60. Simone #2
I pull back, wiping my face, and he touches my cheek, continuing to tell me that he loves me without words.
Then he clears his throat, his voice rough with all the emotions. “Come eat.”
I just nod, and he starts to go inside, then pauses at the door to look back.
“Don’t let any little boy treat you the way I did.”
Shit.
I don’t know how one sentence can hit me so hard. But it does.
I just nod again, unable to respond. He grabs me and kisses the top of my head before going inside.
I stay out on the porch for a second longer, fighting back all the emotions before I go in. It feels like something inside me just…released. It feels like a big moment, yet it was so small and so simple; it makes me a little angry that it took this long for it to happen.
* * *
As soon as dinner is over, and I’m standing at the sink, rinsing off dishes, I hear the front door open. I turn to see Lydia walking in with her arms full of candy and snacks like she’s trying to fill up a bunker and prepare for war with just sugar.
I rush over, laughing, trying to help her.
“I come bearing gifts,” she announces, kicking the door closed with her foot.
My mom calls from the kitchen, “Hi, Lydia! There’s lemonade in the fridge!”
“Mrs. Edwards, you are the love of my life,” Lydia yells back.
When she turns and sees me, she freezes, assessing my mood that has to be so apparent.
“Hey,” she says quietly, walking closer.
“Hey,” I say back. It comes out all small by accident.
She doesn’t take her eyes off me as she places the snacks on the coffee table before sitting down next to me. It’s like she can always see every emotion I’m trying to hide.
“What happened?” she asks.
I shrug. “Nothing.”
“Okay, lies. But that’s fine. I’ll figure it out eventually. I just need to soften you up with a couple of Rom-Coms and a lot of calories.”
I let out a small laugh. “Seriously. I’m fine.”
She crosses her arms. “It’s funny that you think you know yourself better than I do as your best friend.”
I roll my eyes at her and just throw my feet on top of her lap, avoiding her probing.
Her phone rings, and she pulls it out from under her on the couch, answering and putting it on speaker.
“Hey, babe,” Bash’s voice fills the space, and I watch as Lydia’s grin grows, hearing his voice.
“Hey,” she says, all soft and bubbly. “What’s going on?”
“Oh, I just needed to ask you something about the plans—”
I hear another voice in the back. “Our plans!”
I know that voice, and my heart drops instantly at the sound. I’m left sitting there confused as hell as Lydia takes the call off speakerphone and puts it to her ear, so I don’t hear.
“Um, yeah. I’m just over here at Simone’s for a movie night. Can I—um, call you back?”
She nods tightly and then smiles.
“I love you, too.”
After she hangs up, she grabs the remote, trying to play it off by flipping through the channels.
“Was that…Mason?”
She looks over at me, shocked, and then rights her features, softening them a little.
“Um, yeah,” she says quickly, like it’s no big deal. I give her a confused look, and she lets out a little sigh. “He’s been…staying with Bash this summer.”
I tilt my head, thoroughly confused as to why this is the first time I’m hearing about this.
“What? Since when?” I ask. “How did I not know this? And…why?”
Lydia winces a little, like she’s not sure I was supposed to know that or not, and not really sure what all I do know.
“Um…well, at the end of the school year…Mason’s dad kind of…cut him off.” She pauses, scrunching her nose up. “And…cut him out of his life. So…he kind of didn’t have anywhere to go home to. And then Bash told him to come stay at his place for the summer to help him out.”
I’m stuck staring at her, trying to process what she’s saying and put together the puzzle pieces, but I’m still confused.
My heart hurts for him hearing that.
His dad cut him off? And he’s not home with his brothers?
“What happened?” I ask, still wrapped up in all the thoughts swirling around in my head.
Lydia just shrugs. “I don’t really have all the details, just that he told his dad he was changing his major, and he wouldn’t be taking over the business anymore.”
None of this makes sense.
All the years he put up with his dad’s crap just to…walk away from it all?
I can’t help but feel sad for him, but also proud that he’s finally choosing himself for once.
It also kind of hurts that I didn’t know or wasn’t there for him.
But…he obviously didn’t want me to be. He didn’t call or text.
I know I told him I needed space, but that feels…
big. I would have been there for him if I had known.
“Hey,” Lydia says, snapping me back. “What are you thinking?”
I shake my head, trying to keep the emotions back. “Nothing.”
“Lies.”
I stare off for a moment, just thinking. “I didn’t know any of that. He didn’t tell me.”
“I wasn’t sure if you did,” she says softly. “He’s been doing good, though. Bash has been helping him a lot.”
A part of me feels relieved at that. And part of me feels…robbed.
“Helping…how?”
She looks pained, like she wants to tell me, but—
“I—I think maybe that’s all for Mason to tell you. I don’t know if it’s my place to say much more.”
I shake my head, still trying to understand everything I’m feeling.
“He obviously doesn’t want me to know. He hasn’t called once since school. He let me go like I told him I was going to let him go.”
She places her hand over mine, pulling my attention over to her. “I haven’t asked Bash anything because I’ve wanted it to come from you, but…you never really told me what happened between you two.”
“Nothing happened…”
Lydia narrows her eyes at me. “Simone.”
I throw my head back on the couch in defeat and huff.
“We were…just hooking up. That’s all it was.”
“You had sex with Mason?” she whisper-shouts.
I snap my head up, looking around. “Can you be any louder talking about my sex life when my parents are in the next room?”
She slaps a hand over her mouth. “Sorry!”
I let out a laugh, then cover my face with my hands and let out a frustrated growl. “It kind of started at the beginning of last year.”
“A whole year!?”
I slap her arm, trying to get her to stay quiet. “Yes. But…it was just hooking up. I wasn’t ready for anything more after…after Tyler, you know?”
“Stupid Tyler,” she huffs. “I don’t even want to hear his traitorous name.”
I laugh, shaking my head at her. “Yeah…same.”