Fucking Seth.

He leans against the wall, his leg bent at the knee and watches as I clip my bra around my stomach and pull my shirt off over my head. I quickly pull the bra up and slip my arms under the straps, adjusting it so it sits comfortably.

“Do you want me to come with you?” he asks.

“No, Seth, you don’t need to come with me. Darryl will be pissed if you’re late for training.”

He crosses his arms. “And if Mason wants you to go back and work for him?”

I slip my shorts down, ignoring the way Seth’s eyes rake me.

“I’ll tell him no thank you, I already have a job and it allows me to stare at a certain sweaty, sexy man that I’m particularly fond of all day.”

His lips twitch and he pushes off the wall, sauntering closer to me. I feel my insides ripple with every step and my entire body tightens. I just want him to touch me, for Christ’s sake! Is that so hard?! “That does sound like a good job.” He smiles, sliding his hands onto the nape of my neck.

“The best,” I say, pressing my lips to his.

He groans, sliding a hand down my neck, down my navel and into my underwear. My breath hitches as his rough fingers press against my warmth and instantly, my new underwear is soaked. He pulls back, his eyes smoldering at me.

“What are the odds of your mother walking in while I take care of you?” My, my, there is a God after all.

There’s a soft rap of knuckles on the door and Seth exhales, removing his hand and stepping back. Calm down girls, false alarm. There isn’t a God.

“Olivia, I also made smoothies.” Mom’s voice calls through the wood. Smoothies? Now? I choke on a laugh as I pull a new shirt over my head. “Thanks, Mom!”

God, she can be so awkward sometimes. I push my legs into my jeans, pull them up and button them. I reach for a hair tie off of my dresser and pull my hair up into a messy bun as I step past Seth and stroll from the room. Seth follows me, a little too closely for me to think straight and when we sit back in our seats, he leans across and kisses my cheek. I don’t want to smile, but I can’t help it and I end up grinning from ear to ear like the freaking Cheshire cat. Mom regards us curiously from across the table. “So I take it you two are still going okay?”

Seth laughs, slinging an arm over my shoulder. “Don’t look too down, Mrs. James. I’m not going anywhere.”

Mom sips at her coffee, narrowing her eyes at him over the rim of her cup. Mom plays all ‘cranky’ and ‘hard-to-please’ when it comes to Seth, but deep down she loves him. She has to…because Dad did.

“Okay,” I sigh, after twenty minutes of silent eating. “I have to go down to Mason’s office and pick up a few things. When I come back, we can work on the garden, if you want.”

Mom nods eagerly and a smile curls at her lips. “That would be wonderful. I bought these pink petunias and they’ll look gorgeous in the front garden.”

Dad always wanted to put pink petunias in the front garden, but Mom hated the thought of the pink clashing with her yellows. Now that he’s gone, she wants to put the pink in the front…maybe it’s to honor his memory, or maybe it’s because she feels guilty. Either way, I’m glad the thought of putting them in the front garden makes her happy. I push out from my chair and Seth follows suit.

“I’ll walk you to your car.” He tells me—not offers.

“Sure.”

I slip into a pair of sandals by the door and pull my car keys off the hook. Seth holds the door open for me and I step out onto the patio. The morning air is refreshing and the golden, low-lying sun warms my skin while the cool breeze skims across it.

“You don’t have to go, you know. I could go down for you after training.”

I laugh once at Seth wracking his brain to come up with anything to stop me from going down there. “Yeah, I can see that ending well.”

His fingers lace with mine and we walk hand in hand down the crunchy, pebble path. Tension radiates off of him in waves—I can see it in the way he walks and feel it in the extra-tight grip he has on my hand.

“Look, Seth, I know how you feel about Mason, but you need to relax. I’m going to be there five minutes tops.”

His eyes search mine and after a couple long seconds, he drags in a deep inhale, expelling it from his nose. “Fine, but call me when you’re done. Maybe we can grab lunch.”

“What about Darryl and training?”

Darryl has Seth training three times a day on most days now. It leaves little time for us to spend time together—that’s probably all part of Darryl’s sick plan, too.

He shrugs. “Don’t worry about that, I’ll sort it out.”

I reach up and plant a quick kiss on his lips. Before I pull away, his fingers unexpectedly dig into the small of my back and he pulls me hard against him. His mouth drops to my neck and he pulls the skin between his full lips, sucking hard and eliciting an unintentional moan from me. The skin begins to sting and then it hits me, and I pull away abruptly. Seth releases me with an amused quirk of his lips and I take a few steps back.

“Are you kidding me?” I gasp, clenching my neck.

He runs his tongue over his bottom lip, like I’m the most delicious thing he has ever tasted. “What?”

“What?” I mock him, making him smile at me. It’s one of those ‘I’ll do whatever the fuck I want and you can’t do a damn thing about’ kind of smiles. It’s the kind of smile that penetrates fabric and licks you right where your thighs meet, and it’s because of that smile I can’t be mad at him for wanting to leave his mark right where Mason will see it.

“You are such an animal,” I protest, unsure how to react to him and his blatant possessiveness.

“Thank you.”

I glare at him, but it’s a confused glare that battles against a smile. “It wasn’t a compliment.”

He flicks an eyebrow. “I disagree.”

I whirl around on my heel, push through the side gate and onto the driveway. Seth leans against the small, white gate and watches me as I get in my car, clip in my seatbelt, and start her up. Before I put it in reverse and leave, I wind down my window. “Are you going to the gym now?” I ask out of curiosity.

If I need anything from him later, it’ll be easier for me if I know where he is.

He smiles, running his fingers through his hair. “I will in a little bit. I thought I’d hang around here and annoy your Mom for a little while longer.

I roll my eyes and shake my head. “See you.”

I back down the driveway and he waves once before I turn the corner and zoom away.

***

It feels weird driving to Mason’s office. It has been such a long time since I’ve been anywhere near it. I purposely avoid it for fear of running into him. We ended things on bad terms…and considering I’m still doing the things that caused us to fight in the first place I don’t think this is going to be easy. I pull up out front, happy there’s a parking space available. I check my neck in the rear-view mirror and I sigh in relief when I see the love bite fading. I take a few moments to group my thoughts. I don’t know why I feel so nervous—then again, maybe it’s not nerves…maybe it’s guilt. I feel guilty because I was such a shit employee. I was a great employee before a certain someone came along. I arrived at work at the right times and never skipped days…then I met Seth and he turned my world upside down. I let him consume me, I let him take over every aspect of my life and I loved it. I love the way he makes me feel…taking a chance with him was worth more to me than working a nine to five job.

I let my head fall back against the headrest and take two deep breaths. Might as well get this over and done with. I unclip my belt and climb out of the car. Ten minutes, I tell myself. Ten minutes and then I’m out of there.

“Olivia?” Mason’s voice rings through my ears and I turn abruptly, almost falling against my car. I’m so not prepared for this.

He’s about to enter his office with a small coffee in his hand and I wave sheepishly at him. I force my legs one in front of the other and manage to walk around my car and step onto the sidewalk. I can’t say I wasn’t hoping he’d be out and I’d only have to deal with his receptionist…shit happens, I guess.

“Hey, Mason…I came to grab a few of my things,” I say, nervously fingering the hem of my shirt.

He looks nice in his light grey suit with a bright blue tie, tied right to the top button. He smiles and I think it’s both genuine and forced, if that’s even possible. “Sure, come on in.”

My sandals slap the concrete as I follow him into his office. My gaze drags over the familiar surroundings before settling on my old desk. An uncomfortable twinge of nostalgia rolls through me and I ball my hands into anxious fists. Maybe I do miss working here…

“Fae, this is Olivia. She’s your predecessor,” Mason informs her with a playful smile.

I look at the tiny girl behind the desk. Fae is a suitable name for her appearance. She’s tiny, with golden hair and a small, pointy nose—like Tinkerbell. She glances up at me through her short bangs.

“Don’t worry,” I tell her, rubbing my moist palms on my jeans. “If you’re showing up on time—or at all—then you’re already doing better than me.”

She curls a stray hair over one ear sheepishly and chuckles, clearly nervous about my sudden arrival.

“Any patients?” Mason asks her and Fae shakes her head.

“Not for another half hour.”

Mason signals for me to follow him into his office and I smile at Fae before slipping into the room and closing the door behind me. Without looking at Mason, I drop into the seat across from his desk. Thankfully, he sits in his chair behind the table and not on the edge of his desk, like he used to.

“How’ve you been?” he asks, not making eye contact and I wonder if he actually cares.

I entwine my fingers, not relaxed enough to lean back against the chair. “Good, I’ve been good. How about you?”

He shrugs. “I’m doing all right.”

An awkward silence fills the room and I watch him until he finally lifts his azure eyes from his desk to my face. “How’s your mom?”

I cringe inwardly at the stilted conversation unfolding between us, but I power through it, hoping it ends up where I get my stuff and leave.

“She’s doing better now that I’ve moved back in with her.”

“Oh, good.”

He leans back in his chair, running his fingers through his hair. “I’m really sorry to hear about your father…when I read it in the newspaper, I couldn’t believe it.”

“Thanks, it was a shock…but we’re dealing with it.”

He nods. “And Seth? Are you two still—”

“Yes, Seth and I are still very much…together.”

Mason shakes his head slightly and I frown. Why’d he think I came here? To beg for my job back? To tell him I was wrong and I should’ve chosen him over Seth?

“I only came to collect my things, Mason.”

“And that’s it? No apology? Nothing? You’ve been avoiding my calls for the last eight weeks, but I get the feeling that has nothing to do with you.”

I exhale. He’s right. Mason didn’t do anything to me. I was the one who wronged him. “Sorry, I’ve been busy managing the gym and you know how Seth is, especially with you…I—”

“Seth is but an over-confident playboy, Olivia. I’m not scared of him. He can’t tell you who you can and who you can’t talk to. I may have been your boss, but I was also you’re friend—I am your friend.”

I pull my bottom lip between my teeth. Mason can’t be my friend. I can’t exactly see us going for coffee or going shopping together—at least not without jeopardizing my relationship with Seth. Mason also has—had—romantically feelings towards me, making any kind of relationship with him unattainable. I had to close this chapter of my life. In order to move forward with Seth, Mason and my old life has to go.

“Mason, I’m sorry I chose Seth over my job and I’m sorry I abandoned you and this practice, but so far that decision has led me to where I am now…and I like where I am.”

Disappointment flashes across his features and it frustrates me. Why can’t he ever make things easy for me? What more does he want me to say?

“I hate seeing you do this to yourself,” he admits, sending sharp arrows of frustration right into the pit of my stomach. “Your relationship with Seth is a ticking time bomb. You know it, I know it—everyone knows it. You’re wasting your time.”

I scoff, “I’m wasting my time with Seth? No. I’m wasting my time here with you. Every millisecond I’m with him is time well spent. He makes me happy, Mason, the happiest anyone has ever made me. Doesn’t that matter to you? You claim to be my friend yet you only take your own happiness into consideration, not mine. I know exactly what kind of person Seth is. I know what he’s done and how he is, but that doesn’t make me love him any less.”

Mason pinches the bridge of his nose briefly before pushing up from his chair. He turns and opens the cupboard above his head. Reaching inside, he pulls out a small green box and shuts the door. Before handing it to me, he taps his fingers on the side of it, like he wants to say something else. Deciding against it, his brows furrow and he slides the box across his desk. “There are your things. The picture of your dad, a few of your receipts, your paycheck and a lip gloss.”

I grab the box and pull myself to my feet. I take one step towards the door and Mason’s voice stops me in my tracks.