Chapter 20 #2
Sarah, a girl who had been in all my classes last year, joined us.
There was no seat left, so I offered her my lap.
She wasn’t a clinger and never showed any interest in me, so I was safe.
Her brother had played offensive for the team before graduating two years ago.
He’d gotten recruited by Crestwood University, and Sarah started showing me footage of his last game on her phone.
“Okay, this is sick. These guys are war machines. I can’t wait to play there next year.”
“Are you going to CWU? Have you signed with them?”
I hadn’t told anyone about the college offers I had received so far. This was only between Coach, my parents, and me. For now.
“Look who the cat has brought in,” Sheldon said with a wolf whistle, saving me from answering. “Is it just me, or does she look hotter every day? Think she’d date a guy like me?”
“If I were you and if you value your balls, I wouldn’t get too close. Pierce Junior will turn them into a stew if you touch what’s his.”
“Who?” I shifted in my seat, pretty sure they were referencing Tanya or even Lydia, only to catch sight of Melinda walking toward us, with my brother and Paige close behind arguing about something.
My eyes zeroed in on my girl. Her brown hair was tied in a high ponytail, and she was wearing a simple black, V-neck cropped top and a pair of jeans that molded to her curves, nothing provocative or super short, and yet, she was the sexiest girl in here.
Our eyes locked, and her lips curled. And so did mine.
Her smile faded when she came face to face with me, her gaze traveling between Sarah, still perched on my thighs, and me. I released my grip around Sarah’s waist and leaned back as if I’d done something bad.
Hurt flashed on Melinda’s face. Her lips shaped into an O before she halted, blinked, and turned around, ready to bolt from here.
“What’s wrong?” Paige asked her when she came to stand next to her friend. She scanned the space, and anger blazed in her eyes when they landed on me. “Mase, really?”
My heart sank as Melinda scurried away, Paige after her.
“Fuck.” I pushed Sarah off me and rose from the chair in one swift motion. “Hey man,” I told my brother when I passed him. “Save my seat. I’ll be right back.”
I reached Paige and stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t. Please. Let me do it.”
She pivoted to face me. “What the fuck, Mase. We talked about it. Are you sabotaging your chances on purpose? Or is Sarah Beaufort your sign?”
“No.” I shook my head, glancing at my feet and rubbing my hands on my jean-clad thighs. “She’s not.”
“Come on, you had your arms wrapped around her, and she was sitting on you. From where I stood, you both looked cozy together.”
I grabbed the roots of my hair and pulled. “It’s not like that. We were watching some football on her phone. Nothing else. Anyway, why am I even explaining myself to you? I gotta go. I’ll fix this.”
She rested her fists on her hips. “You better, Mason Pierce. Don’t you dare break her heart.”
I wasn’t used to Paige being angry with me.
She usually was pretty chilled even when I messed up.
“I will.” I weaved through the bodies filling the makeshift dance floor in the living room and landed in the kitchen.
I perused my surroundings. No sign of Melinda.
My heart leaped up in my throat. I had fucked it all up.
Dammit. I turned around and headed for the den on the other side of the house.
I noticed her by the door, wiping her eyes. She looked over her shoulder like she could feel my presence.
I was about to follow in her footsteps when a very drunk Tanya appeared in front of me as I entered the living room, one hand cradling my face and the other fisting my T-shirt. “Massse, baby. I misssed you. I didn’t knooow you would be here tonight. Why haven’t you callled?”
From a distance, Melinda blinked and left the room, and once again, I lost her in the crowd.
I clamped Tanya’s wrists and lowered her hands. “Not now, Tan. And not here.”
Her bloodshot eyes rounded. “So later then? I’ve misssed you, Mase. I’ve misssed us. There’s a free bedroom on the second floor we can use. Wanna meeet me there?”
“No. I already made myself clear. Many times. You gotta move on.”
She pouted. “But I don’t wanna movvve on. I want youuu. We’re goood together.”
“No.” My tone was firmer this time. Her hands returned to my face, and I lowered them once again. “Tan, I gotta go. Find someone else.”
Tears shone in her eyes, and she tugged at my shirt with one hand.
I closed my eyes for a second and breathed out.
“Geez, why are you doing this? We’re not together, and we won’t ever be.
I can’t deal with you right now.” I pushed forward, and at that point, she had to let go of me.
I searched the space for Melinda, but she was nowhere to be seen.
“Dammit,” I screamed louder than I intended.
I crossed the room in a few strides, on a mission to find my girl. I spotted her as she cut in line and locked herself in the bathroom. “Sorry,” I said as I elbowed my way through the partygoers. I knocked on the bathroom door. “Mel? It’s me. Open the door.”
No response.
I tried the knob, but it didn’t budge.
“Mel? Can we talk? That thing with Sarah… It’s not what it looked like.
I swear. I-I wouldn’t… I wouldn’t do this to you.
Can I come in? I would—” Someone bumped into me from behind, and my chest hit the door.
“C’mon, man,” I spoke through gritted teeth.
“Get lost somewhere else.” I tried the knob again.
“Mel, let me in. Please. I don’t know why I’m begging you… I did nothing wrong. Let’s talk.”
I held my breath at the sound of the door being unlocked.
My heart split in two when Melinda appeared on the other side, wiping mascara streaks down her cheeks with a piece of toilet paper. She raised a hand before I could say anything. “Not now, Mason. I don’t feel like talking to you.”
I raked my fingers through my hair. “Don’t shut me out.”
“Don’t push my buttons. I’m not in the mood.”
“Can we go somewhere else and talk?”
“Nope. Not going anywhere with you. Not now. I need some space.” She cast a glance at her feet. “I thought we… I believed that… It doesn’t matter what I… Never mind.” She looked me in the eye and delivered two words that shattered my heart: “I’m leaving.”
“I’ll drive you home.”
“No. You stay. Enjoy the party.”
“I don’t care about the party.”
“Too bad. I don’t wanna be around you right now, Mase.”
“Well, I wanna be around you, so that cancels it out.”
She folded her arms over her chest. “Not funny. Anyway, get out of my way.”
She pushed past me, but I stopped her with an extended arm.
“Mase, let me go. I’m done here. Move.”
I raised my hands in surrender. “Fine. We’ll do as you say. This time.”
“Don’t…don’t look so dejected. I was wrong thinking things would be different…”
As if summoned by the God of bad timing, Bella, one of the cheerleaders I had flirted with multiple times in the past, edged closer to us.
“Massse.” My name sounded like a purr on her tongue.
She traced the length of my biceps with a finger.
“Wanna have some private fun away from here? I wanna see for myself if any of the rumors are true.” She batted her eyelashes and flipped her long blonde hair over her shoulder. “What do you say?”
“Geez, not you too. I’m in the middle of something here, Bella. I won’t go anywhere with you. If you seek company, find someone else because it won’t be me.”
“But, Massse… Why would you pass the opportunity to be with me? I broke things off with Matt. There’s no one standing in our way anymore.”
“I’m not inter—”
Melinda motioned to leave. “Night, Mason.”
“Mel, wait.”
“No, I’m done here. Don’t follow me.” Her voice shook. “Stay. Away.” I had never seen her so pissed off before, and I had no idea if I should do as she said or do the opposite. Girls were hard to read sometimes, and I had no experience in this kind of situation.
Before I could make up my mind, Bella’s hand wrapped around my arm. “Let her go. I can make you forget all about—”
“No.” I scurried away, breathing hard through my mouth, trying my best to calm down.
This wasn’t the place to make a scene. “Tonight is a disaster,” I muttered to no one but myself.
I searched for Melinda for the next ten minutes, but she had already left because Sheldon told me he saw her climbing into Sandra Nolan’s—one of our neighbors from down the street—car.
Get out of my way. Mase, let me go. I’m done here. Move.
Melinda’s words played on a loop in my head, driving me crazy. A part of me yearned to go after her and demand to be heard. The other part of me thought I should give her some time to blow off some steam and realize our fight was silly because it was just a misunderstanding before facing her again.
My shoulders sagged in defeat. I couldn’t decide which part of me I should listen to.