Page 31 of Mason Wilder
Mason stood at the railing at the edge of the rooftop and took in the view of the Atlantic Ocean. The private section that belonged to the condominium complex offered them seclusion and privacy, but sometimes attracted fans and paparazzi at the outer edges of the public portion of the beach. He preferred the serenity of the rooftop, and wished Tessa’s apartment, which he could see parallel to Lucas’ building, had the same amenity. It didn’t really matter since they bounced back and forth between the two complexes, an advantage of having his best friend living across the street from his girlfriend.
They’d told their collective group of parents about their relationship the day after telling Lucas and Sindy, and their reactions were pretty anti-climactic. They’d all been overjoyed, but no one seemed surprised. Lucas had been the only one floored at the announcement. Everyone else seemed to have been waiting for Mason and Tessa to get together for years, even Aunt Mary, who seemed happiest of all.
Mason turned away from the beach in front of him and lounged in a cushioned chaise, sunglasses covering his eyes. The sun was hot at this height, and he pulled off his shirt. Might as well work on his tan. It was the one thing living in New York City didn’t offer him. The balcony at his apartment only had a short window of direct sunshine during the day. He couldn’t walk around town shirtless. The last time he tried that a frenzied group of female fans had literally darted across Fifth Avenue and caused a pile up.
The sound of a cap twisting off a bottle got his attention, and he opened his eyes just as an ice cold Budweiser landed in his cup holder, curtesy of his best friend. He picked it up and gave Lucas a wide smile. “Thanks, man.”
Lucas sat in the chaise next to Mason, brought a bottle to his lips and stared up at the sky. This guy worshiped the sun and had a golden tan to prove it, which contrasted nicely with his pale blond hair. Sometimes Mason thought Lucas looked more like a surfer dude than a rock star from New York. Mason loved tattoos and his chest and arms were covered, but his best friend was unmarked. Over the years, they’d spent countless hours at the gigantic guitar-shaped inground pool at the Blade-Garcia mansion, sitting side by side just like this. They still used it, but not as much since Lucas and Tessa had moved out. “Do you miss the pool at your parents’ house?”
“Yeah. But I got the ocean right outside my door.” Lucas looked around the rooftop deck, took off his Metallica tee and wiped his brow, then stuck the balled up shirt under his head. “You OK with the heat? I got a mister. I could turn it on if you want.”
Mason popped his head up. “A what?”
“A misting station. Like they have in Vegas.” He jumped up and turned a knob on something that looked like a lamppost and a fine spray of water delicately tickled the air.
Mason looked at the glow on his arms. It was just enough to cool his skin, but not enough to really get him wet. He flashed a smile and chuckled. “I guess you know you’ve made it when you can afford your own mist.”
Lucas took a long sip of beer and exhaled a refreshing, “Ahh.” He leaned on the arm of his lounger and turned to look at Mason. “So. You and my sister.”
It wasn’t a question. Just a statement from an older brother to his little sister’s new boyfriend, and Mason readied himself for the customary grilling. He nodded once. “Me and Tessa.” He could practically see the thoughts swirling inside Lucas’ head. Even though Lucas had known about the relationship for a week, this was the first time he’d brought it up. It wasn’t the first time they were alone, so there had been ample opportunity. But Lucas probably had to analyze the situation, just like his big brain always did with every situation, and he had stockpiled the questions.
“Let me ask you something,” Lucas said, pale brows drawn together over his baby blues. “What was going on that night after the show in Cincinnati?”
Mason had expected questions like, did you have feelings for my sister when we were kids? Or, did anything ever go on between you two while we were growing up? Mason knew exactly how to answer those questions, but he wasn’t prepared to tell Lucas how he broke his sister’s heart. “It’s not a big deal, man.” He tried to sound unfazed by the question as he crossed his ankles and laced his fingers behind his head.
“It is a big deal. I didn’t think anything about it at the time, because I know Tessa can be a drama queen, but now that I’ve been thinking about that night, it’s clear that she was upset. And it wasn’t because you went over time at the show.”
Mason tipped back his beer while he thought about an answer. He wasn’t about to lie, but he wasn’t going to leak personal conversations between himself and Tessa either.
“You’re my brother, Mase,” Lucas said, adamantly. “But she’s my little sister.And I get the feeling that you said something to upset her.”
When Mason didn’t respond, Lucas threw his legs over the side of the chaise and sat with his elbows on his knees. “I expected her to light up the party. Talk everyone’s ear off. Hog the camera. But she ditched the party, and us, and stayed in her room for the rest of the night. I saw you pounding on her hotel room door.” Lucas focused on his beer cap as he flipped it through his fingers. “What happened that night?”
Lucas may as well have socked Mason in the gut, because he felt as if his insides plummeted. Thoughts of sweet Tessa, hurt and crying hysterically, all because he rejected her, slashed at his heart. He needed to be honest, though. “She told me how she felt. She told me she loved me, and to tell you the truth, I was shocked. Man, she took me totally by surprise.” He hung his head, reliving the horrid moment he broke Tessa’s heart. “I told her I didn’t feel the same way. I guess I did. I just never realized it. Maybe that’s why I never settled into a serious relationship. I think I knew, deep down, that it was Tessa who I held on a pedestal. No one stood up to her. She’s light years ahead of everyone else. I don’t have to tell you how awesome your sister is. You already know it.”
Lucas slowly nodded. “She is something else. I gotta admit that. So, what made you realize you loved her? Did a light switch just flip inside your head?”
Mason looked up to the sky and mulled over those first few days after they got back from the tour. After the initial shock had worn off, he began to look at Tessa differently. She was no longer Lucas’ little sister or the baby who always crashed his jam sessions with Lucas. She was a woman who ran the band like a business. Someone who pushed all of them to be better musicians. Someone who never settled for anything less than perfection in everything she did. Singer. Bass player. Songwriter. Frontwoman. Chef. Entrepreneur. She was bilingual. She had been volunteering at soup kitchens since she was ten. Her talents were limitless and her heart was huge. “Yeah. It was as if something hit me over the head. But I kept thinking, this is crazy! Lucas would beat my ass if I touched his little sister.”
“I almost did.”
Mason laughed when Lucas playfully punched him in the arm. “I don’t care, man. She’s worth it. Besides, I knew you’d be OK with it once you realized we were in love.”
“Yeah. You love her. I can see that. And I can see she’s nuts about you. I honestly don’t know how she kept it to herself all these years. It must have been killing her because she’s never held anything back. If there’s one thing everyone knows about Tessa, it’s that she has no filter. She tells it like it is.” Lucas stared at Mason for a moment. “Truth, bro. You’re the only one good enough for her.”
“Thanks, man.” It meant the world to him that Lucas viewed him as worthy of his little sister’s affection.
Lucas’ phone buzzed, and he read the screen. “We got company. Immortal Angel is here.”
“My pops? He didn’t tell me he was coming to Long Island.”
After Lucas spoke to the building concierge and gave the OK to let the crew up to the rooftop, he said, “My dad and my papi have something for me.”
Knowing Angel’s extravagance, it could be anything from a new grill to a new car. The elevator doors that led to the rooftop slid open and Mason’s dad and Tommy walked onto the roof carrying a freestanding basketball hoop with an acrylic backboard painted with an American flag. “Oh, man,” Mason exclaimed. “That’s so cool.”
“Wow,” Lucas eyed the gift enthusiastically. “Thanks. I haven’t played in a long time.”
“I know,” Tommy told his son. “We used to play when you were a kid all the time. I thought we could get a game together.”
