Mason POV
“Mase!” Cassie exclaimed happily as soon as Emma and I entered my room.
Jax was sitting on his bed, scrolling through his phone. Hazel and Chris were sitting on the floor, leaning against my bed. They looked up and smiled. Chris’ eyes went straight to Emma, and I frowned.
I was holding Emma’s hand, and I had no intention of letting go, no matter what.
Cassie ran to me and wrapped her arms around my waist. I used my free arm to hug her back.
“Hi, kid.” I smiled. “That’s a pretty big hug considering I was gone for an hour, tops.”
“I missed you.” Cassie looked up at me. “Jackie is annoying.”
“Shut up, Cassandra.” Jax sighed, looking at his phone.
Cassie rolled her eyes at Jax and looked at Emma. She smiled, but I could see a hint of jealousy that Chris mentioned earlier. I really needed to talk to her.
“Hi, Emma.” Cassie said.
“Hi, Cassie.” Emma smiled. “Are we playing Monopoly?”
“I don’t really want to.” Cassie said as she walked back to Jax. “I want to watch a horror movie, but Jax said no.”
“You’re a kid.” Jax said, not looking up from his phone.
“I am 13, Jaxon.” Cassie sighed.
“I want to actually sleep tonight, Cass.” Jax sighed, looking up at her. “I don’t want your screams to wake me up.”
“Mason.” Cassie whined, looking at me. “Tell him it’s okay.”
“I am not getting involved, Cass.” I chuckled, pulling Emma toward my desk. “He is your brother. His word is final.”
I sat down on the chair and pulled Emma onto my lap.
“Please, Jax, please!” Cassie begged, wrapping her arms around Jax. “I won’t wake you up. I promise!”
Jax rolled his eyes and sighed.
“Fine, Cassie.” he said, grabbing his laptop. “We can watch whatever you want.”
Cassie squealed and grabbed Jax’s laptop. She started searching for a movie.
“How did it go with the principal?” Jax asked, looking at Emma and me.
“Fine.” I said. “You were right about the money.”
“Of course.” Jax scoffed, rolling his eyes.
“Did he actually ask you to pay him?” Hazel asked, her eyes wide.
“No.” I shook my head. “I just had to threaten him that I would leave the school. He can’t really afford to lose any more students.”
“It’s ready!” Cassie exclaimed, placing the laptop on the foot of Jax’s bed.
We took our usual places on Jax’s bed. I was leaning on the headboard, and Emma was sitting between my legs, leaning on my chest. Cassie was next to me and Jax was on the other end of the bed. Hazel and Chris pulled up the chairs, placing their feet up on the bed. There were bags of chips and popcorn all around us.
The movie began, but I didn’t pay much attention to it. I kept looking down at Emma, thinking about everything that she told me.
What would I do if I got a call one day and the person on the other end informed me that she had died? How the fuck would I survive that? I probably wouldn’t. The pain would kill me.
Just the thought of living in a world without her made me sick.
I don’t really know how I survived nine years not knowing where she was or what she was doing. I kept telling myself that she was enjoying her life without me in it. I kept telling myself that she and mom were far away and had forgotten about me and my dad. I kept telling myself that I hate them for abandoning us.
As it turned out, I couldn’t have been more wrong.
I don’t want to go through that ever again. I don’t want to spend a day without her. I can’t let anything separate us again. I can’t let anything hurt her again.
I buried my nose in her hair, reminding myself that she was right here. She was okay. She was warm. She was not hungry. She was not in pain. I was holding her, and I was never letting her go.
Emma rubbed my arms soothingly, leaning even more into me.
I felt Cassie’s gaze on me, and I turned my head to look at her.
She looked sad. She was staring at Emma with an unreadable expression on her face.
Jax kissed the top of her head, and she turned to him. She smiled and leaned her head on his shoulder.
The movie ended, and I didn’t watch a single scene. I didn’t even know the name of it.
I spent the entire time, staring down at Emma, reminding myself that she was okay, and thinking about ways of making it up to her. I had a lot of making up to do.
“That was scary.” Cassie mumbled when the movie finished.
“I knew I wouldn’t be getting any sleep tonight.” Jax sighed, standing up and turning the light back on.
The rest of us chuckled, and Cassie rolled her eyes.
I looked down at Emma and placed a kiss on the top of her head. I needed to talk to Cassie, and I needed to do it in private. I didn’t want to embarrass her in front of my friends. Unfortunately, that meant that I would have to leave Emma for a few minutes. I was terrified to do it, though.
“Chris, Jax.” I said, looking up at them. “Could you take Emma and Hazel and wait outside the door for me?”
Emma looked up at me, furrowing her eyebrows. Jax gave me a confused look. I ignored him. I would talk to him some other time.
“Don’t take them anywhere.” I continued. “I need Emma close. Just wait for me in front of the room.”
“Of course, Mase, don’t worry.” Chris said, giving me a knowing look.
“I will be right here, okay Emmy?” I said quietly. “It won’t take long.”
“It’s okay, Mason.” she smiled as she stood up. “I’ll wait for you outside.”
I sat up, placing my feet on the floor. I heard Cassie getting up as well.
My heart hammered in my chest as I watched Emma leave the room with Chris, Jax, and Hazel. This was the first time in days that I would leave her alone, and I didn’t like the feeling. I needed to hurry up.
“Come here, Cass.” I said as soon as the door closed.
I turned around to look at her as I patted the empty spot next to me. Cassie walked to me slowly. She didn’t say a word since I asked my friends to leave the room.
“I can’t help feeling that you don’t really like Emma.” I said, deciding to be direct.
Cassie wasn’t a stupid girl, and she deserved to be talked to like an adult.
“I like her.” Cassie mumbled, staring down at her hands. “She is really pretty.”
“Of course she is.” I said, chuckling. “She looks like me, and I am very pretty.”
Cassie looked up at me and gave me a small smile.
“But that is not what I am talking about, Cass.” I continued. “I think that you don’t want her to be here.”
My stomach twisted just saying those words. This is where Emma belongs.
“It’s not that.” Cassie sighed. “I am glad that she is here. I am afraid that she will steal you away, though. She already did.”
“Oh, Cass, no.” I said as I wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “I will always be your prettier brother, don’t worry about that. I just missed my twin, and I am having a hard time being away from her right now, especially now when someone is kidnapping girls. I am going to spend a little bit more time with her right now. That doesn’t mean that I love you any less, though.”
“Promise?” Cassie asked, looking up at me wide-eyed.
“I promise.” I smiled. “Give her a chance, will you? She is an amazing sister to me, and she will be an amazing sister to you too.”
“Okay.” Cassie said quietly. “Can I ask you something?”
“Of course.” I smiled.
“Does Jax like Hazel?” Cassie asked, a small smirk appearing on her face.
I laughed, shaking my head. She really is a little devil.
“I think he does.” I said, winking at her.
“I knew it.” Cassie chuckled.
“You have the best brother, you know that?” I asked, smiling. “I wish I could be like him. I wasn’t a really good brother to Emma in the past, and now I want to be like Jax.”
“He is great.” Cassie smiled.
“I don’t know why you even want me when you have him.” I teased her.
“I need at least one pretty brother.” Cassie said, rolling her eyes.
“Of course.” I laughed. “How could I forget that.”
Cassie smiled, and I stood up, pulling her with me. I hugged her and kissed the top of her head.
“Okay, kid.” I said as I let her go. “I am glad we had this talk. I will see you tomorrow.”
“Where are you going?” she asked, furrowing her eyebrows. “This is your room.”
“I am sleeping in Emma’s room.” I said. “I don’t want her to be alone.”
“Oh.” Cassie mumbled as something I couldn’t understand flashed in her eyes.
Was it jealousy again? I decided to let it go. She needed time to adjust. That was it.
“Good night, kid.” I said as I opened the door.
“Good night, Mason.” Cassie said with a small smile.
I saw my friends waiting for me in front of the room, and I reached for Emma immediately. It was really hard for me to be away from her. Not being able to see her made me want to throw up.
I wrapped her in my arms and turned to Jax and Chris.
“Good night, guys.” I said. “I will see you tomorrow.”
I could tell that Jax wanted to ask me what Cassie and I talked about, but it could wait. I wanted to sleep.
“Good night.” Chris said, smiling at Emma.
“Good night, Chris.” Emma said softly, smiling back at him.
“Good night, Elly.” Jax smirked, closing our bedroom door.
Hazel rolled her eyes, but I could see that she liked the nickname.
The three of us started walking back to their room.
I held Emma’s hand tightly, reassuring myself that she was right next to me where she belonged. No one will take her away from me again.