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“Stalking me again ?” he said, before turning to face me, his smile thin. With all my power I refrained from saying something rude in return.
“ I never thought I’d resort to that, but since you won’t talk to me . . .” I smirked and slowly walked closer. “I don’t know what I have done wrong.”
“I figured I was pretty clear on that .” His eyes narrowed, and a sneer formed on his face.
My heart ached. The tears were threatening to betray me. “I don’t get you, Mason!” I blurted.
He scowled. “What’s not to get, Lauren?” He walked towards me, taking a drink from the bottle. My eyes stared at the dribble of liquid on his bottom lip as it caught the light.
“Everything,” I replied, averting my eyes. “You are so cold and hurtful one minute, and then the next you are passionate—”
He interjected, “Do you need me to spell it out for you, Lauren?” He growled, shoving his face in mine. My eyes widened in shock. Why did he treat me like this?
“Just stop it!” I shouted, glad that my voice was drowned out by the music. I took off my mask. “I don’t understand why, but I have feelings for you, Mason.”
“Go—away, Lauren.” He groaned and turned away from me, taking a long swig of the bottle.
“No!” I retorted, grabbing his arm. “I see the way you look at me, Mason, and I can feel it when you kiss me. Why can’t you just admit it?”
He tried to keep his voice even. “Christ, Lauren—take a hint,” he snarled. “I have never had so much trouble getting rid of a girl before.” He ran his fingers through his hair with his free hand.
His words were like a slap across my face. “Wow,” I gasped, biting my lip, begging the tears to wait. “You’re an asshole.”
“Yes, I am!” he hissed. “So why don’t you just leave me alone.” He looked me in the eye, his voice calm, and his face inches from mine. I stood there, staring at him, nodding my head, the tears on the brink of bursting. “Well.” His head jerked back, and he stared at me as if to say what are you waiting for?
“Okay,” I said, lips trembling. “I’m sorry that I bothered you.”
“I’m not looking for an apology. Just—go away,” he replied. The look on his face was filled with pain and regret. I was afraid to blink for fear of tears streaming down my face. Then I saw his top lip twitch; his face was giving him away. He did care but I didn’t understand why he was hiding it. Before I left him standing there, I made one last attempt at getting the truth out of him. I grabbed his face in both hands and kissed him. I heard hi breath hitch he was surprised. Then it took seconds for him to grab my one wrist, with his free hand, and pry my hands from his face, but then I heard him whimper. The next thing I heard was the bottle dropping from his hand, and crashing to the ground, as he wrapped his arms around me. I felt my heart hit me in the chest as the passion poured out of both of us. I had known all along he was fighting it. This was my last shot at making him show it. His hand cupped the back of my head as he pressed his lips hard against mine. I couldn’t catch my breath as our lips locked. Unfortunately, it didn’t last. He grabbed both of my arms and pulled them down hard, shoving me away from him.
“Are you just about done?” He scowled, breathy. My eyes blinked and I felt my head twitch, shocked.
The mask slid from my hand, landing on the floor by my feet in the spilt champagne. I couldn’t look at him anymore. The tears were ready to burst. I turned before the tears hit my cheeks, and ran back inside. I didn’t stop until I reached the front doors. I couldn’t look anyone in the face. That must have been what he and Cassie were fighting about earlier. I was the fool, and he proved that tonight. For the first time in my life, I had fallen for someone who had little interest in me—or at least pretended to. I didn’t understand it and I wasn’t about to continue to try to figure it out either. I continued walking until the music was a faint sound in the distance. The tears continued to drench my cheeks. Then I realized I had forgotten my purse inside the hall somewhere, and that was where my cell phone was. Even though it was painful, I turned around and made the short trek back to the hall.
Back at the party, nobody had even noticed that I had stormed out. I avoided eye contact, tilting my head forward to let my hair cover my face as I searched for my purse. I was sure my make-up had run, but I didn’t have the time to check it. I just wanted to find my purse and go home. However, because I was in such a hurry, I bumped into someone, turning automatically to apologize, when I came face-to-face with Mason. It felt as though everything was going in slow motion as our eyes met. I gasped, shocked and unable to move, clenching a fist against my chest. Mason’s brow furrowed, and he stared down at me with pained watery eyes. His mouth parted slightly. Then as he tried to say something, his breath caught in his throat, and he stood there, wide-eyed, before backing away. I exhaled, realizing I had been holding my breath the entire time. I turned and ran to the bathroom. The evidence of my pain was all over my face.
“Damn it ,” I gasped and covered with paper towel gently dabbing at the streaks of mascara. It took a few minutes, but I managed to make myself look presentable. When I came out of the bathroom, I saw Nick searching for someone and before I avoided him I noticed my purse was in his hands. I closed my eyes and sighed.
“Nick,” I said, walking towards him.
“There you are. I found your purse on the step outside and a broken bottle at the gazebo. Are you all right?” he asked. I nodded and smiled thinly, cupping my hand over his. He held out my purse, I grabbed it, and then turned around to leave.
“Are you leaving?” he asked. Slowly turning back towards him, I nodded. He looked around the room, then back at me. “Would you like me to take you home?” he asked.
“No,” I blurted. “I’m just going to take a cab.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Lauren.” He reached for my arm, but I backed away, shaking my head.
My breath hitched. “I can’t,” I whispered, feeling the tears begin to well again. I turned and walked away from him.
“Lauren,” he called, but I continued walking.
I was tired of feeling hurt and disap
pointed. What I should have done was stick to my guns and avoided dating all together. I knew I wasn’t ready.
CHAPTER TEN
Sunday went by quickly. Most of it was spent in my room, sleeping or avoiding my mother. I was in no mood to explain how I made a fool of myself at the masquerade ball. I heard her knock on my bedroom door a few times, but I never answered. My cell was turned off; I wasn’t in the mood for Cassie either. Then I saw that she had she stopped by, but my mother turned her away, thankfully. My mother tried to lure me to the kitchen with my favourite hazelnut coffee and double-stuffed chocolate fudge cookies, but when I refused, she brought it up to my room. Being humiliated made me want to move back to L.A. Matt had never left me feeling this way. I found myself longing for him once again. It may have been a year, but the pain felt like only yesterday that he had died.
