Chapter 5 Mazzie
Mazzie
An insistent banging wormed its way into my consciousness, pulling me from the warm cocoon of sleep. I groaned, burying my face deeper into the pillow. Whoever was making that freaking noise was dead.
The pounding continued, not only in the distance, but my head felt like someone had taken a hammer to it. I rubbed my temples, turning on my back as hushed voices resonated in the distance.
I opened and closed my eyes to clear the blurriness from sleep.
As the room came into focus, I lifted onto my elbows, and a slow panic built in my chest until the soreness between my legs had me flicking my gaze to the muscled Greek god who’d rocked my world.
Over and over and over again until we couldn’t keep our eyes open anymore.
I swallowed to coat my dry mouth, but it wasn’t working. My brain cells were fried to a crisp. One night. No strings. Why had I agreed to that? Oh, yeah. I’d been horny as hell.
Lucas was on his stomach, head buried under his pillow, and the blankets were at his feet, revealing a very tight ass, powerful thighs, and a sight to behold.
I slept with the campus heartthrob. I was now another one of his conquests. Swear words shouted in my head as my lust slowly cleared and reality began to set in.
“Mazzie! Open up! I know you’re in there,” Bailey said, voice sharp with worry and maybe a hint of irritation, from the other side of the door.
I scrambled off the bed on wobbly legs that felt like saltwater taffy and about fell. “Bailey?” My voice was hoarse. “Give me a second.”
Why did she sound like the world was burning up? I cleared my throat, squinting at the sun’s rays blaring through the blinds.
Lucas lifted his head from beneath the pillow. “What’s going on?” He glanced at the clock. “It’s only noon.”
“The living rise and shine at dawn.” At least that was my routine, even on a Sunday. But, of course, not today.
“Lucas, get your ass out here.” The guy snapped like a viper, pounding on the door.
“Fuck off, Erik!” Lucas shouted.
I scrambled around the tidy room to find my clothes, but not one piece of garment was in sight.
“Lucas, where are my clothes?”
He flipped onto his back, blinking away the sleep, hair wild around his face, and sporting an erection that made my stomach jump. He had a gorgeous cock, and I found myself biting down on my lower lip, tempted to suck him off quickly.
He snapped his fingers, chuckling. “Up here, Midnight.”
I met his gaze, silently scolding myself. I wasn’t going to be that girl desperate for a repeat performance with the most popular football player on campus. I wasn’t a woman who chased after a man. That was my mother’s path, not mine.
I threw him the finger. “No strings, right?”
“Are you trying to convince yourself of that?” He slid out of bed. “What if we make another deal?”
Yes, please. “Nope.”
“You don’t want to hear my offer?” He padded over to his dresser and pulled out gym shorts.
“Nope,” I said again. “Where are my clothes?”
“You brought them in the bathroom when we took a shower,” he said as if I had lost my mind.
I darted into the en suite, and there they were, neatly folded on the counter.
Another knock perked me up as I slipped into my shorts and top.
“We’ll be right out,” Lucas said to Erik and Bailey.
My indiscretions were her fault. She left me alone last night to fend for myself. Don’t blame her for your actions. She didn’t force you to kiss Lucas.
Argh! He’d made it very difficult to stay away with all his sweetness and then that damn speech about his tattoo. I am not going to fall for him. I am not going to fall for him. That had to be my mantra as I hurried to look decent.
Lucas sauntered in with his chest bare, prominent V trailing below his waistband, and those massive biceps. I had a thing for a man who had arms like ancient tree trunks. Once again, I was silently repeating my mantra despite my stomach fluttering like a swarm of wild butterflies.
He towered behind me, sliding his hands around my waist up to my breasts. “What if we agree to be friends with benefits?”
Part of me wanted to say yes. Just fall into his arms and forget the world outside this room. But that was a luxury I didn’t have.
I leaned back into him, relishing his touch as I snorted. “You have a slew of women waiting to bed you. Besides, you agreed to one night.”
“No, I didn’t.”
The blood in my veins dried up. “What?”
He gently bit my earlobe, his smirk sexy and playful. “Think about it.”
“Mazzie, come out here this instance!” Bailey shouted. “It’s your sister…”
My heart stopped cold. If Lucas was talking, I didn’t hear him. My sister? Kaylee? My mind automatically started to blame my mother. Anytime my sister was in trouble, my mother was involved. Although, Kaylee could’ve had an accident at her friend’s house.
I ran out like a fire had ignited in the bathroom, leaving Lucas’s strong arms. The second I yanked open the door and saw the terror in Bailey’s green eyes, I knew it was bad.
“I’ve been trying to call you.” She pursed her lips.
Erik brushed past me to find Lucas.
“My phone is in my purse and probably dead. What about Kaylee?” My sister had Bailey’s number in the event she couldn’t get hold of me.
“She’s in the hospital.”
I held my chest as I ran down the stairs with Bailey following. I stumbled off the bottom step.
“She’s okay, Mazzie,” Bailey rushed to add. “It’s your mom. According to Kaylee, she hit a parked car pretty hard. The doctors are running tests.”
I pushed out a raging groan. “I will kill my mother. Then kill her again if she’d been drinking.” I hurried over to the chair where I’d deposited my bag last night. “She wasn’t supposed to pick up Kaylee until tonight.” I pulled out my phone. Sure as my head hurt, my cell was dead.
Erik came down as we were about to leave, his unruly dark hair wild as if he’d jumped out of bed.
Bailey kissed Erik goodbye, but a peck on the lips turned needy as Lucas jogged down the stairs.
“Do you need me to go with you?” he asked, dressed and ready for anything. “I can take you.”
I would be mortified if he met my mother. Knowing her, she would try to pick him up. Nevertheless, he was once again showing me glimpses behind the athlete, drawing me further in, and at any moment, I would be head over heels for him.
“Thanks, but no. Bails, let’s go.”
I ran out, and the humid air hit me like I’d collided with a brick wall. I should be accustomed to the Texas heat, but not today.
Lucas followed me, not Bailey.
I was about to axe my best friend if she didn’t get her cute butt out here. She’d been the one freaking out to get me out of Lucas’s room.
“Bailey!” I shouted.
“Hey, wait up,” he said, his long legs eating up the space between us. “Breathe, Midnight.” He curled my hair around my ear. “Seriously, I can drive you.”
I would have liked that more than anything, but he didn’t need to see me screaming at my mother. “Thank you.” I touched his face. “You’ve been sweet. I had a great time last night.”
“But?” he asked, looking like he was about to lose his puppy.
“Lucas, I really meant it about no strings. I’m sorry.” It was killing me to walk away. But it was the right thing to do, for me, at least. “My life is messy and complicated.”
He hugged me. “I understand.” He didn’t sound as though he did.
But I couldn’t worry about him.
I created space between us and yelled, “Bailey!” I hurried around to the passenger side of Bailey’s Volvo.
“Midnight, I hope your family is okay.” He gave me a sad smile.
It was endearing how he was so kind and thoughtful, which only made it harder to say no to him when I wanted to see him again. “Thanks.”
Bailey ran out. “I’m coming.”
After we were a block down the street, I finally growled out a scream or some fucked-up noise.
“That good or that bad?” she asked.
“Both. Lucas good. My mom bad.” I sounded like a child who didn’t know how to speak full sentences. “Can I use your phone to call Kaylee?” I plugged mine into the charger.
She tapped on the computer screen until she found Kaylee’s number then pressed on the call button.
“Bailey.” Kaylee’s voice came through the car’s speakers, sounding terrified.
I needed to kick myself for not being there for her. “Hey, it’s Maze. What happened? How’s Mom? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” Her voice was nasally as though she’d been crying. “Mom hit her head pretty hard on the driver’s side window. She was complaining of pain. But Maze, the police had to follow us in the ambulance. She had alcohol on her breath.”
“Are the cops arresting her?”
“I don’t know,” Kaylee said, her voice carrying that familiar note that signaled she needed her big sister. “The police officer mentioned something about child endangerment.”
This was bad. “I’m glad you’re okay. I’m on my way. But Kaylee, why did Mom pick you up so early? I thought you and Len were going to the movies this afternoon.”
“Len got sick. I tried to call you, but it kept going to your voicemail. So I called Mom to pick me up.”
I was officially a terrible sister. The one night I had to myself to let loose, and I could be losing Kaylee.
“Maze,” Kaylee said. “You think the cops will lock her up?”
I hated the weariness in her tone. At thirteen, she shouldn’t lose sleep over our mother. I’d done enough of that over the years to last both of us a lifetime.
“I don’t know.” My mom had an uncanny way of getting out of trouble, but child endangerment, especially if she had been drunk or had the hint of alcohol on her breath, would be a difficult feat to beg her way out of. “Love you. I’ll be there soon.”
After I ended the call, I screamed. “I don’t need this, Bails. I’m afraid if they charge her, they could take Kaylee away. I can’t lose her.”
The high I’d been on was gone. The feeling of being free had vanished. The mind-blowing sex, nonexistent—except the morning-after ache throbbing between my legs was a clear reminder.
“You and Kaylee will stay with us. When we get to the hospital, I’ll call my mom.
She’s always wanted another child. So she’ll love having Kaylee until this mess is sorted.
If Child Protective Services gets involved, then we’ll deal.
Besides, CPS would want to see a nice home environment, and we have that in spades. ”
The Armstrong mansion was like a resort. Bailey’s dad was an in-demand surgeon, so money wasn’t an issue for the Armstrongs.
“I don’t want to impose.”
“Nonsense, chica. You’re family. My parents love you.”
I felt sick as Bailey sped through the streets of Lakemont.
“Thank you.” I rubbed my chest where a dull pain began to surface.
“I wish I had enough money to support Kaylee and me. If I did, I would move.” I sighed.
“But I’m thankful that my dad pays my college tuition.
So maybe I can find a second job to help support us. ”
I wanted to cry, but I couldn’t go into the hospital and let Kaylee see me breaking down. “Talk to me. Tell me something good.”
“Lucas is smitten with you.”
I laughed, nerves rattling my voice. “Smitten? You know that the definition of that word is lovesick, and I doubt very much that Lucas is that wild about me. Tell me about your night with Erik.”
“I want to hear about Lucas and you.”
“Not really in the mood to chat about him.”
“That bad?”
“That fucking good.” The words tumbled out as a butterfly feeling swirled in my stomach. Damn it.
She squealed. “Your first romp in the hay since Josh, and it was all that and more? Chica, I can’t tell you how happy I am to hear that. You might need more of those bedroom gymnastics.”
“Hell no. That was one night.” A headache started blooming behind my eyes. “Except he wants a friend-with-benefits deal.”
She flipped on her blinker to turn on Main Street toward the hospital. “You should oblige. It will take your mind off your problems.”
No matter how much I wanted to see Lucas again, my future depended on staying on track, and guys weren’t part of my road map, especially in light of what I was about to walk into.