The Price of Mason (Forbidden Men 10)

“Befriend?” she repeated as if amused by the word. “Is that how you convince yourself it’s okay to keep sniffing around her? Because you two are just friends?”

“We are just friends,” I spat, scowling hard, even as guilt nipped at me because she was right. I had pretty much convinced myself it was okay to merely talk to Reese, to just be her friend. We weren’t doing anything wrong.

But inside, I knew better.

“Right.” Eva laughed harshly and shook her head. “And controlling her is the last thing I have on my mind, you idiot. She’s the best person I know. I don’t want to ruin that; I want to preserve it. She’s better than you. She’s better than me. She’s better than everyone in this god-forsaken town, and the sooner she gets the fuck out of here, the better. But until then, I’m not letting you or any other lowlife taint the purity that is my amazing cousin. You got that, asshole?”

My mouth fell open. For a moment, I just stared at her, shocked by how much she actually cared about Reese, shocked that she cared about anything.

I had planned on being nothing but snide and hostile to her, but her genuine concern for Reese shocked me into a sincere response. “I don’t want to taint her, either,” I admitted.

Eva threw her hands in the air. “Then you know what you have to do, don’t you? You have to stay away from her.”

“Yeah,” I said slowly, shaking my head. “Except I don’t think I can.”

“Well, you better.” She pointed threateningly. “Or I’m going to make your life a living hell. Do you hear me?”

I heard her. I even respected what she had to say and knew she was right.

I just…

I couldn’t stay completely away from Reese, no matter how hard I tried.

She was my light.

“Eva,” a sharp voice snapped from behind us. Mercer jumped and whirled toward the woman, who approached and frowned at me before narrowing Eva with a scowl.

“Yes, Mother?” Eva said, making me focus more intently on the woman’s face. She must be Reese’s aunt, Mads, her mom’s younger sister.

Eva’s mother glanced at me once more, with eyes that were the same shade as Reese’s. “Come away now,” she said, taking her daughter’s arm forcefully. “We don’t associate with people like him.”

“Oh, trust me,” Eva said dryly. “I wasn’t associating with him.”

“Good. Keep it that way. Your father and I have a reputation to uphold. I won’t have you tarnishing it by getting caught anywhere near such gutter trash.”

“Of course, Mother. He’s gutter trash,” Eva repeated, staring straight at me. “I got it. I just hope he does.” Then she let her mother whisk her back inside the Country Club.

I watched them go, feeling hollow inside as Eva’s words resounded through me like an echo chasing itself.

You’re gutter trash…gutter trash. Gutter trash. She’s better than you…don’t want you to taint her…stay away. Stay away…stay away.

If she hadn’t repeated the very words I’d thought to myself over and over again these past few weeks, I probably would’ve been able to blow her off entirely. But I’d already considered everything, and she was right. Glancing down at my phone, I reread Reese’s cheerful words, and an ache lacerated my chest.

Why couldn’t life be simple, and I could just be with the person who made me happy?

With a groan, I shoved my phone into my pocket and tried not to think about the Reese dilemma. But then my phone dinged, and my heart gave a little leap of anticipation, hoping it was her.

When I checked the screen, however, the message was from Amanda Riker.

Amanda: I need you.

Grinding my teeth, I ignored the text and shoved my phone back into my pocket.

She messaged again an hour later, then an hour after that. The more she tried to get a hold of me, the more determined I became to ignore her, and the more the bitterness grew in me, resenting every client who’d ever contacted me. I kind of wanted to flip the entire world the bird. If I couldn’t have the one I wanted, then none of them could have me. That’s how I felt.

When I woke the next morning to my phone lighting up again with another message, I sighed and tugged my pillow over my head, wondering why I hadn’t just turned the damn thing off. In fact… I reached for it to turn it off now, but then I noticed the message wasn’t from Amanda, thank God.

Reese: Ready for the calculus test tomorrow? Wanna bet over which one of us makes a higher score?