Page 26 of Well Played

Mason let out a harsh laugh. "Love?" he scoffed. "What do you know about love, Seth? You're just a player, a guy who's always looking for the next conquest. And now you've set your sights on my sister?"

“Oh, dear Lord, “I heard my father say as he held his head in his hands, as my mother patted his arm. “This is not something I need to hear.”

This must stop now. I reached for the bowl of peas in front of me, my hand closing around the cool ceramic. In one swift motion, I was flinging the contents across the table, watching with a sense of satisfaction as the tiny green spheres pelted Mason's face and chest.

For a moment, there was silence. Mason stared at me, his mouth hanging open in shock, his shirt stained with smears of green. Then, slowly, a wicked grin spread across his face.

"Oh, it's on, little sister," he growled, reaching for the bowl of mashed potatoes.

I ducked just in time, feeling the whoosh of air as the potatoes sailed over my head and splattered against the wall behind me.

Chaos erupted.

Food flew in every direction, splattering against the walls and the ceiling, dripping onto the floor in messy puddles. I shrieked as a spoonful of gravy hit me square in the face, the warm, savory liquid dripping down my chin and onto my shirt.

Seth grabbed me around the waist, pulling me out of the line of fire as Mason launched a barrage of carrots in our direction. We collapsed against each other, breathless with laughter, as Josie dove under the table for cover.

Through it all, our parents sat at the head of the table, their faces a mix of amusement as they watched their children devolve into a pack of wild animals.

Finally, after what felt like hours, the food fight began to wind down. We were all panting and giggling, our hair and clothes stained with the remnants of our lunch. I looked around the room, taking in the chaos, and felt a sudden pang of guilt.

"Mom, Dad, I'm so sorry," I said. “We’ll clean this up, I promise." To my surprise, my parents just shook their heads, small smiles playing at the corners of their mouths.

"It's alright, Hazel," my mom said, her voice warm. "Why don't you all go get cleaned up? We'll take care of this."

I stared at her in disbelief, my mouth hanging open, but before I could argue, my dad was standing up, his hand resting gently on my mom's shoulder.

"Your mother's right," he said. "You kids go on upstairs and work this out. We've got this."

I looked at Seth, then at Josie, then finally at Mason. A grin spread across my face. "Race you to the bathroom," I said, and then I was off, my feet pounding against the hardwood floor as I sprinted towards the stairs.

I heard Mason's footsteps behind me, gaining ground with every step. Just as I reached the top of the stairs, I felt his arms wrap around me from behind, lifting me off my feet and spinning me around in a dizzying circle.

"Gotcha, Sprout," he said, his voice warm with affection as he set me back down on my feet.

I turned to face him. "I'm sorry, Mason," I said, my voice soft. "For not telling you about me and Seth. For keeping secrets from you."

Mason's face softened, his eyes searching mine. "I'm sorry too, Sprout," he said. "I overreacted. The thought of anyone hurting you..." He trailed off, and then he was pulling me into a fierce hug, his arms crushing me against his chest.

"I love you too," I whispered, my voice muffled by his shirt. "More than anything."

We stayed like that for a long moment, just holding each other.

"I guess I'd better go apologize to Seth," Mason said. "I was kind of a dick to him earlier."

I grinned. "He'll forgive you," I said, my voice confident. "After all, he is dating your sister.”

Mason's face split into a wide, genuine smile. “Too soon Sprout, but I’ll get used to the idea.”

With one last squeeze of my hand, Mason was turning and heading back downstairs, his footsteps echoing in the silence. felt a pair of strong arms wrap around me from behind, pulling me back against a warm, solid chest.

"Hey, beautiful. You okay?"

I turned in Seth’s arms, my hands coming up to rest on his chest. "I'm more than okay," I said. "I'm perfect."

Seth grinned. "Yes, you are," he said, his voice low and husky. "In every possible way." He leaned down, his lips capturing mine in a soft, sweet kiss that stole the breath away.

I loved him.

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