Gunnar A Motorcycle Club Romance - Nina Levine Page 0,12
up for that interview and fundraiser. It’s only Tuesday, so I have three long days ahead of me. Oh, God, and then I have Alexa’s birthday party on Saturday night. She hasn’t told me she’s invited Mason, but he’s her brother so of course she’s invited him. After our run-in today, I’m apprehensive about seeing him there. Actually, really fucking stressed is more like it. If I could rely on my brain to make some good decisions when he’s near, I’d be okay about it, but since I can’t, I’m not. And bringing this up with Alexa is something I’ve been nervous about doing, so I haven’t. I’ve stopped talking to her about her brother full stop. She’s become my closest friend over the last few months, and I don’t want to lose her. However, the way my stomach twists in on itself every time I think about this party makes me think I need to talk to her. Maybe it’ll help me prepare if I know whether he’ll be there.
I reach for my phone and tap out a text.
Me: Quick question: Is Mason going to be at your party this weekend?
She rings me instantly.
“God, I’m sorry to ask you that and put you in the middle,” I say.
“Babe, no. Stop apologising and stop avoiding talking to me about him, okay? I’ve noticed you’re doing that and I’m not into it. The minute we have an elephant in the room is the minute our friendship is doomed. I know this stuff with Mason is hard, but we don’t have to let it affect us.”
I exhale a long, relieved breath. “I’m so glad you said that. It’s been getting weirder every time I hold myself back from saying something.”
“Now that we’ve got that out of the way, yes, he’ll be at my party. But I will give him strict instructions to leave you alone, okay?”
I love Alexa. Like, it’s crazy to me how close we’ve become over the last few months, and how I would miss her if she was no longer in my life. I’ve never had a friend like her.
“Please don’t do that,” I say. “We’re old enough to fight our own battles. I just needed to know so I could prepare myself.”
“He told me about today,” she says softly, like she’s concerned she’s bringing up a touchy subject.
“That surprises me.” Mason isn’t much of a talker unless he’s forced into a conversation.
“You and me both. I mean, he didn’t give me any real specifics of what you guys talked about, but he told me he saw you.”
“Trust me, you don’t want to know what we talked about today. God, it was a fucking debacle. One that should never have taken place.”
“Because we haven’t talked about him for a little while, how are you doing? Like really doing?”
“I’ll tell you in a sec, but first I want to say I’ve missed this.” With all my skirting around Mason over the last few weeks, our conversations have been a little shallow.
“I have too. Now tell me how you are.”
“Not great, as you can imagine, but I’m working on that.”
“Hmm, what does that mean?”
“It means I’m spending far more hours at yoga than ever, drinking more wine than ever, and considering taking up archery or maybe joining a shooting club.”
“Oh, babe, I’m sorry I haven’t been there for you.”
“You have been. I just haven’t let you fully in. But you can come all the way in now and see the wreck I’ve created of my life. I’m warning you, it’s not pretty.”
“I can handle not pretty.”
“You know what?”
“What?”
“I think you should come to yoga with me.”
“Umm, how did we go from me telling you I can handle not pretty to you inviting me to yoga? You know I’m no sporty spice.”
I laugh, and it’s the best sound I’ve heard all day. Talking with Alexa never fails to make me feel better about whatever I’m dealing with. “You don’t have to be sporty for yoga. Please come. There’s this weird woman there who keeps asking me to have tea with her after class, and I’m running out of reasons to say no.”
“Oh, so you’re just using me.”
“Yes. Absolutely. You don’t really need to do the poses. You just need to show up and pretend to do them and then save me from tea with her.”
“It’s a hell yes from me then.”
“Your sarcasm is noted but not acknowledged, my friend. You’re coming. First class is at 6:00 a.m. tomorrow.”