Five Ways to Fall (Ten Tiny Breaths, #4)(79)

“Both.” Mason pauses. “You know, relationships aren’t supposed to be like this, Reese. I don’t know if you’re going after guys like this because you’re a glutton for punishment or because you’ve just never seen what a decent relationship looks like, but—”

“I’m not after Ben,” I snap. “And Jared was all heart and no head. That’s really the only way I can describe that.”

“And were you using your head tonight?” he pushes. “Because I get the impression that you think you have a score to settle with your ex.”

“What do you care, Mason? I get that you want to be nice to me because of Lina, but don’t suddenly try to be my big brother.”

“That’s not . . .” His lips purse together tightly. “Don’t you ever wonder why your mom is the way she is? What made her so callous? People don’t just grow up like that.”

“No, I don’t, Mason. I try not to think about Annabelle at all.” My irritation is growing by the second. Where the hell is Lina? She needs to come fetch her boyfriend.

“Well, I think it had something to do with what happened between her and your dad. I think she never got over it, and that makes her chew up good men like Jack.”

“And what happened between Annabelle and my dad exactly, Mason? Because I’d love to know and I sure as hell have no idea. Do you?” I learned at a very young age that bringing up Hank MacKay got me nowhere but sent to my room. Annabelle could have ranted about my father to me, but what she chose to do was far worse. She just pretended that he didn’t exist.

“No, I don’t,” he admits. “But I know that we’d all hate to see you turn into her.” He sighs. “I knew she was cheating on my dad before he did. I heard her on the phone, late one night. I just wasn’t sure who it was with. Then, when my dad caught them . . .” Mason’s jaw clenches. “I hated seeing him cry over her.”

A lump spikes in my throat. Jack cried over Annabelle? I certainly never saw Annabelle shed a tear over Jack. In fact, I don’t think I’ve seen her cry since the day I watched her set fire to a box of my dad’s things in the driveway. She stood there, her arms wrapped around her body tight, ignoring my questions, until there was nothing left but ashes.

“Well, I’m not Annabelle and don’t ever compare me to her.”

Mason’s mouth twists up. “I really hope that’s true, Reese.”

“All right.” I stand, struggling to quash the bubble of pain rising. “I’m going to join your girlfriend for some shots.” I round the corner and step through the doorway.

And find Ben with a Twinkie attached to his chest.





Chapter 24




BEN





Shit. This really isn’t helping right now. I peer down at Mercy, at her tits pressed up against my chest, the man-made cleavage through the center. I’m betting Mercy was an A—B, tops—before her implants. “You took the entire night off?”

She shrugs and then offers me a coy smile.

Fuck. I’m halfway drunk and now I have a sure thing rubbing her nipples against me. Where the hell is Reese? She wouldn’t have left without her phone and I’m not giving that back until tomorrow. The last thing I need her doing is responding to him. Leaving the party to go meet him. To do what? Vengeance f*ck the guy?

I shouldn’t care, but I do. I’m just having a hard time figuring out exactly why. I don’t like watching my friends make stupid mistakes, but my gut is feeling off about the entire situation. I take a long sip of my beer as I try to figure out if I’m more bothered by her acting like an idiot or her screwing around with another guy when I want to be the one screwing around with her. The woman has turned me upside down. Ben Morris does not concern himself with this kind of shit. Ben Morris goes with the flow. Ben Morris is f*cking Switzerland! He can get hot ass wherever and whenever he wants it, no strings attached.

“Are you upset about something?” My eyes find Mercy’s double-Ds waiting for me when I look down. Case in point. Though this doesn’t appear to be without strings anymore.

I give her my best dimpled grin. “Do I look upset?” Shit, do I?

“So what’s going on with that lawyer from your office?” she asks innocently.

“Just a friend,” I admit, not bothering to correct her on the lawyer piece.

“A friend like me?” Her hand slides down the front of my pants. Mercy giggles as she feels the hard-on I’ve been carrying around since Reese stalked into the bar in her red dress. “So this is okay? I mean, she could join if she wanted to.”

I struggle to keep beer from spraying out of my mouth with my burst of laughter as I picture Reese’s face in response to that proposition. It’s followed by a rush of blood southward. Damn, that could be hot. I wonder if she’d be into that?

Cool hands slide up under my shirt and then back down to my belt. “Want your gift now?”

Oh, hell. I stall her fingers with my hand. Where is Reese? Her friends are at a table pounding shots of tequila and J?ger, but she’s not there. Scanning the crowd, I catch Kacey’s eye. I don’t know when she got here. I give her a wave. She responds with a nod toward Mercy and then that “what are you doing?” glare.