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26
In the morning, I drive straight to Mason’s house. I’m hoping he hasn’t left for school yet and that I can get him alone so I can make things right. There’s no way I can sit in class and pretend it’s a normal Tuesday, and it doesn’t help that I didn’t get any sleep last night. I look like a zombie with dark spots under my eyes and my short hair curly and frizzy instead of styled.
Everything keeps spiraling and I have no idea what to do about it. Annalisa’s rightfully pissed off, and Mason’s whole world just imploded. When I first arrived in King, Mason was really my first friend; he was the first person who kept putting effort into getting to know me, who went out of his way to talk to me. Then came Noah, Charlotte, Chase, Annalisa, Julian, and of course, Aiden, but Mason has always been my friend first and foremost, and ever since I found out about our parents, I feel like I’ve been letting him down. I’ve been a shitty friend, and the need to make it right consumes my brain until it’s all I can think about.
When I pull up to Mason’s house, I see his car sitting untouched in the driveway, and I sigh in relief. Using the tiny mirror in my visor, I attempt to tame my hair somewhat so I look like less of a disaster. There’s nothing I can do about my dull skin and dark circles, so I close the visor and steel all my courage as I walk up his driveway. I don’t see any other cars unless they’re in the garage. Is Brian home? Is Natalia? Has Mason confronted his dad? Does Natalia know? I left so fast this morning I didn’t get a chance to see Mom, but I’m sure she would’ve said something if her secret had come out.
I don’t bother texting Mason to let him know I’m here because I don’t want to give him the chance to avoid me. Instead, I knock on his door with as much confidence as I can before I lose my nerve. If Agent Dylan actually does relocate me, Mason’s last memory of me isn’t going to be that I kept a huge secret from him. No. He’s going to know that I was trying to do the right thing, and he’s going to know how much he means to me. I’ll be damned if I leave King with strained friendships all over the place, especially considering I love all my friends like I’ve never loved friends before.
The door opens to reveal Mason, who pauses when he sees me, a half-eaten Pop-Tart in his hand.
Before he can decide what to do, I blurt out, “I know I’m probably the last person you want to see but I’m here to say I’m really really sorry and I never meant to hurt you and I thought I was doing the right thing by not telling you, and please let me explain.”
It comes out in one big breath and Mason cocks an eyebrow at me. He stuffs the Pop-Tart in his mouth to finish it off, chewing slowly as he studies me. The silence makes me squirm. Before I can continue blurting the first thing that comes to my mind, he opens the door wider for me, gesturing for me to come in. My breath comes easier. That’s a good sign; that means he wants to talk.
He closes the door behind me, and the anxiety forces me not to wait, to get everything out before he has the chance to change his mind.
“I found out about our parents the day we left for the beach house. Remember when Aiden and I turned back? I forgot something at my house, and I walked in on our parents . . . you know . . .” His face scrunches up in disgust as he pictures what I’m hinting at. I continue, “Yeah. They didn’t know I was there, and I battled with whether I should tell you or not. I didn’t want to ruin the trip for you, and I didn’t want you to hate me for knowing or for my mom’s role in it, but I felt so guilty I could barely look at you, and it strained our friendship. I’m really sorry for that too.”
Realization flashes across his face. “So that’s why you were avoiding me.” It’s not a question.
“I didn’t know how to break the news to you. And then when we got back, I caught our parents again, and I told Brian to make it right with you, to tell you because you deserved to know, or I would. He obviously never told you, and I didn’t want Aiden to have to do it for me. Anna put the pieces together herself, and I asked her not to say anything either so that Brian had time to do it himself. I was going to tell you at mini-golf the other night since it’s been weeks and your dad never told you, but then our friends showed up and I couldn’t do it in front of them. I’m really sorry you had to find out this way, Mason, really.” As the words escape my lips, the pressure sitting on my chest decreases, and the more I talk, the lighter I feel, even if Mason isn’t saying anything, even if he is still mad at me. “And I’m sorry for hurting you.”
He takes a breath. “I’m not mad at you.”
“You’re not?”
“No, it’s not your fault. You’re not the one cheating on your wife, you’re just the one caught in the middle. If the roles were reversed, I don’t know if I’d be able to tell you either.”
His words are a breath of fresh air, and I step closer to him, filling the space between us that, until this conversation, has felt like miles, even if he was only a few feet away. “Mason, you’re my best friend and I hate that this is happening. At the beginning I really hated your dad and my mom, but I think I’m starting to realize not everything is black and white. I thought our parents were terrible people, but Brian’s still always been there for us. He stepped up and got Aiden out of jail when he was arrested, he took custody of the twins, and he was there for us when everything went down with Andrew and Harvey. You should’ve seen him barking orders at the officers that night.” I lose my train of thought. “I don’t know where I was going with this, I guess, just so you know your dad isn’t the worst?”
Mason surprises me when he closes the gap between us completely and envelops me in a hug. It’s warm and comforting and the last thing I expected him to do. I wrap my arms around his back and hold him to me, each of us seeking and giving our own comfort.
“I’m supposed to be the one comforting you,” I mumble into his shoulder. His sweater smells like a mix of fresh detergent and something purely Mason, which floods my body with warmth. I missed my friend.
“We are comforting each other.” He chuckles, and my arms drop to my sides as he releases me. He continues, “I had time to think it over and I get why you did it. I wish you felt like you could tell me, but I get that it should’ve been my dad. But Amelia? Know that you can tell me anything, okay? You’ll still always be my best friend.”
If I already didn’t feel like crying, the feeling would’ve hit me tenfold. I never realized how much extra weight I was carrying by keeping things from my friends. Now that everything’s out in the open with Mason, I feel like I can breathe easier, but there’s still something wiggling in the back of my mind, something weighing me down, something blocking me from being truthful with Mason. I can’t take the lying anymore. Telling the truth has opened a floodgate and I don’t care to stop anymore.
“I’m in witness protection.” The words spill out of my mouth of their own accord, and I do nothing to stop them. “There’s a man trying to kill me, and he’s found me twice before. The last time he found me and almost killed me I was relocated here to King City and became Amelia. Please don’t hate me.”
Mason stares at me, his mouth slightly agape as he processes my words. Before he can say anything, the door on my left, the one to the main-floor washroom, swings open. Noah’s there, staring at me just like Mason is. I’m just as shocked as I’m sure Mason feels.
Noah clears his throat. “So, I’ve been standing here for, like, ten minutes, not wanting to interrupt you guys making up, but . . . what?! You’re in witness protection? Are you, like, a spy? Or an assassin? Wow, this is so much.” He shakes his head as if trying to wrap his mind around it and washes his hands, talking loudly over the running water. “First all the stuff about Luke and the twins, then Brian and your mom, and now this? Next you’re going to tell me your name isn’t Amelia.”
Mason snaps out of whatever stupor he’s in as his eyebrows draw together. He glances at me, then back at Noah. “Um, Noah? That’s kind of the point of witness protection. Her name isn’t Amelia.”
Noah dries his hands and stares blankly at me for a few moments before his jaw drops again, as if he just connected the dots. “Holy shit! So, what is your name? The real one, not Amelia, because we know that’s not your real name. Obviously.”
Instead of answering Noah’s rambling, I round on Mason. “You weren’t going to tell me Noah was here the whole time?”
“Yeah, I was going to. He just happened to be in the washroom when I opened the door, and you kept talking and I got distracted with, you know, what you were saying,” he admits sheepishly. “But in my defense, I didn’t expect you to tell me you’re in witness protection.”
I glance between Mason and Noah. A part of me, the part that’s spent over a year running and hiding, is panicking. More people who know my secret means more people who are exposed to harm. But the bigger part of me, the part that always feels out of control, is relieved. Two of my best friends finally know. I don’t need to hide anymore, at least not from them. No matter what happens, if I stay here or leave, three of the people closest to me will know me, the whole me.
“What are you even doing here?” I ask Noah.
Mason answers for him. “Same reason you came; he was trying to convince me not to be mad at you.”
My heart warms as I look at Noah in awe. “We were all fighting and everything was going to shit. I figured I’d catch him before school, same as you. My mom dropped me off. But, come on, tell us about the witness protection thing, Amelia . . . if that’s even your real name.”
Mason and I exchange a look before Noah adds, “Yes, I know that’s not your real name. I just always wanted to say that in real life.”
My emotions are all bunched up, but a laugh escapes me. Leave it to Noah to make light of every situation, and right now, I’m extremely grateful for that.
