Chapter 25 #3
I shrugged, glancing down to avoid her heavy gaze on me. The one full of questions. “It’s easier, I guess. I show people what they expect, and they enjoy it. It’s a facade. Many things in life aren’t what they seem…”
The night fell upon us, and we kept asking each other questions, slipping back into the easy chemistry we’d shared before Melinda opened up about her past insecurities.
“Favorite ice cream flavor?” I asked.
“Pistachio. You?”
“Brownies.”
“Which one of your friends is the craziest?”
I rubbed my jaw with a hand. “This is a tough one. I feel like they’re all crazy in their own way.
Rusty forgets to think before he acts sometimes.
Sheldon is afraid of nothing which is not always good news.
Chase is just a jack-in-a-box, and you never know what to expect from him, but the guy is loyal to a fault.
He’s like a puppy. If he adopts you, then it’s for life. ”
“I love the comparison. He really is a ball of contagious energy.”
“Yep. Other than Craig, he’s the one guy I would put all my trust in. I just wish his life was simpler.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s not my story to tell.” I jumped to my feet and held out a hand. “Come on, let’s walk.”
“Movie? You can come to my place.”
“Okay, but I choose what we watch. Nothing gore.”
She snickered and used a baritone voice. “Don’t be a pussy, Mase.”
“Ha. Ha. Don’t impersonate Chase.”
Melinda linked her arms with mine. “I would never dare to.”
“Melinda, honey, is Mason still here?” Mrs. Shepard asked around midnight. “We’re going to bed. If he is, it’s time for him to go home.”
“I’m not ready for you to leave,” Melinda whispered after pausing the thriller movie we were watching.
I kissed her forehead. “It’s okay. We’ll see each other soon.” I winked and moved to my feet.
“Mase, wait. I’ll walk you out.”
“Night, Mr. and Mrs. Shepard,” I said when I passed them in the living room.
“Good night, Mason,” they both replied.
“Wanna go for a run tomorrow?” I asked Melinda, the moment her parents disappeared upstairs, and it was just the two of us in the dimly lit entryway.
“Yeah. Eight?”
“Sure.” I pressed a kiss to her cheek. “See you.”
For the next ten minutes, I stood in their driveway, watching as lights were turned on upstairs and turned off soon after. Once I was sure it was safe to proceed, I went home, showered, and changed into a pair of charcoal sweatpants, a white wife-beater, and a black hoodie, and returned outside.
Climbing the wall leading to Melinda’s bedroom like I had done the night I was drunk, I tapped on her window with a knuckle. It took seconds for her to open the curtains.
“Mase? What are you doing?”
“You said you were not ready for me to leave…and…well, I wasn’t ready to leave either. Can I come in?”
She bobbed her head fast. “Yes, but it can’t become a habit.”
“Why not? I like sleeping here.” I hoisted myself over the windowsill and landed inside. “It’s not my fault. Your bed is comfier than mine.”
“Yeah, right. Your mattress is a big fluffy cloud, and it’s like twice the size of mine. Try again.”
“Okay. Fine. I lied. It’s not the bed that attracts me but the company.”
She shook her head. “I have nothing to say to this. Wanna finish that movie?”
“Yes.” We resumed our previous position on the bed, sitting with my back against the headboard and Melinda lying on her side, her head resting on my lap while I twisted strands of her hair around my fingers. It felt oddly couple-like even though we were just friends—or friends who cuddled.
“At the beginning of the summer, I acted without thinking first, and that’s how I hurt my good shoulder,” I said when the credits rolled on the screen. “I’ve been pretending it’s no big deal, but sometimes, it doesn’t feel like it’s fully healed, like something is wrong with it.”
She flipped to her other side to face me. “Have you changed your mind about seeing a doctor?”
“Nah. Back when I hurt my elbow, it affected my season. I only have a few games left, playing for the Bears. I can’t risk being benched when this season matters so much and we’re on a winning streak.”
“You’ve been playing really well.”
“I think it’s the adrenaline. I’m so in the zone during the games that I think even if I lost a limb, I wouldn’t notice.”
“Did you tell someone else?”
“Nope. Only Craig and a few of my teammates who were present are aware. They all promised never to say a thing about it unless I was the one coming forward. They don’t wanna risk their season too.”
“How did you manage to cover it up?”
I snorted. “A lot of icing and not walking around bare chest for a while. It was purple all around. I’ve been resting it as much as I can… I don’t think anything is broken, though. It’s just a feeling... It doesn’t hurt. It-it’s just stiffer than it used to be.”
“Mase, you should really get someone to look at it.”
“Maybe.”
“You said you would. The last thing you need is for that injury to have long-term consequences and affect you in college or when you go pro.”
I traced the contours of her face with a fingertip. “It’s hard to ask for help when you feel vulnerable.”
She looked past me. “I’m well aware…” Her gaze returned to my face, and she squeezed my hand. “Please think about it.”