“Hayden and Reid are best friends?” I ask in confusion. I don’t see it. They’re both opposites and bossy and so blond… Well, Reid is less blond now that he’s dyeing his hair silver and blue. But he’s blond in spirit, so it counts.
“Yes,” Jacob says with an air of regret.
“Well, whatever, but we don’t need birthday parties.”
“I don’t know why you hate our birthday so much.”
“Because we’ll have to share it for the rest of our lives, and we’ve shared everything else, so I like to pretend it’s just another day.”
“Parker.” Jacob says my name like I’ve personally offended him.
“I’ll see you tonight.”
Jacob calls my name when I’m almost out of hearing range. Turning around, I find him grinning and saluting me, probably in agreement of keeping his mouth shut. Whatever.
The house is quiet when I finally arrive home in the late afternoon. I don’t know what Mason does now that he’s not working for his uncle. Maybe I should ask him. I hang my jacket up and put my bag in the living room so I can hopefully remember to do my homework tomorrow.
Mason’s sitting at his computer watching a video when I pause outside his study door. He looks very serious, his lips drawn down in a frown, eyebrows furrowed in concentration.
I knock on the door to gain his attention. “Hey.”
Mason looks like he’s been slapped. He flushes to the roots of his hair and slams his laptop shut. That’s interesting. I squint and look at him more closely, noticing the red splotches on his pale cheeks, the tension in his shoulders as he slumps over to avoid my gaze.
“Do you want me to ask or do you want me to leave you alone about it?”
Mason blinks up at me in confusion. “Seriously?”
I shrug. “I only ever want to know what youwantme to know.”
Mason makes a startled, disbelieving sort of laugh, then furiously shakes his head. “You’re a literal dream. Do you know that?”
“Uh…”
“You’re just sort of perfect… for me,” Mason says sourly, as if irritated by it.
“Sorry?”
“Anyway…” Mason squares his shoulders and stares me down. “I was looking at porn.”
“Oh. Was it good?”
He saws his hand back and forth. “Porn hasn’t ever really done anything for me. I get kind of caught up in it. I wonder if they’re really enjoying it, if they’re happy, if they smell funny. Like, what if one of their breaths just reeks but the other doesn’t say anything and kisses them just for the sake of the porno.” Mason gasps. “What if one of them has mono!?”
I lean against the door with a smile. “I guess that’s possible.”
Mason huffs and gets this cute concerned look on his face. “Plus, I’m not that interested in anal.”
“I don’t think everyone is.”
“Have you ever done it?” Mason asks so seriously that it makes me snort a laugh. I guess we’re having this conversation, then. Right before we go over to the house for Dante’s birthday party.
“Have I had anal sex?”
Mason blinks, his mouth turning down. “Actually,don’ttell me, because then I’ll just wonder if you’re constantly thinking about how much you miss it.”
All right, that’s it. He’s going to work himself into a tizzy. I stride across the room, watching as his face goes a little soft at my proximity. Dropping to my knees in front of him, I stay out of reach since he’s not ready for me to touch him yet. I’m not sure I am either, because I can already tell one touch won’t be even close to enough. Not with Mason. Never.
“I can promise you with absolute certainty that I won’t be thinking about anyone but you when we’re together. In whatever form of intimacy is allowed between us.”
