Page 74 of Game Plan

“Yes. George gave me the weekend off. My next shift is on Tuesday.”

“Good.”

We finished eating in silence and discarded our bowls on the nightstand.

“I gotta go. I have practice in twenty minutes. Any plans for the rest of the day?”

“I’ll watch a movie on my laptop…maybe. I’m not really tired anymore. I slept most of the day.”

“What if⁠—”

“What?”

Mason averted his eyes before staring back at me. “What if I come get you after practice? We could go to my place, have more soup, and watch a movie together. I did all my readings for next week already, so I could really use a night in…with you.”

I twisted my fingers. “I’m not sure it’s a good idea.”

“We’re friends. Unless you admit, here and now, that you’re dreaming of dating a nurse and that I’m your endgame.” I could tell he was serious even though he made it sound as if he were teasing me.

I remained silent.

“That’s what I was thinking.” He looked a bit disheartened but hid it with a wink. “I’ll be here at six. Pack a bag in case you’re too tired to leave later. I will⁠—”

The phone mounted on the wall rang.

“Hold that thought.” I lifted one finger and picked up the handset, thinking it could be my mom. I had left her a voicemail earlier, and she hadn’t called back yet. “Hello?”

The muffled sound of someone breathing filled the line, sending chills down my back. It’d been over a week since the last time I got one of these calls.

“Hello? Are you there?”

More breath sounds.

“Awesome.” Putting my most unaffected face on so Mason wouldn’t panic, I hung up.

“Who was that?” he asked, nearing me, his eyes locked on the phone.

I tried to put some pep into my words. “Wrong number. Shall we go?”

Before I could step away, he stopped me. “What are you not telling me?”

I sighed. That mind-reading thing again. “It’s nobody. There’s an unknown number that keeps calling, but when I answer, all I hear is breathing. They say nothing, and then I hang up. It’s stupid, really.”

He blinked. “How many times has it happened so far?”

“Three, maybe four times. I didn’t keep count.” It had happened eleven times so far, but I wasn’t about to alarm him any more than he already was.

“Three, maybe four? C’mon, Mel. You’re such a bad liar. How many times? I know you know.”

“Gosh. Eleven. Happy now?”

The phone rang again, and this time, Mason reached for it. “Hello?” A pause. He clenched his jaw, his back tensing as he crushed the handset in his grip. “Listen, dickhead. If you ever call this number again and breathe like a fucking psycho, I’ll find you. Stop harassing girls, you freak. I hope I made myself clear.” He ended the call, the phone base vibrating on the wall when he hung up. Only then did he unclench his free hand.

“Mase, let it go.”

“No. Some psycho is set on scaring you. It’s official. You’re coming home with me.”

“I—”