Page 114 of Kiss and Tell

“You—” Connor’s expression was perplexed, all the chilliness having melted away. “Are you serious?”

Mason looked up.

“You think I’m mad at you?” Connor continued.

“Aren’t you?” Mason asked, equally taken aback.

“I’m pissed as hell,” Connor said bluntly. “My best friend dropped me the moment I left the industry. You moved on and shut me out completely. Of course I’m mad at you.”

“I didn’t shut you out,” Mason said. “You were angry with me. You blame me. And you were right to.”

“I don’t blame you for anything,” Connor said. “Except for ditching me when I needed you.”

“You stopped returning my calls and texts.” Mason’s mouth twisted. “I thought you didn’t want to hear from me.”

Connor ran a hand through his hair, chagrined.

“For a while I didn’t want to hear from anyone,” he admitted. “I was in a shit mood. A really bad state of mind. Being told I couldn’t play music anymore…”

Mason winced.

“I’m so fucking sorry—” he said again.

“It’s not your fault,” Connor cut in. “It wasn’t anything you or I did. The doctors said it just happens sometimes with people who do those kind of repetitive motions day after day.” He let out a deep sigh through his nose and eyed his best friend. “You really thought I blamed you?”

Mason nodded.

“I don’t,” Connor said simply.

His best friend’s eyes shined with a hopeful look.

“You forgive me?” he asked.

“There’s nothing to forgive.”

The look of utter relief on Mason’s face, the way the hurt and heartache disappeared from his expression was enough to make tears spring to my eyes.

Connor snorted out a laugh.

“You’ve always been a dumbass.” A fond smile curled at the corner of his lips. “This is why I stuck around you. You needed someone to keep your head out of your ass.”

Mason retaliated by punching Connor’s shoulder.

“Hey, fuck you, you’re the one always getting into shit,” he shot back, a slow grin spreading across his face.

“Who’s the one who got caught breaking into the teacher’s office to change his test scores?” Connor countered.

“And who got caught with his pants down at—”

Connor slapped a hand over Mason’s mouth with a choked, strangled sound, casting a look to me.

“Dude, not in front of the girlfriend,” he hissed.

I laughed and patted Connor on the shoulder.

“I’m well aware of your wild past,” I said.

“Doesn’t mean you need to know the sordid details,” he said.