Page 116 of Promise Me Not

We skid and slide, flying toward the end with squeals and shouts of excitement.

We miss the mark by three seconds, taking second place.

“Noooo!” I shout, my palms slapping at my goggles, and Mason laughs at my side, nudging me with his shoulder and helping me with the buckle.

The other two are cheering, the guy lifting her on to his shoulders for a victory dance that’s a little obnoxious but in a fun way I wish was us.

Mason must see it, because the next thing I know, his arms are wrapped around my knees, and I’m hoisted into the air. He pumps his fist, shouting and cheering, and my eyes are wide behind the mask.

“Stop it,” I hiss, smacking his head.

“Fuck yes, second place!” he screams.

The couple ahead frowns our way, shaking their heads as they trudge up the short dirt path, but Mason isn’t deterred.

He keeps celebrating until finally I cave, cheering and laughing with him.

Only after I give in does his laughter morph into a deep chuckle, and he slides me along his body until the tips of my shoes meet the ground. His arm stays locked around my lower back, and he lifts his goggles, then mine, before tugging our masks over our heads.

He grins, and it’s ridiculous. He has a full-on dirt mustache and dirt glasses, and I have the sudden urge to wash it away.

In a hot shower.

Just the two of us.

Mason’s smile slowly falls, his brown eyes darkening, and I swallow at the sight.

Suddenly, he licks his lips and looks away. “Come on, Pretty Little. Let’s get cleaned up and find some food.”

I have no idea how dirty we actually got until I look down at the photo the souvenir lady took of us at the end. Thankfully, the place has an outdoor shower, so we rinse quickly, and I put on a pair of extra sweats he had in his trunk with one of his university hoodies.

Instead of going out for dinner, we order from the small pizza pub near campus and sit on the grass at the edge of the school.

“Hey.” I remember suddenly. “The other morning, you said you had something to tell me, but you wanted to see my face when you did, and then we only had a chance to text before bed. What was it?”

Mason freezes midbite, then chews it as slowly as humanly possible. After, he takes his soda and brings it to his lips for another snaillike moment, and I realize he’s delaying.

He’s nervous, and now I’m nervous.

“Never mind.” I shake my head, picking at a piece of pineapple. “I’m sure it’s not that big a deal and?—”

“It is.” He cuts me off.

My eyes snap to his, and everything about Mason softens, even his tone, now so low I hardly hear it.

“It is a big deal.”

I swallow, shaking my head, now absolutely certain I don’t want to hear it. “You don’t have to tell me.”

He’s nodding before I’m even done. “I do. I do because it’s…” He trails off, closing his eyes.

My heart starts to pound in my chest.

“It’s about why I went to Alrick.”

A knot forms in my throat. “Oh” is all I can manage to squeeze beyond it.

Mason wipes his palms on his sweats and reaches out, taking my hands in his. He gives a gentle squeeze, and when my eyes meet his, he tries to smile. Tries and fails.

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