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I say goodbye, feeling like an absolute turd. Guilt weighs on me. It sits like a baby elephant on my chest.
The guys are all staring at me when I end the call.
“God, I hate lying to him,” I mutter mostly to myself. “Felix has been a good friend, and I’m shitting all over his trust.” I hang my head.
“I think you need to come clean to him,” Davis says, clapping me on the shoulder.
“I agree,” Jasper adds. “You’ll feel better if you’re just honest with him.”
Harry gives me a concerned look and nods. “It’ll be worth it to clear the air. Then you won’t have to keep running around like teenagers with this lie hanging over your heads.”
“Maybe. But what the hell am I even going to tell him? Karli and I are just…friends,” I argue weakly. Even as I mutter the words, I know it’s not true. I knew they weren’t true back when I said them to Karli earlier this morning.
I don’t know what we are, but we’re definitely more than friends.
I look to Cash for his two cents, because clearly, they all know better than me about what I should do with my life.
“Come on, man,” he intervenes. “At this point, it looks like it’s more than ‘just’ anythingbetween you two. You’ve got feelings for her. And if she’s here with you this weekend, I’m guessing she has feelings for you, too.”
He’s so right. I’m getting in too deep, and this is some dangerous water I don’t know how to swim in.
Rolling in the sheets once or twice is one thing. But feelings and meeting families?
Fuck.This is deep.
Before long, it’s dinner time and stomachs are grumbling around the room. Cash is ready to order delivery but then Nicky dances her way out of the kitchen, the other girls close on her heels.
“It’s decided. We’re going to The Hot Sauce,” my trouble-loving cousin announces.
“Your mom said we can drop off Sparkle on the way,” Emma tells Jasper as she bounces into the room with their toddler on her hip.
“Sounds like a plan,” he eagerly agrees. “What ya say, Mason?”
My eyes shift to Karli. “How do you feel? I know it’s been a long day so if you want to just go back to my place and crash—”
“No freaking way!” she tells me with a grin. “I hear this bar has some pretty good onion rings.”
“The best,” I assure her. Shit—I wouldn’t mind some onion rings.
“Then I definitely wanna go!” she says, eyes twinkling.
The girls are cheering. The guys are already putting on their shoes. Karli is smiling at me. Carefree and beautiful. Everything feels so perfect. But under the surface, it’s anything but.
I don’t know how long we’ll be able to continue to hide this from Felix.
I’m guessing, not long at all.
40
KARLI
Laughter and happy conversation tinkle in the air all around us we make our way down the sidewalk leading to The Hot Sauce Bar and Grill.
The girls won’t stop raving about how much they love this place and they’re excited for me to try the bourbon lemonade. I’m excited, too. I’m definitely in the mood for an adventure tonight. So, here we are. The whole group of us. Mason’s cousins and their significant others as well as his four sisters.
I grip Mason’s arm and step through the front door of the dim, old-time tavern. He is disheveled as hell from a long day. But the look is drool-worthy on him. I’ve said it before and I’ll forever stand by it—messy hair and a little stubble on his jaw has this magical way of upleveling this man’s sex appeal to otherworldly proportions. I maybe greasy and windblown from our journey to Honey Hill but I’m proud as hell to be the woman on his arm tonight.
Like second nature, he slides his fingers through mine, squeezing my hand as we walk. I can’t help the massive grin that peels across my face. It’s nice to not have to hide. I like being able to touch him in public. Even if it’s just for tonight.
