Page 151 of Playing Dirty

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He wasn’t lying.

That was the problem.

People usually softened things when they talked about pressure.

Mason didn’t.

He just said it like it was part of physics.

I adjusted my position slightly on the bed.

The room creaked faintly.

That sound felt too loud.

“You always this quiet at night?” I asked.

“Depends.”

“On what.”

He paused.

Longer than before.

“On whether I’m thinking too much.”

I almost laughed at that.

Almost.

“Seems like you’re always thinking too much,” I said.

That got a reaction.

Not visible.

But real.

A slight shift in his posture.

Like I’d hit something accurate again.

“Maybe,” he said.

I tilted my head slightly. “That’s not an answer.”

“It is,” he replied. “Just not the one you want.”

That made the room feel smaller again.

Not physically.

Just… awareness.

Mason

She stood up suddenly.

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