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.
