Page 51 of The Spare
King takes her hand and helps pull her up, but I ignore her, finding Karissa instead who's in conversation with Brian and Mason's mother and father. I see Isobel's face drop, turning confused, but I don't have it in me to reassure anyone.
I'm too angry, and they'reallthe source of it.
"Karissa, let's go," I snap.
Karissa turns to me, getting ready to speak, but she snaps her mouth shut quick and raises a brow when Mason appears right next to me.
"Melody, can you please relax and just talk to me?" Mason comes around to my front and tries to catch my eye, but I turn my face from him.
I'm just too caught up in my feelings right now.
"Hey, what's up, Mel… Are you good?" Leo says slowly, standing nearby with a shot of vodka. I eye him for a second before turning my face back to Mason.
"Can you pour me a shot too, Leo?" I address Leo, seeing Mason's jaw clench.
"Sure."
Mason's eyes narrow, and his features settle into something scary.
Dismissively, I turn from him and walk over to Leo, taking the shot he hands me before turning back to Mason, narrowing my eyes back in anger.
"I decided to giveLeomy first drink."
The air suddenly becomes so chilly that my skin breaks out in goosebumps, but I don't care.
Mason's lips tighten, and he looks so angry that I'm sure he's going to snap at any moment. But he stays quiet, the fury emanating from him letting me know all I need to know about how he really feels, despite him exercising a massive amount of self-control.
Seeing Mason step forward quickly, I tilt my head to shoot it right as he reaches forward to snatch it from my hand. His fingers circle my wrist hard, and he makes a rough sound in his chest as he yanks at my arm to try and stop me.
We grapple against each other for a second. Some of the liquor spills down my chin and drips onto my chest, but most of it got into my mouth, thankfully. His hand tightens on my wrist as he jerks hard, ripping the shot glass away with his other hand, and it clatters to the floor a few feet away. I lash out, slapping him across the face with my free hand.
Everyone gasps, but I turn my head quickly, coughing against the burn.
"Melody! What the hell is going on?"Isobel shouts, but I ignore her.
I swipe the back of my free hand across my mouth, wiping the vodka off before pinning Mason, who looks absolutely murderous at me, with an equally irate look. My eyes flicker seeing a red mark on his cheek where I've slapped him, and I grit my teeth, feeling feral as his fingers tighten even more on my wrist.
"I also decided to not have your bodyguard follow me," I hiss at him. "Because that's not going to be the lastfirstI give away tonight."
The room plunges into absolute silence at my admission.
In my peripheral vision I see Karissa's jaw drop; however, my eyes are firmly on Mason who currently looks like he's made of stone. A look I've never seen before turns his face from one of anger to downright evil. He gets in my face, his minty breath fanning over my lips he's so close.
"Over. My. Fucking. Dead. Body,"he snarls, making my blood run hot.
"What's happening?"Leo asks, sounding confused.
Mason and I both ignore him. I refuse to answer either one of them.
"You can't stop me," I breathe, my face defiant as I stare at him unblinkingly.
"Are you willing to bet on that, butterfly?" he says just as quietly, his eyes hard as he looks down into mine, letting me know how serious he is. "I'll break your goddamn legs if you spread them for that son of a bitch."
We commence to staring each other down while we wait one another out. His eyes bore into mine intimidatingly, but I hold my ground because a point needs to be proven. Hendrix takes a couple steps towards me, both his brows raised.
"Mason-"
"Fuck off, Hendrix"
