Page 27 of Prince of Pain

I pushed Mason towards the window, waiting for him to climb out before I followed, slamming it shut behind me. Mom stared at me, and I had to admit her acting was good.

I almost felt bad.

Mason had parked down the street so we walked in silence until we reached the car, then he glanced at me with a frown. “You getting your meth from Channing?”

“Dad found an old syringe from me and Ry. We only did it a handful of times,” I answered, lighting a cigarette. “It’s not like you haven’t done it.”

“I like party drugs, not the hard stuff,” he grunted. “Where’d you get it?”

“Ry. I didn’t ask where he got it from, but I assume he stole it from his family’s stash.”

“You and Ry are closer than you make out to be, aren’t you?” he asked as he started the car, not taking his eyes off me as he rolled the two front windows down.

I shrugged, toying with the lighter in my hand. “It doesn’t matter. Now he’s clean, things are different. Just because his dick still likes me, doesn’t mean he does.”

I knew I’d said too much when Mason smirked, starting to drive towards Blackwater.

“You’re still fucking him? You guys have always had good chemistry.”

“Yeah, well, some things are better left in the past, apparently.” I eyed him for a moment, dragging on my cigarette. “He needs to just get high and relax a little. He’s so fucking tense.”

Mason laughed, agreeing with me. “Yeah, he needs to loosen up a little. He’ll get back on it eventually.”

I’d never understand why anyone would want to be sober. Then again, it wasn’t like he ever stopped drinking. I needed to give him a little nudge so we could have fun together again.

I missed the old Ryder, he was fun, fucked me regularly, and we’d spent many nights laughing at dumb shit while high together. He’d become my best friend without him even realizing, and I missed all the fun we used to have.

“You think he’ll get back on it? Even if it’s just pills. That’s not so bad, right? It’s not like it’s powder or crystal. Pills are harmless,” I questioned, and Mason shrugged.

“I don’t think they’re a problem. They haven’t killed me yet, but I also don’t take them daily like Ry did. If he just did it occasionally, he’d feel better.”

That's what I thought. I really had to help make him see sense before he wasted his life being boring.

He was miserable without them, so I needed to fix that.

Ryder

“You didn’t have to hit me,” Jett grumbled from the other side of the couch, giving me the side-eye. “You’re a mean drunk.”

“I said I was sorry, didn’t I?” I huffed, making him roll his eyes.

“Say it again with meaning.”

“You’re a dick.”

“Says the violent alcoholic.”

“Guys, this isn’t helping,” Maddox bit out, carrying cold beers into the living room and handing us one each. “You’ll just end up fighting.”

“And now I have a weapon,” I joked, waving the glass bottle at Jett. “Keep trash talking, fucker.”

“I love you, but you really gotta stop beating me up. I cop enough of that shit from your siblings,” he muttered, picking at the label on the beer. “I’m sorry I came across as a boring dick, but you were really bothering Lexi, and I didn’t want them to throw you out of the club. There was no way in fucking hell you could drive either, and it’s because I love you that I had to be a pain in the ass and take your keys.”

“Love you too. Dick,” I smiled, sliding my phone from my pocket to check social media.

I ignored most of the messages, but I paused over photos Channing had put up. Tempest was doing shots with one of the other girls, and there was another photo of Tempest giving Channing a lap dance. She looked trashed, and I had to force myself not to call her and see if she was okay.

She did this all the time and was fine, so she didn’t need me.

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