Only the Truth Pt. 04

MASON

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The smile Sadie gave me as she shoved the car door open and stepped out into the sunshine looked more like a grimace, but at least she was trying. I had second thoughts about bringing her home with me while I showered and changed, but when I told her I didn't want to be without her, it wasn't an exaggeration.

Up until now the need to be with her had always hovered somewhere on the periphery of my life, growing stronger whenever she was near me. I'd had no trouble controlling it or pushing it to the back of my mind. It hadn't stopped me from focusing on work, friendships, and at times other women.

But now we'd spent the night together, everything had changed. We were connected, and in more ways than just the physical--although the physical turned out to be even hotter and better than I'd imagined all these years.

Before I could get caught up in those thoughts again, I opened the driver's door and climbed out to join her. Just in the time it took me to round the car and step up onto the curb, her initial show of confidence had disappeared, and she didn't look so sure of herself anymore.

She stood there with her hands in the pockets of her white shorts while the breeze ruffled the hem of her navy tank. Her lower lip disappeared between her teeth, her eyes trained on the house like she was about to enter a torture chamber. It wouldn't be easy for her seeing Claire again after the way things had ended last night, but if she could make things right with me, I had a feeling she could handle forgiving her sister as well.

I moved in beside her as the sounds of the neighborhood carried on around us; the hum of a distant lawn mower, the laughter of two kids next door, their heads popping up above the side fence every time they jumped on their trampoline.

It was just like any other Sunday afternoon, but at the same time, everything felt different.

My fingers interlaced with Sadie's, and I gave her hand a squeeze. "All good?"

She sent me a pained glance, then realized what she was doing and smiled. "Sorry, I'm just... you know, mentally preparing."

Claire's car was the only one in the driveway, which meant Andy must have headed out for his usual Sunday food run. He took off around lunchtime and came back carrying bags filled with mouth-watering aromas for the three of us--sometimes more depending on who'd stopped by--and we'd sit around the kitchen table talking crap while we stuffed our faces. Maybe sticking to his normal routine meant everything was okay in there, and that life could get back to normal quicker than I'd expected.

"Are we going in?" I asked.

She didn't look anywhere near ready to go, but she pulled in a breath and nodded.

Her hand clamped mine as we made our way inside and headed for the living room. Someone had left the TV on with the sound muted, and any clues a party had been going on here hours before had already disappeared. The place looked pristine. Claire must have been up half the night finishing off the cleaning we'd started, but I couldn't see any sign of her now. Either she'd stayed in bed to catch up on sleep, or Andy had dragged her out on his hunter-gatherer mission.

The shuffling sound that came from the other side of the couch was the first indication we weren't alone. I sent Sadie a look then we both watched as a feminine hand gripped the back of the sofa. The seconds that followed would have been funny if it were any other situation--it was like watching a B-grade horror movie--but when Claire heaved herself up to a sitting position, I forgot why I'd been tempted to smile.

As she came around the end of the couch, her gaze darted from Sadie to me. Her blonde hair was tangled around her shoulders, there were dark shadows under her eyes, and her skin looked paler than usual. I'd never seen her so unraveled. Her feet were bare, and she wore a baggy black tank over a pair of sweatpants that were at least a size too big. She either hadn't noticed or didn't give a shit that one leg of the pants had got caught up at her knee.

"Hi." Her features were tight with the strain of being Claire, and her attempt at a smile fell flat. She shoved her hair back from her face and didn't seem to know what to do with her hands after that. "I didn't hear you come in."

Sadie closed her eyes and blew out a breath. When she opened them again, the determined look that came over her had me wanting to hook my arm around her neck and drag her in close for a kiss. "We just got here," she said. "Thought you might want to talk about what happened last night."

"Sure. Okay, yes." Claire finally noticed her uneven pants and shoved the offending leg until it dropped to match the other one. "Want coffee first? Tea?"

"No, nothing thanks."

She flicked a look my way and lifted her brows. "Mason?"

"No, I'm good, too." Cheeky shit. Treating me like a guest even though I still lived here and had no plans of changing that status. "Are you all right, Claire-bear? You look like crap."

She let out her usual snort-laugh like I'd hoped she would, but her amusement died just as quickly as it appeared. "Yep. I'm fine. So..." Her gaze flitted around the room.

And that was my cue to get the hell out of here.

"I'll go grab a shower so you two can talk." Sadie hadn't asked me to stay while she talked to her sister, but after the way she'd stood up for herself last night, I didn't have to ask if she needed backup.

With a smile that I hoped she'd find reassuring, I squeezed her shoulder and left the room.

~ * ~

After I finished drying off, I pulled on a pair of basketball shorts and a white t-shirt that had seen better days. With the holes in the hem and the neckline, it wasn't fit for wearing anywhere outside the house anymore, but it still took up space in my closet because I was a sentimental idiot. Sadie had borrowed it one time a couple of years ago and I couldn't seem to let it go.

We'd been sitting around the dining room table with a group of friends devouring the Mexican food Andy had just brought back with him. I'd made a joke, no idea what it was now--probably something completely asinine--but Sadie had found it funny. She'd tried biting into a soft taco and laughing at the same time, only to end up wearing half her food down the front of her.

She'd shared a look with me, partly amused, mostly embarrassed, before she disappeared with Claire to repair the damage. It didn't look like the kind of spill you could fix with the dab of a sponge, so I ran off and grabbed a t-shirt from the pile of folded clothes in my room, forgetting Claire would have a better option for Sadie to wear.

I found the two of them in the laundry standing beside the washing machine. Claire was facing the doorway, and Sadie had her back to me as she pulled her unbuttoned shirt down her arms. "Here," I said. Just before I turned my head and held out my offering, I caught a glimpse of her slender back, smooth skin, and a pair of bright red bra straps that, as basic as they were, had given me a head rush with the not-so-innocent thoughts that kicked in.

When Sadie laughed and assured me it was safe to look again, I did.

The way she clutched her shirt to her chest and reached out to take mine, that shy, grateful smile she sent me instead of insisting Claire lend her one of her shirts instead... I should have known right then and there, but I was clueless, too focused on the way I felt around her to pay attention to the subtle changes in her behavior toward me.

She wanted to wear my t-shirt.

And she had.

For the rest of the day.

I remembered checking her out every time her attention was elsewhere. Warmth spread through me at the sight of her swamped in my clothing, the shape of her crimson bra showing through the material. I spent an embarrassing amount of time wondering if the fabric would smell like her afterwards--and it did, all clean and floral and feminine--and whether she wore that kind of thing to bed.

Sadie only gave it back to me when she left, even though the clothes dryer had beeped a couple of hours earlier signaling hers was ready to go again.

Like I said. Idiot.

Should have figured it out a long time ago.

With a shake of my head, I dropped last night's clothes in the hamper and opened the bathroom door. When the raised voices in the living room registered, I turned and headed in the opposite direction. As much as I loved both women, it would be smart to stay out of the way until they were done. If I walked into the middle of it, I'd be too tempted to defend Sadie and potentially make it worse.

I sat on my bed, leaning against the headboard as I flicked through a dirt-bike magazine to pass the time. As far as distractions went it sucked pretty hard. My mind kept drifting to the action on the other side of the door, and I couldn't focus on the pages for more than three seconds.

How would we handle this if they weren't able to come to some kind of understanding? Would I be stuck between Sadie and Claire while Andy hovered somewhere on the periphery, friendships and relationships permanently ruined no matter which way we turned?

I slapped the magazine shut and checked the time on my phone, wondering why Andy hadn't come back yet. Judging by the sounds drifting from the living room, Claire needed some pointers on groveling instead of throwing herself into an angry defense, and no one had the ability to calm her like he could.

Just when I'd made the decision to get involved after all, the door burst open, and a brunette whirlwind came flying into my room. Flushed cheeks, wild eyes and cute as all hell, Sadie flung the door closed and glared at me. No need to confirm if her anger was meant for me or Claire, though. As soon as our eyes, met the heat in hers cooled, and she let out an audible breath.

"Well, this just fucking sucks."

My mouth twitched but I wouldn't smile, not when I didn't know for sure how she'd take it. Sadie rarely swore. Whenever I heard that smooth, sweet voice of hers hurling curses it hit me like a one-two punch. Humor first, followed by hot, bone-deep lust.

Without warning, she launched herself at me, barely giving me time to slide the magazine out of the way before I was surrounded with soft, warm, sweet-smelling woman. She planted herself sideways on my lap then twisted her upper body and threw her arms around my neck.

"Hey," I said softly, "What the hell did she say to you?"

Her grip on me intensified, like she was trying to stay grounded while her anger, along with all the other emotions crashing around in there tried to send her flying. "Everything. I'm not done talking to her yet. I just need to be with you for a minute."

With a gruff sound, I pressed my lips to her cheek, hard, letting them rest there while her breaths quietened. For a while, I just enjoyed the closeness with her, then I eased back far enough to look her over.

Her fingers must have run through her hair a couple of times, because the dark strands were all tousled like she'd just climbed out of bed. Her eyes were troubled, her lower lip swollen and pink, tempting me even now to give it some attention. I had no idea if the bright spots on her cheeks were from her shouting match with Claire or the contact with me, but she looked so soft and appealing, I wanted to put all this frustrating shit behind us and just be with her.

"Talk to me."

Sadie rubbed her forehead and sighed. "She told me about the pregnancy," she said. Her hand dropped to her lap then her gaze shifted to the other side of the room. "I didn't know, Mason. I had no clue. Not back then, not now. I just wanted to hug her."

Pretty much how I'd felt when Claire had told me her story. If big sister had spilled all her secrets like I expected her to, the next part wouldn't come as a surprise. I still had to ask. "And then..."

Sadie's eyes searched out mine again, a faint look of amusement filling hers. "We both know she spread those stupid, hurtful rumors about you." She reached up to touch my face but then pulled back before she had the chance to make contact. "I can't believe she did that. I'm so sorry."

"What?" Talking to her profile suddenly frustrated the shit out of me. "Come here, I need to see you." I gripped her hips and hoisted her up, repositioning her so she was facing me. Although she made a sound of protest, the heat crawling up her neck told me she didn't exactly hate being man-handled. "Why are you sorry?"

Sadie shifted on my lap and arranged her thighs either side of mine. "Because I feel like I'm partly to blame. She only did it because of me."

Making excuses for Claire suggested she wanted to move on from this just as much as I did. I slouched against the headboard and bent my knees behind her, using my thighs to tip her closer. "So, you're responsible for her fuck ups now?"

"No... yes. Kind of." She shivered and leaned into me, her fingers bunching in the material of my t-shirt.

With a smile, I cupped her face and touched my lips to the underside of her jaw, the pulse in her throat. My attention earned another tremor, a soft sigh. I lifted my head and swept my thumbs over her cheeks, watching her lips come part and a storm brew in those grey eyes of hers. Her tongue slipped out to moisten her lower lip, and her thighs squeezed either side of mine. Then she gave herself a little shake as if to break the spell, and wrapped her fingers around my wrists.

"You're way too distracting." She pulled my hands down into the space between us. "I can't think when you touch me like that."

"That's kind of the point."

Her eyes narrowed as she took in my features, then she released my wrists and sighed. "I can forgive what she did to me, but I can't handle what she did to you. How can you just sit here and act like it doesn't even matter? I'm starting to question your sanity."

I rubbed my hand down my face and tried to put into words something I didn't fully understand myself. Claire had been my closest friend since we were ten years old, the nearest thing to a sister I'd had as an only child.

I loved her.

Not in a romantic or sexual way.

Not as a friend.

She was my family.

We'd built our first treehouse together, been grounded by both sets of parents for too many ideas suggested by me and agreed upon by her. We'd spent our summers together and holidayed with each other's families. She'd even been hauled into a couple of detentions with me before she figured out how to resist the lure of my kind of fun.

Claire had pissed me off in a major way last night--and we weren't even close to being done with that conversation--but it would take something serious that we had no chance of coming back from to have me cutting her out of my life for good. "Being calm doesn't mean I've just rolled over and accepted the situation."

Sadie rested her hand on my chest, her fingers splayed over my heart. "What does it mean then?"

"I'm concentrating on what's more important."

"Which is?"

I raised my brows. "If you have to ask it looks like I need to up my game."

She bit her lip and smiled around it, but then her expression sobered, and she pulled in a breath. "When I heard the first part about her pregnancy, it broke my heart. I might have been too young to understand back then, but I still would have tried to help."

"I know."

"But when she admitted to starting those rumors about you, it made me see her differently. I've looked up to her my whole life and now it's just not the same anymore."

"You still love her," I said. "That hasn't changed."

Sadie bumped my chest with the side of her fist. "So, what? It doesn't make any of this okay."

"You're right, but it's a pretty solid reason to get back out there. Don't you want to wrap this thing up and move on?"

She sent me one of those looks, the kind that said I was either a fool or way too generous with my forgiveness. "She made everyone think you were a player for years," she reminded me. "No one could take you seriously, and women only saw you as someone to fuck for fun. You couldn't have a proper relationship because of her."

There she went with the swearing again. A rush of need and the urge to smile hit me at the same time. "Are you complaining about me being single all this time?"

Her lids drifted closed, and she let out a long breath through her nose. When her eyes opened again, she didn't answer me, but the look on her face said it all. Claire's interference had resulted in one big upside for us, and that just gave Sadie one more thing to feel guilty about.

"Just think--"

She sat up straighter and clasped my face in her hands. "No. Don't say it. Don't you dare! You're going to try to put another positive spin on a crappy situation, I know it."

"Just think," I repeated, grabbing her wrists, and pulling her hands out to the sides. "We won't be able to spend time at your place when your parents get home. Not the naked kind, anyway. If you go back out and talk to her, I won't have to find somewhere else to live. We can be together here."

The mention of sex had her cheeks turning pink. "If I try to fix things, it'll be because it's the right thing to do, not because it makes my orgasm more convenient."

"Multiple orgasms." My quick grin had her fighting a smile. I kept hold of her wrists and drew her in close, leaving soft, sucking kisses on her throat that made her sigh and lift her chin to invite more.

When she spoke again, her voice sounded breathy and distracted, her hands tugging against my grip like she wanted to free them and put them on me. "One thing I don't understand is how Claire found out about your, you know?"

"Hmm?" I nibbled her ear then gave the lobe a lick.

"About your man parts."

My head lifted, and I smiled. "My what?"

She gave me a patient look, all that breathiness gone now. "You know what I mean."

"No." I guided her hands behind her back and clamped them together at the base of her spine. "Why don't you spell it out for me?"

I'd only teased her to watch the fire ignite in her eyes. When she got worked up, it did things for me, made me want to earn that look from her again and again. I should have known not to underestimate her, though.

Rather than giving me the heat I expected, she flashed a sweet smile and pressed her chest closer to mine, rocking her lower body in a rolling motion that had my man parts straining against my shorts. Then she trailed the tip of her tongue up my neck and spoke in a husky murmur beside my ear. "That big, beautiful cock of yours, Mason. The one I haven't gotten to know nearly well enough."

Need slammed into me, an immediate, visceral reaction I had no control over. I dumped her on the mattress, where she landed on her back, legs splayed. This woman... she pushed my buttons like no one else, and I had no clue which one of us loved it more.

I climbed over her and grabbed her wrists again, holding them in a firm grip above her head--and then I saw that fire I'd been looking for. Combined with the barely-there smile hovering at her mouth, she had me close to losing it. My hips pushed between her thighs, and I gave her a couple of grinding thrusts. "God, the things I want to do to you when you talk to me like that..."

She stared up at me with turbulent eyes, all eagerness and challenge and soft, pouting lips. Instead of continuing with the banter like I'd thought she would, her hips lifted from the bed, and she made a whimpering sound in the back of her throat. "Do it. Now. Please."

There was a distinct possibility she'd kill me.

Just when I thought I had her all figured out, she went and changed the rules on me.

I let go of her and rested my arms beside her head, leaning down so she was cradled between my elbows. I touched my mouth to hers, smiling at the way she tipped her chin and tried to claim my lower lip. "There's nothing I want more right now." I kissed her again, softly, not lingering long enough for either of us to take it any deeper. "But you need to finish what you started with Claire."