Page 168 of The Young & the Sinner

I laid there in the bed, not moving a muscle as I listened to Mason downstairs, contentment filling me.

If only we could stay like this forever.

If only I could always feel how I was feeling now. But then, like cold water on sleepy skin, my ringing phone clashed through the fog of contentment and reality pushed itself in.

I climbed off the bed and searched for my phone in my jeans pocket.

I knew who was calling me before I even looked at the screen. He had been calling me more and more frequently over the past week.

Sometimes, I wished he would just give up.

Other times, I was afraid he might if I kept ignoring him.

I was nothing more than a mess of contradicting emotions, and I just wanted it to stop.

I picked up my phone and stared at the screen as it continued to ring, indecision pulling at me. But I didn’t pick up. Besides, even if I decided to, I couldn’t talk to my dad while I was sitting, naked, in Mason’s bedroom, with him only downstairs in the kitchen.

How would I explain all these phones calls I’d been getting?

He would probably tell me that I was better off without my dad? Without any of my parents? And while that might be true, I couldn’t say I wouldn’t forgive my mom if she suddenly decided to come back. I had been angry with her, but I wasn’t anymore. Couldn’t I extend the same courtesy to my dad?

I didn’t know.

The phone stopped ringing after a few moments, letting me off the hook, at least for a little while longer. I let out a small sigh and threw the phone on the bed.

Out of sight, out of mind, and all that.

Yeah, right.

I needed to get downstairs soon. Mason would start questioning why I was taking so long up here.

Slowly, I climbed off the bed, searching for my clothes.

My panties were dirty, and putting them on held no appeal, so I threw them in the dirty laundry basket under the sink, and pulled on my jeans and one of Mason’s T-shirts.

I brought the shirt up to my nose and sniffed, loving the way his scent still clung to the fabric. I took a step toward the door but paused when I heard something.

No, not something… someone.

Someone other than Mason.

My eyes widened in horror when I realized the other voice belonged to Max.

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