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“What the hell is up with that guy?” I ponder out loud, watching after the grumpy lumberjack.
Daphne’s head angles to the side. “You’re asking me? He’syourbrother. But if I had to guess, I’d say the brutish mountain man is a bit overprotective of Layla.” Her eyes twinkle.
I’m inclined to believe that she’s right.
“Okay, go, Karli!” Daphne shoos me away. “Go get your man!”
She’s right. I don’t have the time to figure Archer out. Not when my own life is a five-alarm fire at the moment.
“If Layla or Sky needs anything, Archer will take care of it. Gladly.” Daphne smirks.
I crack a smile. I wave at her as I sink behind the wheel of Layla’s car.
Before I roll out of the yard, I’m dialing Mason’s number once more. Voicemail. Again.
My mind is racing too fast as I drive down the mountain road, trying—and failing—to stay below the speed limit. I need to get to Mason. At this point, it’s urgent.
I pull up in the yard minutes later. My heart races as I park in the spot where Mason’s blue Mazda issupposedto be. But he’s not here.Oh, god. He’s not here.
I force myself to remain calm. I don’t want to overreact right now when there could be a perfectly logical explanation for why his car is gone. But the uneasy feeling in my stomach says that something’s not right.
And when I barrel into the house and call out his name, there’s no response. His shoes aren’t by the front door. I dart up the stairs. His bedroom door is open and his things are gone.
Everything is gone.
He left. He really left. How could he just leave?
I collapse against the wall outside his bedroom and there’s no way to stop my tears from coming down. He left me.
Hands shaking, I dig my phone out of my pocket and dial his number one more time.
It rings, it rings, it rings.
And then, “Hello…?”
49
MASON
Idon’t realize that I’ve been holding my breath until Karli’s silver Nissan swerves frantically into the motel’s parking lot. I’m pacing beside my car, trying to not let my headache get to me. I watch her vehicle approach, never looking away.
She pulls up in the spot next to mine, barely putting the car in park before she’s hopping out from behind the wheel and flinging herself into my arms.
“Mason!” She sobs against my chest.
My arms come around her and I hold her tight. So tight. The moment I feel her body pressed against mine, my resolve begins to melt. She burrows her head into my chest. I can feel her heart pounding in time with mine.
I already know this conversation is going to kill me.
I had a lot of time to think, tossing and turning in that dirty motel bed last night. Felix and his brothers are right. Karli was in a fragile place when she and I met.
But hell, I was in a fragile place, too.
Which is precisely why neither of us was in the right headspace to be jumping into any kind of entanglement. And trying to convince myself that it was love? What a fucking joke.
I’m pissed—exclusively at myself—for believing that I could get involved with Karli and not make a mess of everything. That was so stupid of me.
She eases back, cupping my face in each of her tiny hands. “Mason, what’s going on? Why did you leave the house? Why are all your things packed into the back of your car again? Are you leaving? You can’t leave, Mason. Please.”
