Chapter 22 #2
“Mason’s quite a catch, isn’t he?” She smiled, watching herself as she applied the lipstick with surgical precision. “Mason’s only been in Miami, what, three weeks? A month? Barely enough time to learn the arena layout, let alone form anything… meaningful.”
The implication was sharp and deliberate. I was just a temporary distraction. Disposable. My palms were sweating, but I refused to let her see how much she was getting to me.
“Look,” I said, steadier than I felt, “I don’t know what happened between you and Mason, but—”
“Oh, honey.” Vanessa’s laugh was musical and cruel. “You’re just the latest in a long line of puck bunnies. Hockey’s full of them. Beautiful girls throwing themselves at the players.” She snapped her clutch shut with a decisive click. “Mason collects them like trading cards. Always has.”
The term hit hard. Puck bunny. The girls who chased players, cycling through them like it was a hobby. The thought of being filed into that category made my skin crawl.
“I’m not a puck bunny,” I snapped. My fingers dug into the sink.
Vanessa’s eyebrow lifted, pure amusement. “No? Then what are you, exactly?”
“I’m his interior decorator.” The moment the words left my mouth, I wanted to snatch them back from the air.
What was I doing? But some desperate part of me couldn’t stand the idea of this woman, this gorgeous, confident woman who clearly had a history with Mason, thinking I was just another notch on his bedpost.
Vanessa’s eyes widened, then narrowed. “Interior decorator? Mason hired an interior decorator?”
I nodded, forcing confidence I wasn’t sure I felt. “That’s right. Samantha Grace Interiors. Mason hired my firm to decorate his new condo here in Miami.”
Vanessa’s lips pressed together as she studied me, weighing whether I was lying. I met her gaze head-on, channeling every ounce of poise and polish I’d learned on stage.
“Well, isn’t that interesting?” Her voice dripped with false sweetness. “Mason’s never been one for interior design. He’s more of a bare-essentials kind of guy, if you know what I mean.” She winked, suggestive and smug.
I fought the urge to roll my eyes. “Maybe he’s ready for a change. A fresh start in a new city, a new team. Sometimes people surprise you.”
Vanessa laughed, cold and brittle. “Oh, honey. I’ve known Mason a lot longer than you have. Trust me. He won’t change.”
Her eyes glittered, ready to toss another dagger, when a woman with bright red hair walked in and cut the moment cleanly in half.
“A word of advice…” Vanessa leaned in, her mouth close to my ear. “Be careful with Mason. He has a habit of… breaking pretty little things.”
Then she was gone.
The redhead watched the door for a beat, timing Vanessa’s exit. Then her gaze slid to me, and I hated that she had my full attention without asking for it.
Her hair was the color of deep crimson, like she’d chosen it to be remembered. She twisted an expensive gold watch on her wrist, flashing a smug little glint. At her throat hung a pendant shaped like an eye, small and strange, and for a second it felt like it was looking straight at me.
“So you’re Lila.” She tilted her head. “Huh. I was expecting taller.”
“Um, yeah. How did you know?”
She leaned back against the counter as if she had all day. “I’m Bianca. The hockey guys were hovering outside like a bunch of panicked toddlers. They asked me to check on you. I said yes because I was bored.”
“The hockey guys?”
“Yeah. The big one. Hunter. Brody and Sawyer were with him.” Her eyes glittered with amusement. “Which one is your man?”
“Mason,” I said, trying to sound steadier than I felt.
Bianca’s eyebrow lifted, as if she’d already done her research.
“The Toronto import. Tall. Broody.” Her mouth curved. “Hard to miss lately. Billboards, underwear ads, half the city staring at his abs.”
Her smile sharpened just a touch. “Men like that don’t stay bored for long.”
I turned back to the mirror. “Well, thanks for your concern.”
“No problem.” She fixed her hair in the mirror. “But your brunette problem has bad juju. Trust me. You don’t want to be standing too close when it goes off.”
She plucked a strand of dark hair off the sink and studied it with idle interest.
“People really should be more careful,” she said lightly.
I frowned. “Careful about what?”
She smiled, already turning toward the exit. “What they leave behind.”
Bianca’s words stuck to me, sharp and stubborn. I didn’t need this kind of drama in my life. Dating a pro athlete was like willingly stepping into a soap opera.
When I finally emerged from the restroom, I nearly collided with a wall of muscle.
“Whoa there, little lady,” a deep voice chuckled. “You okay?”
I looked up, and up, into the face of a guy with a friendly grin. He was flanked by three other men, all eyeing me with curiosity.
“I’m fine,” I managed, trying to edge past them.
The first guy stuck out his hand. “I’m Sawyer. This is Brody, Hunter, and the two idiots over there arguing about tequila are Cade and Dex. We’re Mason’s teammates.”
My eyes widened. The Miami Fusion, in the flesh. “Oh. Um, nice to meet you. I’m Lila.”
“We know,” Brody said with a wink. “Mason won’t shut up about you.”
My cheeks warmed. “He... talks about me?”
“Only constantly,” Sawyer said with a laugh. “Your design genius, your laugh. It’s actually getting kind of annoying.”
“Speaking of,” Dex cut in, his eyes narrowing at something behind me. “Looks like our boy could use some backup.”
I turned to see Mason locked in what looked like a tense conversation with Vanessa. His jaw was set, his posture rigid.
“Excuse us, Lila,” Sawyer said. “We’ve got this.”
I watched as Mason’s teammates closed ranks around him, forming a subtle barrier between us and the curious onlookers.
Vanessa pouted at something Mason said, then ran a suggestive hand down his chest. “Don’t be like that, baby. You know we’re meant to be together. This thing with the decorator? It’s cute, but we both know it won’t last.”
Mason caught her wrist, halting her wandering fingers. “Enough. You need to leave, Vanessa. You’re causing problems for everyone, including yourself. This has to stop.”
The air crackled with tension. Vanessa’s face twisted with fury as she yanked free. “You’ll regret this,” she hissed.
“The only thing I regret,” Mason said, calm as ice, “is not making it clearer sooner. We’re done, Vanessa. We have been for a long time.”
Vanessa’s eyes flashed, but she seemed to register the wall of bodies around him. With one last venomous look in my direction, she spun and stalked off.
I stood there, watching her dramatic exit. Relief hit first, then confusion. The whole thing felt like a scene ripped straight out of reality TV.
Mason’s gaze found mine, apologetic and intense. He crossed to me in a few long strides.
“I’m so sorry about that,” he said, voice low. “Vanessa’s always been—”
“Psychotic?” Brody offered helpfully.
“A complete nightmare?” Sawyer added.
“A bunny cooker?” Dex shrugged. “I don’t even know what that means.”
Mason reached for my hand, lacing our fingers and giving them a gentle squeeze. “I just want to be clear that she’s not a part of my life anymore.”
When I didn’t answer, he tipped my chin up, making me meet his eyes. “Hey. Are you okay?”
I gave him a weak smile. “I’m fine. Just… I wasn’t expecting this.”
“Nothing Vanessa said is true. She’s just trying to cause trouble.” He cupped my face, his thumb sliding along my cheekbone. “I promise you, there was never anything serious between us, but she can’t seem to let it go. She’s clinging to something that never existed.”
I wanted to believe him. I did. But doubt had already taken root, sending little tendrils of insecurity curling around my chest.
“Maybe this was a mistake,” I said quietly. “Meeting in public, I mean. I’m not used to… all this.” I gestured vaguely at the bar, the curious looks, the space Vanessa had just left behind.
“Lila,” he said, voice low, “how about we get out of here and find somewhere a little more private?”
My pulse jumped at the suggestion, excitement sliding in under the lingering tension. I lifted an eyebrow, trying to mask my surprise. “And what exactly do you have in mind?”
He leaned closer, a teasing smile at the corner of his mouth. “Let’s just say I might know a few ways to help you unwind.”
A rush of want went through me, sharp enough to wipe the rest of the room into the background. “Alright. Lead the way.”
As he pulled me close, my better judgment tried to surface. I let it sink.
All I wanted was whatever came next.