Page 19 of I Heart Mason Cartwright
Mason
She ignores us both.“So, which room is ours?” she asks instead.
“You’re not staying here,” Willow says at the same time I say, “I’m not staying here.”
“Wait,” AshLynn says to me, holding her palm up to my face. She turns to Willow. “You don’t have a guest room for us to stay in?”
“AshLynn, I don’t have any furniture!”
“You have a bed.”
“For me!” Willow says.
This, whatever it is, has gone on long enough. I grab AshLynn’s upper arm and spin her to face me. “You want to tell me what the hell is going on, AshLynn?” I ask gruffly, my body uncomfortably close to hers.
“We need to be here when . . .” She trails off, not finishing her sentence.
“When what, AshLynn?” Willow asks stepping almost in between us, glaring at her sister.
AshLynn avoids looking at us both.
She stays silent. I look at her. Then at Willow, who is also looking at her. Then back at her. She looks up finally, her eyes flit between the two of us.
“For when Mommy and Daddy get here,” she mumbles.
“What the?” Willow says at the same time I say, “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”
“Why are your parents—” Willow starts.
“Our parents,” AshLynn interrupts.
“Our father, your mother.” Willow sighs. “Why are they coming?”
“To meet Mason.”
Willow nods slowly.
“No. Absolutely not. No way,” I say.
“Hang on, Mason,” AshLynn says.
I try my best to absorb this added information without losing my shit. “When are they coming?” I ask, ignoring her request tohang on.
“Now.”
“AshLynn! You did this on purpose,” Willow yells.
“Did what?” AshLynn asks.
“You arranged to be here at my house when they first meet him, on purpose, so I could act as a buffer for when they blow up at you.” Willow is still yelling.
AshLynn at least has the decency to look ashamed. “No, I didn’t.”
I almost believe her.
Almost.
“I can’t believe you, AshLynn,” Willow continues yelling. “You do this all the time to me. I’m not your safety net when you’re about to get in trouble. You are a grown woman, take responsibility for your actions.”
