Total pages in book: 65
Estimated words: 63761 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 319(@200wpm)___ 255(@250wpm)___ 213(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63761 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 319(@200wpm)___ 255(@250wpm)___ 213(@300wpm)
Knowing I’ll wake everyone if I hop, I carefully put pressure on my right foot. The pain is sharp, and I cringe through it as I take an unsteady step. I only manage to get to the banister at the top of the stairs and glancing down, I see Mason down below.
His hands are linked at the back of his neck as he paces up and down the length of the living room.
Suddenly, he picks up his phone from the coffee table and does something on it before he walks toward the stairs.
Oh, crap.
Panicking that I’ll be caught red-handed, I use the banister so I can quickly move into the corner. I hunch down and pulling a worried face, I say a quick prayer he won’t see me.
Mason walks back into the room and gets something. Coming out of the room again, he stops right by the stairs.
Shit.
“Don’t wake them,” he whispers.
Slowly, I pull myself up and look at him.
He doesn’t turn his head my way and begins to go down the stairs.
I watch him shrug on his jacket. He pockets his phone and wallet, then walks to the front door. He pulls it open and stepping outside, he looks up to me. It’s the first time I don’t see any hostility on his face.
Just the sadness.
Mason, unmasked.
The beauty of a fallen angel… with broken wings.
When he starts to pull the door closed, I want to call out for him to wait. I want to ask him where he’s going.
He pauses, and as if he can hear my thoughts, he murmurs, “I’m going home, so don’t worry. Don’t wake the others.”
I nod and quickly ask, “How will you get home?”
“I called a cab.”
“Have a safe trip and text Lake or Falcon once you get home.”
Pain tightens his features right before he turns away and closes the door behind him.
“What was Jennifer like?” I ask while we’re driving back to the Academy.
With me almost spraining half my body and Mason leaving yesterday morning, we all decided to pack up and head home.
“She was always positive,” Lake answers.
Without taking his eyes from the road, Falcon adds, “She had an infectious laughter.”
Lake glances over his shoulder at me. “They were really close.”
Not wanting to cause Mason more pain, I ask, “What can I do so I don’t remind him of her?”
“What do you mean?” In the rearview mirror, I see a frown forming on Falcon’s face.
“Ahh fuck,” Lake mutters. “You weren’t sleeping?”
“No, sorry.” I feel shitty for eavesdropping, but I’m glad I overheard them. At least, I can try to help and not make things worse.
“I’m still lost here,” Falcon calls out.
It wakes Layla, who’s been sleeping most of the journey, and lifting her head, she squints at the road. “How can you be lost? We’re on the right road,” she mumbles, then leans her head back down.
I let out a bark of laughter which has Lake chuckling.
After the short interruption, Lake answers my question from before, “Just be yourself, Kingsley.”
I let out a sigh, wondering if that’s the best thing to do.
Lake adds, “And don’t worry about it. You’ll see, he’ll be back to normal when we get to the Academy.”
Normal?
Is the aggressive version really the normal Mason?
“What was Mason like before the accident?” I ask.
Lake yawns and mumbles, “Not so stubborn. Less rough around the edges.”
Lake drifts off to sleep, and I lean my head against the window as I stare at Layla’s hair that’s sticking up from the front passenger seat.
I’m going to take a page out of Layla’s book.
Kill him with kindness.
Okay, maybe not the killing part… yet.
Chapter 5
Mason
The Academy is like a ghost town, and it’s just what I needed. I texted Falcon and Lake yesterday when I got back, letting them know I’m fine.
I’ve spent all my time in the suite, pushing every one of my ghosts back into the vault deep inside my heart, and ignoring life by watching all the YouTube videos I can find about the current most expensive supercars.
Lying on the couch in just my boxers, I begin to drift off when I hear a thud against the door. Frowning, I sit up, and when I hear a shuffle, I walk closer.
Falcon and Lake won’t be back this soon, will they?
I’m just about to reach for the door when it opens, and a mess of dark hair slams into my chest.
“Dafuuuc?” I grumble as I scowl down at the rat’s nest planted against me.
“Crap, sorry.”
Fucking Kingsley.
My eyebrow darts up when she places her left hand on my abs and pushes herself back.
Getting a view of her face, I watch her blink while she stares at my chest. She pulls an exaggerated impressed face, then nods. “Not bad, Mason.”
“You’ve seen it before,” I growl. “What the hell are you doing here?”
“Oh,” she grins up at me as if we’re best friends. “We decided to come home early.”