22. Mason
MASON
Still wearing one of Galen’s robes, I walked out of the house with a sleepy Zoe in one arm and Lilah’s fingers threaded through mine. The same hand she’d reached for in front of everyone at the party.
A fist-pump-worthy end to the night. Tracking water down Galen’s steps with the cold air trying to freeze the moisture on my skin and probably ruining my leather seat were all a small price to pay for this moment with Lilah’s hand in mine.
Lilah carried her prize in a bag dangling from her wrist with Zoe’s shoes sticking out the top.
“She’s not too heavy?”
I squeezed her hand. “It’ll be a few more years before that happens.”
“Can I ask why the coin? And why a favor from Galen is so coveted?”
“A coin because Galen’s a freak for them, haven’t you noticed? And why the favor? Cause he always keeps a promise. Always.”
Her laugh sliced through the quiet night air. “Simple enough.”
We got Zoe buckled into her seat and I opened Lilah’s door.
Inside, I rested my hand, palm up, on the shift lever, and she set hers on top of mine.
I wanted to roll down my window and roar at the night sky.
“Is that what normally happens at your parties?”
“Like this? No, we started the first one freshman year, before we were even dubbed Havoc. Galen was flying solo for Thanksgiving, so we got together to get a little crazy and keep him company. After that, he took over, but even if he didn’t throw the party, we’d still show up.”
“His parents won’t want to celebrate Thanksgiving with him?”
“His parents are…their own kind of people.”
“Then I’m glad he’s got you guys to keep him company.”
“It’s not a hardship. Did you see that food?”
“I’m mad I didn’t eat more.” She laughed, a sound I’d become addicted to.
A comfortable silence enveloped the car.
“Thanks for saving me back there.”
“You don’t even need to ask.” She never needed to ask. Not ever again. At this point, keeping Lilah safe was a compulsion, and that meant keeping her close.
Once we got to the house, I carried Zoe up the stairs to her bedroom, and Lilah followed behind. A crowd’s cheer went off in my head when she carried Zoe’s shoes and didn’t duck out to her house.
The electric crackle of being near her hadn’t faded the entire night. And I didn’t want it to end yet.
In Zoe’s gray, pink and purple room, I set her on her feet. With the thick carpet underfoot, our steps were whisper-quiet.
Zoe’s poster bed was so high there was a little set of stairs beside it for her to climb in. A window seat with at least a hundred books on the shelves surrounding it was her reading paradise.
“You’re awake.” I tapped her nose.
Zoe swayed with her eyes closed. “No, I’m not.”
I laughed and turned her toward her bathroom. “Brush your teeth and I’ll get your pajamas.”
She cracked open one eye, then the other and yawned. “But I’m so sleepy.”
“The faster you get it done, the faster you get into bed.”
She trudged into her bathroom and the faucet turned on.
I grabbed some unicorn pajamas from her drawer and tossed them into the bathroom.
“Hey!” Zoe grumbled before I closed the door.
Shifting from foot to foot, Lilah motioned to the door. “I can go if you need to put her to sleep.”
A stutter-step tripped my heart and I lurched forward. “No, don’t go. She’ll be asleep in seconds, then I can walk you home.”
Lilah smirked, shoulders shaking with a gentle laugh. “I don’t think I’ll get lost.”
I walked closer and wrapped both arms around her. My fingers locked at the small of her back. “No, but I’m not ready for our night to end yet.”
Her eyes dipped and she chewed on side of her lip. She looked up with her full lips parted, shiny and kissable. “Me neither.”
A longing I could barely contain flooded my veins.
The bathroom creaked open.
Lilah jerked back, putting a couple feet between us.
“Bedtime for Zoe,” I sing-songed.
She climbed under the covers with a grumble and settled in, looking like a little princess. This was the life she deserved.
Lilah wandered around before sitting in the window seat.
“My favorites are the butterflies,” Zoe said, looking over toward Lilah.
I glanced over my shoulder and froze.
Lilah held an origami butterfly on her palm—her origami butterfly. One transformed from a note telling her to leave Hawthorne Prep.
A lump lodged itself in my throat so hard that it probably looked like a second Adam’s apple.
“Mason used to bring them to me when I was sick, when I was really little.”
“Really little as in two years ago. Practically a fetus,” I joked quietly.
Lilah’s gaze swept over the shelves filled with dozens of origami creations—her folded paper creations.
“He did?”
“They helped me sit still for my nebulizer, but I don’t need it much now, so Mason doesn’t bring them to me much anymore.”
“No?”
“No, but he does sometimes. Aren’t they pretty?”
“They are.”
“Thank you, Lilah.” Zoe turned on her side, facing away from us.
“For what?” Her voice drifted across the room.
“Coming with us, so Mason wasn’t lonely.” She yawned and wrapped her arms around one of her pillows.
“No thanks needed, Zoe. Thanks for inviting me.”
In less than a minute, Zoe’s body was completely relaxed with slow and steady breathing.
“She’s asleep.” I pulled the blankets up higher and fixed her pillow, anything to stave off the airtight grip embarrassment had on my throat. Oxygen was a distant memory. But I couldn’t let the silence drag on any longer.
I stood and faced Lilah, expecting to be bombarded with a barrage of questions I wasn’t sure I had the answers to. Fear had me in a chokehold.
Instead of her anger, Lilah flung herself at me. I brought my arms up to catch her. Arms draped over my shoulders, she pressed her mouth against mine.
Her soft lips tasted like mint. They heated up my skin, setting my body on fire as if trying to sear this moment into my skin, my brain, my soul. I needed to commit every hungry brush of her lips or nip of her teeth to the basest levels of my brain so this moment never faded.
A piercing desire swelled in me, turning to liquid fire in my veins.
Zoe grumbled a small sleepy sound and Lilah broke the kiss. A piece of me was ripped away like it had been twined to her.
Panting, she stared at me, cheeks flushed. “Sorry.” She brushed her fingers over her lips like she’d surprised herself.
I brushed my thumb along the side of her neck. “You don’t ever have to apologize for kissing me. Ever.” I took her hand, picked up the bag she’d set down inside the door and led her out of the bedroom.
She peered over at me. “Are you tired?”
“No.”
A laugh. “Not even going to pretend to think about it?”
“Nope.”
She sighed. “Must be nice to be so confident.”
Except I wasn’t. Uncertainty gripped me. I wanted her to stay. There were a dozen other things I wanted, but more than anything, I didn’t want tonight to end. Tomorrow, she might remember all the fucked-up things I’d done and never let me this close to her again.
“Confidence has its benefits. Although I’m not feeling so confident right now.”
She turned to face me, eyes curious, questioning. “Why not?”
“Because I don’t feel like you want to go home, but I’m scared shitless to ask you to stay with me.” My thick swallow drummed in my ears. Nervous pains danced in my stomach.
“Ask me.” Her fingers plucked at an imaginary thread on her skirt.
“Lilah, did you want to stay a while?”
She tapped a finger to her twitching lips. The feel of those lips still lingered on mine. “Hmm, I’m not sure. It’s kinda late. You’re probably tired after your swim. Maybe I should go.”
“Lilah,” I warned, before scooping her up with one arm under the back of her knees.
“Mason!” she yelped and laughed. Her arms flew out and wrapped around my neck, pressing close to keep her steady.
“What? You didn’t want to stay?”
More laughter. “No, I do. For all the times I wanted some peace and quiet in the house, now it makes me feel like I’m doing concussion recovery again. But then when everyone’s home, it’s claustrophobic.”
I loved her holding on tight. The two turns to my room were over too quickly and I let her down.
A flint strike of hope flared at the base of my skull. “Then we can hang out in my room.”
She froze and her gaze darted through the doorway then back at me. “Your room?”
I turned to her and dragged my knuckles across the soft line of her jaw. “Just to hang out. Nothing more than that. Whatever you want, whenever you want. You set the pace, Lilah.” At this point, I’d give her the keys to my car for another hour with her.
“Whatever and whenever, huh?” She arched an eyebrow and pursed her lips. “Sounds like you’re pretty easy then?”
I held out my arm to let her take the first step toward my bedroom. “For you? More than easy.”
Each step highlighted the lingering taste of Lilah on my lips. Anticipation crawled through my veins, sending pounding drums of heat arching under my skin.
She stepped over the threshold with her head sweeping back and forth as she studied the space.
I rushed over to the dirty clothes on the floor, scooped them up and tossed them into my closet.
“So this is your room.” Standing with her arms folded, she walked from the shelves of hockey awards over to my desk, her fingers trailing the edge, then to the back of the couch facing the newly replaced TV.
“Only seems fair since I’ve seen your room.” I led her around to the front of the couch.
A stilted laugh escaped her lips. “If you want to call it that. At least next year I’ll have a door on my bedroom, even if I have to share with a roommate.”
“Did you want a drink?”
“A water?”
I grabbed two bottles from the minifridge. “Do you already know where you’re going?”
She took the bottle of water, letting our fingers touch over the condensation. “Not yet. My early decision top choice will let me know in a couple weeks. And if that’s a bust, then I’ve got nine more applications out there.”
“You’ve got it all planned out.”
“There are only a handful of programs in the country. It helped narrow down the options. I applied to as many as I could afford or get fee waivers to.”
“Joint med school programs, right?”