My Everything Read Online Free PDF Page B

willing to torture myself just to keep her.
    “I’m scared I’m going to lose you.”
    “You won’t lose me,” she says as her fingers unbutton my shirt. I need to tell her no. We’ve been down this path before. It leads to the bed, amazing sex and me forgetting how we got to this point.
    My hands clamp down on her wrist, stopping her from finishing the job. “It won’t work this time.”
    I move aside and leave her standing in her room. I don’t know where I’m going, but I need to get out of this house and away from her. She’s an evil temptress who knows how to get her way with me and I need to think clearly.
    I drive to Ralph’s. It’s dead, which is surprising. I pull up a stool at the bar and signal for a beer. The stool next to me moves and I can feel the person next to me sigh.
    “That didn’t take long.”
    “They’re women, they talk.” Mason says and he takes a sip of his beer.
    “I give up, man. I can’t do it anymore.”
    “I hear ya.”
    I look at him out of the corner of my eye. “Aren’t you supposed to convince me to go back to her?”
    He shakes his head and starts peeling the label off his bottle. “Nope, I told Katelyn I won’t do that. Josie doesn’t make sense. Her world revolves around you and Noah and yet she isn’t willing to make it official. I’m not even going to pretend to understand what she’s thinking.”
    “She’s scared things are going to change.”
    “They will, but it’s nothing to be scared about. Hell, I just about pissed myself before I asked Katelyn to marry me.”
    I chuckle. “You’ve been doing that since high school.”
    “Nah man, not like that. The moment I decided I was asking her and went to ask her parents, I threw up in their bushes. I was a nervous wreck, afraid they wouldn’t think I was good enough for their daughter. And the day I asked, I think I pissed myself a little when she said yes. If you ever tell her that, though, I’ll deny it and you’ll never be allowed at my house.”
    I can’t help but laugh. I have no doubt Mason is telling the truth.
    “Mr. Preston has given me his blessing. It was easy to ask him. I think he was expecting it.”
    “I’m sure he was. He likes you.”
    “Josie doesn’t.”
    Mason asks for two more beers and a bowl of peanuts. He’s always eating, but I can’t help but grab a few.
    “Josie loves you and I know you love her. I think that sometimes you just have to wait shit out if you really want to be with that person. I know she’s a pain in the ass, but she’s worth it.”
    “I’m not so sure she loves me or the idea of me. I think she’s afraid of being alone.”
    Mason whacks me on the back of my head. I give him the ‘what the fuck’ look and he just smiles. “If I didn’t think she loves you, I wouldn’t be sitting here when I have a hot little thing waiting for me at home. Believe me, Ashford, you may be taller and pretty, but you don’t have jack shit on Katelyn.”
    “Does she know you talk about her like that?”
    “Yep, and she loves it.”
    Again, I have no doubt he’s telling the truth. It takes someone special to love someone like Mason.
    “What should I do?”
    “Go home and make love to her and be patient. She went through more than anyone should ever have to go through and she’s scared. Accept it and either move on or forget about her reasons and just be with her. I guarantee she’s not going anywhere. I see the way she looks at you. You’ve made her feel whole again. If you leave her because she’s scared it makes you no better than the other guy.”
    “The other guy was your best friend.”
    Mason downs the rest of his beer and throws some cash on the bar. “Yeah, well he’s not anymore.”
    I watch as he leaves, replaying everything that he said. He’s right in his own way. Love should be more important than anything else and I love her. I love her more than anything in my life aside from Noah. I can still be his dad without sharing his last