Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 73094 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 365(@200wpm)___ 292(@250wpm)___ 244(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73094 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 365(@200wpm)___ 292(@250wpm)___ 244(@300wpm)
“Andrew, have I told you about the ghost cat that haunts this bar?” Max asked.
Andrew laughed. “You rambled about a ghost cat when you were plastered that one night a few weeks ago.”
“I’m just certain that there is a sweet little cat haunting this bar,” Max explained. “He’s innocent, but definitely mischievous, too. He made Finn and Ori fall in love, and I know Mason is next.”
Andrew clicked his tongue. “Doesn’t seem to me like that guy needs a Cupid ghost cat.”
“Why not?” I asked.
“Mason?” Andrew asked. “I’ve only run into him once or twice, but he’s a fucking flirt.”
Something deflated inside me. “How do you know?”
Andrew’s smile was wide. “I mean, spend ten minutes around him and you’ll find out. Last night was wild.”
The animal inside me was rearing its head.
Max was still talking about the ghost cat. He was convinced it was haunting the Hard Spot by opening cabinets and knocking over various things to send messages. The idea of following Max’s conversation seemed impossible, though, because of the alcohol in my system and because of everything I kept hearing about Mason last night. I tuned out the conversation, fixated on why the hell I was so pent up every time I heard Mason’s name on someone’s lips.
Mason may have hooked up with someone last night.
And so what?
I was thinking with my cock. But I was also worried—worried that Mason was doing what he apparently always did, shoving away any worries in life by trying to distract himself.
It sounded like he’d been treated poorly by guys in the past, too. Even if I couldn’t date him, I didn’t want him to be left feeling lonely again, off in his big, empty house and making decisions that he would one day hate.
I really did care about him.
In a short time, I’d been able to see just how genuine he was, and I knew damn well that he deserved to be happy.
Pressure slowly built up inside me like a kettle rising to a boil.
“Here. Leftover game prizes from the last game night,” Max said, pulling out a bowl of little lollipops.
I reached in, grabbing a strawberry flavored one. “This will be the perfect chaser for my next shot of whiskey.”
“You want another?” Max asked. “Coming right up.”
The whiskey went down too easy. The boys were distracted now, caught up in another conversation about a weird guy Robbie saw at the gym last week.
I needed fresh air more than ever. I slipped some cash on the bar top in case I didn’t make it back in.
Outside, the night wasn’t much calmer. I stepped out front and leaned on the wall outside, listening to the ambient sounds of Laurel Ave, people’s laughter and chatter floating through the evening air.
Little bit drunk.
Juuuust a little.
I thumbed at my phone for a while. I navigated to Mason’s text thread a handful of times, then closed it every time. What did I think I was going to say?
Did you bring someone home last night?
I’m so into you I can’t think straight, but I don’t know how to be with another person right now?
You might be one of my favorite people I’ve ever met, and you came out of fucking nowhere?
I finally tapped out a text, the words slowly populating the screen:
“I want to take you on a date. You should know what it’s like to be treated right. But also… I need you to take my cock. Need to hear your voice break when I fuck you for the first time. I need my good boy—”
I groaned out loud, popping the strawberry lollipop in my mouth.
I deleted every word of the text, watching it slowly disappear.
God, I was too drunk to be doing things like this.
A big truck roared its way down Laurel Ave, and I watched it go, the red tail lights glowing until they disappeared.
At last, I landed on ordering a ride. I was too drunk to drive, but I sure as hell had to get out of here.
Not that I had a damn clue where I was going to go.
11
MASON
“Mason, the caviar,” Finn whispered to me, taking me aside in my kitchen. “Wow. How much did that cost?”
The low buzz of jazz music and conversation filled the air. There were so many people in my house that I could barely see from one side of the room to another, and the lights were down low, only adding to the loungey vibe.
“Don’t worry about the cost of anything,” I told him. “I inherited the money, and I already have everything I could want. I like to treat my friends.”
“It’s incredible,” Ori said, coming up beside Finn and giving him a kiss. “When you said we could use your house, I didn’t know it would be like this.”
“This is what Mason does,” Finn said, smiling at me. “He can somehow pull a party out of his ass at a moment’s notice.”