Lexi
The friends we have as children shape us. Some of them we keep forever, some of them we lose along the way... but all of them leave something behind... or in his case, take something as they leave.
Mason Jennings held my heart in his hands at...
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"What the fuck are you up to?"
Those are the charming first words I get from Sam as we walk through our front door after dropping Kate and Lexi home first from the same taxi.
I purposely don't reply as I walk into the kitchen.
"Don't ignore me Mason." he says predictably, following me into the room.
"I'm not ignoring you Samuel. I just need a drink before you let the bee in your bonnet out to sting me."
I grab the whiskey from our booze shelf and pour some into a glass, downing it before waving my hand dramatically for Sam to carry on.
"Proceed."
He rolls his eyes and sits on a bar stool, leaning his elbows on the kitchen island, "You know what I'm talking about man."
I chuckle, "You're so concerned about Lexi all the time, anyone would think you have a crush."
"Don't be a prick Mason." he snaps, "Excuse me for wondering if my best mate is up to something that's going to end badly."
"Your evidence?" I taunt.
"I'd say grinding with Lexi and then dragging her into a back room is an open and shut case." he replies, a look of frustration on his face.
"I thought you'd be happy we were getting along. Isn't it what you've been up my ass about since she got here?"
Sam scoffs, "Because friendship is what was on your mind when you kissed her neck."
Ah. That.
Kissing Lexi's neck was impulsive as fuck and I was still trying to convince myself that it had actually happened until Sam just confirmed it.
I don't regret it. I don't see the point in regretting things I can't change. Especially things that at the time I was more than happy to be a part of.
But that's the part that's messing with my head.
I was happy to hold her body to mine and press my lips against her neck as if it was the most natural thing in the world. As if the only thing that had changed between us was our age and the rest had remained a constant.
But we weren't constant.
We weren't reliable.
We weren't the same as we used to be.
And it was like I'd forgotten that as I held her.
For all of 3 minutes dancing with her, the rest of the world was quiet... until the noise found its way back in, thumping in time with my heart as she dragged her fingertips over a tattoo I got as a reminder of her - of what she'd become to me.
"Talk to me." Sam said, "I can see you fighting with yourself in your head. Talk to me."
"I don't have anything to say." I reply curtly, not because I'm hiding from him but because I don't know how to explain the fog in my brain and ache in my chest when my thoughts turn to Lexi.
