Daniel stared at me for a second.
“You’re aware you sound insane.”
Probably.
Unfortunately.
The thing was, Mason had somehow become impossible to ignore after the party.
Not because I liked him.
Absolutely not.
But because once someone noticed him, he stayed noticeable.
Which was deeply irritating.
Campus loved him in an obvious way.
Girls stared.
People moved around him differently.
Professors suddenly became flexible with deadlines.
But up close, there was something slightly off about the whole thing.
Like he was performing “Mason Reed” constantly.
Too aware of himself.
Too controlled.
Even when joking around with teammates, part of him stayed detached somehow.
Like he was waiting for something.
Or avoiding it.
The whistle blew again.
Mason drove aggressively toward the basket, shoving past Tyler before dunking hard enough to shake the rim.
The gym exploded.
Coach barely reacted.
“Again!”
Psychopath.
Jace jogged beside Mason saying something that made him laugh breathlessly.
Then Mason bent forward, hands on his knees, chest heaving.
And for half a second—
his expression dropped completely.
