Page 24 of SEAL Summer Escape

Quickly typing a message before she lost her nerve, she sent him a text.

Are you up?

Mason’s reply buzzed almost instantly.

Getting ready for bed.Did you just home from work?

I’m looking forward to our date tomorrow.

Heat flooded her cheeks, but she tried to tame her excitement.She needed to figure out where to go for the night.How to handle Eric.She’d worry about her date with Mason tomorrow.

She quickly thumbed a response.

I’m in the parking lot of my apartment.Eric is passed out on my doorstep.

My ex.

Mason didn’t reply immediately, and a brief feeling of doubt washed over her.Maybe she shouldn’t have texted him?He could be tired and not want her bothering him this late at night.It wasn’t like this was an emergency or something.

It wasn’t like Mason was her boyfriend.

She probably should’ve just gotten a cab ride to a hotel and checked in for the night.She didn’t have any of her things but—

Mason’s name flashed across the screen of her cell phone with an incoming call.

“Hello?”she squeaked.

“I’m on my way over,” he said, his voice deep.Authoritative.Inexplicably, a feeling of calm washed over her.“If he’s not up when I get there, I’ll drag him out of the way so you can get inside.We’ll put him in a cab and send him on his way.I’m headed north on Atlantic Avenue, so text me your address.”

“Wait—what?You’re driving over here now?”

“Already on my way.”

“I thought you were getting ready for bed.”

Her eyes drifted across the lot as she spotted a couple walking hand-in-hand toward a convertible.It had been so long since she’d been in a happy relationship, the image almost looked foreign to her.

Like something out of a fairy tale.

“I was, but now I’m on my way to get you.If your ex is passed out drunk, I can’t exactly have a talk with him now.But I don’t want to leave you there alone.I can move him out of the way so you can get into your place, but I don’t want him to wake up and pound on your door in a couple of hours.Not with you there alone.

“But—”

“I assume you still don’t have your car?”

“No, not yet.”

“I can drive you back to my place.Or your friend’s,” he quickly added.“Wherever you’d be comfortable.Or I can stay at your place tonight and tell him to get lost in case he comes back pounding on your door.”

“I don’t know,” she said nervously.“I don’t want him to get mad.If he wants to talk and you’re there....”

Her voice trailed off, and she hated how weak she sounded.How she was letting Eric manipulate the situation even now after they’d broken up.

“Sweetheart, he needs to get over it.To move on.Maybe he can’t take no for an answer from you, but if I open your front door, believe me, he won’t be coming back.”

“Okay.I’m just worried.”

“There’s nothing to worry about,” Mason assured her.“I can crash on your couch tonight.But don’t worry, I know we’re just getting to know each other.I don’t expect anything from you if I stay the night.”

---