Page 122 of Please Hate Me

“A kiss? What are we, teenagers?” I snorted. “I want to do something more… intimate with you.”

Cameron inched in, his nose dangerously close to mine. The strange fluttery feeling returned, but this time, it was faster, harder, as though his very presence was whipping it into a frenzy.

“You want me to fuck you?” He smirked.

My stomach flipped, and I choked on spit. My chest was hot, so unbearably hot. What the fuck was this?

“Y-you said p-prove it.” My words were meant to come across as cool, but the shake in my voice betrayed my composure.

He inched in, the scruff of his beard brushing against my cheek. I went stiff as every nerve ending in my body fired off, making me shake at his touch.

“I’d rather take a vow of celibacy than share a bed with someone like you.” His voice reverberated through my body as he pulled away. “Now, do me a favor and go fuck yourself.”

My chest heaved. I was a mess, but Cameron didn’t give me a second thought. He went back to winding the orange lights around the tree, pretending I didn’t exist. I should have stayed and argued with him, told him just how lucky he was that I would even consider sleeping with someone likehim.But my mind was full of static.

I snatched my gifts for Mason before darting up the steps. The house flew by in a blur of whites and pastels as I made a beeline for my apartment. Once I was safe, I slammed the door behind me. The sound echoed through the small space as I leaned against a wall, trying to catch my breath and gather my thoughts.

Cameron’s rejection stung, but it had no reason to. I shouldn’t have even been considering the idea, let alone eager for it. I got caught in the moment, thrilled by the chase, that was all.

Soon, I’d see Mason, and everything would be right again. I just needed to be patient until then.

Chapter 33

Mason

Warmth emanated from the to-go bag on my lap, and the scent of fresh tortilla chips and salsa filled Sophia’s Ford Fiesta, making my mouth water.

Yoga was fun, but that wasn’t why I liked going to class multiple times a week. Between the kids and Sophia’s work schedule, she and I barely had any one-on-one time. Yoga class was the one thing we did together, and I savored each moment I got with just her… Plus, she always let me pick where we got lunch after class.

The bell tower on top ofSchool House Tattoocame into the distance far before the rest of Lucian’s shop. I unbuckled my seatbelt, preparing to switch seats with Sophia. Usually, when the shop was open, the parking lot was full. Street parking was the only option, and Sophia couldn’t parallel park to save her life. But today was our lucky day. The spot beside Lucian’s Jeep was empty, and Sophia slid in, her bumper hitting the curb as she parked.

“Shoot,” she mumbled, throwing her car into reverse.

I cringed at the sound of plastic scraping on concrete as Sophia corrected her shitty park job. I liked having someone with me whenever I went somewhere, but still, Ireallyneeded to get my own vehicle. Back in France, I had a little black sports car that I adored, but it didn’t have a backseat. Even if I had stayed in Lyon, I would’ve needed to go car shopping.

“Ready to go?” Sophia’s smile tore me from my thoughts.

Heat rushed to my cheeks, and I returned the gesture. My smile was coming easier these days, making it harder to stop my teeth from showing. I had a feeling Sophia didn’t mind.

“We really should remind Lucian to grab his lunch in the morning.” I passed the bag to her as I initiated the arduous process of moving at almost thirty weeks pregnant.

“I always do,” she laughed. “I think he just likes seeing you.”

Sophia’s comment shouldn’t have caught me off guard, but it did. Lucian and I had been spending a lot of time together, mostly because he was the only one up at midnight. I assumed he was only hanging out with me because I wanted him to. I couldn’t imagine him inconveniencing himself to get my time... but I had yet to figure out why he’d lied to me about breaking his glasses a few weeks ago.

I pushed the thoughts down and climbed out of the car, meandering toward the door. By the time the familiar ding of a bell welcomed me inside, I was out of breath.

Pregnancysucked.

Sophia followed close behind, and I held the door for her. Once it shut behind us, I took in the familiar hum of tattoo guns and punk music. Every time I came in, Lucian would play more and more obscure music, and I was pretty sure that was intentional.

Steps echoed from the back before one of my favorite voices filled the air.

“Welcome to—What’d you bring me?” Lucian’s tone shifted as his gaze raked over us, a sly smile tugging at his lips. He looked like he was struggling to prevent me from seeing it.

Sophia held up the bag. Recently, I’d been obsessed with a local Mexican restaurant. I wasn’t sure what they put in their chips, but I genuinely couldn’t get enough of them. Lucian groaned and stomped his foot before snatching the bag from Sophia’s hand.

“Seriously? Again?” He peered into the bag. “Your baby is going to turn into a quesadilla at this rate.”

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