Thank you so much everyone for all the love you've given me since my last update! I love that you're enjoying the story cause it makes it more enjoyable for me to write :)
Anyway, enjoy this chapter it's pretty intense and super long. Love you all so much!!
We walked in on a rowdy bunch of pre-adults stumbling around and laughing with music jamming in the background.
I linked my arm through Masons who had his hands stuffed in his pockets at the front of his jacket.
Someone crossed in front of us with a red cup and Mason had to hold me back so I didn't get trodden on.
"What happened to the fun house party?" I joked as we made our way through the house to the back deck that had been cleared of snow so people could stand outside. There were a few outdoor heaters on so no one would be too uncomfortable.
"Ashley! Thank god you're here." She exclaimed, pulling me roughly into a hug causing me to stumble slightly.
"Why what's wrong?" I asked, panic immediately making its way into my voice as I brushed her hair out of my mouth.
"Nothing... I was just really excited to see you." She gave me a quizzical look before I realised I'd over reacted.
Mason pulled me to his side and kept his hand tight on my waist as he looked around, his face stoic and unreadable
"How you been Mason?" Asked Cameron as they first bumped each other.
"Not too bad, how about you?"
"Pretty good actually, in fact, Mel and I have some news." They looked at each other with beaming grins and glinting eyes.
Oh yes! I was about to win ten quid!
"We're moving in together!" Mel bounced up and down and I felt my face break into a smile.
"Well, you basically already live together." Joked Mason which earned him a roll of the eyes from Mel. We discussed their living situation for a while longer, but it was more of me telling Mel of what she would have to put up with while living with a guy:
Leaving the toilet seat up.
Not stacking the dishwasher properly.
Apparently not knowing how to do dishes.
Not wiping down the shower.
Smelly farts.
And the list went on and on.
I got a few nudges from Mason here and there but plenty of laughter from Cameron.
The music continued to blare through the speakers and a group of boys from a chemistry course had started a game of beer pong.
We'd stolen the seats of a few hipsters who'd left and were quite cozy under the outdoor heaters.
"I'll be right back, just going to the loo." I muttered in Masons ear before getting up from under his arm and walking inside. I followed the makeshift sign that said toilet up the stairs until I reached the dark corridor, just illuminated from the light downstairs.
I did my business and checked my makeup in the mirror, wiping under my eyes to clear any mascara that may have smudged in the cold.
But I was in no way expecting what I saw when I opened the door.
I turned out of the door way and straight into the chest of a tall guy whose scent I distinctly remembered.
"Lucas." I gasped, distancing myself from him and holding onto the wall.
"It's been a while." He said, his voice deep and calm. So calm, in fact, it sent a shiver down my spine.
"Yeah, well, there's been circumstances where meeting has been a bit of a problem." I made to move around him but he blocked my way.
"Let me pass." I stared at his face but couldn't hold my gaze for long, it was almost as though I couldn't keep my eyes on his.
"I want to talk to you, Ashley,"
"Yeah, well I don't know want to talk to you." I moved again but he grabbed my shoulders a little too roughly than to be friendly.
"Let me pass, Lucas." I raised my voice and felt my face form into an unpleasant expression. How dare he thinking he can try to make up for the crap he did to me!
"Why have you been ignoring me?" From what would normally have been a hurt and apologetic tone was nothing but fierce and menacing as he squeezed me a little tighter.
"Because you nearly killed me in a car! Let me pass, Lucas!"I shoved the best I could at him but winced and gripped my elbow from the pain.
"What the hell's going on?" Masons voice carried across the music and the tension that was Lucas and Ashley. Lucas turned around to face him.
When Mason's eyes locked on Lucas's face his eyes were murderous and I would never tell Mason but I was scared of him. In that moment, I was terrified.
"Get your ass out of here before I hand it to you." Mason spat, his word coming through gritted teeth and his gaze flickering to me and giving me a once over for a short second.
"I just want to talk to her." Countered Lucas. Everybody else would understand and realise that I didn't want to talk and that Mason's tone left absolutely no room for argument.
"I'll say it one more time, piss off and don't come back because I swear to god, I won't hesitate in killing you." Lucas stepped closer to Mason until he was right in his face.
"You haven't got the guts." Sneered Lucas nand Mason moved so quickly I heard the crack before I saw it.
Mason had pushed Lucas into a door frame where his nose had smashed against the wood and from the sounds of it, breaking it.
I quickly moved to Mason where we ran down the stair way and started making our hurried way to the door where we gained a fair bit of attention.
"Get back here Murphy!" Screamed Lucas as he came charging down the stairs we we made our way outside where a few couples were making out and others we laughing and drinking.
"Get to the car."
"Mason, don't even think about fighting him."
"Oh believe me I'm gonna fight him." Mason was already walking away from me before I could say another words, I grabbed his sleeve.
"Mason don't, the ground is too icy and you might get hurt." I felt panicked and my palms were starting to sweat. If Mason got hurt I would do nothing but blame myself.
"I'm not about to stand by and miss my chance." He shrugged my arm off and paced his way back to where Lucas was standing with a smirk on his face as Mason cracked his knuckles.
"Lucas if you so much as touch him, you'll be sorry!" I screeched as I made my way up to where they were standing, eyeing each other off with a few feet between them. I slipped a little on the road.
"Stay out of this, Ashley!" Yelled Lucas, pointing to me with pointed eyes and I felt heat grow in my belly slide up to my mouth. My lips turned up and I charged forward towards him.
"Who the hell do you think you are! You have no right to tell me what to do since you nearly killed me!" I wanted so badly to claw his face and I could feel the muscles in my arms tensing and clenching as an arm wrapped around my waist and I was pulled back by Cameron. I pushed and pulled against him as I barked more words at him.
"Let go of me!" I screeched as Cameron kept a strong hold on me.
"Let Mason handle it." I punched at his chest and knew I would regret it tomorrow but it was like my body was acting of its own accord. I've never felt so angry in my life.
"You need to learn to muzzle your 'girlfriend'." He made quotations with his fingers and the fire just kept growing and growing inside me as I thumped against Cameron's chest trying to break free.
I made eye contact with Mel who was standing on the steps of the house as she came running down to take my hand.
Mason lunged for Lucas' throat and pushed him to the ground, straddling his waist and pushed blow after blow into Lucas's jaw.
The crowd around us had really started to form and I could do nothing but watch Mason smash Lucas.
Lucas's legs were writhing under Masons weight and he had finally managed to push Mason off him and pin him to the ground.
Both the boys' grunts could be heard over the whooping and cheering and I could feel each and every searing tear stream down my face.
I heard a scream before I realised it was mine as Mason took a punch to the face and blood started pouring out his nose and into his mouth.
At that moment Cam let go of me and ran to pull Lucas off Mason by his shoulder, throwing him into the ground to lift Mason up.
I continued to sob as Mel wrapped her arm tightly around my shoulders.
Mason charged once again at Lucas and punched him hard in the stomach and ribs until Lucas had his hands up in defence.
Mason, bloodied in the face and standing over Lucas looked to me his eyes burning and his fists clenched tight by his side. The crowd went silent and watched in awe at the fight that had just unfolded.
"If you ever come near her again, you won't be able to surrender." His tone scared me, and it was an awful feeling to actually be afraid of him.
He strode over to be and grasped my face in his big hands, tilting it up so he could see my eyes.
He held my gaze for a time and I brought my hand to touch his. He nodded and took my hand, looking back at Lucas who was still on the ground before exchanging a nod with Cam and pulling me to the car.
He brushed the blood off his lip in disgust and I pulled off my cardigan to wipe it away.
I was still crying, and I couldn't physically stop myself. We exchanged looks but spoke no words the entire drive home.
He opened the door for me as I tentatively walked in, turning to face him.
"Why?" I whispered.
"Why what?"
"Why did you hit him?" I pleaded, begging for an answer that was better than 'did you hear what he said about you?'.
"Did you not hear what he said about you?" There it was. He gestured to the door as if it were Lucas.
"What was the real reason?" I continued, stepping a little closer to him, wanting to touch him so badly but I knew it would cloud my mind.
He didn't answer straight away, it was like he was having an internal battle With himself and I didn't want that to happen.
"It was payback. For you and my sister." He wouldn't look at me and I didn't know why. I understood now his actions but why couldn't he look at me?
"Mason, look at me." I stepped over and touched his jaw gently to move his eyes to me. He winced.
"Come with me." I pulled him by the hand to the kitchen where I wet a tea towel and began to wipe his crusty, bloodied face.
When I got most of it off so he didn't look like a cannibal, I moved to get ice for his hands.
"Remember when you said, 'I have a feeling this won't be the last time I'll do this'?" He had a small smile on his face at the memory, at least that's an improvement.
I gave a short 'ha' at the memory and the exact same position we were in now: Mason sitting on the bench with me cleaning his bleeding knuckles.
I continued in silence and could feel him watching me. I just had nothing in my head I wanted to say. It was like there was too much and the words just couldn't come out.
"I'm sorry." He whispered.
"What for?"
"For ruining tonight." I looked up, he was resigned and distant. I knew he would punish himself for this, but he didn't need to.
"You didn't ruin tonight."
He nodded in understanding but continued.
"I'm sorry for making you angry."
I sighed. " I was angry because you could've gotten hurt. You did get hurt."
"Ash, you need to stop worrying about me-"
"No."
"What?"
"No. You don't get to say that. You don't get take care of me 24/7 and then tell me I can't be worried about you. It doesn't work that way." He rolled his eyes at me as I balled up the tea towel and dropped it on the bench.
"I'm just saying I can take care of myself." He hopped down from the bench and walked towards his room. I was hot on his trail.
"And I can't?" He took off his jacket and began getting undressed.
"That's not what I'm saying," he was standing in front of me, his shirt on the floor and his beautiful body facing me.
You're meant to be angry, Ashley. Don't get distracted.
"Then what are you saying?" My hands were on my hips, a typical stance I'd learnt from Mel, who seemed to have a sass smoothie everyday for breakfast.
"I'm saying that I was doing fine without you to begin with." I literally feel my body pushed back by his words and no doubt the pain showed on my face.
"If you were doing so fine then why did you choose me?" He stares at me with a blank stare, his eyes not giving much away and I can feel an odd sensation in my heart, as though it's splintering and being burned tiny piece by tiny piece.
I watch his mouth open but no words come out and I can see his adams apple bobbing up down as he swallows.
The air around us begins to feel tight in my chest so I turn on my heal and leave his room.
I pull my winter pyjamas over my head and pull on my pants, staring at Masons T-shirt in the corner of my room on my desk chair.
It seems to stare at me pressuring me to go over and pull it over my head, but I can't, not after the words he so blatantly said - or didn't say.
He was right, he didn't need me at all. All I've been is a burden on him and his friends.
I walk over to his t-shirt and pick it up as though it's boiling hot. I want to slap myself for doing it but I couldn't resist the urge to lift the black material to my face and take in his scent that was still lingering.
It immediately brought tears to my eyes.
I folded it into a square with the collar facing the front and tiptoed out of my room to place it in front of his closed door on the floor.