Chapter 15 #3
“Everything that just came out of your mouth sounds so fucking wrong.”
I tap his helmet with two fingers. “It sounds wrong, but it is right.”
And with that, I put my helmet back on and race toward the girl in the grass.
When I’m next to her, I ease the bike down gently and drop beside her.
Mason settles next to me a second later, so I have one on each side, making me the center of this little orbit for now, and I for sure won’t complain about it.
Alaina is weaving wildflowers into what look like bracelets with a kind of soft focus I don’t usually see from her. She finishes one and, without a word, slips it over my wrist. It’s lopsided but beautiful, with white and purple blooms, and I feel like she just handed me the best present ever.
Then she reaches out again, toward Mason, and waits, while giving him a look. He offers his hand, and she slides another bracelet on his wrist. The flowers stand out even more against his tanned skin, and I see that Alaina has one on her wrist too.
I glance down at mine, then at hers. “That’s beautiful.”
She shrugs. “I made them all the time when I was younger.”
Mason snickers. “I remember Dane and Greer walking around with flower bracelets, but it looked too cool for anyone to make fun of them.”
“Hey.” Alaina huffs, mock-offended. “It is cool.”
“Yes.” Mason grins. “Now that I’m in the club, it feels cool.”
I lift my wrist like I’m showing off Olympic gold. “Damn right we’re a club. The Wildflower Rebels.”
Alaina scrunches her nose in disgust.
“Non?” I smirk. “Not cool enough? Fine. How about The Rogue Riders?”
“That sounds like an unofficial World Cup racing team that just turns up to crash the circuit,” Mason muses.
“Exactly.” I nod sagely. “And we look incredible doing it.”
Alaina is smiling when I take her face in my hands and kiss her.
“Thank you,” I murmur, staying close, breathing her in once more.
She brushes her lips against mine. “You’re welcome.”
Then I twist, turn toward the other side, and grab Mason by the neck. I kiss him, too, and when I pull back, Mason’s pupils are huge, his breath just slightly off pace. I lick my bottom lip and grin.
“Fuck,” I breathe out on a whisper. “Best day of my life. Truly.”
Alaina laughs beside me. “I bet it is.”
“The only thing that could make this better…” I say, all drama, “… is if you both gave me a kiss on the cheek. At the same time.”
Mason groans. “You’re such an idiot.”
“Come on. For me? Please?” I pout, sticking out my lower lip. “I want to feel like the center of your worlds. Because I am.”
Mason shoots a look to Alaina. “We’re not going to have any say in this relationship, are we?”
Alaina just laughs. “Nope.”
They both lean in, synchronized, lips puckered, going in for my cheeks, and when they’re so close I can feel their breaths on my skin, I lean back.
Which means, they kiss each other instead.
Just a quick, startled smooch, but neither of them pulls away instantly, which only confirms what I’ve been thinking all along.
When they do part, they’re both blushing like crazy, and Alaina hiccups softly.
So damn cute.
“Sorry,” she whispers to Mason, cheeks still red.
“Really, Delacroix?” Mason glares at me. “That’s not funny.”
“Oh, isn’t it?” I flash him my most innocent smile, which, let’s be real, isn’t fooling anyone. “I think it’s hilarious. That’s just what you guys wanted to do anyway.”
“Alaina didn’t consent to me kissing her.”
And just like that, the humor slips out of my chest, and guilt tightens in my throat. Because shit. I forgot. I forgot that for Mason, lines aren’t just lines, they’re boundaries built from scars, but before I can apologize, Alaina is already reaching across me, catching his hand.
“It’s okay.” Her eyes are fixed on his. “You didn’t do anything wrong. You know you have my consent to touch me.” She glances at me, then back to him. “And to kiss me.”
Mason goes still as if he can’t quite believe what he just heard.
I, on the other hand, am vibrating with glee. “You heard her. She said she wants you to kiss her. Go on. Kiss. I wanna see that.”
Mason shoots me another glare, then lunges. “You sly little bastard.”
His fingers hit my ribs, and I shriek-laugh like an idiot, twisting as he tickles me like he’s been waiting all day for this revenge.
I try to fight him off, but I’m laughing too hard, breathless and squirming, and then Alaina joins in, teaming up with zero hesitation and tickling me with her good hand from the other side like they planned this shit in advance.
“Okay! Okay! I surrender!” I wheeze, flailing. “I surrender, I’m sorry!”
They collapse beside me, all breathless and triumphant.
Alaina curls into my left side, with her head on my chest, and I pull her closer to me, while Mason drops down on my right, one arm folded behind his head, the other finding my free one, his fingers slipping easily between mine.
I lay there, pinned between them, with flowers on my wrist and dirt on my skin, and my heart stretched impossibly full.
Yeah. Best fucking day of my life.