Page 36 of Drown Like Heaven
“Well I came back here looking for you.”
I could feel his eyes on my face, but I didn’t look back. Didn’t respond either.
I had this irrational fear that the second I gave into him, he’d consume me entirely. He’d pull me under the water and never let me surface again. It didn’t make sense and I didn’t know him at all, but I couldn’t stop myself from worrying about it, worrying about what would happen to me if I gave Mason an inch.
I know what you’re thinking in that pretty head. That nobody could ever understand you, and so you’ll never let anyone try.His words echoed through my skull, warping my thoughts and making me feel weird.
“How have you been?” he asked.
This time, Ididlook at him. “How have Ibeen? You don’t care how I’ve been.”
“Classes going well?” he questioned, ignoring my accusation, his brown eyes pinning me to my spot on the rock next to him. My face felt warm.
“Classes are fine.”
“Yeah?” He looked conflicted for a second, like he wanted to say something else but was holding his tongue.
“Yeah…” I answered slowly, watching his face. “Do you want to see my grades or something?”
“No. You’re at Blackpine, right?”
“I never told you that.” He was right, though. It was the main university in this area. He probably knew that.
“Alright.” He dragged a hand through his hair, pushing it up off his forehead, then rested his forearms on his spread thighs.
My gaze flicked down to his mouth for an instant, and I couldn’t stop myself from remembering how his lips felt against mine, on my neck, between my legs. His strong body over mine. His sweat. His cock. Tingles drifted across my skin, making me shiver. A ravenous ache began building low in my traitorous body.
“What are you writing about?”
“It’s private,” I said, my fingers still playing with the lace scraps on my journal.
“You never answered my question last time,” Mason said.
I had a suspicion I knew what question he was asking about, but I didn’t want to be the one to say it. “What question?”
“About the most messed-up thing you want somebody to do to you.”
A pause; a sharp inhale passing my lips.
“I’m not answering that.”
“But youdohave an answer,” he inferred. I wished he didn’t smell so good. The breeze coming off the ocean had shifted and I could smell it now, his addictive darkness scent, like pure sin, pure danger. I still couldn’t quite describe it correctly.
“I didn’t say that. Maybe I do. Maybe I don’t. It’s not your business.” I tucked my journal to my chest, crossing my arms as if I could somehow physically protect myself from this conversation.
“I’d like it to be my business.”
Why? Why does he care at all?
“Are you stalking me?” I questioned, not about to respond to his previous statement.
“Because I found you at the beach again?”
“And the bar.” The second I said it, I wished I could take it back, wished I wasn’t exposing myself like that.Too late. Whatever.I kept my eyes fixated on the continuous rolling of ocean waves, the splashing and dissolving of white water.
“What bar?”
Great.
