Ordered By The Mountain Man(32)

“I missed you,” I tell him breathlessly, pulling him around to face me. With eyes closed, I lean into him, raising my face to him, and he takes my chin and kisses me. A kiss that is really, really greedy. He slips his tongue in my mouth, and widens his mouth to the point it nearly inhales me. I open my eyes, surprised, because Boone is not a bad kisser. He’s not bad at anything. When our bodies collide, it’s all sparks and lights. Not ... not this.

My eyes widen in surprise. He looks like Boone—is the same size and has the same face—but, clearly, he isn’t the man I love.

“What the fuck, Delta? Mason?” Boone’s voice booms behind me. I pull from his—from Mason’s–arms. Oh, my God. No.

“Mason?” I ask, covering my mouth.

“Have you two been fucking around all week?” Boone asks me. “This whole time?”

“Of course not! I didn’t—”

“It makes sense. I mean, you wanted to leave when you got here, and then … what, you fucked Mason and decided you’d stick around?” He shakes his head. “I knew this was way too fucking good to be true.”

“I never. I didn’t. Boone, don’t be insane. Of course—”

“Right.” Boone laughs sharply, and tears well up in my eyes. How could he jump to this, assume the worst? “You just decided you no longer cared about the hundred ways we’re different and just decided to stay? For me? I’m not a fucking joke, Delta, and I can’t believe you’d make me out to be one.”

“I can’t believe you’d think Mason and I—” I sob. “Of course I don’t think you’re a joke. I think I love you.”

Boone just storms around, looking like he’s going to rip off someone’s head.

And, of course, to add fuel to the fire, Mason is smirking. “Woah, bro, calm down. She just wanted a piece of me. You can’t blame her for being curious.”

“Mason, stop that,” I cry, hysterical, so confused as to why Boone would think I would hurt him on purpose. “Boone, I thought he was you.”

“Dude, calm down,” Mason says, not taking this seriously at all, not seeing how that insignificant kiss may have just ruined everything good I thought I had.

“You think I’m a girl that would be with Mason?” I ask, wiping the tears that streak my face. “You really think that of me? Because, Boone, that slays me—to think you see me that way.”

“Honey, I’m right here,” Mason says coolly, as if this is the time to play nice. “We both know I’m not that bad.”

“Oh, fuck off, Mason,” I tell him. “Fuck off, both of you.”

I run away from the outbuilding into the woods, tears streaming from my eyes, my heart free falling, with no one there to catch me.

And that’s when I fall in the hole.





Chapter Nineteen





Boone





Looking at Mason, I want to fucking kill him. All I can think is that he ruins every good thing. Every single decent thing.

“Girls in college who meant nothing to either of us is one thing,” I say, “but fucking around with Delta? That is something else entirely.”

“You won’t even stop long enough to hear the goddamn truth.”

“You need to fucking leave, Mason. I can’t do this with you here anymore.”

“Do what?” Mason asks. His shoulders are broad and his face firm. He looks like a mirror image of me, down to the red flannel shirt we’re both wearing. “Be the boss-man who has his shit together? Fine. Sorry to break it to you, but you can’t fix me.”

“I don’t want to fix you,” I shout. “I never wanted to fucking fix you.”

“Fine. Then I’ll go.” Mason throws up his hands in defeat, which is such a dick move. He’s the one making out with Delta. He’s the one who hasn’t stepped up in the past six months. Now he’s the one who walks away. He turns to leave, shaking his head. “I don’t know why I stayed around so long anyway. You never wanted me here.”

“That’s bullshit. I’ve fought for you. I could’ve left you to drown in your sorrows so many times, but I stood by your side whenever you fucked up.”

“You did that to feel better about yourself, Boone—to be the big man who makes everything right.”

“That’s not true. You’re my only family left,” I tell him, my jaw tense, knowing he has it all fucking wrong. “You’re my brother.”

“Yeah, but I’ve screwed you over so many times, and it’s like you won’t quit trying to save me. You won’t be happy until I’m just like you.”