Chapter 5
5
Tonight was the night I had been dreading all week - the first Sunday lunch since Mason had caught Seth kissing me in the bear suit.
I glanced at the clock, as I heard the doorbell ring. Finally, Josie was here. My best friend since childhood and my secret weapon in the battle to win Mason's approval.
I had spent hours on the phone with her, begging her to help me smooth things over with my overprotective big brother. And Josie, being the amazing friend she was, had agreed without hesitation. Now, as I opened the door to let her in, I couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt. Was I really willing to use my best friend's feelings for my brother for own selfish purposes?
As if on cue, my brother appeared in the doorway, his face stormy and brooding. "What's she doing here?" he demanded, jerking his chin towards Josie.
"I invited her," I said snarkily, daring him to make more comments. I would not allow my best friend will not be dissed in the house. "I thought it would be nice to have some different company."
Mason snorted, his eyes narrowing with suspicion. "Right. Because we don't have enough drama in this family already."
Before I could respond, Seth appeared behind him, gently punching my brother's shoulder.
"Come on, man," he said. "Let’s eat and get back to normal.”
Mason shrugged off his hand, mumbling that normal didn’t include his best friend sleeping with his sister. He then stalked over to his seat at the table and sat down heavily.
Mum and dad where waiting for us to join them, already aware of the dramas that Mason was blowing out of control. Mum was happy I was with Seth, but knew it would not be easy on Mason. Dad just didn’t want to think of his little sprout with any man, but if he had to chose, he said Seth was one of the good ones.
I sat at the dinner table with Seth, Mason sat across from me, his jaw clenched and his eyes narrowed as he glared at Seth, who was seated beside me. I could feel the heat of Seth's body radiating off him, the warmth of his thigh pressed against mine under the table.
"So," Mason snorted, his fork clattering against his plate. "How long have you been fucking my sister behind my back?”
I flinched at his crude language, my cheeks burning with embarrassment and anger, as Dad growled at Mason to keep a level head and mum told him to mind his manners.
Okay. Right. So, we are doing this now.
"It's not like that," I said. "Seth and I...we haven't...we're not..." I trailed off, unable to finish the sentence. The truth was, Seth and I hadn't slept together yet. I wanted to but I felt guilty for sneaking around. We had come close a few times, but some small voice in the back of my mind kept telling me that it wasn't the right time, that I wasn't ready. Seth had kept his word and had never pushed me.
"Hazel," Seth said softly, his hand finding mine under the table and giving it a gentle squeeze. "You don't have to explain yourself to anyone."
But Mason wasn't having it. "The hell she doesn't," he said as he pushed his chair back, ready to stand. "She's my little sister, Seth. And you're my best friend. How could you do this to me? To our family?"
Seth's grip on my hand tightened. "I'm not doing anything to you, Mason," he said, his voice low. "I love Hazel, and she loves me. That's all that matters."
Mason let out a harsh laugh. "Love?" he scoffed. "What do you know about love, Seth? You're just a player, a guy who's always looking for the next conquest. And now you've set your sights on my sister?"
“Oh, dear Lord, “I heard my father say as he held his head in his hands, as my mother patted his arm. “This is not something I need to hear.”
This must stop now. I reached for the bowl of peas in front of me, my hand closing around the cool ceramic. In one swift motion, I was flinging the contents across the table, watching with a sense of satisfaction as the tiny green spheres pelted Mason's face and chest.
For a moment, there was silence. Mason stared at me, his mouth hanging open in shock, his shirt stained with smears of green. Then, slowly, a wicked grin spread across his face.
"Oh, it's on, little sister," he growled, reaching for the bowl of mashed potatoes.
I ducked just in time, feeling the whoosh of air as the potatoes sailed over my head and splattered against the wall behind me.
Chaos erupted.
Food flew in every direction, splattering against the walls and the ceiling, dripping onto the floor in messy puddles. I shrieked as a spoonful of gravy hit me square in the face, the warm, savory liquid dripping down my chin and onto my shirt.
Seth grabbed me around the waist, pulling me out of the line of fire as Mason launched a barrage of carrots in our direction. We collapsed against each other, breathless with laughter, as Josie dove under the table for cover.
Through it all, our parents sat at the head of the table, their faces a mix of amusement as they watched their children devolve into a pack of wild animals.
Finally, after what felt like hours, the food fight began to wind down. We were all panting and giggling, our hair and clothes stained with the remnants of our lunch. I looked around the room, taking in the chaos, and felt a sudden pang of guilt.
"Mom, Dad, I'm so sorry," I said. “We’ll clean this up, I promise." To my surprise, my parents just shook their heads, small smiles playing at the corners of their mouths.
"It's alright, Hazel," my mom said, her voice warm. "Why don't you all go get cleaned up? We'll take care of this."
I stared at her in disbelief, my mouth hanging open, but before I could argue, my dad was standing up, his hand resting gently on my mom's shoulder.
"Your mother's right," he said. "You kids go on upstairs and work this out. We've got this."
I looked at Seth, then at Josie, then finally at Mason. A grin spread across my face. "Race you to the bathroom," I said, and then I was off, my feet pounding against the hardwood floor as I sprinted towards the stairs.
I heard Mason's footsteps behind me, gaining ground with every step. Just as I reached the top of the stairs, I felt his arms wrap around me from behind, lifting me off my feet and spinning me around in a dizzying circle.
"Gotcha, Sprout," he said, his voice warm with affection as he set me back down on my feet.
I turned to face him. "I'm sorry, Mason," I said, my voice soft. "For not telling you about me and Seth. For keeping secrets from you."
Mason's face softened, his eyes searching mine. "I'm sorry too, Sprout," he said. "I overreacted. The thought of anyone hurting you..." He trailed off, and then he was pulling me into a fierce hug, his arms crushing me against his chest.
"I love you too," I whispered, my voice muffled by his shirt. "More than anything."
We stayed like that for a long moment, just holding each other.
"I guess I'd better go apologize to Seth," Mason said. "I was kind of a dick to him earlier."
I grinned. "He'll forgive you," I said, my voice confident. "After all, he is dating your sister.”
Mason's face split into a wide, genuine smile. “Too soon Sprout, but I’ll get used to the idea.”
With one last squeeze of my hand, Mason was turning and heading back downstairs, his footsteps echoing in the silence. felt a pair of strong arms wrap around me from behind, pulling me back against a warm, solid chest.
"Hey, beautiful. You okay?"
I turned in Seth’s arms, my hands coming up to rest on his chest. "I'm more than okay," I said. "I'm perfect."
Seth grinned. "Yes, you are," he said, his voice low and husky. "In every possible way." He leaned down, his lips capturing mine in a soft, sweet kiss that stole the breath away.
I loved him.
From downstairs, I heard Mason's voice, calling out to us. "Hey, you better not be doing anything inappropriate up there."
I groaned, burying my face in Seth's chest. "I need a new brother.”
Seth chuckled, his arms tightening around me. "No, you don't," he said. "You love him. Just like I do."
I sighed, a small smile tugging at the corners of my mouth. "Yeah, I guess I do. Even when he's being a pain in the ass."
Seth grinned, pressing a kiss to the top of my head. "That's what family's for, right?" he said. "To drive you crazy and love you anyway. Now go and get changed, you’re dripping potato on the floor.”
And that was a sentence I never wanted to hear from him again.