Page 45 of Please Save Me

“Then maybe we should change it,” the man suggested.

That’s when I walked away to find my family. Sure, my love life was weird, but there was no way in hell that I was watching my boyfriend’s dad hit on my brother.

I made sure to lightly shove past Cameron’s dad just to let him know I meant business, but the second I hit him, a strange prick hit my leg.

Fucking cheap ass costumes.

There was probably a needle stuck in one of the seams or something, and I hoped to God Mason and the kids wouldn't get stuck. But, as I angrily walked over to my family, a strange warm feelingcrashedover me.

A feeling I knew all too well, one I fought to stay away from… but, where the hell could it have come from?

Chapter 14

Mason

Sophia’s bed was soft, and her sheets were silky. The lights were off, the world was quiet, and I was so tightly cocooned in the flat sheet that I could barely move. And, for the first time in over a day, I could finally breathe. There was no need to hide, force a smile, or even act like I was okay. All I needed to do was pretend to not exist until tomorrow, and I’d be fine.

But, there was one thing standing in the way of me relaxing.

I owed Cameron an apology. That’s all there was to it. For the past few days, I had been a hormonal, overwhelmed mess, and my talk with Sebastian did nothing to help that fact.

Knowing you were the prime target for a serial killer was enough to have anyone on their toes.

But, after last night, I knew Cam would never hurt me. Ever. And I was probably a little dumb for thinking he ever would.

For a beat, I thought about the best way to unwind myself from the covers. The only thing that came to mind was thrashing back and forth until I loosened the silk walls I had built to confine me. I was pretty sure that’s how butterflies emerged from their chrysalises.

With a heavy sigh, I began the process of freeing myself from my self-imposed cocoon. Slowly, I began to shift back and forth. With each movement, I felt the embrace of the sheet loosen. After what felt like an eternity, I was finally free to wiggle out of the silk.

But, I didn’t emerge as a beautiful butterfly with technicolor wings and the desire to hunt for nectar. Unfortunately, I was still a heavily pregnant woman who needed to apologize to her baby daddy.

So, instead of flying away to pollinate plants and go somewhere warmer, I grabbed the birthday gift Sophia took me to get for Cam and trudged downstairs.

Sophia’s house always felt a little spooky when the lights were off. The pale walls and vintage furniture made the whole place feel haunted. The pale moonlight streaming through the windows did not help this. A rustle of leaves came from outside, and I swore I saw a shadow move across the window.

That fact made me walk a little faster, even though I knew I was safe.

Eventually, I reached Cameron’s bedroom door. A shadow once again streaked through the light, and I frantically knocked on the wood that separated me from my gentle giant.

My heart beat a little faster as a nervous squeak escaped my lips when he didn’t immediately answer.

My face started to tingle as my rapping grew louder. And just as I forgot how to breathe, I heard shifting from inside Cameron’s room.

“Just a sec.” His words slurred slightly.

Was he okay?

Eventually, the door creaked open, and Cameron peered down at me with red-rimmed eyes. He scrubbed his face with his hands as if something was in his eyes.

“You Ain’t—“ He held up a finger as a hiccup disrupted his sentence. “Youdon’t need anything, right?”

His breath carried the unmistakable scent of alcohol. My stomach flipped, and I started to pick at the tape I had used to wrap the gift before realizing it wasn’t mine to pick apart.

I held it up to Cameron just to prevent me from destroying the strawberry-covered wrapping paper. He probably would have liked another pattern better, but the red fruit reminded me of him in ways I couldn’t explain.

He blinked a few times before focusing on the gift in my hands. His expression softened, and he reached out to me. I assumed he’d take the gift and shut the door. Instead, his hands lingered on mine.

His warmth seeped into my skin, causing an involuntary shiver to rack my body.

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