Page 37 of Like Sugar

The spoon stopped halfway to my mouth, and I felt heat creep up my cheeks.“Nothing.”Lately.He’d barely touched me since the day she came home outside of brushing into each other.And the odd night when we’d share a drink and get a little snuggly.But that was it.No kisses and certainly nothing more intimate.

She cackled.“Oh girl, you’ve got it bad for him.”

I tossed a throw pillow at her.“Ugh.I won’t say he’s not hot.You must know he’s fucking gorgeous, right?You slept with him.”

“Hell yes.And his voice must set panties on fire all over the state every time he gives a speech.But he was also my brother-in-law, so that’s awkward.”

“And he’s my boss.”

“That didn’t stop his assistant.”She winked.

“Ben?!”

Cee dissolved into hysterics.“No!Megan.His last assistant!”

The idea I was just one in a series of employees Mason had fucked around with didn’t sit well in my stomach.I placed the unfinished ice cream on the coffee table.

When she finished laughing, she continued.“Look, it’s none of my business, and I’m not implying anything.And I don’t give a shit what you two are doing when no one is looking.I was just curious because he looks at you like he wants to have his way with you.”

“We hooked up a couple times after a few drinks.No big deal,” I lied.So why do I miss him in my bed so much?

Her eyes lit up.“Way to go, Mace.”

I raised an eyebrow.“No offense or anything, but that’s a weird thing to have his baby mama say.”

She laughed again.“It’s a weird dynamic for sure.I never wanted him in the long term.He was just a convenient way to stick it to my sister.I was a petty bitch.Didn’t mean to get knocked up, though.”

“They had a weird relationship too,” I mused.She studied me to see what I knew.“I know their marriage was less than traditional.I sleep in her old room.”I pointed my thumb over my shoulder at my room.

“They didn’t even share a room?”she gasped.“I didn’t know that!”

“Not unless someone was around, I guess.That’s what he told me, anyway.”

“I wouldn’t doubt it.By the time they got married my sister was hung up on Silas.The whole thing was stupid.I’m so glad they pulled their heads out of their asses.”

Cee and I spent hours talking about everything from Mason and Elle to Wyatt to our favorite shows on tv.When the topic of my writing came up, she asked, “Is it open-door?Because Sergio loves that shit.”

“He does?”I laughed.

“As the bands’ assistant I sourced his e-reader with all the smut I could find.He’s a sucker for a love story.”She looked sad talking about it.

“You two seemed close when you were here.”

A tear passed down her cheek.“We were.I kinda burned that friendship to the ground when I tried to off myself.”

“He found you, right?”I asked, softly.I didn’t want to overstep or make her talk more about it, but it seemed like she wanted to.

She nodded.“Haven’t spoken to him since.”

“Have you tried to reach out?”I got up and grabbed her some tissues.

“No.I said horrible things to him.He must hate me for all I’ve put him through.”She looked into her melting ice cream, swirling the spoon in it.“He used to call me his best friend.I can’t imagine what he thinks of me now.”

I didn’t know Sergio, but I knew that man called Wyatt every single day, without fail, and I couldn’t picture him hating her knowing she was in as much pain as she was in.I thought he might actually throw hands on her behalf the night of the disastrous dinner.“The guy who showed up here with you would’ve burned the world down for you.I don’t think you’re giving him enough credit.”

“Fuck, I’m a mess.I’m sorry.”She wiped her nose with a tissue.

“We all get messy from time to time, Cee.I’m sorry I was part of the mess.”

---