Chapter 6

LILY

“We should run,” I whisper, tugging at Mason’s arm and glancing nervously toward the door.

He gently resists, holding his ground. “Just be patient,” he whispers, kissing the top of my head.

But all I can think about is that guy disappearing with our IDs. I can’t get arrested! My eyes flick to the door.

I could run. Just make a break for it and save myself. I don’t want to abandon Mason, but when you live a life of crime, sometimes you have to make hard choices.

I’ll definitely visit him in prison, though.

“Sorry ’bout that. Price check,” the cashier says as he comes from the back.

“Sorry, forgot to hand these back,” he says, tossing our IDs on the counter and ringing up the bottle.

I casually slide my ID back into my wallet, trying to act like this is something I do all the time. But inside, my heart is still racing. Did we seriously just get away with using fake IDs?

Mason quickly pays before grabbing the bottle and leading the way back to his car, walking at a normal speed.

But the second we’re inside his car, we both burst out laughing.

“Oh my god, did we just seriously do that?” I exclaim, feeling a rush of adrenaline pump through my body.

“What do you want to do next?” he asks.

“Rob a bank!” I shout.

He laughs out loud, then says, “How about we start with a drink?”

***

Tonight is the first official college football game of the season, and Mason is ridiculously excited. He’s been like a hyperactive, overly excited puppy that just spreads its joy.

I’m excited for him, but part of me is gutted because Brittany, being the amazing cheerleader she is, is on the squad, so I’ll be all by myself at the game.

As I paint dark-blue lines on my cheeks for the first time, I regret giving up cheer.

Sophia is also on the squad, so I can’t go to the game with her. Not that I think she would want to. She still seems to hate me.

We barely speak, and when we do, she makes snarky comments, and her eyes are constantly rolling.

I get typical high school mean-girl vibes from her.

When I’ve finished painting the first line on my cheek, my phone buzzes, making me frown.

Who would be texting me now? All of my three friends are busy with cheer and football.

But not my dad.

Dad

Missing you Lily pad xoxo

Dad

Tell Mason good luck for me

I actually find myself smiling at my phone.

I’m guessing Dad is feeling lonely now that I’ve left for college, and it’s also pretty sweet that he remembers it’s the first football game.

Lily

Miss you too dad. I’ll let him know x

Dad

I love you

I stare at the text on my phone for a while, not sure how exactly I feel.

I mean, Dad’s told me he loves me before. He even made such a huge effort last year after my accident.

He kept his word and didn’t travel at all. He was home by six o’clock most nights. But there’s part of me that wonders if he does truly love me.

I mean, I’m not his biological daughter.

I shake my head. Now is not the time to have this internal crisis.

Once my face is painted, I slip my phone into my back pocket and head out.

The halls are full of students dressed head to toe in blue. They’re loud and cheering; it seems like half of them are drunk already.

“GO KNIGHTS!” a boy I’ve seen around the halls—and I think in my Lit class—cheers as he walks past my room, making me flinch slightly.

The whole walk to the stadium is loud and busy. I don’t know if I’ll get a seat.

Once there, I start walking the stairs, chewing my lip, trying to find a spare seat.

When I’m almost halfway up, a hand shoots out and grabs my wrist, making me jump.

“Lily. Come sit with us,” Brooke says, nodding to an empty seat between her and Thea.

“You need to give me your number so you can get ready with us next week,” she says as I sit down.

That would be nice. Then maybe I wouldn’t feel like such a loner.

I smile and wave at Maya and Kayla, who are sitting next to Thea.

Craning my neck, I try to spot Delaney, but she’s nowhere in sight.

“Dee is on the cheer team,” Thea explains, as if she can read my mind.

“So is Brittany.” I smile, feeling thankful that I have some people to sit with and won’t be a complete loner.

I sit with the girls, not really saying much, just waiting for the game to start.

“Look, there’s Brittany!” Brooke exclaims, bumping our shoulders together and pointing to the cheer team.

As I sit there watching the cheer team, I take in how good they really are. But my eyes don’t leave Brittany. I don’t know how I didn’t realize how amazing a cheerleader she really is.

My chest feels like it’s going to burst with pride. Part of me wishes I were down there with her.

I think about how different cheering with her, not against her, would feel. But then I remember how much I actually hated cheering, and the only reason I even started was to make my mom happy.

I never really enjoyed myself.

Even when I was cheering with Leah and Ava.

I wonder what Mom would think of me now. Probably disappointed since I’m not cheering.

I start thinking about what she’s doing now, where she is. If she ever thinks of me.

I’m broken out of my thoughts when the crowd starts cheering loudly. My eyes scan the field, and they instantly land on Mason, jogging onto the field.

I thought he looked good in his Greendale uniform, but in this college uniform, he looks even better. Blue is really his color.

He’s passing a ball back and forth with Liam for a bit before another player joins them.

“That’s Andy!” Thea points to the player. “He’s my man,” she says, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively, making her glasses fall down her nose slightly.

I sit with the football girlfriends, feeling like an impostor.

The girls seem like they all actually like and, more importantly, understand football.

They cheer at the right times, they boo at the right times, they yell out instructions and encouragement at the right times.

I mean, I know to cheer when we score and boo when the other team does, but I know nothing about defense and offense.

And quite frankly, I’m bored out of my mind and freezing.

Mason isn’t even playing; the cheerleaders aren’t doing anything. So, when the final whistle blows, I’m just as ecstatic as everyone else. They’re happy because we won; I’m happy because it’s finally over.

“Come on,” Brooke says, holding her hand out. “We’ll go wait by the locker rooms and meet back at the party later,” she explains kindly.

I nod as I take her hand and let her lead me down the stairs and to the back of the stadium, where the locker rooms are.

“Oh my God, did you see how amazing Jeff played? He’s so going pro next year!” Maya hollers as she bounces around excitedly, reminding me of Leah.

I’m surprised I haven’t seen Leah yet. I know she was coming to this college too. I’m even more surprised when I realize I didn’t see her on the cheer squad either.

Maybe I’m going blind and need to get my eyes checked or something.

“What’s got you frowning?” Brooke asks, bumping our shoulders.

“I was just thinking about why Leah isn’t here,” I say, making Brooke frown.

“Who?” she questions.

“Leah, Oliver Kingsley’s girlfriend. They’ve been together for a while,” I reply.

“Never heard of her.” She shrugs.

Maybe it is as simple as she changed her mind and went to a different college, which suits me fine. I really don’t want to see her.

We stand around for another five minutes, the girls talking about the game, mainly Maya talking about how amazing Jeff is before the team starts filing out of the locker room. Mason and Liam walk out together, both smiling, looking genuinely happy.

When Mason’s eyes land on me, his smile grows impossibly bigger. I run up to him, throwing myself at him. His arms instantly go around my waist, and he picks me up.

“Hey, Princess,” he murmurs in my ear before slowly letting my body slip down his so my feet are on the ground again.

“How bored were you?” he asks, looking down at me with a knowing smile.

“On a scale of one to ten? Eight. Brittany saved the day,” I tell him, giving him a shy smile.

“I had a bet with Liam that you would’ve been bored out of your mind.” He chuckles as he releases his grip on me.

“You didn’t play,” I say as we walk toward Liam’s car, where he and Brittany are making out.

“Second strings don’t normally play unless the starter gets injured or plays poorly,” he explains. “And freshmen don’t normally play at all.”

“So, you might not play all year?” I ask, feeling even more confused.

“It’s a risk,” he confirms before whistling loudly. He gets Liam and Brittany to break apart.

I instantly go to Brittany and gush over how incredible she is. “Part of me wishes I were down there with you.” I laugh, making her eyes go wide and her smile even larger.

“You’ll join?” she squeals excitedly, but I shake my head.

“Ugh. You really suck, Lily Bennett,” she huffs as we climb into the backseat of Liam’s car.

“Is Leah on the squad?” I ask, making her shake her head.

“Nope. I didn’t see her at tryouts either,” she answers. “And quite frankly, I’m glad because I might actually slap her stupid face.”

After a quick pit stop at the boys’ apartment for them to drop off their bags and for Brittany and me to change clothes, we walk into another party. This one is the complete opposite of the party last week. The living area is full from wall to wall with dancing and drinking.

The music is loud and thumping. I swear I can feel it through my shoes. This is exactly how I pictured a college party.

Mason threads our fingers together before leading the way to where I assume the kitchen is.

“Come on, Princess, let’s get a drink. Remember, never drink anything you didn’t open,” he states in the most authoritative tone I’ve ever heard from him.

~It’s actually pretty sexy.~

“Got it.” I nod, grabbing two beer cans that are on the bench and handing him one, while Brittany and Liam do the same.

“Cheers!” We clink our cans together before taking a long swig of the warm alcohol.

“God, that’s disgusting,” I say as my face goes screwy from the bitterness of the drink.

“The more you drink, the better it tastes,” Liam advises me before downing two cans back-to-back.

“I’m not carrying you home,” Brittany warns him as her eyes squint.

He pops another can anyway.

“You want to go dance?” Brittany asks me.

I nod and hand my drink to Mason. “Don’t leave without me,” I tell him. Not that he’s ever left me before. It’s probably just my abandonment issues showing up. They will do that—especially when not only your mom but your real dad walks out on you.

“Never,” he agrees before leaning down and placing a quick but gentle kiss on my lips.

Brittany and I walk back into the living room and make our way into the middle of the makeshift dance floor. The lights are low, with strands of fairy lights and a single rotating disco bulb casting flickers of color across the walls.

The music is pumping, and the floor is packed. It’s just what I thought a college party would be like!

We spin each other around, laughing and swaying our hips in sync. At one point, we’re dancing back-to-back, arms lifted above our heads. She starts giving big old bumps with her butt while yelling, “Booty attack!”

I can’t stop giggling.

A few guys try to approach us, smiling. I always give a small head shake to say no, but of course, Brittany has to go big.

She yells to each one, “We’ve got boyfriends! They’re big too!”

Not only do I not want to dance with any guy but Mason, but none of these dudes would be as fun to dance with as Britt.

We dance and dance until my feet begin to hurt. “Let’s get a drink!” I yell into Brittany’s ear.

She nods and grabs hold of my hand. I lead us back to the kitchen, where Mason is leaning against the bench, and Liam looks like he can barely stand up.

Mason is laughing at something and looks so in his element. Just watching him be genuinely happy makes me happy. But when I see who he’s talking to, my happiness instantly changes to annoyance.

It’s Mandy, his partner for the class project, making him laugh with her stupid boobs pushed up so high they look like they’re going to fall out of her dress.

I approach them, and Mason’s laughter halts as he catches sight of me. His eyes light up, and he instantly pulls me into his side. “Did you have fun?” he asks, offering me a fresh beer can.

“Would’ve been better if you were there,” I flirt, pressing my backside into his body. I can feel him starting to harden.

“Anyway, as Mandy was saying,” a girl I don’t recognize interrupts us.

“I, um, I was saying,” Mandy stammers, glancing at her friend who is touching her own arm. “I was just saying it’s such a shame you didn’t get to play tonight.”

Mandy steps forward until we’re almost nose-to-nose.

“Yeah, it was a shame,” I reply, maintaining eye contact with her.

“Because how Mason plays would be so good for the offensive scheme we run,” she states matter-of-factly.

“Damn, you know football,” a guy comments from behind us.

Mandy shrugs and giggles. “I guess so! I’m just a sports kind of girl!”

I can’t stand this girl and her false modesty. She knows exactly what she’s doing.

I need a drink.

I walk over to Brittany, who is holding a bottle of tequila and waggling her eyebrows at me. Brittany and I take turns swigging straight from the bottle.

After my third gulp, my face begins to feel hot and numb simultaneously.

“Turn around right now,” Brittany orders as I hand the bottle back to her.

I spin on the heel of my foot, stumbling a bit.

What I see infuriates me. Mandy has her hand on Mason’s arm, her fingers tracing his bicep, her chest barely half an inch away from his.

“What are you doing?” I snap, causing her to jump away from my man.

“I was just saying he looks too strong to be sitting on the bench,” she says, her lips pursed into a pout as she looks up at Mason through her eyelashes.

This fucking bitch!

“Can we go home?” I ask, resting my face on Mason’s arm.

“Of course,” he replies, standing up immediately. “Liam, we’re heading out.”

“So are we,” Brittany says, looking at a swaying Liam, who appears ready to pass out on his feet.

“But, but,” Mandy stammers, grabbing Mason’s other arm.

“See ya on Monday.” Mason smiles down at her as he casually pushes her hand off him and wraps his arm around me. “Come on, Princess. Let’s go home.”

The four of us manage to quickly get an Uber back to the boys’ apartment, where we all stumble inside.

Liam and Britt head straight to the kitchen to get something to eat. I start to follow, but Mason tugs my hand and nods toward his bedroom door.

The second his door closes, Mason pins me against it, his lips on mine in an instant, kissing me feverishly.

I kiss him back at first, but then I feel it—that nagging spark of jealousy twisting in my chest.

I pull away and look up at him.

“So…Mandy, huh?” I say, trying to sound casual, but it comes out sharper than I mean. “She’s really pretty. Big boobs. And she knows football.”

Mason blinks, caught off guard. “What?”

I know I’m just having a little drunken pity party, but I can’t help it.

I continue, “I barely understand the rules, and she’s, like, drawing up plays for you. Do you wish I were like that?”

He looks at me as if I’ve just said something insane.

“Lily, I don’t wish you were anything except exactly what you are. I don’t care about Mandy. I don’t care about any other girl. I only care about you,” he says.

I cross my arms, not quite ready to be done with my pout.

Mason steps closer and gently tilts my chin up. “Lily, she came up and talked to me, and I was barely listening. Just trying to be polite. The whole time we were at that party, all I could think about was this—being home, alone with you, so I could get you naked.”

His voice is soft but sure, eyes locked on mine. “Mandy doesn’t matter. No one does. I only want you.”

My arms slowly uncross as the jealousy melts away, replaced with something warm and dizzying in my chest.

“Show me,” I whisper, my voice low and challenging.

His eyes darken, and before I can draw another breath, he’s kissing me again. Everything else fades away.

I kiss him back just as passionately. His hands roam all over my body, groping my breasts, my backside, and back again.

Without breaking our kiss, both his hands move to my backside again, and he lifts me up, my legs automatically wrapping around his waist.

I grip his hair and pull his face impossibly closer as my tongue slips into his mouth. We’re both moaning, our tongues dancing with each other—the kiss is deep, hungry, and full of fire.

He effortlessly carries me away from the door to the bed and gently lays me down on my back, hovering over me without touching me.

Mason tries to pull his lips away from me, but I don’t let him. I pull his head down and push my heels into his back, trying to get his body on mine, but he doesn’t budge.

He finally manages to detach his lips from mine, moving them to that sweet spot right above my collarbone.

“Mason,” I moan, desperate for more.