There was no other way to put it.
Driven by nothing but sheer terror, I spent the next two days in bed, trying to forget everything. Finally, Mason pulled me from bed, forcing me to get up and go eat with everyone.
“Just take your hands off me and let me walk myself down the stairs,” I grumbled. I thrashed around like a crazy person, but I didn’t care. I saw no reason to care about anything anymore.
“And none of this was ever my doing. What did I even get out of it? I was practically a prisoner my whole life, but none of that matters now,” I rambled as I made my way down the stairs.
Mason yanked me by the shirt and pushed against the wall. He covered my mouth with his hand. “Shut your mouth. Going nuts does not solve anything.” He eyed me, warning me to cool it.
“Why would anybody here care?” I asked, pulling away. “We are in a house of criminals. We don’t know a single decent person, remember?” I scoffed, pushing Mason out of the way.
He jumped back in front of me before I could take off.
“I don’t know about you, but I will make it out of this bullshit. One way or another. I refuse to go down for my mother,” he said, fire in his eyes like I’d never seen before.
“Well, I hate to shatter your dreams, but that’s not how it works. Can you do me a favor and keep me away from the states with the firing squads?” I asked dryly.
Mason looked like he wanted to punch me in the face. He stormed down the steps. Who was he kidding? I could see it all now—the two of us on every news channel across the nation. They’d be showing the two kids dragged into a world of murder and mayhem, blood on their hands, and no remorse for their actions.
I rounded the corner, coming to a stop in the kitchen. Jay’s face lit up with excitement when he saw me and he stopped what he’d been doing with the dishwasher. His reaction to my presence made me feel special. His expression reminded me of how a guy looks when he’s enamored by a girl. I just didn’t understand why he’d be enamored with me.
“Did you get any sleep?” he asked, leaning against the counter beside me.
I felt really awkward as I tried to hide our conversation from Mason. I didn’t want to give him another reason to lash out at me. It didn’t matter if I was upset with him—he was the only person I had left.
“Maybe an hour,” I said. I looked through the kitchen to the dining room. Mason looked confused as he was trying to figure out all the utensils in front of him and why each place setting needed six.
Jay waited patiently, eager to continue our conversation, even if everyone else was gathered for lunch. “Kissing you was amazing. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to do it again.”
I couldn’t fight the smile. “I liked it, too.”
He shielded himself with a large platter to keep hidden from the dining room and winked at me flirtatiously.
I felt giddy and excited all at once. My face was growing warm with embarrassment and I wanted to run from the room to hide the fact that I was blushing.
Jay jerked his head toward the dining room. “Let’s eat.”
Mason tugged the chair beside him away from the table as soon as I came into the room as if he expected me to sit next to him.
I sat down, but not before shooting an annoyed glance in his direction.
Jay’s gran entered the room assisted by a well-dressed older man. He flashed a big, beautiful smile our way as he came into the room.
He waited patiently for Gran to sit, patting her arm, a large ring sparkling on his ring finger. I wasn’t sure what kind of ring it was but it looked very expensive.
“Well, who do we have here?” he said as he settled into his seat. He was referring to Mason and me…probably me more than Mason.
I shot a look at Jay hoping he would introduce me so the atmosphere in the room felt less awkward. He just lifted his crystal wineglass and took a long sip, leaving me to fend for myself.
I sighed, trying to pull it together long enough to offer a reply. I didn’t get why I had to be the one making conversation when Mason had met the man before.
“I’m Kendall, a friend of Mason’s,” I replied.
He reached across the table, taking my hand. His eyes stayed focused on me for a few seconds before he gently kissed the top of my hand. He unbuttoned a couple buttons on his fancy jacket.
“It’s a pleasure, Kendall. What brings you here?” he asked.
I pursed my lips. I always hated trying to explain that to people.
“Mason and Kendall were just passing through, Gramps,” Jay said, answering for me. He winked at me and saluted me with his glass before taking another drink.
I relaxed and sat back in my chair.
“Kendall, this is my lovely ex-husband, Benny,” Gran spoke up.
I wondered how they were able to be in the same room if they were exes. In my family an ex meant restraining orders and violent fights.
“Mason, is this the beautiful girlfriend you’re always bragging about?” Benny asked, a big smirk flooding his face.
I looked at Mason wondering what the hell he ran around saying about me when I wasn’t there.
“No. Kendall and I were forced to be together a lot, practically since birth. She’s definitely not the one I was talking about,” he said, pressing his thumb into the fork tines.
I wished he’d pierce his flesh after making such a rude comment. I knew he was trying to irritate me.
“If you could only be so lucky, Mason,” Jay said, taking a jab at Mason. He leaned back in his chair a smug smile on his face.
“That’s funny, because I have been many times,” Mason shot back.
A woman—the hired help—bustled in the room, taking my attention away from Mason and Jay. She placed a plate in front of Gran. Several others followed behind her, each one carrying a tray.
I stared at the plate before me. Asparagus and some type of meat I wasn’t familiar with sat elegantly on the plate garnished with green herbs and a yellow sauce. It wasn’t anything I’d ever eaten. I hoped it wasn’t squid.
I smiled at Gran, noticing she was watching me from her place at the table.
It didn’t seem to bother Jay’s grandparents that Mason and Jay were passive aggressively attacking each other at the table. With smiles on their faces they began eating.
“Mason, you’re not being polite,” I said under my breath at him.
“Fuck polite,” he muttered, sawing into his food. His elbow jerked back and forth. He was acting like such an idiot, and I was ready to lose it. I balled my napkin in frustration trying to keep from hauling off and punching Mason.
Jay sat up, bringing his elbows down on the table. He watched Mason as he messed with his food, hardly eating anything, just moving it around on his plate in agitation.
“Are you sure you want to play this game, Mason?” Jay asked. “I know all about you.”
“Yeah, I know,” Mason said, giving a shrug of his shoulders.
I shoved the asparagus in my mouth, biting off the tip and chewed angrily. I was trying to ignore what was happening, but they were making it very hard.
“Kendall isn’t into guys like you. In fact, she despises guys like you.” Mason dropped his fork and pushed his plate away. “I’ve known her my entire life.”
Jay bit down on his lip. “She likes you, right?”
“She has daddy issues, mommy issues, and Aunt Wanda issues. The girl’s a train wreck. She doesn’t know what she likes,” Mason said.
I gasped, blown away by what Mason had just said about me. My heart kicked into gear, beating like mad in my chest. I looked at Benny and Gran one last time, hoping they would stop the two of them from battling it out. Minutes later, it was clear they weren’t going to do anything and my anger had bubbled over. I couldn’t hold back any longer and I slapped Mason right across the face, startling him.
Mason threw a hand back, angrily knocking me and the chair I was sitting in backward. I skidded to a stop on the wooden floor, shocked that I was now looking at the ceiling.