Exchange

Chapter 19

I averted my eyes to my lap and felt hot in the face. Couldn't he just leave?

"So are we telling everyone we didn't hook up then?"

Still too preoccupied on how I looked in that moment, Mason's words took a moment to register. When they did however, I looked up at him.

"What?"

Mason shrugged and sat on the edge of my bed, his stomach muscles flexing and constricting with the movement. His eyes were now in line with mine and again I felt shy as they took in my disheveled face.

"Well, you were busy telling the other two we didn't do anything last night. So I'm asking, do you want to keep it a secret for a while? Because I don't mind."

I stared at him for a second, trying to understand what he was saying.

My heart suddenly picked up, and a sick feeling formed in my stomach.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Mason's eyes flashed with something I couldn't decipher.

"What, you don't remember?"

Oh God. I was beginning to feel nauseous and I was almost certain it had nothing to do with the hangover.

"We kissed last night."

Mason's voice was low and steady, his eyes trained on me.

I was still for a moment, shock registering through my body.

What? No. I kissed Mason? Mason kissed me? And I didn't remember? He was lying. This was not happening.

I shook my head, slowly, and then franticly.

"No- no that's impossible, I don't- I can't remember-"

Mason shrugged, his lips quirking dangerously.

"I guess you were pretty wasted. It was when we arrived back at the apartment."

His eyes glinted and he took a step closer towards me.

"I was opening up the door with you barely conscious against me, when suddenly you were mumbling all of this stuff."

I closed my eyes trying to remember but it was like hitting a brick wall. Suddenly I felt like crying. Out of frustration, embarrassment, or the fact that I had kissed Mason and couldn't remember it- I didn't know.

Mason took another step towards me. "You told me that you liked me, thought I was handsome, had been wanting to kiss me for a while now."

My jaw dropped and then I nearly did cry in utter mortification.

"I- I did not-"

"You asked for just one. Just one kiss." Mason was right at the side of my bed now, and I tried to keep my eyes focused on his face and not the rest of his bare body.

"You were drunk." He shrugged. "And so was I."

My breathing had become heavy and disjointed and my hands were clammy fists at my sides.

I swallowed when Mason bent right over me, resting both hands on the headboard above me and caging me in. My eyes widened in surprise and I tried to focus through the sweet, clean smell of his cologne.

"Mason." I muttered, suddenly scared of the proximity between us, as well as what it was doing to my heart rate.

"Rose." He murmured back, his eyes boring into mine like two hot flames. His minty breath washed over my face and I suddenly felt light headed.