“Here they are.”
When I straightened, Mason had a particularly strained expression on his face. His smile was tight as he snagged them from my hand and rushed to shove his feet into them. “Thanks.” He pointedly ignored Eva as he focused on me. “I’ll see you at two, right?”
I wrinkled my brow. “Two?”
His eyes flared wide. “Sarah’s birthday party is today. You’re coming, aren’t you?”
“Oh, yeah!” I smacked my forehead. “I totally forgot. But, yes, I’ll be there. Definitely.”
He cringed. “You got her a present, didn’t you? She’s been wondering all week what kind of gift you got her. And you said you’d get—”
“Of course I got her something.” With a devilish grin, I set my hand on my hip. “And I hate to break it to you, pal, but my present is so going to spank your little present’s ass.”
For the first time since waking this morning, he gave me a genuine smile. “We’ll see about that.” His gaze cut to my cup sitting on the coffee table. “You said you got one of those for me, didn’t you? And mentioned food.”
I rolled my eyes. Didn’t matter how awkward or uncomfortable a situation was, I could always count on Mason to take my food. “Your latte’s sitting on my dresser in my bedroom. And doughnuts are on the table.”
Grin growing, his eyes warmed. “You’re the best.”
Disappearing too briefly for Eva to say anything to me except, “Oh, no you didn’t,” he returned, drinking heartily from his to-go container. After snagging a doughnut out of the baggie on the table, he stamped a brief kiss to my cheek. “Thanks. For everything.”
As my cheek tingled from where he’d pressed his lips, Mason turned toward the door but paused when Eva crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him, refusing to move out of the exit.
Lifting one eyebrow, he rumbled out a gruff, “Excuse me.”
“Oh, that’s not going to happen. After what you did to my cousin—”
“Eva, leave him alone. You don’t know what you’re talking about.” When she sliced me with an incredulous glance, I muttered, “Nothing happened. He fell asleep on the couch.”
There was no reason to mention he hadn’t stayed there.
“You know what,” E. snapped. “It doesn’t matter if you two stayed up all night sitting on opposite ends of the room, reading the Bible together. Alec saw his Jeep parked outside your apartment when he brought me home last night. You know he’s going to tell everyone.”
I sighed. “I really didn’t care who Alec tells. I’m not going to un-friend Mason just because some stupid, ignorant people think I’m some skanky whore now.”
“Whoa,” Mason broke in and spun toward Eva, looking freaked. “Are people actually saying that about her?”
“He is my friend,” I railed, “and he really needed a friend last night. It’s not easy for him, you know.”
“Oh. No, you’re right, ReeRee. I can’t imagine how awful his life must be. I mean, rich, swanky women flock to him, tucking hundred dollar bills down his pants on a daily basis. Yeah, that sounds….awful.”
“You don’t know anything, okay. With medical bills and his mother’s crappy jobs—”
“Look, I’ve heard about his home life already. I know the whole story of his sad, depressing childhood. But I also know a lot of people have it hard. A lot of people go through just as much shit—if not more—and they aren’t selling their bodies for money.”
“You’re just jealous,” I muttered, turning away.
“Jealous?” She cracked out a surprised laugh. “Of what?”
Swinging back, I pointed at Mason and yelled, “Of that fact that he wanted nothing to do with you, only to turn around and become my friend.”
“Friend?” Eva gave a harsh laugh. “He doesn’t want to be your friend.”
“Actually,” Mason started, but E. rolled right over him.
“And the only reason I came onto him that day in the library was because I knew you were watching. I wanted to show you how much he couldn’t be trusted.”
I let out an unladylike snort. “Too bad that thoughtful gesture blew up in your face.”
As if giving up hope on winning any argument against me, Eva swung toward Mason. “You,” she sneered. “You stay away from Reese. She’s so far out of your league you aren’t fit to lick her shoes. In fact, if you go anywhere near her again, I’m heading straight to the police station and telling them what you are.”
Mason’s face drained of color. His eyes were already bloodshot, but they seemed to go extra moist as he glanced helplessly at me.
“That’s enough!” Charging forward, I shoved Eva’s shoulder, nudging her with a little too much force away from the doorway. Then I grasped Mason’s forearm. “Don’t listen to her. She will not be telling the police anything.”