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“Missed you baby,” he tells her, and I try not to roll my eyes or call bullshit on him.
“I wasn’t even gone that long.” Sophie looks at me and drops her smile when she takes in my firm expression.
“Long enough for me to notice.” He grabs her ass, claiming her as his in front of everyone.
“Fuckface,” I whisper and force myself to walk away.
He didn’t notice anything but the other girls in the room while she was gone. I don’t even say anything else and move toward the patio door and stand on the back porch, staring out at the dead grass. The stars twinkle up above, and I’m so fucking frustrated I can barely control myself. It’s official, Sophie is dating a goddamn creeper.
After a second, the patio door swings open, and I see Sophie.
“What the fuck was that?” She’s pissed, but so am I. “I heard you muttering under your breath and so did Weston.”
I step toward her. “Was what? Me not standing there and watching you hang all over that prick?”
“You were rude as hell, Mason, and I don’t appreciate it.” She places her hands on her hips, and I see she’s seething. “I’ve been nothing but nice to you and respected your wishes by keeping us a secret. Even when you still act like a dick to me, I’m always nice in return. Would it kill you to give me the same respect?” I can see the hurt on her face, but she has no idea how much it’s killed me to stay away.
I take a few steps forward, erasing the space between us and moving her away from the patio door so no one can see us. She’s breathing hard, her chest rising and falling with every breath she takes. My face is mere inches from her, and I watch as her tongue flicks out and swipes across her lips that look so fucking kissable right now.
“He’s fucking bad news, Sophie. The moment you left for the bathroom, he was gawking at every other chick in there and even making crude comments about Maddie. Whoever he’s pretending to be for you is not who he really is when you’re not around. I don’t want you to get hurt. I realize the irony of the statement, coming from me, but you have to believe me when I tell you I get a bad vibe.”
She sucks in a ragged breath and pushes her index finger hard into my chest. “That’s really rich, Mason. You don’t want me to get hurt, huh? Well, let me tell you something. You have zero right to say anything about Weston. You don’t know him at all, Mason. At all. How am I supposed to believe you after the shit you’ve put me through these past couple of years? You don’t want me, but you don’t want anyone else to have me, is that right?” She’s so heated, and I blow out a breath of frustration, brushing a hand through my hair as I realize she’s not going to believe a word I say.
“Soph, please.” She goes to walk away, but I grab her hand to keep her planted, but pull a little too hard and she crashes into my chest. With big brown eyes, she looks up at me, and her breath hitches. “Shit, sorry. For the record, I care about your happiness more than anything.”
“Good, then maybe you should let me be and stop trying to find the worst in people. I’m trying to move on and maybe you should too. It’s what you wanted anyway.”
I open my mouth to tell her the truth of how I still feel, but no words come out. It’s too late anyway. She slips away from me, not looking back, and slams the door shut when she enters the house. I sit in the patio chair and listen to the laughter coming from inside the house, knowing I should be in there having a good time with everyone. Though I try, I can’t seem to shake the way Weston acted and how Sophie is so easy to dismiss it. She’s blinded by what she thinks is love and who she thinks that guy is, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to sit on the sidelines and be forced to watch him hurt her.
Time and time again, Sophie has proven to be so fucking sweet and trusting. I hate that she can’t see through this guy’s performance, but I know nothing I say or do will change that. If he hurts her, cheats on her, or any of the above, I will lose my shit.
Soon, I hear “Auld Lang Syne” playing over the stereo inside. I stay out here by myself, hoping this year will be different but knowing better. There will be no “New Year, New Me.” Instead, it will be more days of being unable to move on with my life, but I’ll be damned if some man from a dating app ruins Sophie’s. Especially one who wears a mask around her.
