“Stop it, because you’re freaking me out.”

“Promise me if things go wrong, we think about ourselves and get out of here. And I mean it, Kendall. We worry about ourselves and we leave,” he said.

I slid off him. I covered my chest with my hands. I didn’t want to talk about it anymore.

Mason rolled over. He took hold of my face. “I’m not kidding. I don’t care anymore. I don’t give a damn, Kendall.” He stared me down.

“What could we possibly do? It’s not that simple.” I tried to turn away.

Mason held on tight, his fingers clamping down. “If we make it through this, then we have time to plan. I want to take you away from this. I don’t know all the details yet, but I can make you happy. I know we can be happy together.” He released his grip.

“You don’t know that. And what do you mean happy together?” I asked, confused. He’d never mentioned things like this to me before. We’d never talked about the future.

“Kendall, shut your mouth. You know I care about you. I think about you when you’re not here. And when you’re with me I never want you to go away.” He kissed my hand, smiling at me. His eyes revealed the adoration he spoke of.

I knew Mason had a competitive drive. I knew he wanted what he wanted. And he could make anything possible. I just wasn’t sure if I had the same sense of urgency or the will to break away.

He dropped my hand, pushing me down on the bed. A soft trail of kisses headed to my navel. I ran my hands through his hair, trailing my fingers down his shoulders. His hands came back up and cupped my breast. Goosebumps erupted on my skin as he glided back up my body. This time I pushed him down and got on top. I pressed my hands into his chest, staring at him.

“Okay. I promise if anything bad happens we will only think about us,” I said, moving closer. I kissed his neck, his hands trailed down my backside.

“God dammit you’re beautiful,” he whispered, teasing me. I laughed at his childishness, kissing his lips.

“You wouldn’t lie to me would you, Mason Vaughn?” I asked, raising an eyebrow at him. He touched my hair, shaking his head.

“Never been more truthful than right now. Looking at you fixes everything.”

This was a moment I’d never seen coming. I tried to contain myself…I was enchanted.

JUNE 21

ST

 

THE DAY HAD ALREADY started out on the wrong foot. After all the rain that fell the night before, it felt like we were in the middle of a swamp. The air was so humid I could barely breathe. I was completely miserable. My clothes clung to my skin. I felt like I was suffocating.

Aunt Wanda came from the bathroom, trying to pull herself together. The humidity wasn’t doing her any favors either--her hair looked like a poodle was sitting on top of her head. I crossed my arms and sat down on the bed. Mason was off with Payton doing whatever it was she had yelled at him about before he stalked off. We were about to crack under the pressure—each of us in our own way.

Even Aunt Wanda was nervous…I could tell just by looking at her.

She stared at herself in the mirror.

“I just don’t know what to do with this hair,” she muttered to herself. She let out a long sigh as she shoved a bobby pin in her mouth.

I came up behind her, taking the sides of her hair in my hands and quickly braided her hair down her back. She didn’t react one way or the other, as if I weren’t there.

“There, looks a lot better,” I said, dropping the bobby pins on the dresser.

“Now I want you to pull it together today,” she said, looking herself over one more time. “This will get us pretty far. And I don’t want anything messing it up.”

“How long do you think Payton will hang around?” I asked, holding my breath, hoping she wouldn’t bite my head off for asking.

Aunt Wanda sat down on the bed, putting on a pair of shiny red pumps. She dropped her foot down and rolled her eyes at me.

“Kendall, what did I tell you about guys? Mason is just another one of them. Don’t think for a second he isn’t treating other girls the same way he treats you. He’s a born con artist, he will always be one. And you’re the simple fix for his needs when he’s here—nothing more. Now, let’s go,” she said, heading for the door. I glared at the back of her head, my fist clenched.

I was ready to scream as we climbed into the old truck. The truck we had because she’d blown off Jon’s head. I wondered if he was rotting away in his home or if they’d been discovered by now. I wished they had so I had a reason to revel in Aunt Wanda’s demise. She deserved it more than anyone. She was the vilest woman I’d ever laid eyes on.

“Get over it,” she said, looking at me.

“Is it so hard to believe Mason isn’t like you guys?” I asked. “It’s almost like you don’t want anything good for anyone but yourself.”

Aunt Wanda backed the truck up, glaring at me at this point.

“That’s right, Kendall. I don’t give a shit about you or anybody else. The only thing I worry about is me. You should consider yourself lucky I give you advice on anything,” she said, shaking her head at me.

“It’s not advice, it’s bullshit. For some reason, because you’re so screwed up, you want the same for me. All because Joy-Ann was better than you.” I muttered the last part.

She backhanded me and nearly knocked my head off my shoulders. I grabbed my cheek, tears welling up in my eyes, not because I was crying but because it stung. I was ready to claw her eyes out, so I looked out the window instead.

“Don’t you ever mention that whore again. She is dead to you. And you’re lucky I didn’t kill her when I had the chance,” she said, her finger in my face.

“I wouldn’t have cared if you did. If only you had the balls you’re always talking about,” I said back.

She went for my throat. I dodged her, grabbing the door handle and fell into the parking lot.

“I told you not to mess this up for me,” she said, slamming the truck into park. I turned away, not caring what happened anymore.

“Kendall, get in the God damn truck!”

It wasn’t often I defied her.

Payton and Mason pulled up, stopping behind the truck. Mason’s expression matched mine when he realized what was happening.

But Payton wouldn’t let him get out of the car.

“Get in the truck!” Wanda screamed. I looked at Mason, nodding to let him know I was okay.

I got in the truck and we headed to the jewelry store.

I chewed my nails, not willing to look at her. I wasn’t sure how much more I could take.

When we pulled into the parking lot across the street from the jewelry store, Payton and Wanda got out and headed across the street.

Mason jumped into the truck as soon as Payton and Wanda were gone. He took a look at the red welt on my cheek.

“Joy-Ann?” he asked, sympathetically.

“Yep, her one trigger.” I watched the cars racing past us, wishing one would take Aunt Wanda out as she jogged across traffic in her high heels. Wishing with everything I had in me that her heel would snap and she would break her ankle—anything to cause her pain--let her see how it felt to hurt.

I looked away, pushing my bad thoughts out of my head.

“She said you were like every other guy in the world. That you treat every girl like you treat me,” I said. I held a hand to my throbbing cheek, surprised I had said anything.

Mason sighed and shook his head. “I have no reason to lie to you. She’s a bitter old broad who wants you to be the same way.”

“You’re probably right but, Mason, tell me the truth. Are there other girls you treat the same way?”

I couldn’t believe I had enough courage to say anything. I never had to worry about anyone’s feeling because I never had anyone to let in.