Page 83 of Game Plan
“False. You are everything because you are you, Mason Pierce. Nobody can steal your mind or your heart away. They are yours to keep. You only think football is your life because you haven’t given anything else a chance. Don’t belittle yourself and your skills. I won’t let you.”
He pinched the bridge of his nose for a moment, and I could feel the tug-of-war going on inside his mind.
“Breathe, okay? There are solutions. Drugs are not one. How long has it been going on?”
He slid his hands to my hips and pulled me closer as if he needed to be connected to me somehow. “I’m not answering that.”
“Come on. You’re not six anymore. Answer the question, Mase.”
“Why does it matter?”
“Because I wanna know what we’re dealing with.”
He closed his eyes and pressed his forehead to my shoulder, exhaling a shaky breath that spread through my entire body. “Five times.”
“Truth?”
“Yes.”
“Okay. We can deal with five times. It’s not too late to turn things around. The outbursts, the restless leg syndrome, the jitters, the mood swings, they were all just side effects, right?”
He shrugged, his forehead still glued to my shoulder. “I guess. No idea. Maybe.”
I combed his hair back with my fingers, enjoying how he relaxed against me, trusting me with his truth.
A low sob filled the silence, and it brought a fresh batch of tears to my eyes.
“We’ll figure something out. I swear. I won’t let you down. No matter what, you have me.”
He circled my waist with his arms, erasing the remaining distance between us, his sobs decreasing. “I know. I-I’m sorry for deceiving you. I never wanted you to see me like this…broken and desperate.”
“You are not broken. It’s just a setback. You’re gonna be okay. I’ll make sure of it.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Duh, because you’re Mason Pierce, what else?”
We both burst into a low fit of laughter. “Geez, and now you sound just like me.”
I smiled despite myself. “What can I say? I learned from the best. Wanna go back to bed?”
He bobbed his head before tipping it back and meeting my eyes. “Don’t lose hope in me, Mel. Please. I’m fucking scared right now.”
“I won’t.”
With his hand nestled in mine, we lay back on the mattress, and Mason brought the covers over us.
I could feel his new erection pressing against my ass cheeks.
“This time, it’s all because of you. Not the drug.”
“Oh.”
He splayed his hand across my lower belly, toying with the waistband of my panties with his fingers. “Want me to relieve you too?”
“Nah. Tonight is all about you.”
“I wish you would let me show you just how much you mean to me.”
