Page 79 of Game Plan

“Space?”

“Yep. To be, to think, to… I don’t know, but it doesn’t matter.” I grabbed my bag from the desk, but Mason blocked my exit before I could leave.

“Mel, wait. Can we talk about it? I won’t push you. I won’t say a word about us dating again if that’s what you wish. Please don’t leave like this. I’m fucking tired of all the push and pull, but I’m also willing to keep doing it for you.”

My heart deflated in my chest. I hated being the one causing him pain. It had never been my intention. I just had no idea how to behave each time I was sucked into a Mason vortex. It was like gravity was leaving me, and I was floating around without direction or anything to ground me down to Earth. My life usually consisted of goals and objectives. I couldn’t just free fall without thinking it through first, because falling for him with no restraint would steal all common sense from me. I knew because it had almost happened once.

He opened his arms, and after a few seconds of hesitation, I wrapped myself around his waist and sighed in relief when his arms circled my body, and he held me close to him, the beating of our hearts syncing and soothing the worried parts of me. A lone tear leaked from my eye. My thoughts were muddled. What was I supposed to do? Listen to my head or listen to my heart? There was so much at stake, and I wasn’t sure I was ready for all it implied.

“I don’t wanna lose you,” Mason said after a long beat. “I can’t lose you again. The first time was hard enough.”

“I don’t wanna lose you either.”

“Then tell me how to navigate this…you…me…us?”

“I don’t have a map, Mase…or instructions… I’m lost, and I don’t know how to do this. How to cede all control to destiny and see how things unfold from here. It can’t end like it did last time, and I’m not sure how to do this without it consuming every part of me—for better or worse. What if I’m not strong enough?”

“I promise you I’ll find a way, okay? We’ll find a way.”

I nodded against his chest. “Don’t hate me.”

“I would never be able to.” We stayed like that for the longest time. “Do you still wanna go home? If you stay here, you’ll have the house to yourself tomorrow. We have a game, and we won’t be here all day. Usually, I would beg you to come see me play, but I want you to rest more.” He dropped a kiss on the top of my head. “Here’s the deal. The TV is big, the refrigerator is full, and you don’t need a caddy to take a shower. We even have a tub if you feel like it. You won’t get a better offer anywhere else.”

“Even though spending too much time in my dorm room is kinda depressing and I don’t have my own bathroom—or bathtub—it would be weird being here without you.”

“Nonsense.” He took the bag from my grip and dropped it on the floor next to us. “Let’s go downstairs, and I’ll show you where everything is.”

“Mase.”

He placed a finger over my lips. “Shhh. Let me do this for you. Scratch that. I need to do this for you. Let me take care of you. For once, don’t fight it.”

He watched me with so much tenderness in his gaze that I couldn’t refuse.

I was falling deeper in love with him every day, and I had no idea how to extricate myself from the hole sucking me in without my insecurities spiking and making me question everything. The last thing I wanted was to relapse, but at the same time, Mason Pierce had become my drug of choice over the last year, and I had no idea how to stay away from him anymore. And even if I tried, I wasn’t sure I possessed the will to, no matter what I told him.

“So, will you stay here tonight?”

How could I say no? I wanted to. At least, my heart did.

I nodded.

“Awesome.” He pulled at my hand and opened the door.

What was I getting myself into?

21

Geez, and now you sound just like me

I woke up in the middle of the night with a parched mouth. The room was engulfed in darkness, and for a few seconds, I wondered where I was. The bed was way too big and too comfy to be mine. Memories of last night flashed in my mind. Yes, I was sleeping at Mason’s again. I felt around the mattress with my hand, searching for him, but the sheets were cold where he usually slept, which meant he’d been up for a while. Was I really awake, or was I dreaming? I propped myself up on my forearms. The alarm clock said it was three thirty-seven. Mason wouldn’t be up at this early hour unless something was wrong.

I escaped the warmth of the bed, about to go downstairs to see if maybe he had to ice his shoulder because the pain had kept him awake, when I noticed a faint glow spilling through the gap between the bathroom door and its frame. I tiptoed closer, not wanting to scare him if he was in there.

Holding my breath, I adjusted Mason’s oversized T-shirt that I was wearing and pushed the ajar door open.

My eyes grew wide, and my lips parted in shock.

The scene playing in front of me froze the blood in my veins.