clapped his friend’s shoulder as if to say, You can do it, before pulling me away and leading me toward the stairs. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”
I climbed the first step before turning to face him, so our eyes were aligned. “Mase, what is this? And why is everyone acting so weird? Your friends are acting like we’re best friends or something.” I twisted curls of his hair around my fingers.
He moaned, leaning into my touch. “They’re just happy to see us. They know how much you mean to me. Anyway, aren’t they always weird?”
“I guess.”
He kissed the tip of my nose. “Don’t worry, okay? It’s all good. Follow me.”
Locked in the bedroom upstairs, he backed me against the door and stepped closer until his front meshed with mine and kissed me like he needed a taste of me to stay alive.
I looped my arms around his neck to erase the remaining distance between our bodies and lifted one leg and wrapped it around his hip.
“Fuck, I’ve been dreaming about this since we left Crestwood.
It was torture being at your place earlier and not being able to do that.
” He closed one hand around my thigh and the other around my breast over my shirt, kneading the flesh and igniting fireworks inside me.
“I had no idea being back home would be so hard. There’s always someone around.
It’s like we can’t be alone for more than five seconds.
I swear our parents are totally in on it.
They don’t want us hooking up under their roofs, so they’re keeping us from getting too close. ”
“Mm-hmm.” I deepened our kiss. “That’s the best thing about college life. Independence and privacy. We should go back downstairs,” I said, breathless, when we broke apart. “They will all wonder where we’ve gone.”
Mason smirked. “Don’t worry, they all know where we’ve gone, Shepard.”
I pressed both palms against his hard chest, preventing him from kissing me. “Ugh, Mase. I don’t want them to picture me…us…naked or doing it. Gross.”
He tucked my hair behind my ear with so much tenderness that I relaxed into him. “Baby, I’m sorry to tell you this, but they’ve probably been picturing you naked for a long time. Sorry, that’s how boys are wired.”
“Double ugh.”
“Double M, love.”
“Please, never repeat that.”
He cupped my face with one palm, kissing my lips once more, and I forgot what we were talking about just now or the fact there was a bunch of people partying downstairs.
“Okay, maybe you’re right. We should get back down there for real.” He was the one who broke the kiss this time. “In a few minutes, okay? I need to have my way with you first.”
I slid my hands under his hoodie and peeled it over his head, desperate to feel his warm skin against mine. “I need you too. Always.” Next, I attacked the zipper of his jeans.
Soon, we both stood there naked, trembling and aching, my jeans and black lace top now forgotten on the floor.
Mason lowered his head to tease my flesh, and I was a goner. Nothing could stop us now. I was yearning to feel all of him inside me. To hell with our friends waiting for us.
A little while later, I was about to get up and get dressed when Mason stopped me. “Wait. I have something for you.” He slid out from beneath me and moved toward the wardrobe, presenting me with a black garment bag.
“What’s that?” I unzipped it and found a black suit, a white shirt, and an emerald dress I recognized as the one piece of fancy clothing I brought to Crestwood University with me at the beginning of the semester, in case I ever needed it.
I ran my fingers over the silky fabric, smoothing it. “I don’t understand.”
“Put it on. You’ll see.”
“But I don’t have shoes to wear with it.”
Mason lifted a finger. “Wait.” He made a bag appear from the back of the wardrobe and handed me black heels that belonged to my roommate.
“What is all this?”
He changed into the trousers and shirt, leaving the first three buttons undone, and adjusted the cuffs before slipping into the matching jacket.
With a gentle touch, he turned me around and zipped me up before kissing the nape of my neck and positioning us in front of the full-length mirror. “Look at us.” He circled my waist with his arms, and I could feel the strong beating of his heart against my back.
I angled my face to watch him. “Why are we all dressed up? Are we having a casino night for your birthday?”
His eyes shone in the low light of the bedroom. “You’ll see.”
When we exited the room, Rusty was waiting on the landing with a corsage box in his hand. I stared at both guys, my mind spinning with confusion.
Mason opened the box, secured the purple flower arrangement around my left wrist, and offered his arm to me. “Mel.”
I looped my hand through his bent arm and followed him down the staircase.
We halted on the last step. Instead of the usual ruckus and surfaces filled with liquor bottles and packs of beer, typical of any of Jackson’s ragers, there was a big punch bowl surrounded by a dozen boxes of pizza set on a table by the kitchen, the decadent scent of melted cheese and tomato sauce swirling around us.
More faces I hadn’t seen in months were scattered around the place, dressed to impress.
Everybody had changed since we went upstairs, but why?
Chase waved at us as he parted the crowd in our direction, wearing a black suit with a soft-pink shirt. “Mel, you look hot enough to fuck.”
Mason nudged him hard in the chest. “Watch it, man.”
Chase lifted his hands in surrender. “Relax, man. It’s a compliment. Your girl is hot. It had to be said.”
My boyfriend rolled his eyes. “Let me do the honors next time.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Chase walked away.
A mirror ball was hanging from the living room ceiling, dozens of colorful balloons were pinned to the walls, and what looked like a photo booth had been set up near the door leading to the backyard. “How did this happen? When we arrived, it wasn’t like that.”
“You sure?” my date teased with a crooked grin.
“Seriously, it’s like we’ve stepped into an alternate universe. The setup looks too fancy to be just a birthday party.”
Mason opened his arm, gesturing to the space. “Mel, I promised you a prom do-over. Let me present you with Elk River High Prom 2.0.”
“But I thought we were celebrating your birthday. It’s kind of a big deal, Mase. You’re turning eighteen. We could do prom another time.”
He shrugged. “We are celebrating my birthday. Who said we can only celebrate one thing at a time? When I told Chase about my idea the other day, he decided we should have a prom do-over here tonight, and he put everything into motion.”
“He did that? For us?”
“Yep.”
People were either drinking by the punch bowl—which was spiked, no doubt—and a few couples were dancing in the living room.
A group of girls was chatting in the kitchen.
Everyone seemed relaxed and happy to be here.
For a second, my heart pinched, and I wished Paige could be here too.
If only we could go back in time, like she’d mentioned the other day, and fix everything. Other than that, tonight was perfect.
I marveled at every detail. “Mase, it’s beautiful. Tell me. How did you get my dress? I’d remember you rummaging through my closet when you came to my dorm room.”
“Cassie. She packed it for me yesterday, and I picked it up at Hot Shot. She added the shoes, which was a great touch since I’d forgotten to ask her for a pair. Donovan was there too. We chatted for a while.”
“You met with my friends to surprise me?” Happy tears built up in my eyes, and I blinked them away. “Mason Pierce, you’re always full of surprises. It’s the best prom do-over I’ve ever attended.”
“You attended many prom do-overs, Shepard?”
“Nah. I would only go to one if it was with you, Mase. Anything with you.”
He lowered his head until his mouth met mine. “Let’s dance.”
We lost ourselves in our own bubble, dancing to the first song, a Curtis Burns classic, the same one we had danced to on Homecoming night a year ago.
“Do you remember your birthday last year?” I asked.
“How could I forget? You surprised me with a cupcake and licked my chest, Shepard. It was a fantastic way to wake up. And then you fell asleep in my arms that night. It was epic.”
“I didn’t plan to spread blue icing all over your chest. It was an accident.”
“Yeah, keep telling yourself that, love. We both know you were dying to taste me even back then.”
“Gosh, you’re one of a kind, Mase.”
“I know I’m irresistible, love. It’s okay to admit it. I’ll forgive you.”
I grinned like a fool. “You make me happy.”
“That’s the idea.” He paused, tilting my chin up with a finger until we stared into each other’s souls. “Tell me, on a scale from one to ten, how good am I at this boyfriend thing?”
“A twelve. You are perfect.”
His lips descended on mine, stealing my breath away.
A strong hand landed on his back, breaking the moment, and Mason leaned away from me.
“Lovvvvers,” Chase slurred, holding on to our necks. How did he get drunk so quickly? “It was about damnnn time. I’m so happpy you two closed the deal. Unlesss you stilll need Unnncle Chase to givvve you the birds aaand bees talk. Aaand some pointerrrs.”
Mason slapped his chest, laughing. “All good, man. You can share your wisdom with someone else. Mel and I are doing just fine on our own.”
“Tsk-tsk. Never underestimate everrrything I can teach youuu. I might not go to college like you two smart humannns, but I have a degree in lovvve. Olddder women shagggging handsome studdds likkke me, to be exact.”
“Man, I already told you. You have mommy issues.”
“Nopppe. I have dadddy issues, Mase. Not the sammme.”
Mason sighed. “Well, those too. Anyway, can I go back to kissing my girl?”
Chase’s mouth formed a pout, and he looked like he was seconds away from breaking into tears. “You always seee her. I never seee you. I’m like a brother to youuu, no?”
“Sure you are.”
“I’ve misssed you, man. A lottt. Do you still have thaaat comforter I gifted youuu?”
“He does,” I chimed in. “It’s really something else.”
Beside us, Chase smirked. “Goood. Very goood.” He spun around and walked away.
“What was that?” I asked, staring at his retreating back.
“Chase being Chase, but I think he’s not as happy as he pretends to be.”
“Talk to him later. When he’s sober. I’m sure he just needs his friend. Like he said, he misses you.”
“I will.”
Mason circled my body with his arms, and we slow danced, forgetting there was an entire world outside of us. “What did my dad want with you before we left?”
His cheek grazed mine, leaving goose bumps behind. “He told me to take care of you and that he trusted me and that I shouldn’t deceive him. He said he was happy we were finally giving it—us—a chance. Oh, and I also informed him you were not coming home tonight.”
“You did? What did he say?”
“Nothing, really. He didn’t invite me to sleep over in your bedroom, but he didn’t tell me to drive you home by midnight either. I think he can tell this is not just a random hookup, but something we’re both ready for and the beginning of something amazing.”
“You’re such a romantic. Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone. Your reputation is safe with me.” I buried my face in the crook of his neck as another love song started playing on the sound system somewhere. “Who made the playlist?”
“Sheldon. He promised it would be the sappiest compilation of love songs known to mankind.”
I giggled. “He really didn’t change.”
“Nope. Why should he? He’s perfect like that.”
“True.”