Breaking Perfect

Sean shook his head sadly. “No. I guess I’m here because it’s the one thing I said I would do when that bastard died and I didn’t want to break my word. I see you kept your word too. She’s something spectacular, man.”

Mase looked toward his wife who still played without realizing she had an audience. “She is that.” The affection in his voice plucked at a jealous chord buried somewhere in Sean’s heart. “You couldn’t have expected me to wait. I told you I wouldn’t.”

“I know. I’ll be out of here in the morning.”

Mase’s eyes met his, the familiar edge of accusation in their dark depths. “You can stay. No one asked you to leave. No matter what, Sean, you’ll always be someone I consider my friend.”

“Mase—”

“Stay.” Sean had always been helpless against that commanding tone in his voice. “For at least a little while.”

He hesitated for a moment, knowing if he agreed to stay and be a voyeur of Mason and Liberty’s perfect world it would likely be the most torturous experience of his life. He sighed. He was his own worst enemy. “Yes. Okay. I’ll stay.”

Chapter Four

Mason hung up his coat and placed his keys on the table by the door. His stomach had been in knots since he received Libby’s message saying that Sean was at the house. The last thing he ever expected was for him to come to their home. Complicated didn’t begin to explain the situation. And to see him now… One would think thirteen years would age a person. Well, Sean had definitely aged, but in a way that agreed with him more than anything else. Mason ignored the jolt of familiar longing.

He still had a full head of light brown hair naturally streaked with various shades of blonde. His eyes weren’t as bright as they once were, but still riveting as hell. The small creases in the corners only made him seem softer. He’d certainly grown into himself. Seeing the man who was no longer a boy brought back pain Mason had long ago buried. He wasn’t sure he was ready to deal with such memories, but he also wasn’t ready to watch him walk out of his life again.

He turned and Sean stood from the step. “I’ll let you two talk. I gotta get some sleep. See you in the morning?” Sean said from the landing just as the piano stopped playing.

Mason sensed Libby approaching. Without taking his eyes off Sean he held his hand out to his left and said, “In the morning.”

Libby’s small hand, warm from playing, filled his. Sean’s eyes moved over their intertwined fingers. The soft weight of Liberty’s head on his arm was a welcome one. He glanced away from his old friend to kiss the top of her head and when he looked back to Sean there was something in his expression that made Mason so sad for him and angry with him all at the same time.

“Are you going to bed, Sean?” Libby asked.

Sean looked to his wife and Mason held his breath. There was no way of predicting how the two would interact, but he wouldn’t tolerate any kind of disrespect to his wife in their home or anywhere else. If Sean was carrying any old baggage he better have checked it at the door.

“I am. Thank you so much for everything, Liberty. You’re a gracious host along with many other fine qualities. I can see why Mase chose you.”

Mason let out a sigh of relief and pulled Liberty closer to his side. Interesting that Sean phrased his pairing with Liberty as a choice. To Mason’s way of thinking, Sean removed any sense of choice the moment he walked out on him thirteen years ago.

Mason recalled the sharp stab of rejection he suffered the moment Sean actually pulled away. He knew he had planned to leave, heard all the pathetic excuses Sean enlisted to explain why. But seeing Sean go, actually watching him drive away forever had been a blade slicing through his heart that left wounds too large to ever fully heal.

Liberty’s voice and soft laughter brought him back to the present. “It’ll be fun having one of Mason’s old college friends here for a visit. We don’t get out much and I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone from that time in his life.” She smiled cheekily. “I bet you could tell me all sorts of things about my husband I never would’ve been able to pry out of him. I can’t wait to trade stories.”

Sean looked speechless and Mason had to laugh. He looked down at Libby, shamelessly teasing her for her ever curious nature. “Oh, sweetie, I don’t think you realize that fraternal brothers share a loyalty that cannot be betrayed. It would take some seriously persuasive tactics to break that bond. But I will tell you, Sean is a sucker for apple pie. Maybe you should make another one and see if you can get him to talk.”