Good morning, Lorelei. I pray you got plenty of rest last night and are feeling better. I would like to speak with you about my dating proposal last night. I meant every word of it, and I want kids
How did this even happen? Is this from texting my brother the other day about how he wanted kids but couldn’t have them because of his condition?
Stupid predictive text technology.
I didn’t mean that last part. It was an accident.
I do want kids. One day. But not anytime soon.
I’m fumbling this. Big time.
Let’s talk soon. In person. Not about kids.
Mason is roaring with laughter while I slowly die inside. I stare at the evidence of my overactive brain and then click the side button of my phone, watching the screen darken… just like my mood.
I shift my glare at Mason, who doesn’t bother to do me the decency of ceasing his laughter. Instead, my glower elicits another round of howling laughter from Mason.
“She’s going to find that absolutely charming or absolutely insane. There’s no in between, my friend.” Mason slaps me on the back before going to rummage through the refrigerator.
“I’m not one to typically play the blame game, but dude. You may have just ruined my life.”
Mason chugs an energy drink, something he’s been doing a lot lately as he bounces between here and Nashville. “You sent the message.”
“You loomed over my shoulder and frightened me.”
“And we are at an impasse. Should I call Braxton to settle this?” Mason plops down in his chair, and I take my usual position on the couch, placing my phone next to me. At that moment, it vibrates. I eye my phone as if it might bite me.
Finally, I pick it up.
Lorelei.
“I don’t know if I can read this,” I say.
Mason snickers. “I swear you can be such a woman sometimes.”
I roll my eyes and toss my phone at him. “Emotional men exist, Mason. Maybe if you were one, you wouldn’t have left Karoline alone for three years.” After the words leave my mouth, I immediately regret them. “I’m so sorry, man.” I can’t say I don’t mean them because I do.
He swipes my phone and grins. “You’re not wrong. But God worked it all out in His timing. I was plenty emotional. Just didn’t know what to do with them other than bleed into songs like a tortured country poet.”
I nod as Mason reads whatever text is on my phone, his smile widening, which in turn causes my heart to beat a little faster. It must be a good message, right?
Mason clears his throat, then says, “Thank you for checking on me. I want kids in the future, too. Let’s meet up at Books and Beans tomorrow for lunch.”
“She really said that?” I rocket to my feet and am standing in front of Mason after two long strides. I hold out my hand, and he slaps his hand into mine. “Phone, Mason,” I rumble in a commanding tone.
He laughs but obliges me.
I read the text, and sure enough, it’s exactly what he told me she said.
But then I wonder if Lucy actually wrote it because I’m having a hard time believing that Lorelei would have responded that quickly and with that much ease. “Do you think she wrote it or her sister?”
Mason shrugs. “I don’t know. I don’t know the two of them well enough.”
“Pft. Some help you are. Speaking of, did you know about the twin switch situation?”
Mason sheepishly grins, crossing his hands behind his head full of thick, dark brown hair. “Yes, I knew about it. But I was sworn to secrecy by Karoline. Braxton must have sworn secrecy to Hadley because I tried to get him to confess that he knew, but the man would give me nothing.”
I click my tongue. “You both better sleep with one eye open. There will be revenge.” But then I laugh because there is literally no point in getting worked up and angry. I understand why the girls did it, and Lucy has apologized. Lorelei made herself physically ill over the lie. I’m in love with her, and love excuses a lot of things apparently. I’m just ready to move on. With Lorelei, preferably.
