Chapter 35 #2
“Huh.” I shut my eyes, not sure how to answer without throwing Mason under the bus.
At the same time, perhaps he could help.
If Mason had a drug problem, I couldn’t be the only one saving him.
Craig had proven many times over the years he was trustworthy.
I opened my eyes but said nothing. The older Pierce brother was smart.
I saw the exact moment it all clicked in his head.
I locked the bedroom door, trying to give us a bit of privacy since their roommates were downstairs.
Craig nodded, thanking me silently. “It’s yours, isn’t it?” he asked his brother.
Beside him, Mason grew rigid but remained silent.
“Wanna tell me when you started shooting up, Mase?”
Again, my boyfriend stayed silent.
“How long has it been going on?”
Mason never answered.
Craig turned to face me. “Some help here, please. Can someone update me on the situation and fucking fast before I blow a gasket and draw my own conclusions?”
I swallowed, my throat feeling like it’d been carved in rocks. “A while.”
“His shoulder is nagging him?”
I nodded once, glancing down and hating how I was betraying Mason’s confidences. What other choice did I have? Lie? I had promised myself I would never lie again after hitting rock bottom last year.
“How many times?” Craig asked. “How many fucking times? You’re a health freak, and you’ve never even smoked a blunt in your life. You think injecting poison straight into your veins is smart?”
Mason’s features contorted with rage, and he pivoted on the mattress to face his brother. “It helps my game.”
“No, it does not. It makes you jumpy, and you develop tics. I could tell something was off for a while, but I was hoping you’d come to me and be honest about it.
I believed it was the stress or something.
It never even crossed my mind that it would be drugs, though.
Soon, your dick will stop working properly, your heart will miss beats, and you’ll kill yourself slowly.
Is it worth the risk? You finally have the girl you’ve been chasing since you were a kid, and you have a chance to get recruited to play pro once you graduate.
I even heard a rumor you could be named captain next year.
Why would you risk it all for a high? Explain it to me. Make it make sense to me, man.”
Mason spoke between clenched teeth. “You can’t understand.”
“Try me.”
“No. It’s none of your business. Let it go. You can’t just walk in here and stage an intervention.”
“Watch me.”
He cocked his head, shutting us out. “Whatever.”
“By the way, it’s my business because one, you’re my little brother, two, you’re my teammate, and three, I love you, man. I don’t wanna see you lose everything you’ve ever worked for to some drug that sooner or later will destroy you and your dreams.”
Mason brought his attention back to his brother.
“I’m off my game. The guys hate my guts.
My shoulder is…was bugging me. It’s not so bad anymore.
I’ve been doing some aquatic therapy with Mel, but it isn’t progressing fast enough.
” He dragged a hand over his face. “I needed a quick fix. I haven’t shot anything in weeks. I’ve been clean.”
“Clean? This word doesn’t even fit you, Mase.”
“You sound just like Mel. Can’t you guys trust me to make the best choices for my life, my health, and my future?”
“No. You clearly can’t. Maybe I should call Mom.”
Mason’s eyes grew big. “DON’T. I’m telling you. Don’t fucking do that. She’ll go nuts and move in here and make a mess of my life.”
“Then, prove to me you’re telling the truth. If you get drug tested tomorrow, no trace of whatever anabolic steroids you are using would show in your urine sample, right? Is this what you’re telling me?”
“I’m not stupid. Gimme more credit than this. It’s only supposed to be detectable in urine three to four weeks at the most, so no, there would be no trace if I were to be drug-tested tomorrow.”
“Good.” Craig linked his hands together, his forearms braced on his thighs, and leaned forward. “Okay, we can work with that.”
“I don’t need you to work with me, bro. I’m all good. Everything is under control. Stop harassing me.” He pointed an accusing finger at us. “Both of you.”
“You’re kidding, right?” I asked, not sure I heard him right.
“Yeah. Tonight’s dinner is canceled. Leave me alone.”
Craig snorted. “And you think we’ll listen to you when you order us around now? You fucking need us in your corner right now, man. More than you think.”
“He’s not wrong, Mase. You can’t ask us not to care about you because you don’t like being in the hot seat.
You started it. You chose to use drugs. You can’t ask us to forget about it because it suits you better.
I’ll go downstairs and throw something together for dinner while you two talk.
Come get me if you need me.” I opened the door but watched him over my shoulder before leaving.
“Hear my words, Mason Pierce. I need you. With every fiber of my being. With every bit of my heart and my soul. Don’t screw this up. ”
Tears shone in his eyes at my words, and he erased the moisture with his fists. “You can’t use my own words against me, Shepard. That’s not how it works.”
Mason had said the same exact thing to me the night he’d come to my bedroom after all my secrets had been revealed, and I’d told him we were done.
“Sure I can. Because I’m aware you meant it all back then, and I mean it right now.
You’re not alone, and you won’t ever be alone again.
You’re stuck with me, Mase. For better or for worse.
” I closed the door, releasing the breath I was holding, not sure if I should give my emotions free rein now and risk being drowned by them, or just push them aside for the time being.
Craig’s and Mason’s voices resonated through the door.
“Mase, you found the perfect girl for you. Mel is strong and cares about you. Don’t fuck it all up because you think she’d be better off without you.”
“I never said that. She’s the only one who matters. I have no intention of ever letting her go. I would marry her today if it were only up to me.”
“You just turned eighteen, man. You have plenty of time to plan your future together. For now, focus on yourself. No more drugs. If you even think about touching them again, I’ll be the one turning you in, damn the consequences.”
“What the hell. I would never rat on you. I would forever have your back, no matter what.”
“I guess I’m not you. I won’t let you spoil your life. And for the record—”
I walked away, not feeling good about eavesdropping on their sibling confessions any longer. I stopped by the bathroom down the hallway to splash cold water on my face, trying to erase all traces of my tears—and the mascara stains on my cheeks.
Dragging my feet, I moved toward the staircase.
A whiff of garlic bread and tomato sauce filled the air, and muffled laughter resonated from the living room.
Before I reached the last step, I straightened my top, plastered a smile on my face, and got ready to face Mason and Craig’s roommates, praying they wouldn’t quiz me about our dinner plans.
When I returned upstairs almost an hour later with a tray filled with plates of pasta, garlic bread, and fresh-squeezed lemonade I’d just made, Craig was nowhere to be found. Most of my anger had dissipated by now.
Mason was busy reading, his legs stretched on his bed and his back pressed to the headboard. He was still dressed in his khaki pants and cream sherpa-lined sweater vest.
“Are we okay?” he asked after I placed the tray on the desk.
“You tell me.”
“Yeah. We are.”
“Mase, I’ll always be there for you. No matter what life throws at us.”
“Same.” He discarded the book beside him and opened his arms. “Come here.”
Without needing much convincing, I nestled myself in his arms. He wrapped them around me, making me his prisoner. Nothing else felt as good as one of Mason’s hugs.
“I love you. I’m sorry for hurting you.”
I dropped a kiss on his chin. “I love you too.”
“You made dinner?”
“Nah. Bailey did. He said we could have some. I just pressed lemons to make lemonade to kill time.”
“Smells good, but I still wanna take you out. Where do you wanna go?”
“Is Craig joining us?”
“Nah. He asked for a rain check. Not sure I’m his favorite person right now.”
“If it helps a little, you’re still mine.”
“Awesome. Let’s drive around and grab takeout. I’m not feeling very social right now, and I kinda crave having you all to myself. These boots are the real deal, Shepard. You should wear them more often. I get horny just watching you wearing them.”
“Good to know.” I switched position to look at him. “You sure you don’t want a night in. I can keep the boots, and we can do something else.”
“Nah. Let’s go.” He jumped to his feet and held out his hand. I slipped my palm into his, and nothing had ever felt more right.
A tiny voice in my head kept telling me I should be careful, but I decided to ignore it. At least for now.