Page 80 of Plain Sight

“Goddamn it,” says Mason. “I’m going to look like I’m having a nervous breakdown.”

“You look so handsome. Let me get you a washcloth.”

I don’t know. Maybe it’s the power of true love, or maybe I’m just over trying to hide everything from each other. Instead of tiptoeing back down the hall, I rap on Mason’s doorframe.

“Hey, Mase. What’s up?”

He glowers at me and wipes his eyes with a discarded T-shirt. Of course he’s dressed and ready. He’s just having too many feelings to leave. It’s a far cry from how it was when our lives got ruined and the getting dressed and ready part was agony.

“I’m fine.”

“You look fine. Is this because I got arrested?”

Mason’s mouth drops open. “You did not fucking get arrested.”

“No, I didn’t.” I spread my arms wide. “I’m reformed. Bring it in.”

“Get out.”

I go toward him instead, arms extended. “I’m the bread⁠—”

“You motherfucker,” he whispers as I close the final distance and throw my arms around him.

“In the name of the father, the brothers, the sister, and the holy bird,” I whisper into his ear.

“Stop.”

“I am the bread of the⁠—”

“Jamie, fucking stop.”

“Are you going to laugh? Is that why?” He’s already laughing. “I can’t stop until I bring the light to your face. It’s my bread to bear. You are the least of my brothers.”

Mason hugs me back, forcing all the air out of my lungs. “I’ll flatten the bread of life out of you.”

“Sunshine,” I wheeze. “Help.”

She comes back into the bedroom with a wet washcloth in one hand and Robin over her shoulder, a big sunshine smile on her face. “Nah. I think you’ll be just fine.”

Lily’s plans for her dance studio aren’t finalized, so she takes me to a different one. It’s actually me, Lily, and a bunch of security, since Mason has gone full-on Protective Dad Mode after I dreamed too hard and gave myself seizures. According to Mason’s friends, anyway. They were probably right.

“Why did I expect ballet?” I ask her when we enter the main room.

She laughs. “I have no idea. I didn’t do ballet at the club.”

“Did you ever do ballet?”

“When I was, like, five? I can’t remember how long.”

“The ballet to gentlemen’s club pipeline,” I say sagely.

Lily slaps my arm. “Come on. I’ll show you the stuff.”

The stuff is a lot of intense dance equipment. Acrobatic equipment? I guess you can do both. There are big hoops hanging from the ceiling.

“What are those?”

Lily follows the path of my pointing. “Aerial straps.”