Page 94 of Most Valuable Player
“For what, Mason?”
“…Not giving you another chance.”
“But you are. Right now. So what else are you apologizing for?”
“…Being immature.”
“Right. You’re young. You’ll make mistakes. But I can’t let this be one of them. Down the road, you’ll thank me for knocking sense into you.”
…
“Don’t look at me like that. I promised I’ll be better for you, and I intend to keep that promise. Which is apparently more than what you can do.”
…
“So this is what happens next. We go inside and tell our parents the good news. You tell your little boyfriend to walk his ass home. After the banquet, I’ll properly propose again. We’ll pretend the last several months didn’t happen. Okay?”
…
“Hello? Am I talking to a fucking wall?”
“Okay.”
“That’s better. So let’s head inside and—”
Suddenly, Liam’s grip around me disappears. His eyes widen as he stumbles, having been wrenched back by a blurred force. Before I cancome fully into focus, I’m being swathed in someone’s arms, my head nudged into their chest.
“I’m sorry,” he whispers. “I promised I wouldn’t let him touch you again. I’m so sorry.”
I blink into the sapphire-blue vest. These arms…they’re not as long as Liam’s, but they’re gentler. Warmer. “Cameron,” I whisper, my eyes sagging. “Can we go home?”
“Yes. We’ll walk across the street. My parents are hanging out at a bar a couple minutes from here.”
“Okay.”
The person around me is yanked back again, sliding through my stubborn grasp. Suddenly, I’m watching him get thrown to the ground, hard enough and at the perfect angle for him to bash his chin into the asphalt. I feel the color drain from my cheeks as Cameron’s skin splits, causing blood to surface.
“Unbelievable,” Liam whispers, his outline quivering with rage. “The moment this guy comes within sight, you toss me aside again? You’re already this unfaithful?”
“Mason, go,” Cameron orders, his fingers scraped and bleeding as he puts his hands beneath him. “You’ve been through enough—”
Liam plants a foot in Cameron’s side and thrusts, flattening him out on the street. The sight feels worse than a thousand daggers plunging into my chest. Hot tears lick my cheeks as I stand against the brick wall, paralyzed.
“Mason,leave,” Cameron snaps again, eyes locking with mine. His own are resolute, but there’s a ring of anxiety around his irises. “I can handle this prick. Go get your parents.”
Cameron is shaken. It’s not just because of Liam’s threatening presence. This sight, this feeling, is familiar to him. Being on the ground with people looking down on him…It’s a nightmare he can’t rid himself of.
Yet he’s willing to put himself through it. For me.
“Kids your age are so damn annoying,” Liam says, looming over Cameron. “Mason, I thought you were different. But you’re just like everyone else. Immature, bratty…needing a goodlesson.”
He reels his foot forward, and Cameron grimaces, preparing for the kick. It doesn’t come. Liam falters, foot hanging mid-swing.
“Get away.” The words are so pathetic, so weak, yet I can still force them out. I’m shaking violently, but I can still hold my stance, shielding Cameron. The tears are thick and relentless, but I can still glare at him.
“Move,” Liam says sternly.
My body’s instinct is to obey. I remain still, knees quaking.
