Page 94 of A Little More Forgiveness

“So,” Mason began. “We’re having a few friends over later for drinks and some food.”

I raised my eyebrows in question.

“Sawyer, Cameron, and Flynn.” He listed, then looked at me, his eyes full of mischief. “You remember Flynn, don’t you?”

“Fuck you.”

My friend’s snicker instantly lifted my moodiness. “Plus a few other people. You should join us.”

“What other people?” I assumed I wouldn’t want to be sociable at all today, instead wanting to shut myself away in my beach house and feel sorry for myself. But after twenty-four hours of wallowing and missing Leo and Mitch, I’d already had enough of my own company and yearned to be around my friends, letting their love and laughter help lift me out of my misery. It was also typical of Mason to remember my exes were getting married at three this afternoon, and especially thoughtful of him to try to distract me.

“Just some friends we’ve gotten to meet since I moved here full time.”

I grunted a maybe, and Mason rolled his eyes.

“Please, Gabe,” Ash added. “It would mean a lot to us if you’d come.”

I smirked. I couldn’t help it.

Mason instantly clicked his fingers and pointed at me, turning my smirk into a full-on grin. “Behave.”

“What?” Ash looked at him, confused for a second, before the sweetest blush hit his cheeks after he worked out what his words implied. “If you were here,” he amended. “It would mean a lot to us if you were here.”

Mason slipped his arm around Ash’s shoulders, and pulling him in close, planted a kiss on his temple. “He knew exactly what you meant.”

He was right. I did.

“Please,” Ash pleaded, looking at me like I’d taken his puppy away.

“Okay, okay. Stop with the emotional blackmail, Ash. Jesus. Fine. I’ll be here, all right?” I forked another piece of french toast. “Now let me eat my breakfast in peace.”

“Of course.” Then he reached across the island to lay his hand on mine and patted me gently a few times.

“Yeah, yeah,” I muttered, liking that I pleased them both and not minding in the least this time around it was their two against my one. Which of course led me straight back to Leo and Mitch and wondering if they would have enjoyed meeting my friends as much as I would have enjoyed introducing them.

Fuck my life.

I stayed for another hour and a second round of french toast before vacating my seat to let them do whatever they needed to get their place ready for their guests.

“Be here at two. No later,” Mason warned, moving around the island to give me a hug, then wrapping his muscular arms around my shoulders and pulling me in close. “I don’t want you on your own today, okay?” he whispered in my ear. I moved my head against his shoulder in agreement. I didn’t particularly want to be on my own any longer either.

“You making eggnog?” I asked, causing him to shake his head at me. “It’s not Christmas Eve without eggnog.”

“Yes, I’m making eggnog.”

I raised an eyebrow and received a world-weary sigh.

“Yes, Ash is making eggnog. Happy now?”

“Yep.”

“Okay.” He playfully shoved me away. “Some of us have work to do while you go and make yourself look pretty.”

“Hey,” I grumbled, “I always look pretty.”

“Course you do.” He flapped his hands at me. “Now shoo.”

The wind had picked up as I made my way over to my place, and the loose woolen sweater and T-shirt I wore did nothing to stop the harsh elements filtering through the material to cool my skin. Once in the warm, I lit the gas fire, turning the heat down low. My house wasn’t cold, as I’d insulated the hell out of it, when I did my own renovation, but I liked having the fire on as the space felt so much cozier. I glanced around the room at the few pieces of furniture I had. A black leather sofa, a couple of metal side tables, a glass dining table and four white chairs being the sum of my decoration. I needed to update the place when summer came around, add some different, more colorful furniture, get some cushions and stuff—make the inside feel homier.

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