Page 30 of Mason Wilder
“Know about what?” She eyed Tessa and Mason with their arms around one another and squealed. “Oh my God! I’m so happy for you!” She hugged Tessa and then swatted Mason on the arm. “You finally came to your senses. What the hell took you so long?”
“You knew?” Lucas asked with surprise. “And you didn’t tell me?”
“Only since yesterday. And I don’t have to tell you everything. You’re not my lord and keeper.”
Lucas rolled his eyes at her.
“Don’t fight it, bro,” Mason said with a small laugh, trying to lighten the tension, or at least bring a smile to Lucas’ face. “It’s a losing battle. You can’t argue with the women in this family.”
Lucas didn’t react. His eyes kept ping-ponging between Mason and Tessa while he still tried to comprehend everything. He had this dazed and disoriented look on his face. “You’ve really been in love with Mason since you were five years old?” he asked Tessa. “Why didn’t you say anything before? Why did you wait so long?”
“Because,” Tessa answered, as if she couldn’t understand why no one figured it out. “Everything had to go according to the plan. The band needed to come first. You know that.”
“Nothing gets in the way of the band,” Mason teased, which earned him a smile from his girlfriend.His girlfriend. He still wasn’t used to referring to her that way. It sounded both foreign and natural at the same time. He shook his head with disbelief and realized how crazy this must be for Lucas.
“It’s true,” Tessa declared. “Everything in our lives led up to Prodigy going mainstream. That was the number one goal that we all shared. Now that’s been accomplished and we’ve achieved fame and success, I’m ready to take the next step in my life. Everything is checked off my list.” She gazed lovingly at Mason. “Mason was the final countdown. I had to tell him how I felt. It’s our time. He just needed a little while to get used to the idea.”
Mason let Tessa do most of the talking because she had a way of smoothing out a situation and not letting it get out of hand. She took control, but Mason needed to make one thing clear to his best friend. “I know this is a shock, man. I know your best friend’s little sister is supposed to be off limits. And I’m really sorry, but this isn’t a fling. I’m in love with her and I really want this to work out. I want you to know that I respect your feelings about it, though. I hope you don’t have a problem with us being together. Because if you do, tough fucking shit.”
Lucas finally relaxed and let out a laugh. He pushed his fingers through his long hair and held onto the roots for a moment. “This is just such a shock.” He dropped his hands to his sides and paused while thoughts danced behind his eyes. After several seconds, he nodded, and when he spoke, his voice was low and sincere. “This is actually really cool. I’m happy.” He gave Mason a bear hug and a few pats on the back. “I’m happy for you guys.” Lucas stepped back and narrowed his eyes, his face suddenly turning serious. He pointed his finger at Mason and poked him in the chest. “Just remember, if you break my sister’s heart I’m gonna kick your ass.” Then he put Tessa in a headlock and gave her a noogie like she was 12. “And you, try not to put my best friend through the wringer.”
