Page 26 of Mason Wilder
“Cafecito with espuma. That’s foam made from sugar.” She placed a cup in front of Mason. “Taste it.”
He looked up at her. So did Sindy and Lucas. And it was suddenly awkward. There wasn’t any question in her head that they all knew she was purposely doting on Mason. She quickly handed out two more cups, took one for herself and sat down.
Sindy was the first to say something. “This is incredible. I’ve never had such rich coffee. It’s strong, but sweet.”
“Thanks.” Tessa’s voice was subdued, sheepish, without the usual strength and enthusiasm. She felt self-conscious and a little embarrassed. Maybe Lucas was unsure why she was paying extra attention to Mason, but Mason knew what she was doing, and she was making him uncomfortable. He ended up leaving early, not long after dessert, and Lucas and Sindy followed shortly afterwards.
Tessa sat down on the couch and stared straight ahead, drained. She felt as if her heart had slipped down into the pit of her stomach and there was a gaping hole in her chest. Mason wasn’t interested in her. He didn’t want her. She realized that this was the “knowing when to stop” she’d discussed with Sindy earlier, and it gutted her. She felt pathetic and as if she had wasted her life.
Tears rushed to her eyes and spilled down her cheeks. Sobs wracked her as she mourned a future that would never be. She cried so hard that her stomach ached, so she curled into a fetal position, hugging the throw pillow and burying her face in the soft flokati for at least a small bit of comfort. But there was nothing that would ease the loss of her shattered dreams and the sobs continued. Mason would always be close, but remain out of her reach. She would never be his lover, his wife, his companion. He was her soulmate and the love of her life, yet she’d be forced to keep her distance. Their lives wouldn’t be one, and she didn’t think she’d ever be whole. She gasped violently as she finally accepted the truth.
Eventually, her heaving sobs tapered off and she was left defenseless and raw, unable to move so she just lie there immobilized.
A while later, the intercom buzzed, filling Tessa with a tiny bit of strength.She knew Sindy would be back so they could talk. She sat up, relieved to have her best friend to lean on for support, and took several deep breaths. Her legs trembled when she forced herself to stand, but she pushed through and made it to the kitchen to retrieve the leftover cake. She and Sindy would bond over heartbreak and decadent red velvet. Cradling the cake pedestal in one hand, she pressed the button on the intercom. “You can send Sindy up,” she told the doorman.
“It’s not Miss Cavanaugh,” the doorman replied. “Mr. Wilder is on his way up, Miss Garcia.”
The cake slipped from Tessa’s hand and dropped to the floor splattering confection in a semicircle at her feet. Her hands flew to her mouth, and she squeezed her eyes shut, unsure whether to let out a giddy laugh or a sob of relief. A nervous flutter interrupted her moment of triumph, and she pressed the button on the intercom. “Was he alone?”Please say yes. Please say yes.
“Yes, ma’am.”
She exhaled, relief filling her eyes with happy tears. She suddenly stilled. It didn’t mean he came back to tell her that he had feelings for her. He probably wanted to talk to her about her behavior. Deflated, she lowered her gaze to the floor and a lone tear fell onto the remnants of her beautiful red velvet cake. Her shoes were doused with frosting and the floor was a mess. Even though she was brokenhearted, she couldn’t let Mason see the mess on the floor. She barely had time to wipe her shoes with the dish towel when Mason’s signature rat-a-tat-tat landed on the door. She covered the disaster on the floor with the towel and stood up straight. “Mason?”
“You know it’s me, Tessa. We need to talk.”
His voice was off. This wasn’t the passionate open-the-door-I-have-to-tell-you-how-much-I-love-you declaration that she was hoping for. As she thought about it, she became certain that he was going to tell her to knock off the flirting and that nothing was ever going to happen between them. Nausea washed over her, and her face grew red hot with humiliation.
Bracing herself, she took a deep breath and pushed her shoulders back as she opened the door and acted surprised to see him. “What are you doing here?”
He walked past her and into the apartment before spinning around to face her. “I know what you’re doing.”
She slowly shut the door, her heart hammering in her throat. “What am I doing, Mason?”
“You’re trying to make me see how irresistible you are. You’re trying to make me fall for you. You’re coming on to me, without coming on to me.”
She had no excuses to offer for her behavior. She should have accepted that he wasn’t interested in her romantically, instead of acting like a fool. “I’m sorry.”
He flashed a wide smile. “You’re slick. You’re really clever. I gotta hand you that. For the last few weeks you’ve made it obvious how talented you are. Writing that killer song on the fly on the bus. You put together a hit song like that.” He snapped his fingers. “And it was effortless. That was incredible. Even for you. Then you designed and made a top the very same day. A hit song and a gorgeous article of clothing, that your mother is going to showcase in her stores, all in one day. Not even a day. A half day. Then when we rehearsed the song, you practically knocked me off my chair with that performance.” His smile widened, he leaned back and put his hands up. “I’m not even gonna say anything about that thong bikini you were wearing by the pool that day. And I can’t begin to describe these gourmet meals you’ve been preparing.” He extended his arm toward the kitchen and saw the smashed dessert on the floor. He took a step closer to it and his brows pinched together. “What happened here?”
“I . . . I dropped it.” Nerves had her rattled. Mason was rambling and she still had no idea which way the conversation was going.
“Well, that’s a damn shame.” He shook his head at the ruined red velvet cake. “I was really hoping to have another piece of that.” He paused, and his shoulders dropped. “Tessa, you don’t have to flaunt your talent in my face.”
“I’m . . . I’m not.” Yes she was. That’s exactly what she was doing, but felt too ashamed to admit it.
“Whatever. It doesn’t matter.” He took a step closer to her. “I was halfway home when I realized that I had to come back and tell you to stop it.”
She knew her cheeks were crimson while she focused on the floor, unable to look at him. “You’re right. I shouldn’t have been acting that way. I’m sorry.”
“You can stop trying to win me over, Tessa.”
Humiliation made her agitated and she tightened her jaw. She was done with this conversation and wanted him to leave. “I said you were right, Mason. What more do you want me to say?”
He put his hands on her shoulders and looked intently into her eyes. “You can stop trying to win me over, because you already have.”
She almost choked on her own saliva. “W-what?”
“I don’t know why I didn’t see it before. Maybe I did. I must have. Maybe I was just blinded by the fact that you were like a sister to me.”
