Page 14 of Mason
“I can help.”I stood and he stopped.“What?
“You’re supposed to be resting.”
“I got plenty of rest in the hospital.You barely let me get out of bed.Now I have all this restless energy bottled up.”He just stood there, one brow raised.Throwing my arms up in frustration, I glared at him.“It’s only a sandwich, Mason.”
“You can watch while I make them,” he negotiated.“That way, you can tell me what you want.”
“What I want is to make my own damn sandwich,” I complained, following him into the kitchen.
“Too bad,” he dismissed, crossing to the fridge.“I have turkey, ham, salami, and a rotisserie chicken that has already been separated from the bones.Vi always does that, putting the white and dark meat in separate containers.She even prepped the vegetables for us.Roasted peppers, carrot sticks, lettuce, and tomato.”
“I would have been fine with a PB and J.”
“Beautiful girl, you need more protein than that.And I know you’re not a vegetarian, so pick which meats you want.”
“Whatever.”Taking a seat at the small island, I watched him build sandwiches.“I guess that chicken does smell really good.”
He began arranging the rotisserie chicken on a slice of bread.
“Just the chicken.No condiments, please.Carrots on the side.”
“You sure you don’t want any ketchup drizzled over the top?”he asked, serious, not teasing, even though a smile played on his lips.“My nephews like them like that.Not gonna lie, it tastes pretty good.I use hot sauce mostly, though.”
“Chef’s choice,” I said with a shrug.
He did a thin drizzle across the meat, drawing a heart before adding the top slice of bread and cutting it in half.It was sweet and kind of adorable the way he took extra care drawing the heart art.No doubt he did that all the time for his sister’s children.I bit the inside of my cheek, giving myself a mental scolding for finding that hot.
After adding carrot sticks to the plate, he slid it in front of me.“What’s your verdict?”
I took a small bite and chewed slowly, taking my time, waiting until I swallowed before responding.“Not bad.A solid eight out of ten.”
As we ate, I began to relax.Mason was easy to be with, even in the silent moments.I didn’t have to fill the quiet voids, didn’t feel a strained tension like I did with some people I’d known for years.Even though something lingered in the air between us, a spark that was just waiting to catch flame, I was comfortable in his presence.
I felt seen and safe, both of which had been missing from my life for way too long.
Mason
For as long asI’d lived on my own, I’d never once had so many women in my home at one time.With Sutton recovering, I was focused on her and only her.Over the first few days, we settled into a rhythm that felt so natural, it was as if we’d been living together for years.Which surprised me.My personal space was also my sanctuary.I didn’t share it well with anyone, not even family.
Especiallymyfamily.They had a tendency to invade and set fire to the quiet I craved.
With Sutton, however, it didn’t feel like an invasion.
Before she was even released from the hospital, I’d made arrangements so that she would be home with me, not Mom.Which amused my mother highly.She didn’t call me out on it, though.Just snorted and nodded while I shifted my schedule so that I was available for my girl over the next few weeks.
Sutton was healing, in more than just the physical sense.Her heart was still heavy after losing her mom.She hadn’t been able to fully grieve, not with how busy she was with school and trying to take care of her living situation.Not that she’d confided in me about her apartment issues.
That was the thing about my aunt Emmie.She didn’t leave anything to chance.Before Sutton was out of surgery the night I met her, Emmie had a full dossier on her.From date and place of birth to her vital statistics and every minuscule detail of her life up to and including the day of the talent competition.
Her sleazy landlord was only one of many assholes Mom and I had sorted out since we’d been lucky enough to find Sutton Russell.Her dad was another one who would find out soon enough that karma came in all shapes and sizes.It wouldn’t be long before Sutton wouldn’t have to worry about any of them.
For the moment, we were enjoying the downtime.Getting to know each other.Mostly, I was letting her see what life with me could—would—be like.
Which, of course, my sister took as code to invade my personal space and bring reinforcements.Shaw.Mia.Piper.Nevaeh.Bliss.Heavenleigh.Hayat.Gods above, they were practically spilling out of my small condo.This.Them.They were why I treasured my personal space.
One-on-one, I could handle them.In small doses.All of them at once, for more than five minutes?Not so much.
My head was thumping, their loud everything overwhelming me.
