"'Cause two can keep a secret, if one of them is dead."
~Pierces, Secret.
Nobody's dying😂, I just love the song (and PLL)
***
Mason pushes the front door open and we make our way inside.
"Maya!" Angie appears, running towards us.
"Angelique, don't, you'll hurt her." Mrs. Wilder appears behind her.
Angie stops in her tracks and looks between her mother and us. I give her a small smile and her face brightens up.
"Are you alright?" I look up and find Oliver standing next to his mom.
"Yeah." I nod.
"Help her sit down." Mrs. Wilder instructs.
Mason and I slowly make our way to the couches. He helps me sit down. He lifts my legs up and puts them on the couch.
"Thank you," I smile before adding, "but I can do all this myself, don't worry too much."
"Nonsense," Mrs. Wilder remarks, "Oliver, go get some ice and a cloth from the kitchen. I'll get a stool."
"I'll keep you company." Angie suggests and I nod enthusiastically.
She sits down in front of me, on the blue and black carpet. Mason makes himself comfortable on the couch opposite mine and listens to Angie's endless questions regarding my ankle.
Oliver returns, a cloth and small container of ice cubes in his hands. He looks down at my ankle then my face before his eyes flash to the ground. For a second, I swear I see a look of concern.
"How did you fall?" My attention turns back to Angie.
"I slipped, there was water on the floor. I tried to hold on to the counter but I twisted my ankle and fell." I cringe at the memory.
"Oh no," her face falls, "I accidentally spilled water in the kitchen. Maya, did I make you fall?"
"No, honey." I shake my head. "It wasn't you."
"Here's the stool." Mrs. Wilder announces as she walks in, holding a brown wooden stool.
She sets it down next to Angie and puts a cushion on top of it. She carefully lifts up my leg and places it on top of the cushion.
"Maya, would you like me to bring you something?" Oli offers.
I look up, unable to answer immediately from the shock. I give him a smile and slowly shake my head.
"No, thank you."
He nods before quietly leaving the room.
Well, at least I know he doesn't really dislike me.
"Maya, I think you should sleep in Mason's room tonight."
I shoot my head to my left to look at Mrs. Wilder who is standing next to me.
"What?"
"Yeah," she nods, "he can sleep in the guestroom. It'll be easier for you to move around. I'll bring your things down for you."
I nod and glance at Mason. I find him looking at me and I look away. Mrs. Wilder leaves the room and Angie follows behind her, trying to negotiate an ice cream sandwich before supper.
I lie back on the couch and close my eyes. The pain in my ankle is barely noticeable now but I feel very tired.
I haven't studied in days and I'm going to have to miss my classes tomorrow. I wonder if I'll be able to move around with this ankle or if I'll need someone to always hold on to.
"Maya." Mrs. Wilder's voice causes me to open my eyes and look up. She walks over to me, holding my phone.
"Yes?"
"Here," she extends her arm and I take the phone from here, "your mom called earlier. I know you had said I shouldn't call her but she called. I had to tell her Mason took you to the ER..."
Her expression falls and Mason jerks his head to look at his mom. His eyes widen when he takes in her sombre expression and he looks down.
I gulp nervously before muttering a thank you. I can imagine my mom's reaction to not only hearing that I'm with Mason but I had to go to the ER.
Mrs. Wilder gives me a small smile before she walks out. I unlock my phone and look down at the screen.
Ten missed calls, five voice mails and three texts.
Those are just the ones from my mom. Lilly and dad also called and Bianca texted.
"Fuck!" I curse under my breath. I can see the surprise on Mason's face but I ignore it.
I lock my phone and close my eyes.
Should I call my mother back? I should read the texts and decide after.
I open Bianca's text first. She's freaked out and asking me to call her as soon as I can. My finger hesitates, hovering above my mom's messages.
"Maya, is everything alright?"
I look up at Mason. There's this sad look in his eyes and he gulps nervously. His Adam's apple bops before he softly chews on his lower lip for a few seconds.
"Uh..." I glance down at my phone. "I don't know."
Before I can hesitate some more, I click on my mom's messages. My heart almost falls when I read the last one.
Mom: Honey, are you alright?
Why did you not tell me you
would be going away for the
weekend?
I'm coming to San Francisco.
I know my mom. As much as I miss her and would love to see her, I know her. She will make a big deal out of this and if I'm not dragged back when the day ends, it'll be a miracle.
Without wasting another moment, I tap her name and the phone starts ringing.
I have to let her know I'm fine and that it's nothing.
"Maya Blythe Banks, are you trying to kill me?" She whisper yells. She must still be at work.
"Mom, I'm so sorry. I know I should've told you I was coming to Mason's house and-"
"Maya, what are you doing with that boy?"
"What?" I question.
"His mom told me that he had to rush you to the ER." She states, not clarifying my confusion. "The last time you were with him, you ended up in a theater room with a bullet wound. Now what did he do?"
"Mom, I just slipped on some water but I'm fine. It's just a sprain."
"You went somewhere without telling me or your dad." She says, completely ignoring my previous statement.
"I know, mom." I sigh, feeling guilty for stressing her out. "I knew nothing would happen to me here, I'm safe. It's Mrs. Wilder, she-"
"She and her criminal son got you involved with a dangerous man!" She whisper yells once more.
"Mom, don't say that about them." I quickly defend, now feeling agitated by her reaction.
I feel Mason's eyes on me and I look up. When our eyes meet, he looks away before standing up.
"It's the truth, Maya."
I don't answer, my attention on Mason as he walks out of the room. I wait until he's out of the room before replying.
"Mom, I've said this before, what happened wasn't his fault and it definitely wasn't his mom's."
"Maya," my mom sighs, "I have to keep you safe. Unfortunately you don't seem to be safe when you're with that boy."
"Mason, mom. You don't even want to say his name now?" I try to ignore the pain forming in my chest.
"Maya..." She sighs.
"Mom, please don't come here. I'm okay."
There's a moment of silence and I check my phone to make sure she hasn't hung up.
"Promise me you'll visit, soon."
"I will, mom." I smile, feeling relieved.
"Call your dad and let him know you're fine."
We say goodbye and I wait for her to hang out. Going to visit home is better than her coming here.
I dial my dad's number and call. I know he'll react better than mom.
***
I lay my head back on the couch and close my eyes. I feel so tired. Mason is moving his things to my room and I'm waiting for him.
I smile at the thought of him. He kept me company during dinner because I obviously couldn't go sit at the dining table. His mom insists that I shouldn't put stress on my ankle.
I play with the phone in my hand, flipping it around. I just got off the phone with Max. He was so disappointed so hear that we're not coming back today and so concerned about my ankle.
Speaking to him made me realise I can't keep thinking about Mason. I've enjoyed this weekend so much. Not only spending time with his family but with him. Waking up in his arms, sitting outside drinking cocoa with him, how much he's been taking care of me recently.
"Maya?"
I open my eyes and slowly lift my head up.
"Oli."
"Can I sit with you?" He asks and I nod, giving him a small smile.
He sits down next to me and stares at the TV. Mrs. Wilder was watching a soap opera before she went to bed a few minutes ago.
I look at Oliver. He's grown so much taller now and his blonde hair is longer than before. I notice how the way he's styled it is similar to Mason's. While they look nothing alike, Oli does like to emulate Mason.
"I'm sorry." He says and my eyes slightly widen.
"Wh... What?"
"Look," he sighs and turns to look at me, "I'm sorry. I know I've been..."
He shrugs and looks away again. I slowly nod, although I don't understand anything. Oli has never really been open or verbose around me. I guess a part of me just always shrugs it off. I don't even think it's something he should apologise for.
"Why exactly have you been..." I let the sentence hang the same way he did.
"Before, it was because you were taking up all of my brother's time." He chuckles and I smile. He looks at me again.
Of course.
"I'm sorry about that." I smile sheepishly. "If it makes you feel any better, he was forced to. I'm sure half the time he didn't want to."
"Oh, no." Oli shakes his head and smiles. "He became so much happy after he met you."
I smile and look away.
"Well, Oli, what about this time?"
"It's stupid." He runs a hand through his hair. "I blamed you for something just because I couldn't bring myself to blame my brother."
"What did you blame me for?" I shift, trying to make myself more comfortable on the couch with my leg still elevated on the stool.
"For why we had to move here." He shrugs, as if I'm supposed to get everything.
"Is it because Mason and your mom wanted to leave due to their guilt over what happened to me?" I chew on my bottom lip.
I understand if that's the reason.
"Yeah," he slightly frowns, "it's also because of your mom."
"My mom? What does my mom..." I let the words trail, confusion filling my mind.
"I know," another sheepish smile, "it doesn't make sense that I blame you for what Mason involved you in and what your mom did."
What in the multiverse is he saying about my mom?
"I mean, you were unconscious and everything. You couldn't talk your mom out of doing what she did. I guess even after you woke up, it was too late. I don't know, I thought you'd at least call or something."
"What?" I swear this is one of the most confusing conversations I've ever had.
"Mason was so devasted that your mom wouldn't let him or my mom see you. He went there everyday until she asked the hospital security to stop letting him in."
What?
A lump forms in my throat and I gulp, trying to take away this heavy feeling.
"One afternoon," Oli's face falls before he continues, "I found Mason crying in his room. I'd never seen him cry. He had just gotten back from the hospital and your mom had asked him to never come back. You know, even on the day we moved here, he tried to go and beg your mom to let him see you. He came back distraught."
I feel my eyes begin to water and I look away.
What is he talking about? Mason left, on his own will. He wasn't there when I woke up because he chose to. He said that it was due to his guilt.
"Hey, little man." Mason shows up from behind us.
"I'm not a little man anymore." Oli rolls his eyes. He stands up and looks at me. "We're okay, right, Maya?"
I quickly blink back my tears and look up at him. I nod, not sure how my voice will sound. He smiles and also nods before walking out of the living room.
"Maya?" Mason walks around the couch and looks at me.
I see the concern all over his face and I look down. A tear rolls down my left cheek and before I can wipe it away, more begin to fall.
"Hey, hey, what's wrong?" Mason is quick to sit next to me.
I look at him, the vision blurry to my tear filled eyes.
All those feelings; hurtful, heavy feelings return. All the memories of crying because of the trauma, because Mason left and because I thought I was stupid, make a return. I remember thinking I was going insane. Not being able to describe to anyone, not even my therapist, how I felt.
"Mason." My voice breaks and he pulls me into his arms.
He wraps his arms tightly around me and I hug him back. I rest my face on his chest and cry.
"It's okay, it's okay." He whispers and I continue to sob.
I thought, "Why not?" 🌝