Page 154 of Tell Me I'm Enough

I look back up to Mason with pleading eyes. “Don’t say anything to them, okay?”

He nods, stepping back and exhaling, forcing a lighter tone like he’s giving us both an exit.

“Thanks…again—”

Lydia slings her arms around me before I can finish the sentence, looking between Mason and me—curiously.

“For helping me with our gutters, too,” I finish, lying and feeling bad for doing it.

Lani scrunches her nose up as she hands me my coffee. “Ew, that sounds like labor for men.”

Mason smiles at me and then looks to the girls. “Oh, trust me, she was merely moral support. She wouldn’t dare break a nail, no matter how great the cause.”

Lydia nods. “Sounds like my Simone.”

Mason hikes his finger to point over his shoulder. “I’m…gonna go finish up our gutters now. I’ll see y’all around.”

They both tell him bye, and then he lets his eyes land on me for a moment. “Let me know if you need anything, okay?”

I just nod, not wanting the emotions to come back up.

“There are so many hot guys around here,” Lani whispers. “Maybe Idoneed to join a sorority.”

I see Mason’s grin as he turns and walks back to the Sig house, and I can’t help but smile too.

How can one person make things feel so easy and simple in the midst of all the chaos?

I let the girls drag me away as I steal one more look over my shoulder at Mason, who’s already stopped, looking back at me too.

37

Simone

“Lyd, you’ve barely talked to me all week.”

What is up with everyone purposely ignoring me lately?

“I’ve just been busy, Sim.”

“Busy doing what?”

“Just stuff.”

I bite the inside of my cheek, trying not to pry too much.

My foot won’t stop tapping from the nerves, wanting to ask her all the things I’m actually worried about.

“You’ve just…I don’t know. It seems like you keep going through these lows and highs, like one week I’m hanging out with you every day and then for the next two weeks I’ll see your face once or twice.”

She finally looks up at me, and the look she’s giving me is hard and defensive. “Why are you so annoyed with me right now?”

“I’m not annoyed,” I tell her, softening my tone. “I’m worried.”

“It doesn’t feel like you’re worried,” she snaps. “It feels like you’re judging me. Every time I’m not stuck up your ass, you think I’m spiraling.”

I take a deep breath, not wanting to set her off, but also trying not to let my feelings get hurt either.

“I’m just trying to be there for you and help. You used to tell me everything, and now I don’t even feel like I know you anymore. I don’t know what you like to do; you’re always out and never invite me, and I feel like you don’t like talking to me anymore unless it’s about all the good stuff. I wanna hear about the bad too. I always have.”