18. MASON
MASON
I sat at the kitchen table, the knot in my gut still there from last night. Angelo was across from me, his dark eyes staring at the coffee mug he hadn’t touched, his face drawn like he’d barely slept. Benji slouched beside me, his leg bouncing under the table, a mirror of my own restless energy. The three of us had crashed hard last night, tossing and turning, haunted by the same question: what the hell happened with Bailee?
One minute, Angelo had been up in the DJ booth, looking like he’d seen a fucking angel descend from the heavens. His grin had been so bright it lit up the club, and I’d followed his gaze, curious. Then I saw her—Bailee, her nervous smile catching the neon lights, her leg bouncing like she was ready to bolt. My heart had tripped over itself, because fuck, it was her, the same woman Benji and I had already fallen for on the beach.
What were the odds? A miracle, maybe, that Angelo had found her too, that our paths had crossed like this. But then she’d taken off, her eyes wide with terror as Angelo called after her, his voice lost in the crowd.
We’d caught up to him outside the club, his confusion palpable. “Who was that?” he’d asked, and Benji and I had exchanged a look before spilling the truth. Angelo’s face had crumpled, like he thought he’d broken something precious, and none of us had slept worth a damn after that.
And now, the next morning, all three of us were a bit of a wreck. We didn’t have her number, no social media, no way to reach out without crossing lines that’d make us look like creeps. I could stop by the rental house she was staying at, but that felt like a violation, like showing up uninvited to her safe space. Reaching out to one of her sisters—the older one, maybe?—was an option, but it was unprofessional as hell, and I wasn’t sure I could stomach the awkwardness.
Angelo hadn’t said a word all morning, his phone untouched on the table, his hands clasped tight like he was holding himself together. I couldn’t stand it anymore. I leaned forward, grabbed the leg of his chair, and dragged it closer with a scrape that made Benji flinch. Before Angelo could protest, I cupped his face and pressed a firm kiss to his cheek, the stubble rough against my lips. “We’ll figure it out,” I said, my voice steadier than I felt. “I’m pretty sure she’s freaking out just like we are.”
Benji let out a chuckle, but it was a hard, bitter sound. “Yeah, but the problem is she leaves in, like, three days, and we’ll still be here. Even if we fix something that barely even started, where does it go? One night together and then goodbye? She gets a fantastic memory, and we just… move on?”
I leaned back, my hands dropping to my thighs. “Maybe it doesn’t have to end?”
Benji snorted, his eyes narrowing. “Mason, let’s be real for one moment. Someone like Bailee isn’t gonna drop her posh life in whatever city she’s in and move in with us.”
Angelo groaned, finally breaking his silence. “Who said she’d do all that? We all came here for a vacation at some point and decided to stay. I canceled my return ticket three years ago after two days of being here. I’m not saying she’d do the same, but all I want right now is to clear the air. She looked betrayed, Benji. I can’t leave things like that.”
Their eyes turned to me and I sighed, knowing that showing up at their villa would be the least strange option we had. I was the one who’d always been good at wading into awkward situations, at smoothing things over. But this? This was gonna be messy as fuck. I pushed to my feet, the chair scraping against the tile. “If this goes south, both of you owe me a drink.”
Benji grinned, a spark of his usual mischief returning. “And if it doesn’t, y’all are paying for dinner.”
“That’s not even a fair trade,” I shot back, crossing my arms.
“Yes, it is,” Benji said, leaning back with a smirk. “You both make more in a month than I do in three.”
Laughter broke the tension, a brief, bright moment that felt like a lifeline. “Alright,” I said, grabbing my keys from the counter. “Wish me luck.”
I didn’t know what I’d say, how I’d explain everything without making her feel cornered. But even if it all went to hell, I thought, at least I’d get to see that smile of hers one more time. That alone was worth the risk.