Megan Smith - Hard To Love You

“Shit!” I stand up and search around for my clothes. “I forgot I called Jay over to hang out.”

Mason reaches down and pulls his jeans up, tucks everything back inside and makes quick work of his zipper, button and belt. I’m so fucking sticky I’m having a hard time pulling my yoga pants up. Mason quickly reaches for his shirt and pulls it down over my head just as Cooper comes around the corner.

“Oh hell!” Cooper yells.

Jaylinn comes up behind him. “Masey what are you—-” Jaylinn covers her eyes with her hands. “Christ! I’ll never be able to bleach this shit out of my eyes.” She says.

I look around the kitchen and it’s a sight to see. There is chocolate syrup smeared all over the kitchen floor. It looks like someone was finger painting with it on the counters. My face feels sticky so I’m sure it’s all over me.

I start cracking up behind Mason. “Looks like I’m not the only one with bad timing.”

Cooper and Jaylinn grumble.

Mason wraps his arms around me, “Yeah, I was starting to get jealous because you kept talking about Hunter’s naked ass.”

Jaylinn uncovers her eyes only to cover her ears and say loudly, “I’m not hearing this shit.”

Cooper turns and stalks into the living room. “Where’s Chaos? I hope to God you didn’t scare him to death.” He yells. I shake my head and smile to myself, Coop still refuses to call him Ryder.

“He’s sleeping, asshole.” Mason quips back.

I stand on my tip toes, “I’ll be right back. I’m going to go rinse off.”

Mason slaps me on the ass and I prance down the hall. I’m sure Mason has to be sticky as shit, maybe he’ll join me. I stop in the guest room to grab a clean pair of yoga shorts and my sports bra.

I go into the bathroom and start the shower, letting the water warm up. I look at myself in the mirror and for the first time in weeks I actually look like my old self. Of course the afterglow of sex is helping too. It feels so easy falling back into routine with Mason.

I pull Mason’s shirt over my head and step into the shower. I’m working the shampoo into my hair and I feel a cold draft, I spin to make sure I closed the curtain and I damn near fall on my ass. Mason is watching me.

“Damn it, Mase! Why do you always sneak up on me?”

He chuckles and looks at me with hooded eyes again. “Oh no, not again. Not with Coop and Jay downstairs.”

Mason lets his already unbuckled pants drop to his ankles and his cock springs free. He stands in front of me in all his naked glory. His six foot frame steps in the shower and he towers over me.

“You keep looking at me like that and I’ll take your sweet little ass up against this wall.”

I gasp, “You wouldn’t.”

Mason raises his eyebrows at me and has me pinned up against the wall before I even realize what’s happening.

“I warned you.”

Mason’s husky voice sends shivers down my spine. He did warn me and I pressed my luck, and I’m so glad I did.

A half hour later, with noodles for legs and a soreness between my legs, we are cuddled up on the couch downstairs. Jaylinn has her head resting on Cooper’s lap and Cooper is watching ESPN. Mason sits exactly how Cooper does, on the other side of the couch, with me sitting in his lap.

I tap Jaylinn on the foot. “What are you reading?”

She looks up from her e-reader, “Fallen Crest High by Tijan.”

“Any good?”

“It’s one of my favorite books ever. It’s only like the tenth time I’ve read it.”

I laugh at her. It must be good if she can read it that many times.

Cooper looks over at me with a serious look on his face. “Did you know people write about dinosaur porn?”

I stare at him for a second, waiting for him to crack a smile but he doesn’t. Mason’s whole body starts to shake and before long we are both laughing so hard I get a cramp in my stomach. I climb off Mason’s lap and lay out on the floor, holding my side while I try to stop laughing.

“Laugh it up, assholes. That shit is disturbing.” Cooper says over our fits of laughter.

“Baby its ok. Some people have a fetish with that shit.” Jaylinn starts giggling and I can see her trying to force her face to keep serious. “Although I do wonder,” She taps her pointer finger on her lips, “What was the name of that book? Shit, I forget, but it was something about being rammed by a dinosaur. I can’t imagine that would be pleasant.”

Mason and Jaylinn fall on the floor laughing, right alongside me. Forget my side hurting, my whole body hurts. Jaylinn keeps talking through her laughter, “I wonder how T-Rex masturbates with his little T-Rex arms?” More giggles.

Cooper tackles Jaylinn on the floor and kisses her so she stops talking. I start to calm down and roll over to cuddle into Mason’s side, giving Cooper and Jaylinn their moment. It’s not like they have many of them so I don’t want to be the cause of interrupting.

Mason places a kiss on the top of my head. “Damn that felt good to laugh like that.”

“Mmmhmm.” I run my fingers up and down Mason’s chest. I look up at him and kiss those full lips that I love so much.

I take a quick glance over at Cooper and Jaylinn and they’re just lying there, Cooper staring intently into Jaylinn’s pretty blue eyes.

I fake a yawn, “I’m calling it a night.” I nudge Mason. Cooper and Jaylinn haven’t acknowledged me.

Mason follows my lead and he stands up and pulls me to my feet. I walk over and grab the monitor off the end table. I take Mason’s hand and we head down the hall, as soon as I take the first step I hear Cooper yell, “Wake me up for practice in the morning.”

“Yeah, alright.” Mason yells back.

Mason and I are lying in bed, facing each other, arms and legs tangled together. We keep kissing each other but not taking it any further. I’m so helplessly in love with him that I can’t see straight right now. He understands me when I don’t understand myself half the time. He knows my wants, my needs, my passions. He’s perfect, caring, affectionate, understanding and absolutely sexy.

“Mase,”

“Boo,”

I squeeze my eyes shut, my heart feels like it’s about to beat out of my chest. Mason kisses both of my eyelids. “I need you to tell me the truth about Lily. I want what we had here tonight, Mase. I hate not being by your side, in your bed. But I can’t move forward without knowing.”

Mason sighs and pulls me closer. “I want this too, Hailey. I had plans to ask you to move in with me. I was going to ask you the morning after the bachelor party.”

I frown as my broken heart shatters even more.

“I’m going to tell you everything; it’s killing me to keep it from you. I’m trying not to break my promise to you. Just give me a little bit more time.” He kisses me. “I love you more than anything, Hailey. I’d even give up baseball for you. Just …” Mason takes a deep breath. “I need a little more time.”

I nod, if I open my mouth to speak I’ll cry and I’m not crying anymore tonight.

Mason and I eventually fall asleep just after midnight but we are woken up shortly after by Ryder crying.

Mason throws back the covers, “I’ll go get him.”

I hear Mason walk into Ryder’s room, “Hey buddy.” There is some rustling and then a snap, “Damn kid you stink.” I start to giggle. “Alright buddy lets go get a bottle and cuddle with Aunt Hailey.”

Mason and Ryder come back to the room and I move over so Ryder can have the middle. Mason climbs in after getting Ryder settled with his bottle. I’m so in awe of this man. I have no clue what I’m going to do if he keeps hurting me.

Mason reaches for my hand above Ryder’s head and then he lays his hand on my hip. “I love you Hailey Madison Taylor.”

I close my eyes and a tear slides down my face. “I love you too, Mason Jonathan Cahill.”

With my eyes still closed I fall to sleep with my dreams of one day having this with Mason.

- Mason -

After Ryder finishes his bottle I carry him back into his room and try to catch a few hours of sleep.

The alarm goes off at five and I’m still exhausted after only managing three hours. I look over at Hailey’s sleeping body and I never want to be separated from her again. She’s the one for me, that much is clear. Last night sealed the deal. Hailey is the type of girl that will put everyone else before herself, make sure everyone is happy before she makes herself happy. She’s been through so much shit with her family that no one should ever have to deal with and I am going to make it my mission to see that she never deals with it again.

I regrettably untangle myself from her naked body and go to wake Cooper for practice.

When I walk downstairs Cooper and Jaylinn are already sitting at the breakfast bar, drinking coffee.

“So Masey, you and Hailey?” Jaylinn questions me.

I shrug. I’m not sure exactly what we are right now.

Cooper stands up and goes for another cup of coffee. “You fucked her in our sister’s house, in the kitchen dude, and all you can do is shrug?”

I walk by and smack him upside the head, “Yup and you aren’t going to say a word about it to Kenzie either.”

“Hell no I’m not. I’m staying far away from that.” Cooper says.

The three of us talk for a little while before Coop and I leave the girls and Ryder to head off to practice.

I wake around ten and I feel the panic quickly. Mason is gone, I can’t feel his body heat, but he never woke me to make sure I kept an ear out for Ryder. I throw the covers off and run into his room. Jaylinn is sitting on the floor playing with Ryder’s blocks as he is sitting in her lap, attempting to eat the block in his hand. Thank God those things are plastic.

“Morning Sunshine.” Jaylinn greets me.

“Damn, I was in a panic for a minute. I didn’t hear Mason leave this morning and thought Ryder would be in here screaming his head off.” I take a seat next to Jaylinn and Ryder on the floor and pick up a block, twirling it around in my hand.

Ryder squeals, I reach out and grab his little hand, “Morning monkey.”

I look over to Jaylinn and she grimaces a little. “What’s the matter?” she says.

“Damn rug burn.” I start laughing. “It’s not what you think, jackass.”

I roll my eyes, “Yeah sure.”

“It wasn’t! Coop and I were playing around. I tried to get away from him but he caught me by my feet and dragged my ass across the floor back to him.”

I laugh harder, “Didn’t you have pants on?”

“Oh whatever.” Jaylinn huffs and blows her bangs out of her eyes. “You’re impossible.”

“When are you and Coop ever going to get together? Everyone knows you two are fighting your feelings for some reason and it makes no damn sense, Jay.”

“It’s complicated.”

“What isn’t complicated anymore?”

Jaylynn shrugs, “Every time I try to get close to him he shuts me out and then things are weird for a few days afterwards.” Jaylinn shrugs and looks hurt.

“What’s so complicated about your relationship? Is it because of baseball? And your soccer? Both?”

Jaylinn just shrugs.

“Do you want me to have Mason try to talk to him?”

“No.” She shakes her head.

Ryder starts getting fussy. Poor little guy is drooling like crazy.

“Don’t panic, but I think you need to run out to the store and get Ryder some teething medicine. He’s putting everything in his mouth and he’s really cranky. Kenzie left a note.” I laugh once, of course she did. “She said if he’s really cranky to put Baby Orajel on his gums but I can’t find it anywhere.”

“Aww, Monkey are your teeth bothering you?” I coo to him. He reaches for my finger and tries to stick it in his mouth.

“See.” Jaylinn says while reaching for a teething ring I didn’t notice on the floor.

“Alright, I’m going to go throw some clothes on. You’ll be ok with him until I get back?” I ask Jaylinn as I stand up.

“Yup, we’ll be fine.”

An hour later I walk into Walgreens, pushing a shopping cart down the baby aisle. I grab the Baby Orajel and then swing around to the next aisle to grab some snacks.

I stop dead in my tracks. Lily is standing there. She hasn’t noticed me yet and I could easily back up and leave but before I get the chance she looks up. Panic flashes across her face.

“Oh hey, Hailey.” Lily says as the panic leaves her face. Lily is a nasty person and cries for attention from anyone that has a dick. It’s a shame that her good looks were wasted on such a sleazy whore bag.