Page 318 of Tell Me I'm Enough

I smile and lift her hands to my mouth, kissing the back of her knuckles.

“Geez!” Lydia screams from the window, “I’m going to vomit rainbows.”

Simone rolls her eyes, but keeps smiling.

“One day,” I tell her quietly, “this is how I’m going to ask you to marry me.”

Simone freezes. “Mason…”

I nod, holding her hand tighter. “I’ll be standing outside your window,” I say. “Music blaring, choosingyou, no running, no…me disappearing. Just me being a fool for the girl I love.”

That last part makes me emotional. Because I disappeared into bottles and poor choices and pain that I refused to admit existed for so long. And Simone was always there. She didn’t try to fix me; she just…loved me while I learned how to love myself.

“You can’t just—” she starts, eyes going a little glassy. She clears her throat, forcing the words out. “You can’t just say stuff like that.”

“I can,” I say. “And I really mean it.”

Her laugh is wet as she points at me. “Now you have to stick to that promise.”

I grin. “Yeah?”

She nods. “Yeah.”

I tug her closer, only inches apart now, just taking her in.

Her eyes flick to my mouth with a little smirk. “Are you gonna kiss me now?”

My hands slide to her waist, and I don’t hesitate to kiss her.

Cheers from every house around erupt like the ending to a cheesy movie—a cheesy movie I’d rewatch over and over and over again and never get sick of.

I’m still smiling against her mouth when I feel my phone vibrate in my pocket. I ignore it, but it vibrates again. I shift a little, still holding Simone, soaking in this moment with her.

My phone vibrates again, making my smile falter. Simone pulls back, her face changing like she knows something’s off as her gaze flicks down toward my pocket. It vibrates again, like whoever it is won’t stop until I answer. I pull it out, and the screen lights up.

Unknown number.

Simone’s voice is soft. “Who is it?”

I shrug and just stare at the screen for another second, then answer. “Hello?”

A voice comes through—tight and urgent.“Is this Mason?”

“Yes,” I say, confused, “Who is this?”

There’s a pause, and I hear a bunch of commotion in the background of the call.“Mason, listen. I’m Officer Wright. I talked to your stepmother—Rose—and she told us to call you, to tell you to get on the next plane to Florida…”

I’m so confused. Why is this random officer calling me? What’s happening?

I press a finger into my other ear so I can hear better. “What? Why? What’s going on?”

“There’s been an accident. It’s bad. You need to get here as soon as possible.”

My heart drops into my stomach. “What kind of accident?”

There’s a hesitation that makes me brace for the worst.“It’s your brother, Asher.”

Everything in me goes still. “Asher?” I repeat. “What—what happened? Is he—”