Page 11 of Never Kiss and Tell

“And when are you coming back?”

“A month and a half.”

He eyes me like he wants to say something, but he’s holding back. I hate when he does this. Mason is always careful to not upset me, like I’m some kind of disturbed ticking time bomb that will go off at any mention of Drew’s name. A porcelain doll.

“Just spit it out, Mason,” I murmur, sitting his plate of cookies on the work bench beside him.

He grimaces. “Just have fun. Watch who you’re around. Don’t make me come down there.”

So much like Dad . . .Mason’s been watching over me since Dad passed, like a kind of grumpy guardian angel. When everything happened between Drew and I, I purposely didn’t tell Mason until Drew was out of town the week after. I knew he would go after him. He did. Drew walked away with a broken nose and a cracked rib. Mason walked away in handcuffs. I have the sneaking suspicion that Mom had forced Marcus to get Drew to drop the charges, but no one will tell me. Again — porcelain doll syndrome.

“I’m an angel,” I smile sweetly, hoping to lighten the mood.

“Angel of death, maybe,” Mason cracks. “Have you heardany more from Drew?”

Visions of the photo I saw last night dance in my head, making my stomach recoil. I laid awake for half the night, wondering if that girl is okay. I can’t escape this uncomfortable feeling from Drew having that much power over someone else.

It makes me sick.

If I tell Mason I’m still receiving pictures from Drew, as well as the occasional lewd text, he’ll go after him, again. I don’t want my brother to see the inside of a jail cell ever again.

“No,” I lie smoothly. “He’s probably moved onto his next victim.”

Mason watches me, like he’s trying to read my mind to see if I’m telling the truth. I’m glad he can’t. My mind is made up of twisted, jumbled paths that you can easily get lost in. Surely if he were to see that, he would commit me.

“You tell me if he does. I don’t want him showing his ugly face around here again.”

To be fair, Drew is highly attractive. Blue eyes. Brown hair. He’s clean and has a dimple in the center of his chin. He’s got some muscles from his daily workouts, but overall, he’s fairly lean. Like a man sculpted by Adonis, himself, but with a personality handpicked by the devil.

“I don’t think he’ll be bothering me anymore, since you broke his nose,” I say smoothly, brushing off any lingering feelings of melancholy wishful thinking that I could go back to a time before I met Drew.

“Good. Next time I’ll break his neck.”

Good Ol’ New Orleans.

As soon as I step off the plane, I can feel my hair expand two inches in width. While Malibu is definitely warm in May, it can’t compare the utter heat that radiates off the pavement in Southern Louisiana.

Thankfully, the air is on full blast in the airport. I wade through the crowds of people, mostly tourists here to spend the week drinking on Bourbon Street, until I spot a familiar brunette head poking out in the crowd.

“Oh my God, you’re finally here!” Andi squeals, throwing her arms around me. The familiar scent of her Chanel perfume makes me tear up and I squeeze her tighter.

“And I’m not drunk. I only had one drink on the plane.”

She pulls back, holding me at arm’s length to look at me. Her gray eyes light up, almost the same shade as her brother’s, just lighter.

“God, you’ve changed so much in the last couple months. We can’t go this long without seeing each other again.”

I haven’t actually changed at all, except for maybe leaving Drew.

“We havesomuch to do while you’re here — and not just boring wedding stuff. I have a whole month of fun planned for us.”

I grin as I grab my bag from baggage claim and follow her to the door that will surely lead to my untimely death via heatstroke.

“My dad is dying to see you. Oh, and everyone at the restaurant wants to meet you, too.”

Anxiety bubbles low in my stomach. I’m never good meeting new people. To say I have to force myself to suck it up and be social is an understatement.

“Don’t worry,” Andi waves a hand, sensing my apprehension. “Everyone will love you. You’re so much easier to get along with than me.”

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