Page 53 of Obsessed

“That’s because I’m Tommy’s brother.” Ollie stared at her as if she were mud on his shoe. “You know, he always said you were messy and here you are proving it! You two need to leave.”

“No!” She stomped her foot in fury before noticing Rain and her expression morphed into one of joy, as if he’d been kept from her and she’d finally been able to rescue him. “Babeeee!” Spreading her arms, she started moving toward him. “You haven’t been answering my-”

“Stop!” Rain put up his hand, and she halted a few steps away, dropping her arms, fury spreading across her face again. “What’s wrong with you? Coming here to embarrass me won’t-”

His head twisted to the side, his cheek stinging, and it took him a moment to realize that she’d darted forward and slapped him. By then, all hell had broken loose. Emma and Ollie were shouting at his mother, about to throw hands, while Finn and Dylan tried to keep Gage away from her, blocking his every move.

“Has anyone called the cops?” Kate yelled.

Liam darted over. “We’d like to avoid a police presence at someone’s wedding. Marci will be here in a second. She’ll handle it.”

Rubbing his cheek, Rain gathered himself, ready to push past his protectors and put his mother in her place, when a voice cut through the room like a sword.

“What the hell is happening here?” Marci’s authoritative tone brought everyone to a halt, even Rain’s mother, and when Rain turned he had to blink away tears because Mason was standing behind her. Even with the horrible situation, Mason’s presence brought relief, as if he were a beacon of safety, and Rain didn’t realize how much he needed Mason beside him to lean on until this very moment.

But Mason didn’t hurry over, he didn’t even glance Rain’s way. He was shaking, his eyes wide in fear, his expression so open that people began to look between him and Gage, who stared at Mason with a wicked smile on his face.

“Holy shit.” Putting his hands in his pockets, Gage rocked back on his heels, sneering. “It’s Gayson Hart.”

14

MASON

Masonknewsomethingwaswrong by the middle of the ceremony when Dylan had slunk down the side aisle to whisper in Marci’s ear. After that, her expression alternated between concerned and pinched, and she looked at Mason far too often for his comfort. He couldn’t help but worry that it had to do with Rain, and his worst fears came true as Marci grabbed him the second the recessional ended.

“Rain’s family is here.” She waved toward the hall.

Mason didn’t remember moving but all of a sudden he was sprinting into the building, Marci a step behind telling him to head to the foyer.Familyindicated more than Rain’s mother which meant that her disgusting boyfriend was there too. Although Mason detested violence, he had a serious urge to punch that guy’s lights out, and by the time he reached the top of the stairs his right hand had curled into a fist.

He hoped that Rain wasn’t up there, that he’d gone somewhere safe, but Mason’s heart sank once he saw Rain standing nearby, curled in on himself, holding his cheek. Had someone struck him?

Fingernails digging into his palm, he took a step forward, ready to go to battle for the first time in his life, but as his eyes swept over the rest of the group, all of his strength vanished and he froze, his blood running cold.

In the center of the foyer, near a poor imitation of Rain, stood Gage Lasson, the upperclassman who’d made Mason’s life at school a living hell. Unable to believe it, Mason blinked a few times to be sure, and while the last fifteen years hadn’t been kind to him, Gage’s face and beady eyes were undeniable.

And then Mason made the connection, realizing exactly why Gage was standing next to Rain’s mother, and the shock hit him so hard that he almost doubled over.

Gagewas the boyfriend, the pervert, the man who’d left Rain trembling on the bedroom floor. After torturing Mason, he’d moved on to new victims, including Rain, and Mason needed to do something about it.

Facing down a tidal wave of memories, he shuffled forward another step as Marci’s voice brought the fighting to a stop.

“What the hell is happening here?”

All heads turned to her and Mason, and he braced himself because Gage squinted and then lit up with disconcerting glee.

“Holy shit,” he announced to the room, putting his hands in his pockets and rocking back on his heels. “It’s Gayson Hart.”

That slur had Mason biting the inside of his cheek. Covering his terror with a frown, he tried to manage his breathing. All of the attention was now on him and suddenly the foyer became the high school hallway where Gage and his rotating buffoons shook him around, taking his things and flinging them down the corridor if he was lucky. It beat public humiliation, being stuffed in a locker, or pushed into gym equipment. He was fortunate enough that he hadn’t broken anything except his sanity, but like his family, this bully wouldn’t let up. It was probably in their nature to spread ruin, and Mason needed to step in front of Rain, put that ruin to a halt, and peel away the damage.

Which he could do if his memories stopped crashing down over him, dragging his mind away in the undertow.

“Did you just call himGayson?” Ollie said in such a low tone that Finn dove away from Gage, putting Ollie in a bear hug. It turned out to be a smart move because Ollie struggled, roaring. “I am going to rip his arm off and beat him with it!”

“Naw, naw, me and Gayson gowayback.” Gage waved a hand as if he’d just stopped by for a chat. “I knew him when he was nothing. And it looks like he’sstillnothing.” Turning to Rain, he leered. “Come on, Rain. Enough of your shit. Time to go.”

“I’m not going anywhere with you, asshole.” He looked at Mason with pleading eyes and Mason managed to shuffle forward a few more steps. If there was ever a time to speak up and protect Rain, it was now and every cell in Mason’s body wanted to, but this sick coincidence had left him numb and mute, as if he were fourteen and powerless again.

“You heard him.” Marci strode to the front, hands on her hips, and expressions of alarm rippled through the staff. “He’s a grown man andyou’retrespassing and interrupting someone’s wedding. Leave.Now.”

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