Page 112 of Between Regrets and Promises

MASON

Saturday mornings have becomemy absolute favorite. Seeing Sophie first thing with her messy bed hair and zombie eyes makes me fall even harder. She doesn’t try to impress me by fixing herself up before coming out or pretending to be someone she’s not. She’s quiet until she’s had at least one cup of coffee to wake her up and is ready to shower after her third, and by noon, she’s eager to face the day.

I love making her breakfast although it’s nothing special like eggs and toast. Spending time with her, even if it’s to do nothing more than eat together, makes me appreciative of how far we’ve come. We’re both so busy during the workweek that it’s nice to sit and enjoy each other’s company.

“So Maddie wants to go shopping. I was gonna tell her no, but then I thought I could get some little things for myself for tonight.” Sophie gives me a mischievous look that tells me exactly what she’s talking about, and even if I don’t get to rip them off her body, knowing she’s wearing them is enough to make me hard.

“Are we talking naughty little things?” I arch a brow. “Because I could get on board with that.”

“Perhaps. You’ll have to wait and see.”

I cup her cheeks before planting a deep kiss on her soft lips. “Go. Have fun. But in case you’re wondering, red’s my favorite color. Has been since the moment I saw it on you.” I wink, remembering her lacy red bra that first night we met.

She pulls back, snorting. “Good to know.”

This past week together has been one of the best weeks of my life. I can’t remember ever feeling this happy or eager to spend time with someone before. Fighting my feelings was a losing battle, and now I can’t imagine not touching Sophie anytime we’re together.

I hate that she’s going to the grief meeting tonight, but I don’t want to be one of those guys who tells her what she can and can’t do. Douchebag Weston was a controlling asshole, and I refuse to have any of those qualities. I want Sophie and me to decide things together, but I also know she’s a loyal friend, and if it’s her last meeting, I can live with that. It’ll give me more time to get things ready for our date night.

Though it doesn’t mean I like Caleb. Hell, I trust him as far as I can throw him.

My friend, Jerad, who helped me dig up shit on Weston could easily help get me information on this Caleb guy. Sophie would probably yell at me for snooping, but considering her ex’s two-faced ass, I can’t be too safe when it comes to her.

I shoot him a text to call me when he gets the chance, then tell Sophie goodbye before she heads out to pick up Maddie. “Have fun.”

“What’re you gonna do while I’m gone?” she asks, wrapping her arms around my neck as I pull her body into mine.

“Well, I figure you’ll be gone for a few hours, so I’ll probably drink a few beers, call a couple of ladies over, and then jerk off in the shower.”

“So…a regular Saturday afternoon.”

“I mean, you could stay and participate in the festivities if you want…”

Sophie chuckles, leaning up on her toes for another kiss. “Nah, you have fun. I’ll be back in a bit.”

She walks out to the driveway and hops into her car, then waves goodbye. My phone rings, and I pick it up when I see Jerad’s name.

“Hey, Big Daddy.”

“That’s what your mother called me last night,” he responds.

“Dude, gross. That’s crossing a line.” I shiver.

“Do I need to remind you of when?—”

“Shut up. Whatever you’re gonna say.” I laugh, shaking my head and knowing he has too much shit on me for me to argue.

“So who are you spying on now, Holt?”

“No giving me shit this time. I had a right to be worried beforehand, so I’m taking some precautions. Not to mention my dad made a house visit a couple of nights ago.”

“Was it bad?” he asks, knowing damn well our relationship isn’t great.

“I don’t know yet. He said Weston’s family is pissed that the judge dropped my charges based on self-defense.”

“Wait, what? There was a fucking surveillance video! How much more evidence do they need?” He asks the same questions I had for my dad when he dropped that bomb on me.

“Apparently, they want to fight that it was wrongful death, and that I provoked him to use his gun. Hell, I don’t know.”

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