Forest Lake

Chapter 31

Mason frowned and rolled his eyes. I chuckled, shaking my head.

“She is not just any girl.” Mason mumbled, sitting down on my bed and grabbing his phone.

I smiled and walked back into the bathroom to dry my hair.

When I came back into the room, Mason reached out for me immediately. I walked to the bed and sat next to him. He covered me with blankets, making me chuckle.

“I’m not cold, Mason.” I said, trying to remove the blankets.

“Are you sure?” he asked, looking at me. “What if you catch a cold?”

“Then my nose will be stuffy and I will snore in your ear for a change.” I said.

Hazel laughed, and Mason rolled his eyes.

“Now I am definitely covering you up.” he said, wrapping a blanket around me. “I am not listening to you snoring. I need sleep.”

He covered me with only one blanket this time, so I didn’t complain. I smiled at him and leaned on the headboard.

“And we don’t need sleep?” Hazel snickered, raising an eyebrow.

“You can always go sleep with Jax if you hate my snores.” Mason smirked, making Hazel roll her eyes.

Hazel wanted to say something else, but all of our phones rang at the same time, interrupting her. I furrowed my eyebrows and reached for my phone on the nightstand.

“Oh, my God.” Hazel mumbled, staring down at her phone.

My heart raced. Did they find Annie?

I opened the senior group chat. Barely a minute had passed since the first message and I already had to scroll back to see what happened.

A note was found.

“Fucker!” Mason mumbled, wrapping an arm over my shoulders and pulling me to him.

I opened the image someone sent. The note was pinned to a tree with a knife.

The note was addressed to “Her protector”.

You are doing an amazing job protecting her. I am very thankful to you. Nothing and no one will be able to touch my doll until I come for her. You are the best protector I could have asked for. But you seem to think that you can protect her from me as well. You are wrong. You are very wrong. She is mine. She is my doll and she will be back with me soon. Use this time you have left with her to say goodbye. She will be mine in life and in death.

My hands were shaking like crazy.

Mason’s arms were wrapped around me tightly. I could feel how fast his heart was beating.

“He is completely insane.” Hazel mumbled, staring down at her phone. “That poor girl.”

“Did they find Annie?” I asked, not even bothering to check the other messages.

“No.” Hazel shook her head, looking up at me.

“She could still be alive.” I mumbled quietly.

Hazel nodded, looking back down at her phone.

I looked at Mason. He was staring down at the picture of the note with a murderous look on his face.

“Mason?” I called him quietly.

He looked at me and his eyes softened immediately. He leaned his head on mine.

“This shit is freaking me out.” he mumbled. “Whoever this fucker is, I am killing him.”

My heart raced. I didn’t want Mason to be near him. I couldn’t handle Mason being hurt.

“You won’t get near him, Mason.” I said, my voice trembling. “You can’t get hurt.”

Mason kissed the top of my head and held me tighter.

“Don’t...” Mason spoke, but he was interrupted when his phone rang.

He picked it up and answered it.

“Hi, Jax.” Mason said.

I looked up at him and he smiled at me.

“I saw it.” Mason said. “He is a sick fucker.”

He looked at Hazel with a small smirk on his face.

“She is here, don’t worry.” he said, winking at Hazel.

She rolled her eyes, but I could see a little blush forming on her cheeks. Hazel removed the blankets and walked to her closet.

“We will be right there.” Mason continued. “When is Cassie leaving?”

I leaned my head on Mason’s shoulder. He kissed my forehead.

“Okay.” I heard him say. “Hazel is getting dressed right now.”

I heard Jax chuckling, and Mason sighed.

“I am not telling her that.” Mason mumbled. “You can tell her that yourself.”

Hazel looked at Mason as she walked to the bathroom. She rolled her eyes again, and I chuckled.

“Bye, Jax.” Mason sighed as he hung up the phone.

“When is Cassie leaving?” I asked, looking up at Mason.

“In an hour.” he said. “Is it okay with you if we hang out with her until she leaves?”

“Of course.” I smiled at him.

He smiled back at me and pulled me into a hug, placing a kiss on the top of my head.