Page 12 of Run for Us (Masked Men #6)

Chapter Twelve

Kinsley

Today is the dreaded day. I wallow as long as I can, but when I pull myself from my bed, I see the canvases I painted and the sketch that Ripley did, and a feeling of happiness sweeps over me.

My phone goes nuts on the bedside table, and I pick it up to see it’s Jace.

As I answer, his face fills my screen, along with Willow’s and their boyfriends’, and they all sing “ Happy Birthday . ”

A smile blooms on my face. For a day I thought would be a dark spot in my life, I don’t feel any different.

If anything, I feel better than I did before.

I have more clarity, and I’m almost certain I’m going to stay here in Bluebell Bay—maybe not permanently, but I am not ready to leave in a few days.

Originally the plan was to leave after the festival, and now I’m dreading the thought.

Something Shore said has been replaying in my mind: I’m an adult, a wealthy one at that, and if I don’t want to go back, I don’t have to.

It’s a reminder that I’m no longer an eighteen-year-old child sneaking out in the middle of the night, leaving for a college my mother doesn’t want me to go to because it isn’t Sterling Crest School of Design.

I’d chosen a small college in a small town with an amazing art program. Not that it mattered; I never made it.

I drove to my boyfriend Teddy’s house with my car packed. We switched everything into his car and left my keys with his mom because I knew my mother would track my car. We were happy, blaring sappy love songs, but I wasn’t watching my surroundings. He drove through a red light and swerved...

Tears run down my face at the memory.

We collided with a small truck. Teddy didn’t seem as hurt as me, though there was a lot of blood—mostly mine.

When the paramedics arrived and took us to the hospital, he seemed okay.

We were separated so I could get stitched up, then the police came to talk to me.

I heard someone screaming, and the sound of nurses and doctors running.

They couldn’t save him, and it was all my fault.

If I had stayed and gone to the school my mother wanted, it never would have happened.

Teddy was only following me; he didn’t care about college.

He would have happily gotten a job with one of his uncles, but I had to have a dream.

While I can’t change what happened, I think maybe today I finally feel like I can breathe.

Teddy wouldn’t have wanted me to hold on to my grief, and I owe it to him to live my life.

Jace finally finishes a second verse of the birthday song, the one about me smelling like a monkey.

“Do you have any plans today?” he asks.

“Not really. I was just thinking about going to the real estate office and seeing if there are any permanent rentals.”

A huge smile pulls at Jace’s lips. “Good for you. Well, make sure you at least buy a cake and call me tonight. These idiots are still naked, and I can feel Micah’s cock on my ass.”

I snort. “Why do you always call me when you’re naked? It’s weird, Jace. When I call you later, you better have underwear on, at the very least.”

“I make no promises.”

I shake my head and say goodbye to them all.

Thankfully, I didn’t see anything a cousin has no business seeing.

I shower and get dressed, putting on a blue sundress that buttons down the front.

The sundress is sleeveless, so my scars remain visible, and I study myself in the full-length mirror.

Even though they’ve faded, the skin still shows an uneven texture up close from the marks of dozens and dozens of stitches.

A knock at the front door pulls me out of the spiral I was about to go down. When I reach the door and open it, Kasen is standing there with a cake box in his hand.

“Happy birthday,” he says, and I raise my brow.

“How did you know today’s my birthday?” I ask and gesture for him to come inside.

“Mrs. Easton—Shore’s mom—does my bookkeeping, and she insisted I bring you a cake she baked you. I told her it might be strange if I show up with cake, but she wouldn’t take no for an answer.”

I chuckle. After meeting her once, he doesn’t need to explain. “Tell her I said thank you.”

He grimaces. “Actually, you could tell her yourself at dinner. Her exact words were, ‘Boy, a beautiful woman like Kinsley deserves to be celebrated, and tonight we will show her how the Eastons celebrate.’” He smiles and then looks at my outfit.

His eyes take me in, inch by inch, and I don’t hate how it makes me feel.

“If you plan to decline, I tap out, because while that woman is a saint, she scares the pants off me.”

I chuckle. “I would love to have dinner with her and her family. Actually, while you are here, I wanted to ask what my chances are of extending my stay. I’m thinking I might like to remain a while longer and see what rentals there are.”

Kasen puts the cake box down on the kitchen counter. “We can certainly extend your stay here, but I know of a rental that is available in two weeks. I can show you if you like.”

I nod eagerly. “That would be amazing. When suits you?”

“If you’re free now, I can drive you.”

“I can do now.”

Kasen holds his hand out for me to lead the way. I grab my handbag and walk outside to where his car sits. It’s nothing flashy, but it’s still nice—a sleek black. It suits him.

We make small talk as Kasen drives us toward The Promenade. He tells me that most of the year you can drive from one end of the town to the other, but with the festival, they close the main street off so that vendors can set up and people can enjoy the nighttime activities.

We pull up out the front of a cute two-story cottage. The bottom level has large glass windows on each side of the front door, covered with white lace curtains.

“Mrs. Baker owns this house. She moved out a few years ago, but she used to run a pottery class downstairs and lived upstairs.”

“Why did she move out?” I ask as we both get out of the car.

“She was too old to maintain the property, so she rented it to me.”

I stop as we walk up the stone path. “You live here?”

“I do, for at least two more weeks. The last of the renovations for the lighthouse will be done, and then I will be moving.”

This place is magical. It is at the end of a cul-de-sac, with the beach directly across from it, and I can see the lighthouse from the corner of my eye.

“Oh, well, that’s nice that you get to move.”

Kasen leads us to the door and unlocks it. My mind goes wild with ideas the second we step inside. The space would make an amazing art gallery.

“Let me show you around. This is where Mrs. Baker had her pottery classes. I have never needed the space, so that’s why there is no furniture, but it could be used as a living area if you have guests—or maybe a new job venture.

It’s sectioned off, so behind these curtains is a second room.

It’s a little smaller, but the light is amazing. ”

He then leads me upstairs to a small one-bedroom apartment. It’s smaller than what I’m used to, but something in my gut tells me this is where I belong.

“It’s perfect.”

“I thought it might be. I can call Mrs. Baker today and get her to send over the paperwork. Rent is twelve hundred a month, and utilities are included. You’ll need first and last month’s rent upfront before you move in.”

“Twelve hundred?”

“Is that too much?” he asks, and I shake my head.

“I expected more. I guess small-town living is a lot cheaper than where I come from. You don’t want to know how much my apartment is worth.”

Kasen laughs. “I can only imagine. I think you’ll really like it here, Kinsley.”

Why the heck am I nervous? It’s a simple birthday dinner a lovely woman has invited me to attend.

I even went shopping today and found a cute floral-printed chiffon dress.

It’s off-white with pale-pink flowers, and the second I saw it, I knew my mom would hate the design.

She would tell me it looks like her grandmother’s tablecloth, so that’s part of the reason I bought it.

I knock on the door, and Tyde pulls it open and beams at me. “Hey, new girl, you look amazing.”

“Thank you.”

He reaches out and grabs my hand, dragging me through the house so fast that I barely get to take in my surroundings. The house is older, but it’s massive. No wonder they have room for everyone to live here.

“Mom!” Tyde shouts. “The birthday girl is here.”

He pulls me into the kitchen where Shore’s mom, Beth, is standing, stirring something on the stove. She turns, placing the wooden spoon over the pan, and wipes her hands on her apron.

“Happy birthday. Dinner will be ready shortly. Tyde, find your brothers and set the table.”

Tyde lets go of my hand and leaves the kitchen.

“Is there anything you need help with?” I immediately offer.

“Don’t be silly, it’s your birthday. If you go up those stairs, the second door on the left is Shore’s room. I forced him to put on clothes for dinner.”

Beth shoos me out of the kitchen, and I head upstairs.

I find Shore’s door, and when I knock, the door drifts open ajar.

I blink a few times after getting an unexpected eyeful of Shore and Rip kissing.

Rip has his hand fastened tight around Shore’s throat, and my knees almost go weak.

They pull apart quickly, and Shore smiles widely at me.

“Sorry for interrupting, but your mom sent me upstairs—well, she practically forced me up here. I think I may have offended her by asking if she needed help.”

“You’re not interrupting. Rip was helping me choose clothes, but I look fantastic half naked and he couldn’t keep his mouth off me.”

Rip scoffs. “His ego is huge and distracting him helps get his clothes on. He is like an unruly toddler.”

Rip throws Shore a button-up shirt, which he catches in one hand, then pulls it on. I swallow the lump in my throat as I watch and remind myself that he is way too young for me.

“Kasen tells us you’re going to rent his place once he moves out.”

I move my gaze to Ripley, who looks like sin in his dark jeans that are torn at the knees. His button-up shirt has the top couple of buttons left undone, and a silver chain fills the open space.

“I am. I finally decided to live my life for myself, though I’m dreading the call with my mother. But there is no reason I can’t work remotely, since I can do video calls with clients and send my mom my sketches for approval.”

“I’m so fucking happy for you,” Shore says. “And now you can go on that date with me.”

I look at Rip, and he smiles. “You can go on a date with him. He doesn’t need my approval. Not that I understand why you would want to date this man-child. Be warned, he’s a lot of work.”

“Who’s dating who?” Kasen asks, walking into the room and standing beside me. The man smells good enough to eat.

“Why do you have to come in here looking and smelling like that?” Shore says. “Any chance I had with Kinsley has gone out the window.”

Kasen chuckles. “You snooze, you lose, because I would love to take Kinsley on a date.”

“What about a group date?” Rip suggests. “That way, she can decide which one of us she likes the most.”

I smile like an idiot. “Fine, I agree to one group date, with no promises of a second date for anyone.”

“Excellent! We will get back to you with the details, because we are going to date the fuck out of you, and you won’t be able to say no to round two,” Shore announces with a grin.

I laugh as his mom calls out that dinner is ready. Shore moves in front of me, turns around, and bends his knees. I stare in utter confusion for a moment, then look at Kasen and Ripley for help. They both just smirk.

“Get on, birthday girl, you don’t walk to the Easton table on your birthday.”

“He’s telling the truth, new girl. I made him carry me bridal style on my birthday,” Tyde says as he momentarily pauses at Shore’s door, then continues without waiting for a reply.

I wrap my arms around his neck, and as he stands, I secure my legs around his waist. My pussy throbs against his back, the tiny scrap of my thong not covering much. But the last thing I need is to be wet sitting at his parents’ table.

We head into their dining room, and all eyes fall to me.

Their table is massive, and a birthday cake sits in the center with the candles lit.

Everyone sings “Happy Birthday” as we awkwardly stand there.

New faces I’ve never met are seated at the table.

Once they stop singing, Beth stands from her chair.

“Blow out your candles and make your birthday wish.”

Shore slides me down his back, and I nervously walk over to the table.

“She doesn’t need a birthday wish. She has a date with me,” Shore announces.

“Shit! Quick, new girl, wish for a new date. It’s not too late,” Tyde says, and I laugh, then blow out the candles.

My heart pounds from a surge of emotions.

My mother hasn’t celebrated my birthday in many years.

I highly doubt she has even messaged me today, and I don’t feel the need to check.

None of my so-called friends have bothered to call me either, which I expected, since I’ve come to realize our friendships are only about what I can do for them.

“I will pop the cake back into the kitchen until after dinner,” Beth says. “Cove, come and help me bring out the meal.”

An older replica of Shore stands from the table and follows his mom.

I have to blink back tears as I take a seat beside Shore. He introduces me to everyone I haven’t met yet, and I immediately feel like I’m part of their family. I can see why foster kids love living here. Somehow it feels like home.

I am happy I came here tonight, and it cements the fact that staying here longer is the best choice for me. This is the life I always wanted, a life that is carefree. With my days spent doing what I love, surrounded by people who will welcome me into their home, and are genuine and caring.

This has officially been my best birthday yet.