Page 45 of If You Could Only See
My phone rang,and as I pulled it out of mypocket, I saw that it was Viola. “Hey, lady.”
“Hey, back. What areyou doing?” she asked.
“I justfinished my shift at thediner. I’m headed home.”
“Have youthought anymore about what Isaid?” she asked, not pussy-footing around.
When I hadbroken down Saturday night, Ihad called Viola, and she had come over and held me as I shatteredto pieces. She didn’t judge or say anything negative. She hadactually encouraged me to hear Mason out and weigh his words beforemaking a final decision. Viola was positive that Mason’s feelingsfor me were the real thing and she didn’t think I should let mychildhood insecurities wipe out any chance of repairing things withMason.
“Ihave, Vi, but I think it’s too late,”I answered, thankful that the streets were quiet. People, talkingloudly on their cell phones in public, was a pet peeve ofmine.
“Why do you saythat?”
Iwrapped my jacket tighteraround my body. Not sure if I was warding off the chilly night orthe depression from my next words. “I haven’t heard from him allweek, Vi.”
She was silentfor a few seconds before she said, “Okay, but that could be becausehe’s waiting for you to calmdown, Shane. I bet if you called him, he’d rush rightover.”
“I’m scared,” Iwhispered,honestly.
“I know youare, babe. But don’tlet MasonBuchanan become one of your greatest regrets in life,” shewhispered back. “I know it feels all too good to be true, butShane, you don’t see the way he looks at you the way the rest of usdo. That man loves you. I’d bet my degree on it.”
“Thisis so ridiculous, Vi. It’sonly been two weeks. How can this be such a disaster after only twogoddamn weeks?” I spent a lot of this week wondering how Mason andI went from not speaking for three years to professions of love andeternity.
“Love doesn’twork on a timeline, babe,” shesaid, sagely.
“Okay, Vi,I’ll…Hey! Ow! Wha-” Suddenly, I felt a pair ofstrong hands grabbing me frombehind and dragging me down a closed off alley. It all happened ina matter of seconds when I was thrown up against the brick buildingthat housed one of the many business down this street.
I looked up tofind Branson Morgan holding mein a stinging grip against the wall, my purse and phone falling tothe ground. “Branson, what in the hell are you doing?”
Hesmirked, and it was evillooking. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up, and I knew thiswas going to be bad. I had managed to avoid Branson since his fightwith Mason, but apparently, he wasn’t trying to avoidme.
Heremoved one of his hands offmy arm and reached up to caress my cheek. “I heard Buchanan dumpedyou.”
I closed myeyes, briefly. That was another thing that had made this week hellish. Because everyone noticedeverything about the Buchanans, they noticed right off when Masonwas no longer walking me to class. The girls snickered, and theguys got predatory. There were smug smiles, whispered innuendos andoutright hostility.
Imissed beinginvisible.
“He didn’t dumpme,” I fired back.
Hishand kept tracing my face, butI didn’t knock it away. I didn’t want to antagonize him. “Oh,really? Then why haven’t I seen him tagging along after you allweek?”
“That’s noneofyour business.”
Branson went on as if Ihadn’t spoken. “See, my guess is that he popped that sweet cherryof yours and moved on.” He leaned into me, and I shuttered as hesniffed my skin. “And I know he popped it, because you smell used,Shane.”
I wanted topunch him in his face. But ifhe could last long enough to go a couple of rounds with Mason, Iknew I was no match for him. “My relationship with Mason is none ofyour business,” I repeated.
He planted bothhands on either side of my shoulders,trapping me. “Here’s the thing, Shane. I don’t reallycare if you’re a virgin or not. Now, don’t get me wrong. I wouldhave loved to make you bleed all over my dick, but just becauseBuchanan got that honor doesn’t mean I don’t still want to fuckyou.”
Icringed. The thought of being withanyone, besides Mason, made my stomach turn. It’s funny how, twoweeks ago, I was willing to hand over my virginity to any randomguy who had shown me any interest, but now that I’ve been withMason, I can’t imagine being with anyone else. I supposed that wasanother reason to take Viola’s advice.
“It doesn’tmatter if you want to sleep with me or not, Branson,” I snappedback. “I’m not interested in you, with or without Mason in thepicture.”
I expected himto get upset,but instead, hethrew his head back and laughed.
And itwasn’ta goodlaugh.
Branson looked back downat me and his words had me frozen to the core. “You think I give afuck what you want, Shane?” My eyes widened at what he wasinsinuating. “Even if I didn’t want in between your legs, I’d stillforce my way in them just to show Buchanan that he ain’tshit.”
