intoxicated with the feel of him. I would never get enough of him, but for now, for the next two hours, I would try.
CHAPTER SEVEN
After we made love a second time, I got up from the bed and started to pick up my clothes.
Mason shifted on the bed. "What are you doing?"
"I have to go back."
"Come on. They're not going to arrest you for running away. I called someone I know in law school. He doesn't even think they can do that."
"No, but they can have you arrested for statutory rape," I snapped at him but stopped and gulped as I saw his eyes widen. He jumped out of the bed and came towards me. I shook my head as I held up my hands. "Don't. I have to go back. I shouldn't have even come over."
"Hey, hey."
"Stop, Mason." I shrugged off his hand. But then my head jerked back up. "Did you get a new phone number?"
"What?"
"Your number's been disconnected."
"Are you serious?" He crossed to his jeans and pulled out his phone, and then he scrolled through and tried to call me. Nothing.
"Logan's too."
He tried calling a few others and cursed. "What the hell? My phone's dead." Then he groaned. "I can't believe this. He killed our phones. Shit." But there was another emotion there. Mason chuckled a second later as he shook his head. "That was a good move."
My mouth dropped. "Good move?" I took two steps, grabbed his phone and threw it against the wall. My chest was heaving as the fury churned deep in me. "This isn't chess, Mason. I couldn't call you. I freaked out tonight—I had a nightmare and I—" I couldn't talk about it. I didn't want to.
"Hey." His voice dropped to a soothing note. Then his hands were next. They touched my shoulders gently.
I stiffened and twisted away from him. He didn't get it. He didn't get it at all. "This isn't a vacation, Mason. My mom's not normal anymore—"
He snorted. "Was she ever?"
He didn't understand. He wouldn't. He hadn't lived with her when she—I closed my eyes. No. I wouldn't think of it. But the nightmare came back to me. All that blood. I shivered as I felt transported back to that time, in that hallway, as I pushed the door open and saw her.
"Sam!"
"What?" I was jerked back as Mason shook my shoulders. When I clicked back to our reality, I had to blink a few times to clear my eyes. He'd gone pale and he looked shaken. "What?" I missed something. I could tell.
He cursed. "Don't ever do that again."
"Do what?"
"You checked out, like you went somewhere else. You scared the crap out of me." His hand shook as he pulled me close to him and cradled my head to his chest. His head tucked down against mine as he tried to soothe me, or maybe himself.
I pulled away to collect my purse. "I have to go. I have to be back before she finds me gone."
He snorted again, but followed me downstairs and to my car. When I slipped inside, he knelt beside the window.
"Mason, I have to go."
Panic was starting to seep in. He just didn't get it.
"I know." Irritation flashed over his face. "Look, how do I see you? I'm not following these stupid rules. Forget it."
"She'll have you arrested—"
He rolled his eyes. "No, she won't. I know my dad. He won't allow that."
I shook my head. "Mason, you didn't hear my mom. She really meant it. She'll do it without his approval. He might not even know about it, but I know she'll do it. Something's happened to my mom. She's not the same anymore. She's how she used to be—" I bit off my words. Again. It was best if no one knew how she had been. They wouldn't know how to handle her. They didn't know how to handle her now.
Then I felt his eyes on me. They were seeing through me like they always had. Everything was going to be ruined. I felt it in my bones. She was going to ruin everything.
"Look, I love you. I won't let her do anything, okay? How do I see you?"
I shrugged, but I needed to go. It was five in the morning. James would be up soon. He was the early riser in the family. I had thirty minutes and it took me over twenty to drive there. "I have to
CHAPTER SEVEN
After we made love a second time, I got up from the bed and started to pick up my clothes.
Mason shifted on the bed. "What are you doing?"
"I have to go back."
"Come on. They're not going to arrest you for running away. I called someone I know in law school. He doesn't even think they can do that."
"No, but they can have you arrested for statutory rape," I snapped at him but stopped and gulped as I saw his eyes widen. He jumped out of the bed and came towards me. I shook my head as I held up my hands. "Don't. I have to go back. I shouldn't have even come over."
"Hey, hey."
"Stop, Mason." I shrugged off his hand. But then my head jerked back up. "Did you get a new phone number?"
"What?"
"Your number's been disconnected."
"Are you serious?" He crossed to his jeans and pulled out his phone, and then he scrolled through and tried to call me. Nothing.
"Logan's too."
He tried calling a few others and cursed. "What the hell? My phone's dead." Then he groaned. "I can't believe this. He killed our phones. Shit." But there was another emotion there. Mason chuckled a second later as he shook his head. "That was a good move."
My mouth dropped. "Good move?" I took two steps, grabbed his phone and threw it against the wall. My chest was heaving as the fury churned deep in me. "This isn't chess, Mason. I couldn't call you. I freaked out tonight—I had a nightmare and I—" I couldn't talk about it. I didn't want to.
"Hey." His voice dropped to a soothing note. Then his hands were next. They touched my shoulders gently.
I stiffened and twisted away from him. He didn't get it. He didn't get it at all. "This isn't a vacation, Mason. My mom's not normal anymore—"
He snorted. "Was she ever?"
He didn't understand. He wouldn't. He hadn't lived with her when she—I closed my eyes. No. I wouldn't think of it. But the nightmare came back to me. All that blood. I shivered as I felt transported back to that time, in that hallway, as I pushed the door open and saw her.
"Sam!"
"What?" I was jerked back as Mason shook my shoulders. When I clicked back to our reality, I had to blink a few times to clear my eyes. He'd gone pale and he looked shaken. "What?" I missed something. I could tell.
He cursed. "Don't ever do that again."
"Do what?"
"You checked out, like you went somewhere else. You scared the crap out of me." His hand shook as he pulled me close to him and cradled my head to his chest. His head tucked down against mine as he tried to soothe me, or maybe himself.
I pulled away to collect my purse. "I have to go. I have to be back before she finds me gone."
He snorted again, but followed me downstairs and to my car. When I slipped inside, he knelt beside the window.
"Mason, I have to go."
Panic was starting to seep in. He just didn't get it.
"I know." Irritation flashed over his face. "Look, how do I see you? I'm not following these stupid rules. Forget it."
"She'll have you arrested—"
He rolled his eyes. "No, she won't. I know my dad. He won't allow that."
I shook my head. "Mason, you didn't hear my mom. She really meant it. She'll do it without his approval. He might not even know about it, but I know she'll do it. Something's happened to my mom. She's not the same anymore. She's how she used to be—" I bit off my words. Again. It was best if no one knew how she had been. They wouldn't know how to handle her. They didn't know how to handle her now.
Then I felt his eyes on me. They were seeing through me like they always had. Everything was going to be ruined. I felt it in my bones. She was going to ruin everything.
"Look, I love you. I won't let her do anything, okay? How do I see you?"
I shrugged, but I needed to go. It was five in the morning. James would be up soon. He was the early riser in the family. I had thirty minutes and it took me over twenty to drive there. "I have to
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