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“No excuse. I would have dealt with it, and I would have formulated a plan. He had no right to hurt you like that.”
“We were seventeen and didn’t have our trust fund money and had to rely on our parents. I’m not saying it was right, but I didn’t want to say anything because of how everyone would gang up on him.”
“I can’t look at him right now, Lucy. I’m sorry but I feel like I failed you.”
“You didn’t fail me, Aiden. Trust me, you didn’t fail.”
If he only knew what my father has done with me and who he has made me become with no one being the wiser. They will soon find out, but I can’t tell anyone anything. Not yet. It’s too soon.
* * *
I make it home, pack a bag, shower, and head to the guy’s house.
I park behind Mase’s McLaren and let myself inside by entering the code on the keypad lock on the front door.
When I’m inside, it smells like all the guys’ colognes mixed, like in a men’s clothing store. They’ve decorated the place like a bachelor’s pad. All modern gray, white, and black furniture. Everything is sleek and clean down to the gray sand-washed wood floors. I’m wearing pool sandals as I tread my way up the stairs, headed to Mase’s room with an overnight bag. There is no way Mase will go to practice tomorrow looking like someone stoned him to death.
I open the bedroom door and hear the shower running. The familiar scent of Mason’s body wash and the clean, spicy scent of Mase’s cologne swirl around me the deeper I walk into his room. I set my bag down and stare at the unmade bed with gray sheets and fluffy pillows, running my hands over sheets to straighten them and pull them back.
I set up the ointment and steri-strips for Mason’s busted eye and lip. I also brought pain killers and a first aid kit to help tend to the wounds on his face. The shower water stops.
The door of the adjacent bathroom swings open and the light bathes Mase in a glow over his torso as water cascades down his abdominal muscles. Fuck my life. He has an eight pack. The man is ripped and huge even when he is naked. His body belongs in a fitness magazine.
Mason is one hell of a man. His arms bulge when he tightens the towel around his waist, the ink on his skin calling out to me so I can rub my hands all over the swirls of colors.
“What are you doing here?” he asks.
I lick my lips. “I-I-I wanted to give you a hand,” I stammer.
He walks closer, his hair wet from the shower. A single strand falls over his forehead. My gaze catches the broken skin over his swollen eyes and lip. He has a bruise that has turned purple. My stomach clenches because I never wanted Mase to be hurt or watch him get hurt.
“I’m sorry. I know you told me you needed space away from me, but I can’t let you be alone dealing with this. It is the least I could do. I don’t know why Aiden—”
“It’s all good,preciosa.”
He sees my overnight bag on his bed and gives me a knowing expression. “What’s with the bag? Sleeping over?”
“I hope you don’t mind. I brought some supplies and painkillers.”
“You fixed Smiley’s face too?” he asks sarcastically.
My eyes narrow, annoyed, but I know he is just being a jackass. “I wouldn’t know. I left with Aiden soon after you left. You need someone to tend to your wounds.”
After drying himself with his towel, he walks over and lies on the bed naked.
My eyes trail over his magnificent torso, that I want to rub my hands all over to see how hard his chest and stomach are.
“Like what you see?”
I blush, but I ignore his attempt at getting under my skin so I’ll admit that I want him. Instead, I get to work cleaning and tending to his wounds.
He watches every movement as I clean him up and when I’m done, I tell him, “I’m going to stay with you and make sure you can drink some soup. Your lip must hurt.”
His expression hardens. “You’ve done enough, Lucy. You can go now.”
I flinch. Then I remember him needing his space from me and I get it. My brother is mad at him and he also found out about me and Alex. “Are you sure you don’t want me to stay? I planned to stay. I feel awful about everything. I didn’t want the past to cause anyone more hurt and pain.”
“I want you to leave, Lucy. I appreciate you coming over and cleaning me up, but I need to stay away from you. I think it’s best you stay away from me too. I need time to think and I can’t do that with you here.”
