by Mary Ting
“Sure. But whatever you did, I hope you’re sorry. My cousin is one of the sweetest, most wonderful people I know, and I know a lot of people. You mess with her, then you’re messing with me. I hope you know that she deserves the best.” Kayla slammed the door, not giving Mason an opportunity to defend himself, and stormed back upstairs to Skylar’s room.
“Did he say why he came?” Skylar asked. She had been eavesdropping on their conversation, but quickly tucked back into bed when she heard Kayla approaching. She’d heard Kayla’s voice clearly, but it was difficult to hear what Mason was saying.
“He said he needed to talk to you. He seemed really sorry. What did he do?”
“I don’t want to talk about it right now. Could we talk about it tomorrow? I’m so tired.”
“Okay, but I want details. I’m tired too. We have work tomorrow. See…this is the reason why I don’t like to work during the summer.”
“Okay…I kind of agree with you there.”
“Well…want me to turn your lamp off?”
“No. I’ll turn it off later.” In a way, the light was comforting. After tonight’s trauma, she knew she would have a hard time falling asleep.
“Alright, see you in the morning.” Kayla closed the door behind her and headed to her room.
After Kayla left, Skylar nestled into her pillow, but not for long. She was startled by a humming sound from her phone. Letting out a heavy, irritable sigh, she reached into her purse and took it out. There was a text message.
It’s me, Mason. We need to talk.
Staring at it, she read it three times just to make sure she’d read the name correctly. How did he get her number? It was a thrill to get a text from him, but she knew the reasons why. And right now, she just wanted to be left alone.
Skylar started to text back, but then she deleted it. What could she say? After pondering if she should reply, she decided to go to sleep instead. Placing the phone on the floor, she snuggled back, only to find herself unable to sleep, tossing and turning in bed. A brush of air swept over her, and suddenly she got a strange feeling, like someone was watching her. Surely she was imagining it, feeling antsy from today’s crazy, astonishing incidents. After all, she did close the window earlier.
Lights flickered in front of her closed eyelids. Wondering what it could be, she turned away from the wall and jerked back from fright. Seeing a body in front of her, her heart skipped a beat. Her scream for help could not penetrate the hand that covered her mouth.
“Shhh…it’s me, Mason. Don’t scream.” He released her after she nodded to comply.
Skylar was irate, but a part of her couldn’t help feeling a bit happy to see him. “What are you doing here, and how did you get in?” she whispered, trying to sound mad, but it was almost impossible when he looked so irresistible. He found a way to see her, even if he wasn’t invited. And knowing who he was, she guessed anything was possible.
“I had to see you.”
Sweet words to Skylar’s ears; if only it was for the reason she hoped for, but she was sure it wasn’t. Assuming she knew why he was there, before he had a chance to ask, she confessed. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what I did. Remus kept saying I was the keeper of death, and he hit me.” Her tone was low, trying to explain everything that happened while whispering, afraid Kayla would hear. “Then he tried to….” Skylar got up, ran to the bathroom, and came back, holding up Mason’s ripped shirt. “He tore this when it was on me.”
Mason looked livid when his eyes set on his T-shirt. His brows angled inward, creating a pinch at the center. He looked tense, his shoulders raised, and his whole body tightened as if any minute now, he was going to explode out of whatever was holding him together.
Seeing Mason’s facial expression and holding the T-shirt brought back the memories, and she lost it. Tears poured down her checks as she remembered how scared she was. With her back against the wall, she slid down and curled her knees into her chest. With her hands covering her face, she sat there and wept.
“I believe you,” Mason said, holding out his hands at first, but instead of reaching for her, they went straight down. As Skylar continued to sob, he lowered himself to her and copied her position. “Skylar…I just want to know what happened. I’m not blaming you. I don’t think you could hurt a fly.”
Skylar finally managed to lift her head. She wasn’t sure if she heard Mason correctly from the sobbing sounds she was making. But with the fact that he wasn’t mad at her, and the fact that he believed her, she made an effort to calm down. After several gasps and lingering tears subsided, she breathed with ease and told him the whole story. She didn’t leave any details for the imagination.
“I’m sorry for what happened to you. Though Remus was my half brother, I have no emotional attachment to him. I’ve never really liked him, but what puzzled me the most was how he died.”
“I don’t know. Maybe it wasn’t me? Maybe it was a coincidence?” Skylar hoped. “I’ve never hurt anyone before. I didn’t do anything. He…he…just turned into a stone and then he turned into ashes right in front of my eyes. This isn’t normal. Things like this don’t happen.”
“I don’t know if you knew, but his ashes disappeared too. I knew it was Remus because of the left over residue. But don’t worry, I cleaned it up. That’s what happens to the gods and half bloods when they die; it’s as if they never existed. I’m not going to tell Everett or Nick about this, and you shouldn’t say a word to anyone. Pretend like it never happened. It wasn’t your fault, but I’m going to look into it. I should’ve never left you. I didn’t know he would or could do this. I’m sorry.”
Mason’s voice was sweet and caring. It was this side of him that made Skylar forget about his rude self. She always knew there was a wonderful side to him. She could just feel it when she first looked into his soulful eyes. “What will you say to them? Won’t they be looking for him?”
“I’ll figure something out. But that is not the reason I came here. I came to make sure you were okay, and since you weren’t answering your text, I thought…actually, I didn’t know what to think. I knew Remus went out and when he does, he’s out pretty late. I’m actually appalled. I never thought he could…well...he did have anger issues, but that’s not an excuse for what he did. I didn’t want you to think I left you there so Remus could do what he did, even though I had no idea what he did at first. You didn’t think that, did you?”
Skylar couldn’t remember if that ever crossed her mind, and since she didn’t want to make him feel bad, she shook her head. “No…I didn’t.”
“Good, because you may think I’m what you would call a ‘bad boy,’ I would never hurt you physically. I’m not that bad.”
Skylar gave a short smile and almost giggled, but stopped when his finger traced the cut on her lower right lip.
“Remus did this to you, didn’t he?” For a brief moment he closed his eyes and inhaled a deep breath, as if he was trying to suppress the anger that seemed to have crept up on him. Delicately, he brushed it again. “I’m sorry.”
The small gesture of his simple touch drove Skylar into a whirlwind of heated emotions. He was already sitting way too close, and every time she turned her head to speak, all she could do was think impure thoughts. In order to avoid something she might regret doing, she nodded to answer and pulled back, making Mason drop his hand.
“You should smile more often. It makes me smile,” he said unexpectedly.
Blushing like she’d never blushed before, she looked away shyly.
“How did you get back home? You didn’t fly, did you?”
“Nooo,” Skylar took in his teasing. “I…well…kind of…borrowed Remus’s car.”
“Borrowed, huh? I think it’s more like stealing.”
Unsure if Mason was joking again by his tone, she tensed up. “I—”
“I think I need to call the cops. Maybe I should call Doug. What do you think, Ms. Rome?” Mason chuckled.
He had called her Ms. Rome the night t
hey met. Skylar couldn’t believe his sense of humor tonight. Laughing like a schoolgirl, she held on to the moment. After what had happened just a couple of hours ago, his presence gave her comfort and put her mind and heart at ease.
“If you don’t mind, I’m going to drive his car home.”
“Yes, of course. The key is on top of the dresser. Then, what about your car?”
“I didn’t drive here.”
“Then…how did you get here?”
Mason leaned over and whispered, “It’s my little secret.”
The small breeze from his warm breath in her ear sent tingly awareness all over her. Brushing away the thought of his lips on hers, she tried to focus on other things. Knowing he had super abilities, it didn’t surprise her that he ran there. Most likely, he figured out she’d taken Remus’s car to get home, so he came to retrieve it.
“It’s way past your bedtime, and you have to work tomorrow. I should go.” He got up and gave her his hand. The force of his pull made her leap into his arms. Inhaling a small gasp, she immediately drowned in their tangled bodies. In his arms she felt small, but safe for the very first time. From that moment, she knew without a doubt that she could trust him.
Mason finally released Skylar after gazing into her eyes longer than usual. “Umm…I should go now.” His eyes scanned her from head to toe as he guided her to her bed. “So…is this what you wear to bed?” He gave a mischievous grin, twitching his brows.
Warmth flushed to her cheeks. She suddenly realized she wasn’t wearing a bra, and immediately got into bed and pulled the sheet above her chest.
“Why?” She examined what she wore…short shorts and a tank top. “What’s wrong with what I’m wearing? Should I be wearing something else?”
“Kind of skimpy, don’t you think?”
Great! He was back to being himself again. “Kind of skimpy? It’s hot,” she stated. Suddenly, she felt like she was exposing herself.
“It’s hot alright. Wear something longer next time, or else I may not be able to control myself.”
Skylar flushed with warmth again. He was actually flirting with her.
“Close your eyes,” he said, guiding her lower until her head was on the pillow. Then he sat on the edge of the bed. Flexing his muscles, he pressed his hands on either side of the pillow, and the intensity of the want and need in his eyes as he looked at her left her breathless. His eyes traveled to her lips, then back up to her eyes, and stayed there as he slowly moved to close the distance.
Withering beneath him, Skylar’s breath was still caught in her chest. His close proximity aroused every inch of her, and undeniable desire brewed in the energy between them. In anticipation of the sweetness of his lips on hers, the pitter-patter of her heart made her chest rapidly rise and fall. Parting her lips, she was ready for him as he lowered toward her…closer…closer. What seemed to take a great amount of effort from him to turn away, he nuzzled the side of her neck instead.
“Close your eyes.” He huffed out a heavy, rough breath, as if he was trying to restrain himself from something he wanted to do. His hot breath brushed against the side of her neck, making her quiver in all the right places.
Frozen in place, Skylar had to gather herself before she could speak from the let down. “Close my eyes? But, you’re still here.” Her words barely escaped her lips. Snuggling into her pillow, she tried to shake off the heated daze.
Raking his hair back, he sat up, looking overcome. “Stop talking, Echo, or you’re going to the naughty corner.” His lips stretched into a smug half grin. That grin he does so well, frisky and sexy at the same time.
“And if I don’t? What are you going to do, spank me? No…are you going to shock me?”
He twitched his brows playfully. “You really want to know? We can do both and see how that feels.”
With no comeback, she sank deeper into the mattress, hiding beneath the sheet, secretly thinking how hot but twisted that sounded.
His hand reached over, covering her eyes. “Go to sleep, Echo.” His authoritative tone was final, but she was up for the challenge.
“My name isn’t Echo, and you’re still here,” she yawned, feeling extremely lethargic, waiting for his response. When she didn’t feel the lightweight over her eyes, she opened them. There was no sign of Mason, or any evidence he had gone out the door.
Chapter 15
“Hey, pretty ladies,” Jack greeted. “Why do you look so tired, especially Skylar? Rough night, huh?”
“You could say that,” Skylar replied, putting on her white apron and tying her hair back. Rough night was an understatement. Rough week and a half was more like it.
“You girls get to work the late shift today?” Jack asked.
“Yippee,” Kayla said sarcastically, twirling her index finger up in the air.
“Oh, cheer up. Your mom is interviewing waitresses.”
“Really? I hope she finds a replacement for us soon.”
“She will. She already has a few in mind.”
“Perfect,” Kayla said with a smile. “What’s the special today?” Kayla moved behind the counter.
“Today is Tuesday. Chicken soup,” Mona stated, walking out of the storage room. “Good to see you girls. Tuesday is one of our busiest days, so let’s get ready for the lunch and dinner rush.”
“So bossy, Mona,” Jack muttered. “Aren’t we in a bad mood?”
“I have to work with you everyday. Yeah…that would do it,” Mona joked, straightening the chairs around the tables.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah…that’s why you never leave. You can’t be apart from me after all these years. I can’t even make you leave me.”
“Whatever you want to think is fine by me,” Mona scoffed.
Their teasing was interrupted by the sound of a bell chiming as a customer entered. Everyone went back to their post. It was extremely busy during the lunch hour, until they finally had a break. As they got ready for the dinner rush, Skylar noticed Kayla standing near the kitchen, smiling, holding her cell phone.
Skylar went behind the cash register and took out her phone to text.
What are you doing?
I’m texting with Nick.
Mona will get mad.
I don’t care. You’re texting too..lol!
Lol!
Nick is on his way and so is Mason. I’m glad you two talked it out over the phone last night.
Me too.
Hugs hugs!
Hugs back!
You end.
No, you end.
Mona coming. End.
During the drive to work, Kayla had asked about her cut lip. Skylar told her she accidentally bit it. It was almost the truth, but since the cut was hardly noticeable, which was odd, it was believable. She also wanted details of their fight. Skylar didn’t know what to tell her, so she made up a story, telling her they argued about where their relationship was headed. Feeling bad about their fight, Mason had called her on her cell phone. Kayla took the bait and didn’t ask any questions after that.
Skylar wanted to see Mason, but for some reason she felt nervous to see him after the heated moment they’d shared last night. Not knowing exactly what she meant to him, she didn’t know if he was playing with her emotions. She kept herself busy, wanting to keep her eyes away from the clock. Anxiously, she waited as customer after customer came and went. Finally, about 7 p.m. Nick entered.
Kayla beamed a smile, escorting him to his table. Skylar wondered where Mason was, but after about five minutes he walked in with a girl by his side, the same blonde that was at the nightclub. Skylar’s heart dropped; he might as well have stomped on it. She looked just as Skylar remembered, too pretty and too blonde. Her attire was casual, but it didn’t matter what she wore. She was naturally gorgeous.
Nick raised his hands to let Mason know where he was seated, and the two of them walked side by side toward him. Not wanting to see him, Skylar ducked where she stood, hiding behind the cash register. How could he bring her here after last
night? Was he that cold and heartless? But she knew she had no right to feel that way. They weren’t going out. Come to think of it, they weren’t even dating.
He was just her knight in shining armor, and that was it. Just because he flirted with her a little and took care of her didn’t mean anything to him, but it did to her. From the corner of her eyes, she saw Kayla taking their order and giving it to Jack. While waiting, she pulled out her phone. From the look Kayla gave her, she knew the text was from her.
What the hell! Who in the hell is she?
The same girl he was with at the club.
What is she doing here?
I don’t care. We’re not dating. He can go out with whomever he wants.
But I thought you two made up?
I guess it meant nothing to him.
Forget him!
I will!
Ass!
Yeah…big sigh…but a gorgeous one though.
Nowhere to run, Skylar took a deep painful breath and stood up to face him. Be brave! Skylar could tell Mason was trying to make eye contact with her, but she would not give him the satisfaction. She kept on repeating to herself that he didn’t care about her, and that she deserved better. When she thought she could make it, Mona stood in front of her.
“Skylar, could you please take these plates to that table over there?” She pointed straight across to Mason.
“Can you ask Kayla?” Skylar whispered. “I should stay here in case a customer needs to pay.”
Mona chuckled. “You’ve been eyeing that table ever since Mason got here. Now, take these and go say hello. It’s an order,” Mona whispered back.
Skylar swallowed a nervous lump down her throat as she anxiously headed to Mason’s table holding the two plates. Not knowing who ordered what, she didn’t need to ask, since they’d ordered the same thing: steak, mashed potatoes, and asparagus. Great! They even like to order the same food. Carefully, she placed the plates in front of them, when she really wanted to smash the plates of food in their faces. Nick was already eating dinner since he’d gotten there first. He was never good at waiting.
“Hey, Skylar,” Nick said. “Nice to see you on this side of the diner. You’re usually stuck behind the register.”