I turned the TV on and dumped my purse on one of the two chairs in the room that sat next to a small table by the window. I splashed some water on my face and went outside to clean out the snack machine.
Not an hour later I was sitting on the bed among empty wrappers, cursing my lack of self-control. After I got past the urge to vomit, I curled up under the blanket and passed out.
I woke up to pounding on the door and a plastic wrapper stuck to my cheek.
“Open the damn door,” a familiar voice commanded.
I peeled the wrapper off and threw it on the bed. A glance at the clock showed it was just past midnight. I debated whether or not I should ignore the giant douchebag outside, but the pounding would wake everyone within a five-mile radius.
Trying to do the right thing, I dragged myself upright and pulled the blankets back. The chill of the room left goose bumps on my arms and I shivered.
“Stella, get up right now and open this door or I will do it for you,” the angry jackass yelled. If nobody had woken up to the pounding, the yelling would surely have done it.
I pushed to my feet and padded to the door, yawning. The chain wasn’t hooked up, so all I had to do was undo one lock and open the door. As soon as it was unlocked, it was pushed open all the way and I stumbled back.
“I didn’t say you could come in,” I seethed and glared daggers at Mason.
“Get your shit,” he growled.
“No.”
“Stella.”
“Mason.”
“Stella. Get. Your. Shit.”
“Mason,” I mocked. “Get. Out.”
Another growl but he stopped saying my name like it tasted sour in his mouth and instead picked up my handbag, the only thing I had with me.
“Hey,” I said and tried to take it off him. He ignored my attempts to reclaim my bag, then picked up my sweater from the floor and thrust it at me.
“Put this on. We’re leaving.”
“You are leaving. I am staying.”
He took a breath through his nose that sounded like a steam train, and he narrowed his eyes. “Haven’t we already been through this last night?”
“Circumstances have changed. You are relieved from babysitting duty.” I pointed at the door. “Now leave.”
“Nothing has changed. You are still not able to do shit for yourself, which means you need to stay with me until you can.”
“I’m fucking fine,” I yelled and waved my arm around, unable to hide my cringe at the sudden movement.
“Of course you are.”
Obviously done with our standoff, he swept his eyes around the room and after he was seemingly satisfied he’d picked up all my belongings, he stalked toward me.
I held up my hands and backed up. “Hold on. What are you doing?”
“I don’t know what made you run this time, but I’ll be damned if you get hurt because of your own damn pride. Now you have one choice. And that’s to get in my truck.”
I pulled my boots on and stomped past him. “I can’t believe that out of a few million sperms you were the fastest.”
A few seconds later I was once again sitting in his truck, holding my handbag on my lap.
I turned to my side, watching him. A muscle in his jaw ticked and his knuckles were white from fisting the steering wheel. None of those things deterred me from speaking my mind. “This is ridiculous.”
“Finally, something we agree on. Yet, you make me look for you two nights in a row.”
“Nobody made you. You are the only one who thinks I have to stay at your place.”
“To keep you safe.”
I wasn’t willing to back down, more hurt by what had happened than I liked to admit. “Let’s just get this over with.”
“Why would you want to go back to my shitty apartment when you can stay at a castle?” Willa yelled and I pulled the phone away from my ear or risk going deaf.
“You don’t have to understand it. But I’m begging you, please ask Jameson to call Mason and tell him to let go of his misplaced chivalry and let me go back to your place?” I asked, still holding the phone away.
“Fine. But I want it noted that I don’t agree.” Her voice was back to non-hearing-loss levels, and I put the device back to my ear. It was the day after what I dubbed “the incident,” and I had finally called Willa. I had to get out of Mason’s house and getting Jameson to call him was the only way to do it.
“Noted. And thanks.”
“You sound off. I don’t like it. Something happened. Did Mason do something?”
“Nothing happened.”
“I don’t believe you. But since I’m too far away to get the truth out of you I’ll let it go for now. But this is not over.”
“Miss you Wills,” I said and wished she was here even though she would pry the truth out of me in no time. I heard Jameson in the background and smiled when Willa giggled at something he had said.
“Go and enjoy your holiday. And send me more photos,” I said.
“Will do. Love you Estrella.”
“Love you too.”
We hung up and I walked into Sweet Dreams to pick up the two dozen donuts for the meeting today. Turned out all the guys loved sugar, and there would be a revolt if there wasn’t enough to snack on during their weekly meeting.
“Hey, honey. Be right there,” Rayna called out from behind the counter. She was busy rearranging her display case, adding more sugary goodness. She owned one of the most popular bakeries in the area, and people often drove for over an hour just to buy her pastries.
“No rush, I’m on company time,” I said and grinned. The more time I didn’t have to spend
