Chapter 11
Songs:
Audience of One, Rise Against
Love Is Dangerous, Blink-182
Best Friend, Jason Mraz
*Link to YouTube playlist in chapter one.
*Fiddling was had. Hundreds of words were added with no supervision. All mistakes are mine.
July through August 2012
Bella
"What's up?" Even on the phone, I can hear the smile in Masen's voice.
"Not much. Just thought you might want some company today if you're not busy."
"I'm just fucking around with my bike. You can come by if you want."
"You sure you don't mind?"
"Not at all. Are you at home or ..."
"I'm actually in town, near the shop."
"Then let me come get you."
"Mase, you don't have to—"
"I do. It's a long walk from there to here. Give me a few minutes to wash up and I'll be there."
Knowing there's no arguing with him, I relent. "Thanks, Mase."
"No problem."
We disconnect, and I start walking in the direction of Masen's trailer park. It's less than ten minutes later when he pulls up to the curb.
"Looking for a ride?" His smile is wide and contagious.
"Thanks for picking me up."
"Anytime. You know that." He side-eyes me as he shifts into first and pulls into the street. "You sounded upset when you called, though." He looks over to me and back to the road. "Everything okay?"
"I had plans, but they fell through." I shrug a shoulder and try my best to sound nonchalant, but it must not work.
"What happened?"
"Nothing."
"I call bullshit," he insists.
I stare out the window, trying to process how I'm feeling about today. Agitated, I press my thumbnail into the seat over and over, carving a pattern in the fabric. "I called Ali about doing something, and she picked me up, but we had to make a stop somewhere."
Masen reaches over to still my fidgeting fingers. "Let me guess. She took you to E's to see the kid?"
My head snaps toward him. "How did you know she'd—"
"Because she's been practically living over there."
"Since when?"
"Since she started hooking up with Jazz. Not to mention she's damn near obsessed with the baby. She's over there all the time."
"Oh," I say simply, feeling stupid for not knowing my friend was in some kind of relationship with Jazz. "When did she—" I clear my throat and try again. "When did she start spending time with Jazz?"
"Officially? After her birthday. Unofficially, I think they've been seeing each other off and on for a while."
I nod, unsure what to say to that bit of information. It seems like I didn't know my friend that well at all anymore.
"She didn't tell you, did she?"
As if she knows we're talking about her, my phone buzzes with a text. I ignore Ali's message and toss my phone into my bag. I scoff and shake my head, turning to stare back out the window. "No, she didn't."
"If it makes you feel any better, I only heard about it a few weeks ago. And I hear she got reamed by Pop and Esme for keeping it from them. Pop even threatened for a few days to fire Jazz. Guess he didn't like him going after his baby girl."
"Isn't Jazz a lot older than Ali?"
"Four or five years maybe? I'm not sure." The sound of Masen slapping the top of the dashboard makes me jump. "But fuck 'em all. We don't need the drama."
When we pull into the driveway, Carmen's sedan is there. Masen's bike sits in its place under the carport.
"You thirsty?" he asks as he shifts it into first and sets the parking brake. "I think we have some soda or something in the fridge if you want it."
"Yeah, that would be nice. Thanks."
The trailer is smoke-filled and too warm when we walk inside. Carmen sits on the sofa, watching TV, a lit cigarette in hand.
"You finally come back to finish so you can get that goddamn bike out of my spot?" she barks when we walk in.
"Yeah, Gran. Sorry. I should have it done soon."
He jerks his chin toward the kitchen, silently asking me to follow him, but Carmen calls out before I can.
"You were Edward's girl, right?" She flicks the ash from her smoke before bringing it to her lips to inhale.
"I was."
"And now you're hanging around my grandson?"
"Masen is a good friend, Mrs. Denali."
"Hmm," she hums, her brow furrowing as she watches me inch toward the hallway. "Not too sure I like that."
"Would you stop harassing her?" Masen asks his grandmother as he hands me a cold can. "Here. Let's go outside where it's"—he turns toward Carmen—"not so uncomfortable."
The screen door snaps closed behind us. "Sorry about that. She's not usually so grumpy. She worked last night, so I think she just needs a nap or something."
"Don't worry about it. She's never been the most friendly person."
Masen settles onto an overturned milk crate, and I sit on one of the patio chairs. "That doesn't give her the right to be outright rude to you."
I shrug it off. "Let's not talk about your less than pleasant grandma. Tell me what you're doing to your bike. I didn't think it needed fixing."
"Oh, it doesn't. I'm taking out the baffles."
"Because ..."
He grins up at me. "Because taking out the baffles and straight piping her will make her louder. And louder is always better."
Moving day for Masen rolls around, and being the good friend I am, I'm at his trailer bright and early to help him.
"I didn't think you'd come," he says, loading a box into the bed of a truck I don't recognize.
"I was off and thought I could help."
"And you rode your bike all the way over here?" He whistles long and low. "You sure you've got the energy after that?"
I cross my arms over my chest and lift my chin. "I'll have you know my stamina is rather remarkable for someone of my stature."
He bites the inside of his cheek, and his eyes dance with amusement. I know he's dying to make a joke out of what I've just said, but he holds himself back. "All right then. Come in and grab a box."
I follow him to the door, but he stops before we reach it, causing me to almost run straight into him. "What the—"
He turns on his heel. "E is here. He's helping me get the big stuff moved over. I didn't know you were coming or I would have—"
"What? Told him not to show up? No"—I shake my head—"it's fine. It's been a year since we broke up." Even though my insides twist at the thought of seeing Edward again, I try to be mature about it. I take a deep breath and blow it out. "I think I can see him and not make a big deal out of it, okay?"
"You're sure?"
"I am. Now, put me to work."
Carmen is nowhere to be found, and it's probably for the best. Her trailer is a disaster zone; boxes and crap are everywhere you look. I do my best to stay out of the way when Mac and Jazz walk my way as they carry out a chest of drawers. I look past them, down the hallway, expecting to see Edward, but he doesn't appear.
"Hey, baby B," Mac says as they walk by. "How you been? I haven't seen you since graduation day."
"I'm good." I run ahead of them to hold the screen door open. I follow them outside as they walk toward the truck.
"Still working over at the Big Dipper?" He climbs into the truck bed and hoists his end up and over the bumper as Jazz lifts his.
"I am. Full time, too."
"You get a discount?" Mac asks, his eyes twinkling. "I could definitely go for some ice cream after this." The trailer's screen door snaps shut, and Mac turns his head to shout to whomever is standing behind me. "And I think Mase should buy."
"What am I buying? Watch it, E!" he shouts at his brother. "You're gonna drop it."
"Sorry," he mumbles as they get nearer, and my stomach tightens at the sound of his voice.
"I was just asking B if she gets a discount over at the Big Dipper. I figure we could all go for some ice cream after you get us the pizza and beer you promised us." He hops out of the truck, allowing Masen to climb in to guide the mattress.
"Yeah, no. You're getting lunch, and that's it. And I've seen you destroy a pizza. I think my offer is more than generous."
The guys head back inside to grab more boxes, and I trail behind them. They each carry a couple at a time, Jazz and Mac doing their best to tease me about the single boxes I take out to the Honda. When everything is loaded, Mac climbs into what I now know is his truck, and Jazz climbs in beside him. Edward hops on his bike, leaving me to ride along with Masen in his car.
"He say anything to you?" he asks as he pulls out onto the street.
"No, and it's probably for the best. I'm not sure what I'd say to him right now."
A long silence follows, but before I can get too lost in my thoughts, Masen clears his throat.
"You think you'd ever get back together with him?" He fidgets, reaching for the volume control on the radio, turning it up and down minutely.
At first, I'm surprised by his question. But as I turn and stare out the window, watching the scenery fly by, I think about my answer. If I had the chance, would I? Remembering the reasons why we aren't together—the threat from my father to arrest him and Seth's appearance in Edward's life—I shake my head. "No. Besides the fact that he doesn't want to, too much has happened."
"He said that? That he doesn't want to get back together?"
"A while back he told me he doesn't want me to have to help raise a kid." I shrug a shoulder. "Doesn't matter anyway. I wouldn't go back to him if he asked. I don't want to distract him from raising his son." I turn and smile at my friend. "That little boy needs his dad, Mase. I can't get in the way of that."
Mac is backed up to the apartment door when we pull in, and Edward is helping Jazz pull the box spring out of the truck. I busy myself with grabbing a few small boxes from the car and carrying them inside, following behind Masen.
"You gotta see it. I've got a few things already set up," he says excitedly. "Mac and his old lady were getting rid of a couch, and they brought it over last night." He unlocks the door and opens it. "So, what do you think?"
His enthusiasm makes me giggle. I love seeing him so happy.
I step inside, placing the boxes on the floor out of the way, and look around the small studio apartment. The hand-me-down furniture is mismatched, the sofa and armchair obviously worn and lumpy, and the bed frame on the far side of the room takes up roughly a quarter of the space. The curtains hanging in the windows aren't exactly the right dimensions, and the dishes filing the strainer next to the sink look like they came straight out of 1987. But when I turn to my friend and see his tentative smile, I know he's proud of what he's been able to do for himself.
"I think it's great, Mase."
"You really think so?"
I reach for his hand and squeeze it, the feel of his skin on mine sending a warm tingle up my arm. "I do. And you'll be so happy to be out on your own."
"Thanks."
His hand slips from mine and he takes a step back. Before I can say anything else, Edward and Jazz walk in with the box spring and unceremoniously toss it on the bed frame.
"You gonna help carry your own shit?" Edward asks, his scowl firmly in place. Even though I can tell he wants to look at me—his head is turned toward his brother but his body is angled my way and his hands are clenched at his sides—he doesn't spare me a glance. "I don't got all day. Angela is bringing Seth over in a couple of hours."
"Yeah, yeah. Don't get your panties in a twist," Masen replies, rolling his eyes when his brother turns his back.
We follow them back outside, and as I bring in box after box, the guys get the bigger pieces unloaded and carried into the apartment. When Mac and Jazz collapse onto the sofa, demanding to be fed for their hard work, Edward lets us know he's taking off.
And for a brief moment, while he stands in the doorway, the expression on his face as he looks my way makes me think he wants to say something, and part of me wishes he would, if only to break the obvious tension between us. But without another word, he disappears.
Irritation rolls through me, and I have the urge to run after him to ask why he's so blatantly ignoring me. I want to yell and scream at him and remind him that he's getting exactly what he asked for ... that I'm doing my best to put all that shit behind us. But before I can, a woman I recognize from the graduation party waltzes in, pizzas and beer in hand.
"Who pissed in E's Wheaties?" she asks as she places her haul on the small table in the kitchen area.
"Nobody, babe." Mac walks over, and after placing a sloppy kiss on her cheek, snatches a pizza box from the pile and two bottles of beer. "You know he's king of the emos."
"Gross," she whines, wiping her face with the back of her hand.
Jazz is a little more reserved, grabbing a few slices from another box and a beer from the case. "I'm pretty sure he just needed to get going. Ang was bringing over the kid for the night."
"Thanks for picking those up, Rose." Masen reaches for his wallet. "How much did it come to?"
She holds up her hand. "Put your money away. Consider it a housewarming gift."
Masen kisses her cheek, the one Mac didn't slobber all over. "Thank you."
"You're welcome." She turns her attention to me. "And you must be Bella. I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to introduce myself at the graduation party."
"Nice to meet you. So, you're Rose? Mac's wife?"
"Wife, old lady, the woman who rocks his world. That's me." She twists the top off a bottle. "And you're Mase's"—she raises a brow—"friend."
"I am."
"Good. The kid could use a few of those." She links her arm through mine and walks with me toward the three guys crammed together on the sofa. "If you ask me, he needs as many as he can get," she whispers before letting go of my arm and plopping down into Mac's lap.
Finding out where Rose works, what she does, is eye-opening to say the least. And for Mac to be so ... okay with it, I'm not quite sure how to take their relationship. But the more we talk, the more I realize Rose might just be the friend I need. And like she said, we could all use more of those.
Most weekends, Charlie disappears, mumbling something or other about meeting with people, leaving me to my own devices. On the days I don't have to work, I still make my way into town on my bicycle, spending time in Masen's apartment, whether he's home or not. When he's there, we watch TV, listen to music while I help him organize his hopelessly disorganized apartment, and we've even cooked together. It's easy and comfortable, laughing with him ... being with him, and every time his skin innocently brushes mine, I feel that warmth, that flicker between us grow just a little more. And when I'm there and he's not, I read a book or nap on his lumpy couch, enjoying the quiet solitude. The time I spend there is my respite from the rest of my life.
Alice still calls, but I haven't seen her since the day I was with her at Edward's place. Her calls come less and less often, and I don't make the effort to contact her. I spend nearly all my free time with Masen since he's surprisingly good company. He's even helped me make a short list of cars for sale in the area. When he finds one in particular that sounds like it might be a good deal, he insists on taking me to see it, even though I'm not exactly ready to buy.
"If it's in half decent shape, buy it now and I can work on it so it'll be ready when you get your license in September." He makes a left into the subdivision and checks his directions again.
"I can't ask you to do that, Mase. It's not—"
"I wouldn't have offered if I didn't want to help you out." He turns to me from the driver's seat. "It's what friends do, right?" The look in his eyes is so sincere, and I have no way to deny him.
I think about it and finally give in. "If you think it's a good idea, then okay. What can it hurt?"
He parks at the curb in front of the house, and I know it's the right one, because the rusty red truck parked in the driveway is the same one he showed me posted on Craigslist this morning.
But it turns out to be a bust. It won't even start, and when the guy tries to convince Masen it's worth restoring, we walk away.
"So, it wasn't worth it?" I ask as I fasten my seatbelt.
"For you? No. It needs a lot more work than he said it did in the ad."
"At this point, I'm not sure I'll be able to find something road worthy that's in my budget."
"We'll find you something. And if it comes to it, I don't mind you driving this thing."
"I can't ask you to let me drive your car, Mase."
"Why not? I'm on my bike ninety percent of the time. And it's not like we don't work half a mile apart. It's not a big deal."
I sigh and lean back farther into my seat. "But it doesn't matter yet. I can't get my license until my birthday, and even then, if I'm not moved out, it's not like I can pull up to my house in your car. Charlie would ask way more questions than I'm ready to answer."
He's quiet for a long time, his occasional glances in my direction a little unnerving.
"What is it?" I finally ask.
He hesitates, and it's not like him.
"Maaaase."
"Okay, look, I have an idea, and you're either going to be open to it or junk punch me for even suggesting it."
"What kind of idea?"
"Something that might help us both out."
"I'm listening."
He huffs a breath and straightens in his seat, squaring his shoulders. "I signed a lease for a studio, right?"
"Okay ... and?"
"And I think they had a two-bedroom unit available, too. Maybe I can transfer the lease, and you can just stay with me."
I let his words sink in, what he's actually suggesting, and I don't automatically turn him down. "You'd really be willing to do that? Have me move in with you?"
"Why wouldn't I?"
"Because you're a young, single guy. I don't want to throw a wrench in your bachelor pad plans." I swallow hard, the words tasting all wrong for some reason. "What are you gonna tell the girls you bring home? 'Oh, don't worry about the girl sleeping in the other room?' Yeah, that'll go over really well."
"Look, that won't be an issue, all right?"
"How can you say it won't be—"
"You just let me worry about that part, okay?"
We're both quiet for a long while, and as I think over his offer, I realize what he's really offering me—a chance to start a new life. "You'd do that for me?"
He looks over at me, and the honesty shining in his bright blue eyes brings me up short. "Look, I don't want to get all sappy, but I think it's pretty obvious I don't have many friends. But the ones I do have, I'm there for. Us loners gotta stick together. You gotta know by now that I would do anything for you, Bella."
A/N: Baby steps for these two? Is she going to take him up on his offer? Do you think she's starting to feel more than friendly feeling for Masen? And what the hell was up Edward's butt? I'd love to hear what you're thinking.
I keep forgetting to mention that I've started a new "story" for outtakes from Clutch and Shift. You'll find it on my FFN profile. So, if you want to know what Buzz was thinking the night Bella shot the guy in her trailer or what, if anything, Edward overheard when Bella met Seth, check it out!
***Fundraiser reminder!***
My Zoom session is scheduled for tomorrow evening, July 18 at 8:00 pm, EST. You've got one day to get in your donation to chat with me and for your chance to win a One Shot, outtake, or futuretake written by yours truly. And if you check out the FB group, some big names in fic have been recently added! And more are being added almost daily. It's your chance to talk with some of this fandom's most loved authors.
See the Facebook group, Author's 411, for more details. A schedule listing authors is posted there. There's also a post about it in my FB group.
Remember, you can come chat with me in my Facebook group, Sunshine Fics, even if it's just to talk about your day or share a meme or joke. Anything to make each other smile. I also share teasers and chapter pics there. You can also follow me on Twitter at CSunshine1220.
Be kind.
Stay safe.
Stay well.
Lots of love
~Sunshine